I, the author

Random Musing... About Life and Such

2011-11-25T13:15:00.000-08:00

I'm trying to avoid everything Christmas... LOL I'm such a Grinch. But while chatting with my best friend about the holidays, I stumbled upon an interesting topic...

It's funny that my best friend should mention time and friendship/relationships. While it's true that some friends just fell by the wayside (and possibly they weren't really good friends to begin with -- or they have their own things going on...), it's also true that some friends remain the same after years and years. I mean, sometimes you haven't seen someone for 20 years and you see them again, and it's as if no time had passed. Like my best friend and me... sometimes we have a hard time remembering when we saw/talked to each other last! Was it a year ago? Two years ago? I mean, we've known each other for almost 25 years and it doesn't seem like that long.

Maybe time really isn't a factor when you really connect with someone. Otherwise, it's not meant to be and is superficial anyway.

I think we're always just wrapped up with the "now," or that we feel if we don't hold on to something or someone, they will be gone forever. It's human nature. It's hard to let go of attachments. It's all about fear -- the fear of rejection; the fear of loss; the fear of not measuring up; the fear of being exposed or the pain of separation or not having something (now). Fear of losing control, or a future beyond our control. The more we're attached to something, the more we want to hold on to it, not understanding that if something is meant to be, time doesn't matter. We're a culture of "now" -- instant gratification. When we say "we want to take things slow, get to know each other better" what we mean is "let's get married in 3 months." Either we're lovers now or never! The same goes with other endeavors such as a writing career, money, fame, etc.

But remember, legacies are not built overnight. In fact, most "legacies" are built over a lifetime.

And then you hear stories about people in love with each other for decades before they had a chance to get together... you wonder, wow! How does that work? (Have you read the book or seen the movie One Day? It made me sob like a little girl) In a way, that's what my current novel is about: the undying love that lasts a lifetime even after a decades-long separation....

Interesting how life imitates fiction sometimes.

Book Number Three

2011-09-10T20:14:00.000-07:00

Book #3 has finally started -- I think... I hope.

Actually, I did start another book #3 last November when I was *trying* to do NaNoWriMo but I quit after the first 8000+ words because it turned out not to be the book I wanted to write. And since then, I've been working on editing on Book #2 and figuring out what to do with Book #3. I narrowed it down to between two ideas.

Eventually, I decided that I wanted to write something lighter, with lots of humor and fun observation. It's not necessarily a comedy, but definitely nothing as thick and heavy as Book #2 and the other idea for Book #3.

Also, once I switched to first person, the words just flowed. I absolutely love writing in first person, and I feel that after all these months of pondering, I got to know the characters pretty well and I was able to tell the story with their voices. Let's see how that goes. One of the main character is going to be so much fun to write!

Also, since I've now started on it, I want to resume my 500-word-a-day challenge. Hopefully I'd be able to get the first draft done by next Spring. Let's see how that goes.

So excited!

Surgery

2011-08-31T15:51:00.000-07:00

Book editing is like surgery sometimes, and your beta readers are your best doctors and nurses, and yet the final surgery depends on you!

Just when you think the last bug has gone extinct, you find something else. Or you know something is wrong, or your doctors tell you something is wrong, but you're in denial (doctors are the worst patients - writers are the worst crittees), until the symptoms keep showing up, and you know something must be done. Or else the warts or bugs or tumors will always be there eating away everything.

But let's face it, surgeries are painful. It takes time to heal, and often there are complications or new problems, and more fixes need to be applied. And you wonder if you'd come out alive or whole again. Would you be a better person? Or would you be a patchwork like Frankenstein's monster?

Fortunately, the best surgeons usually do the job well. That's when we, as writers, must sharpen our skills and improve our craft. The point isn't to write something perfect from the get go. the point is that when problem arises, we'd know and understand the need to do necessary surgeries, to fix any warts and bugs and tumors and ailments. Like everything else, the first step is to acknowledge that there is a problem - an illness, a cancerous growth... I think for us, that's the hardest thing, to listen to your doctor and realize: OMG, I have cancer, and I need to have X and Y cut out... But once you take the first step to acknowledge that, the rest would come naturally: you know what you must do if you want to live.

Writing is kind of like that, too. And right now, I'm doing surgeries, some minor, and some not so. They can be painful. But they are all necessary, and I'm glad I have the opportunity before the book goes to die.

Projection

2011-08-31T01:45:00.000-07:00

A friend of mine recently sent me something that gave me a pause:

Projection is the biggest danger.. seeing what you want instead of what is actually there is what causes us to invest when we shouldn't. Better to take it slowly. I think a lot of these problems occur because we don't value ourselves enough to make the other person take equal risk, then we beat ourselves up for trying.

He was, of course, talking about love and relationship, but I think the general idea also applies to everything else: career, friendship, goal, life, etc.

As an idealist, I'm guilty of projecting - a lot. Instead of focusing on the moment and taking in what life has to offer, right now, I project. I immediately launch myself far in the future and interpret things according to what I want to see, instead of what is actually there. Facts become signs and signs becomes destiny and destiny becomes action items. And the results are not always good, because when we project, the vision is blurred and skewed, thus the signs are often wrong, and the outcome thusly turns out not as we expect.

There's another thing: expectation, which goes hand in hand with projection. When we see something that may or may not be there because of our projection, we begin to expect something in return, something to happen. A + B must = C.... The problem is, even if A and B are correct, C may never happen. Worse, A and B might be wrong in the first place because of our projections. The result is a whole bag of disappointment and frustration.

Now, does that mean we should never invest? Of course not. There are things that is worthwhile to pursue. And we know in our heart what is real and important. When we make a connection with someone, we can most likely instinctively tell if it's real or not, instead of just empty infatuation or "daydreaming." Same with our career goals: it's good to fantasize, but deep down we know what is an attainable dream and what is just empty fantasies. The trick is to figure out which is which, and to know the facts and understands what is real and what is not, and then invest thusly.

Invest in what is important.

But take it slow.

Part of my own problem is also that I am impatient. While some people may spend their entire lifetime finding "the right one" or excelling in a profession, I tend to want it to happen quickly. 20 years to write a great novel or build a career? That's taking too long. And I'm not alone. Many people "settle" for the first person they "fall in love" with even if their instinct tells them something isn't quite right. Many people don't want to invest their time and energy in a long-term goal. In this fast-food nation, everything has to be instant and gratifying or else ... oh shiny....

But there's a saying: "Good things come to those who wait." When we heard of overnight successes, chances are there's nothing "overnight" about them. When we heard about a match made in heaven, chances are it wasn't borne of "love at first sight" (we're all so spoiled and screwed by fairytales). For example, most successful couples I know started off as friends, and their love grew from that simple friendship. Many people I know who "fell in love at first sight" ended up in divorce court. I know some writers who got their "big break" quickly after they've spend years perfecting their craft (with 10 trunk novels to proof it). So I think there's merit in "good things come to those who wait."

Alas! Given that I'm an idealist, a perfectionist, and an impatient man, I'm doomed.

The Wizard of Pacific Between

2011-07-27T10:26:00.000-07:00

A few years ago, after reading The Pacific Between, a reader told me that it was like reading a modern retelling of The Wonderful Wizard of Oz.

I said, "What?" I never thought of it that way. I didn't set out to retell that story.

But in many ways, it is true. There are many parallels. Most basically, both are the Hero's Journey, so some resemblance is inevitable.

However, upon further analysis, I can see more similarities:

Greg Lockland is Dorothy (sorry, there's no Toto, unless you count his nice clothes).

Lian is the wizard that he seeks (who turns out to be not so magical after all).

Greg is unhappy and dreams of a better life.

Greg travels to a strange place called Oz (Asia) to find the wizard.

Along the way, Greg finds lifelong friendships with the likes of Scarecrow (Old Chow -- he has a brain!), Tin Man (Agnes -- she has a heart!), and Cowardly Lion (David -- he has courage!). And a whole cast of characters who help him along.

He also has a nemesis, who turns out to be less threatening and crucial to his mission than he thought. His greatest challenge is himself.

Eventually, he realizes as great as Oz is, there's no place like home. He also didn't realize the power to go home has always been with him.

Greg comes home a different person than he was. He finds happiness.

Top 10 Mistakes a Writer Should Avoid: #7

2011-06-17T12:33:00.000-07:00

#7: Too Many Cooks Spoil the Soup

The flip-side of the Golden Word Syndrome is when a writer takes every advice as gospel. They'd change their manuscript as soon as someone, especially an agent, says something needs to be changed.

That shows us that the writer isn't confident with his or her own writing, is too eager to please, doesn't have a clear vision of the story and characters, and can't tell good advice from bad.

Remember this: suggestions and critique are only opinions. Opinions can change. Opinions can differ from one person to another. Opinions can be wrong, or at least not applicable. There's no right or wrong, only what makes sense.

While we writers must grow thicker skin and learn to accept criticism, we should also learn to sift through the barrage of opinions, consider them seriously, and pick and choose which ones make sense to us. Writing is a solitary act, and it's good to have outside input and feedback and support. But ultimately, we're the creator of that work, and we must hold true to our own vision. No good is going to come out of "writing by committee."

And remember this, just because someone else doesn't like what you write doesn't mean it is shit. It just means, well, someone doesn't like it. We all have different tastes. Instead, focus on what makes sense: if enough readers think your story is confusing, then chances are there is something wrong with the storytelling. If enough people correct your grammar, chances are you need to brush up on it. If enough readers tell you your story starts too late, chances are you probably do have a wrong beginning. "Chances are." There is no absolute, only "what makes sense." Do consider all the advice with equal faith, but faith shouldn't be blind and without reasons.

Most important, develop and improve on your skills and listen to your own voice. Practice, practice, practice. That's the only way to gain self-confidence.

A Good Quote

2011-05-24T13:56:00.000-07:00

Before it goes away, I want to repost this author's quote (at the bottom of my blog) because I think it's interesting:

Failure or success seem to have been allotted to men by their stars. But they retain the power of wriggling, of fighting with their star or against it, and in the whole universe the only really interesting movement is this wriggle.
E. M. Forster (1879-1970)

This sounds rather like Michael Chabon's famous quote, which he included in the afterwords of the re-release of The Mystery of Pittsburgh:

Three things are required for success as a novelist: talent, luck, and discipline. Discipline is the one element of those three things that you can control, and so that is the one that you have to focus on controlling, and you just have to hope and trust in the other two.

Top 10 Mistakes a Writer Should Avoid: #8

2011-05-24T09:58:00.000-07:00

#8: The Golden Word Syndrome

Let's face it: we've all suffered from it; we may still have it.

It's an illness that only goes away little by little with practice and a lot of outside help and remedy -- the more we write and subject ourselves to critiques and reviews, the easier it is to realize that our words are not always golden. At times, we may even realize our words are not only not golden, but brown.

So what is the Golden Word Syndrome? At its worst, GWS comes in the form of Can't-Touch-This. The symptoms include any of the following:

- Everything I write stays as written
- I'm a genius and every word I say is the gospel
- I'm better than all the other writers out there, so what do you know that I don't?
- You're not me, and thus you would never know what I really mean, and thus only I know how to fix my writing, if there's anything to be fixed

When a writer is afflicted by this severe case of GWS, it's terminal. It'd probably take a miracle to cure it, if not completely impossible.

Now, don't confuse this acute illness with a case of severe Thin-Skinitis, even though the two are closely related. Strictly speaking, Thin-Skinitis renders the writer highly sensitive to criticism. Reactions may include itchiness, red-eyes, running nose, uncontrollable tears, heart palpitations, hot ears, temper flares, and sharp tongue. Now, the difference between Thin-Skinitis and GWS is that patients of the former may simply refuse to recognize the mistakes and flaws in the writing out of embarrassment or a related case of inferiority complex. It's treatable with frequent exposure to constructive criticism and mentoring.

Meanwhile, GWS is highly untreatable in that the writer lacks any ability to recognize the flaws in the writing. The GWS sufferer tends to suffer from a delusion of grandeur that he or she is the greatest writer ever. GWS sufferers may also display secondary symptoms of Thin-Skinitis.

Now, not all GWS sufferers are bad writers. In fact, many GWS sufferers are rather good. For example, a GWS sufferer wrote so well that my publisher actually offered him a contract; his manuscript was absolutely publishable. Only during the editing phase did my publisher recognize the severity of said writer's GWS -- it was beyond help -- and the publisher had no choice but to rescind the contract. To these days, I doubt that the GWS sufferer in this case understands the reasons. Chances are he still blames the publisher for not recognizing his genius.

The problem is, GWS may not be diagnosed until rather late in the publishing process, especially if the writer is decent to begin with. Such symptoms could be undetectable until threatened and the writer displays the typical reactions that are often confused with those of Thin-Skinitis. And then it's too late.

The truth is, nothing and nobody is perfect. Anything can be changed, edited, and improved upon. A seasoned writer must learn to accept that he's not infallible, and mistakes or flaws do not mean he is not a good -- even great -- writer. A seasoned writer understands that books are rewritten, not written. Stephen King, for example, often runs his second or third drafts by his wife, who admittedly is King's most harsh critic. Michael Chabon wrote about his "ordeal" while editing The Amazing Adventures of Kavalier and Clay. "It was bloodbath," he had said. But that's also how a writer grows. The finished product earned Chabon a Pulitzer Prize and secured his place as one of the most celebrated contemporary American literary writers.

So, before you start submitting your work, seriously consider if you're suffering from GWS, or displaying certain symptoms. Are you truly open-minded when it comes to your work? Are you willing to consider advice and changes without feeling you or your work is being attacked? Are you capable to leaving your comfort zone so you can grow as a writer? Are you able to accept criticism without having your ego and self-esteem bruised or destroyed? Because you know, that's only one of the first steps on the road to success. If you can't accept criticism or see the flaws in your own work, even if you succeed in getting published, you'll meet a long road of disappointment or anger as your READERS continue to criticize your works. If you ever expect only praises and accolades, then you may in fact still be suffering from GWS -- perhaps a milder case, but GWS nonetheless.

It's time to get it treated before it's too late.

Ten Years Ago

2011-05-05T10:07:00.000-07:00

Ten years ago, 9/11 happened. The world changed, at least for us Americans.

But that's not what I want to talk about. This is, after all, a writing blog.

Ten years ago, I decided I should take my writing seriously. I decided to pursue my goal as a professional writer.

Since then, I've completed two novels, one of which was published in 2006. I've written a couple dozens of short stories, and published a few. I now have two blogs, and have published almost 400 movie reviews.

I'm not bragging. In fact, that's not really much of a resume considering ten years have passed. However, my point of posting these "accomplishments" is to prove that if you put your mind to it, you can accomplish what you set out to do. And it's a work of progress. I haven't published my Twilight or Harry Potter, yet. Now that I have accomplished my goal of getting published, my next goal is to achieve international success in this career. It's not just a dream anymore. It's a goal. It may take me another ten or twenty years, but I will accomplish that goal.

I've set my mind to it. Like a heat-sensing missile.

ZZZZZZZOOOOOOOMMMMMMMM.....

Top 10 Mistakes a Writer Should Avoid: #9

2011-04-06T15:34:00.000-07:00

#9 Not researching and targeting the right agent

Confidence is not my problem, but not matching the right agent with the material definitely is.

One of the mistakes that writers do is using the "shotgun" approach while querying without doing the needed research on the agents. The shotgun approach only works if you're shotgunning the right agents. Otherwise, you're just shotgunning for a whole lot of rejections. It's perfectly fine if you're trying to wallpaper your bathroom.

It's also a mistake to query your top, dream agents first. Why? Because most people simply aren't ready yet when they first query. The query letter isn't ready. The pitch isn't perfect. The sample chapters aren't polished. We're not sure what exactly we're selling, yet, and how. We need practice runs, just as an Olympian wouldn't make the Olympics his or her first competition, or an astronaut wouldn't fly the Space Shuttle without tons of simulations and dry runs first. So why waste your chances with your top agents with a lousy query? Sharpen your skills first. Practice. Then when you are ready, prepared and confident, go for the kill.

However, it's still difficult to find out exactly what an agent represents unless a) you write a specific genre such as romance or fantasy, b) you're familiar with the books and authors the agent represents (and providing you can get their client lists), and c) you know they're still representing that genre. Unfortunately, as I found out the hard way, many agents list "literary/mainstream fiction" as the genre they represent but, in reality, it's not. If the agent says "literary fiction" and you keep seeing romance and fantasy in their client list, it should tell you something. So yes, do your research. Make sure you're querying the right agents.

Top 10 Mistakes a Writer Should Avoid: #10

2011-03-28T15:02:00.000-07:00

#10: Query before you're ready

We've all heard of the panic stories: "OMG, the agent requests a full. What do I do now?" The logical reply is, of course, "Send the thing immediately." Except the writer immediately tells you, "But it's not ready..." Whether the manuscript isn't finished, or it's still a first draft, or there are still many problems and errors to fix. Whatever it is, it's not "ready" yet and the writer knows it.

So why the heck did the writer query? Was it just for fun? Or did the writer have that self-defeating idea that "no one is going to want it, anyway"?

I see that happening a lot, and I wasn't an exception. When I first queried The Pacific Between, it wasn't ready either. It was at least 15,000 words too long, started in the wrong place, and needed at least another pass or two of copyediting. And what happened? I got a request for full. And a nice, plump rejection soon followed.

I learned my lesson, though. I just hope other writers don't have to go through that in order to learn the lesson. Make sure whatever you send out, whether it's a query letter, a synopsis, the first three chapters, or the entire manuscript, it's READY and you won't be embarrassed to let anyone see it. By "ready" I mean publication-ready.

But how can we tell if something is publication-ready? It is indeed difficult to tell because we're all so close to our own work. But if we are willing to spend months, if not years, working on the manuscript, shouldn't we spend at least a few months just to make sure everything is ready? Your beautiful baby deserves the attention before you present it to the world, don't you think? You wouldn't take your sick, naked, cranky baby to your boss's house, would you?

There are many ways to make sure your work is as ready as it can be:

a. Put it away for a few weeks, maybe even a month or two. Put some distance between you and your work, so that new euphoria and "I just wrote a masterpiece" feeling can subside. By then, hopefully you would have started a new project, or life is full of new adventures, and you wouldn't be so obsessed with the book.

b. After a few weeks or a month or two, you can now dust it off and read it again as objectively as you can. Pretend that someone else had written it. Read it from page 1 to the end with a critical eye. Examine every word choice and sentence structure. Plot. Characters. Conflict. Pace. Is it something you would buy and read if it were written by someone else? Can you see the flaws now? Does the story still make sense to you? Are you back in love with the characters as you were a few weeks ago? Can you see the grammatical and spelling errors? Can you rephrase a sentence to make it clearer or more vivid and interesting? Hopefully the little time off would make you see it in a whole new light, instead of being obsessed over how perfect it is. It's kind of like dating, actually. Cool things down a bit. Take some time off and see if you still miss each other. There's no need to jump into marriage immediately.

c. Get some beta readers. No matter how objective you think you are, you still aren't. It's still your baby. You're still too close to it. You can read between the lines because you know the entire story. You may have missed something because it makes perfect sense in your mind. But does it all translate onto the page? The test isn't what the writer thinks, but what the readers think. At this point, it's about the readers, and you're as far from objective as it can be as a reader. You need fresh eyes. You need someone who is not madly in love with you, or someone who will lie to get you in bed with them, or someone who loves you no matter what... meaning, no Moms or Dads. A good beta readers is one whom the writer can trust, who will give honest, impartial, and objective opinions. Someone who would say, "This doesn't work whether it's written by Stephen King or JK Rowling or you. I just don't buy it." It shouldn't be someone who owes you a favor, or vice versa. It should be someone who enjoys reading a good book, and has no patience for a bad one. It should be someone who would give you "tough love" but you'd still go to dinner with him or her afterwards, because you know he or she is right, is just trying to help and not destroy you.

d. Do another draft/rewrite or two. Yeah, you thought you were done two months ago? Think again. It's not about being anal retentive or self-doubting. These are sanity checks. To go through the manuscript once or twice more with a new perspective is important. It helps you see things more clearly. Read the manuscript aloud. Read it backwards. Anything to distract you from the visuals in your own mind. Keep it real. Keep it fresh, as if you're reading it for the first time, and that you're doing brain surgery on it. Use the feedback your beta readers give you as a guide, but it doesn't mean you have to accept everything they mention. You're still the writer. The final decision is still yours. But it helps to consider EVERYTHING. Do another draft. Proof-read it again. Leave no stones unturned.

The truth is, after you've done all of the above, there would still be errors and mistakes. Nobody is perfect... or else editors and publishers would have nothing to do. But at this point, you should have a manuscript that has gone through bootcamp and intensive training. You've given it the attention it deserves. It's ready to fly.

But now you'll have to write that damn query letter. Oh dear...

Simple Writing

2011-03-25T09:47:00.001-07:00

A great writer makes simple look elegant.

A good writer makes simple look efficient.

A bad writer makes simple look ugly.

Questions I Will Not Answer Anymore...

2011-03-15T15:10:00.000-07:00

It's not like I'm famous or very talented or anything, but once in a while other writers do ask me questions, because I've been there, done that. I also frequent a writers' board; I believe in paying it forward. I've learned so much since I started my journey as a writer about ten years ago. I think it would be nice to share some of my experiences and what I learned.

But there are questions I won't answer anymore. Not that I think people are stupid. Hey, I've been there; I've asked stupid questions, too. It's just that when something is asked constantly, and when that something could be easily answered by simply reading a lot... it just shows me that the people who ask these questions either don't pay attention, or they're too lazy to look the answers up themselves. They want to be spoon-fed. They want someone to do the work for them. Worse, they don't read. I'm sorry, if you want to be a writer, you've got to read. It'd be like trying to be a chef when you don't eat. Or trying to be a social worker when you hate people. It's part of the trade. If you want to write, you need to read. And if you read, you'd know the answers to these questions.

Here are some of the most annoyingly frequent questions:

- How long should a chapter/sentence/paragraph be?
Really? I know it's a cliche, but it really is like asking, "How long is a string?" It is as long as it needs to be. Read a book or two, and you'd see that a chapter, etc. could be pages long, or just one word. It all depends. You're the writer. You know what you're trying to express. You should know. Don't ask others what you should do.

- How do you punctuate dialogue?
Really? Seriously? Do you ever read fiction? Quick, pick a novel up. Any one. The one closest to you. On the shelf. On the desk. On the floor. It doesn't matter. Open it up to any page. Is there dialogue? Now read it. How is it punctuated? Now pick up another book. Repeat. Do you see a pattern? Now, if you don't have any books in your house, then you have a bigger problem than "not knowing how to punctuate dialogue." Start with the basic: READ!

- How long does it take for you to write a novel? Do you write in the morning? Do you write in the evening? How many hours do you devote to writing? How often do you write?....
Seriously, none of your business. My process is mine. You should have your own. My work schedule and process have nothing to do with you. Stop being nosy and just write. I know, I sound harsh here... maybe you're just trying to see what works for me so you can try it. The truth is, it doesn't matter what works for me. You have to try and find out what works for YOU. We all have to do the work and figure it out on our own. No exceptions. No shortcuts.

- Do you outline?
See above.

- ... yeah but...
You can tell if a writer already has an agenda when he or she asks a question. They don't want an honest answer. They want a confirmation. They're already stuck on a concept, an idea, or some kind of conviction. They only ask the question so you can tell them, "You're right!" And when you disagree, here comes the "yeah, but..." That's why I keep my mouth shut and slowly back out of the conversation. Yanno, you don't have to agree. You don't even have to listen. But don't yeah-but me.

Plot Holes

2011-03-11T11:38:00.000-08:00

Those nasty things. They are rather like potholes -- irritating things that won't necessarily prevent you from getting where you want to go, but they annoy the hell out of you and seriously impede your ability to enjoy the story.

Small potholes are fine; often you don't even notice them.

The big ones, however, are awful.

In fiction terms, you're allowed only one major plot hole per novel, if you even have one.

Smaller ones are often ignored or undetected.

And the more fancy and out of this world your story is, the more your readers would suspend their disbelief and accept more plot holes. But even they have limits. Men who could get pregnant and deliver babies may work in science fiction, but you still have to explain that enough to make it plausible. Then you'd need to add all the complications (for example, men are not going to be able to give birth naturally, no matter what science says).

Take a classic movie, Raiders of the Lost Ark, for example. I love that movie, and it's a rollicking good time. Much of it makes sense, in the context of its fantasy. After all, we're talking about the Ark of the Covenant and the power of God. Still, if you must, you have find plenty of plot holes or illogicalities:

- Indiana Jones is a professor, but it doesn't seem like he teaches much. He was shown to teach one class, but then suddenly he's on a globe-trotting trip to find the ark
- Why does everyone call him Indy if his real name is Henry Jones Jr.? At least his employer would call him by his real name
- Indy hasn't seen Marion for over 10 years and she's hiding in the Himalayas and lo' and behold, he finds her
- They are pushed into a pit down 30 or 40 feet... neither hurt themselves; not even a sprained ankle
- And so many snakes in that pit... what do they eat? I'm sure not every day there is a person being dropped into that pit... are they cannibals? And where did all those skeleton come from?
- Oh right, Indy swims to the submarine (undetected) which is about to go under... and he survives the trip all the way to the island!
- The car chases are great, but let's face it, they are un-effing-believable

And that's just some of the plot holes and inconsistencies. Wait until you see The Temple of Doom.

But, do they matter?

Not to me. That's the thing. The characters and the story are so engaging that I hardly noticed the plot holes. And when I did, I didn't really care, because the movie was so well done.

EXECUTION matters.

I remember a friend of mine read the shooting script of Raiders of the Lost Ark, and he thought it was crap. The worst thing he ever read. And I could imagine why. It probably did sound cheesy on paper, like one of those bad B-movies. But when he saw the movie, he was blown away and thought it was one of the best movies ever.

EXECUTION matters.

You can have the best idea in the world, and if your execution isn't up to par, it'd fall apart.

You can have the worst idea in the world, but if your execution is Spielberg-esque, you may be able to make gold out of dirt.

EXECUTION matters.

What Raiders of the Lost Ark illustrates is that given a preposterous story and larger-than-life cliches, it could work, and work beautifully. Everything worked in execution, from the perfect casting (can you even think of anyone else playing Indiana Jones? Didn't Indy and Marion have great chemistry together?) to the location shots and action scenes, and of course the bone-chilling finale. Everything works together, even if the script sounds cheesy and outrageous.

Oh, right, and there is not ONE major plot hole. All the holes I mentioned were minor. Over all, the plot makes sense. Going from point A to point B makes sense.

Spielberg passed the "one major plot hole per story" test.

Everyone Loves Bargains

2011-03-10T10:28:00.000-08:00

Or is it Everybody Loves Raymond?

But anyway, if you have a Kindle, or Kindle-capable devices such as iPad or iPhone, you're in luck. My books are now selling at 99 cents each. Yup, including my novel, The Pacific Between.

So buy one now. Buy many. Gift them. :)

Get them here.

Combining Story Ideas

2011-03-03T11:04:00.000-08:00

Now that I'm done with the current WIP (I'm still tweaking, but I'm getting better at leaving it alone), I need to get the next book going.

I did the NaNo thing in November and got 8000+ words down, but it turns out not the story I want to write. So I'm abandoning it for the time being, and may never come back to it.

However, I currently have two story ideas that I think may work very well together as ONE single book.

The first is kind of a road trip story that I've been thinking about for the last few years. It's also based on a short story I wrote a couple of years ago. But it alone isn't enough for a feature novel.

My second idea is set in Hollywood in the 1940s. It has intrigue, glamor, and larger-than-life characters. Yet again it alone isn't enough for a feature novel.

So my idea now is to combine the two, using the road-trip as a frame story (or the outer story, since it's not really just a frame). I think it may work. But I'm not sure.

Should I go ahead and write it? I'm afraid I'll be 8000 words in and find out it's not something I want to write. I hate to waste time and words. On the other hand, I probably won't know until I actually start writing.

Decision. Decision.

Twitter Pitch Context

2011-03-01T13:50:00.000-08:00

Here it is. It's limited to the first 75 entries. So enter early.

http://chanellegray.blogspot.com/2011/03/twitter-pitch-contest.html

Newbie Mistakes

2011-02-17T14:02:00.000-08:00

It's always hard to talk about our mistakes because we often try to appear authoritative and knowledgeable. Hey, I'm a published author! I know everything!

Well, I don't. And I wasn't born a published author either (and I admit, it's just another job; being published doesn't make me a better person or writer than the guy next door). What I do have is experience, and that includes mistakes I've made, and may continue to make.

That puts me in a position to mentor a newbie writer when I see them making similar mistakes. I've walked that road before, and if I can help someone avoid some of the potholes and mud puddles, why not? On the other hand, maybe I should just let them bump around, as I did -- what's a better way to learn than to fall and scrape a knee or two?

That said, here are some of the newbie mistakes that hopefully will be helpful.

Tell, not show:
This is a big one. We writers have a tendency of telling too much, because we're in a weird position of being the storyteller, and the default mode of storytelling is "tell": Once upon a time, a beautiful princess lives in a remote castle, waiting for a handsome prince to come save her. OK, fine. It gets the story out, but it's all tell. We're telling the readers the princess is beautiful, and the prince is handsome, and the castle is remote. And what does the readers get out of it? Information. That's all. There is no sensory details, no involvement. The readers are constantly reminded that they're reading, or being told a story. They don't get to EXPERIENCE it. There are no visceral input and reaction. Instead, why not show them?

Too Internal:
This one is a bit harder to define and understand, but you know it when you read it. This is particularly true for first-person narration and with characters who are more passive and introspective. They think a lot. They feel a lot. There's nothing wrong with thoughts and feelings, but drama is about action. There's nothing more boring than thoughts and feelings that don't result in action. Plus the same thoughts and feelings would become tiresome very quickly. Worse, if the author insists on commentating on the character's thoughts and feelings, it becomes really tedious. Instead, externalize the thoughts and feelings by action, and let the readers decide -- they are smart enough to figure out the emotional and mental states of the character by its behaviors.

Telleverythingitis:
This is a term I coined a few years ago. It means the urge and need for a writer to tell everything. Every single detail, ranging from "he pushed the door open, walked to the cabinet, opened the door, pulled out a cup, poured some water in it..." (stage directions) to over-explaining everything as if the readers are dumb. That includes backstories, thoughts and feelings, and stating the obvious: "He clenched his fists and pounded on the desk. He must be very angry." Duh! Don't do that. Cut unnecessary details, redundancy, and repetition that doesn't add anything. Don't treat your readers as stupid asses. Trust their intelligence. And it makes the reading experience so much better for them anyway.

Oooh, Shiny!
I've seen this happening to many new writers. A new and exciting idea comes along and they feel like they need to start on it immediately. It's even more prevalent when the WIP they've been working on has hit a rough spot, such as the mid-book blues. They start to lose interest, and the new shiny idea becomes more and more alluring. So they drop the WIP and start on a new project. Or they try to write two or three or four projects at the same time. The result is most often "a whole lot of beginnings but nothing is ever finished." My suggestion: FINISH. THE. BOOK. No matter what you do, once you start something, make it your goal to finish it. I don't care what you need to do -- wear your underwear on your head or dance in the rain -- you've got to finish what you started. If you're the type who gets distracted by new projects all the time, resist the urge to even start. Jot down the ideas instead; notepads are cheap. But finish the book!

Wrong Start
Ouch, I did that a lot. I still do it now. Finding the right beginning has always been a bit difficult for me, because I write character-driven stories, so "character development" becomes natural in my process, and more often than not, I tend to write pages and pages of character backgrounds, or they're going through their ordinary worlds before the inciting incident happens. With The Pacific Between, I actually cut 7 chapters from the manuscript and wove the rest with the other chapters. A common advice is "cut the first 3 chapters and start your story with Chapter 4." While that may be an exaggeration, it's not without merits. Many writers start their stories too soon, believing they either must reveal a lot of character backgrounds (how else are we going to know who they are?), or they don't quite know where the inciting incident is. They often start too soon instead of too late.

My advice is to start the story as close to the major event that propels the main plot forward, or in the middle of it (in media res), and then you can move backward if you need. Or just write, then by all means cut the first three chapters and see how that works.

In my current WIP, I actually added an extra chapter (I resisted from calling it a prologue) that starts the plot with a scene that is in the middle of the story. It's a "jump-forward" and it can be very effective. By using this technique, you set up a hook immediately and then you can have a bit of breathing room in the first few chapters. That doesn't give you the right to write crappy first chapters, though, but it works better when you need a bit more ramp-up time instead of plunging the characters in the inciting incident.

The point is, whatever you do, you want to start the story as close to the central conflict as possible. It may not be the real thing, but you don't want to wait 50 pages before you get there either.

(end Part 1)

3-Act (or 4) Structure

2011-02-02T11:28:00.000-08:00

What's the 3- or 4-Act structure, and how does it relate to fiction writing?

This structure is used in plays and screenplays, but it also applies to novels.

Do you see movies? If you're a movie buff like I am, you'd have internalized the 3- or 4-act structure, which is prevalent in screenplays. I mean, I'm writing this structure without even thinking about it.

Watch your favorite movies and see how the structure works (Jurassic Park is a great one to start).

Another way to look at this is through conflict and resolution. Basically, this structure is all about rolling conflicts and resolutions, turning points, and mini-climaxes and setbacks. At the end of each act, you have resolutions and a turning point, climax, and an immediate setback. Also, there is at least one set piece at or toward the end of each act. The act itself builds up to the set piece/climax/setback, and the turning point moves the story to the following act (unless, of course, it's the final act, then it would just moves to the denouement).

Some people suggest the 25/50/25 (for 3-Act) or 25/25/25/25 (for 4-Act) division of the acts.

To me, the 1/4 structure is too rigid. Writers tend to like things in boxes. But I don't. My structure is more fluid -- for example, my second and third acts are considerably much longer than the 1st and last. But that doesn't matter -- what matters is that you have some kind of structure, instead of the plot going everywhere.

Inciting Incident vs. First Plot Point:

Your inciting incident and first plot point should happen within the first act. No exceptions.

Inciting incident and first plot point are not the same thing, though. Your inciting incident (an event that moves the story into its track) should happen rather early. In Titanic, it's when Jack and Rose meet each other -- it sets the star-crossed lovers on their tragic course (and symbolically, Titanic on its own tragic course). In the Da Vinci Code, it's when Langdon is summoned to investigate the murder. In 500 Days of Summer, it's when Tom hooks up with Summer.

The inciting incident should happen rather early in the story, if not the first page or chapter.

To me, what Hollywood calls First Plot Point (FPP) is not the same as inciting incident (II). FPP is what Campbell called "The Point of No Return." That's when things shift and the hero can't go back. In Titanic, the boat hits the iceberg, right after Jack and Rose consummated their love (which happens like 1 hour into the movie! Definitely not the inciting incident). In the DVC, it's when Langdon realizes he's being suspected for the murder and he's on the run. In 500 Days of Summer, it's when Tom realizes he's in love with Summer but she doesn't feel the same about him. In each case, the hero(es) has passed the point of no return. They can't possibly go back now.

What I expect in the set-up (Act 1) is something happening that clearly sets the stakes. In Titanic: star-crossed lovers, poor boy-rich girl, all that jazz. But the inciting incident happens early in the set up and not at the end. At the end, it's the point of no return: love vs. imminent separation by death (Rose can be saved since she's rich, and Jack will die with the rest of the steerage). But the inciting incident happens when Rose tries to jump off the boat and Jack saves her -- that sets them on the journey together, and also put Jack under Cal's radar. The iceberg is the point of no return -- love or die, literally.

Rose trying to jump off the boat, and Jack saving her: It's dramatized, and it sets them on a trajectory. It also pits Jack against Cal for the first time; he's a threat now. Also, it foreshadows the boat sinking and life/death situation later. Near the end of Act 2, Rose reminded Jack (right before the boat sinks) it was where they met the first time (at the bow). And it foreshadows how Jack is going to save Rose in more ways than she could imagine.

That's why I contend the notion that the inciting incident is the iceberg. It's absolutely not, because the story is actually a love story, instead of a boat sinking. If it's about Titanic sinking, then yeah, it's when it hits the iceberg -- that's way too late in Act 1 (which is rather long, about 1/3 of the movie). But it's about the love story of Jack and Rose, so the II is the scene at the bow when she is about to jump off.

Say what you want about Cameron as a writer (his dialogue is his weakest, I'd say), but he knows his structure. He's a master of the 3/4 Act structure. If you really want to study the structure, watch a Cameron's film.

Set Pieces:

I talked about set pieces (that there should be at least one set piece at or near the end of each act). So what are they?

Think about the scene in Jurassic Park when the T-rex first shows up and attacks. That's the mini-climactic scene... we've been waiting and waiting and waiting to see the T-rex, and it's been eluding us. Everything that came before (the car ride, the electric fence, the sabotage, outage, etc.) culminates to that. And then Mr. T shows up. That's a set piece.

Let's talk about Titanic, again. The iceberg is a set piece. It's been foreshadowed, talked about (and we know from history it will happen)... so everything before (the ship charging at full speed despite warnings, etc.) culminates to that. The boat finally sinking spectacularly is also a set piece. In a way, Rose trying to jump off the boat is also a set piece.

Basically, set pieces are pivotal scenes that change everything. The bigger the change, the bigger the set piece.

Prologue vs. Hook in Act 1:

A prologue is one way to hook the audience, especially if what follows (Act 1, the set up) is a bit tame: boy meets girl, for example. It's often done for fantasy, thrillers, etc.

But a hook can be anything, as long as it's dramatic and gets the audience's interest.

In Titanic, it's the frame story, with the treasure-hunt team and old Rose telling them the story. In Jurassic Park, it's a prologue-ish opening in which the staff is transporting the raptors and something bad happens.

In a quieter drama, for example, the hook can be more subtle but equally riveting: For example, in The King's Speech, it opens with the Duke of York having to speak in front of a grand audience, and his stammer is an utter embarrassment to everyone including himself. That's the hook, and it's not a prologue.

Interview with June Kramin

2011-01-17T14:20:00.000-08:00

June's debut novel, Dustin Time, came out earlier last year, and now the print edition has also been released. I had the pleasure of sitting down with her (in the comfort of our respective homes and cups of Joe). And here's what she had to say:

RW: How long have you been writing and have you been always writing in your current genre(s)?

JK: I only started writing seriously about 5 years ago. I had been told since the 3rd grade I would be a writer but never pursued it. I guess life always got in the way. It wasn't until things calmed down that I was able to complete my 1st novel. It's a women's fiction. I needed closure for something that happened, in my teens, to a dear friend and that was the best way I could figure to do it. After that, a single idea sparked a middle grade fantasy that I wrote for my daughter. I didn't plan on it being a series - it just happened that way. I have stopped her series at 9 books but I'm still plugging away with my women's fiction/romance novels. I have 10 of those so far and am about 1/4 way through my latest.

RW: Wow, did you just say you've written like 20 or more books in the last five years? You're a mad woman. But let's tell us something about this one that has just been released in eBook and print editions. Tell us something about it, and how you came about writing it? What inspired you, etc.

JK: 9 of them are only 30K middle grade so yes, I'm mad, but for other reasons. ;)
My novel that was published is a Paranormal Romance - time travel to be more specific. In short, the main character, Kaitlyn, wakes up on her 30th birthday and decides she should be further with her life. She wants to start thinking about a family and feels her "boy toy," Dusty, is just not the one she should be with. Fate intervenes and sends her back to her college days and into an altered future to convince her otherwise.

I wish I saved the single line that inspired this book. I jotted down a sentence that popped into my head on the way to work one day. "Woman wakes up to a baby in her house - discovers it's hers.... wakes up next day & things are normal - wonders about baby." Or something like that. I was in the middle of another novel at the time so it was a while before I got back to it. When I opened up the word document and read the sentence, I said, "What the hell is this?" then started typing. The book wrote itself from there. I honestly had no clue where I was going from one day to the next. I never outline - I just let my characters take over.

RW: When you said "the book just wrote itself" what did you mean? Did the characters come to you, or did you somehow have them in mind already? Did you use your own experiences as the blueprint of the plot? Or did you just pants it and write what came to your mind and hope it'd all come together at the end?

JK: When I'm not at my laptop, I don't think about where the plot is going. On my way home from work (and even in the shower sometimes) an idea will hit me and I have to hurry up and jot it down. Other than that, I usually just open up my document, read the last paragraph then go from there. I can never plot out what will happen because my characters are bullies. On the rare occasion I think I'm going to have it go one way, it's ended up going another. Dusty, for example. You play the piano? Seriously? That would have been helpful to know before the last few chapters of the book! I'm pretty sure it sounds insane but I believe Popeye said it best. "I yam what I yam." ;) It does come together in the end without much help from me.

As far as my experiences being blueprints, that is the case for many of my novels but this one completely stands alone. Except for Kaitlyn's profession... and the night she got snockered... and her kitty named Blue... okay dammit. Yes. Maybe not the plot but I do fit a lot of me into my novels.

RW: Do you have writer's block, or do you just get with the flow and see how it turns out? (And it turns out spectacularly with Dustin Time)

JK: I have to say *knock on wood* that I've never had writer's block. After reading a paragraph or two back, what is going to happen next just flows for me. Don't hate me. I'm sure my time will come!

RW: Other than a random thought/concept, etc. about babies and love, what drew you to the story and what made you think this might work? Basically, what do you think is different from all the other books you've written so far?

JK: Most of my novels fall somewhat into what my grandfather used to call the premise for all stories. "Boy wins girl - boy loses girl - boy wins girl back." My favorite stories have been time travel themes. Not just romantic themes - I loved the series Quantum Leap and movies like Timeline (and not just for Paul Walker ;). So I guess having that element makes it stand alone and one of my favorites.

RW: Speaking of time travel, it's one of the most hard to do-well concepts because of the paradoxes, etc. How did you keep your events and timeline all worked out and did you have to go back and plug plot holes based on the time travel stuff to make it make sense (btw, it does make sense in the novel)?

JK: Amazing even to me, I didn't have plot holes to pulg when I read it back. *ducks flying objects* There wasn’t really a method to the madness on how Kaitlyn went forward or back and she usually ended up knowing what it affected right away. The only things I remember checking were days of the week (for birthday purposes) and I thought I had her age wrong at one point and changed it but when I read back, it had been correct the 1st time. That’s what I get for interfering! I vaguely remember trying to do a time line a few chapters into it but that fell under planning and therefore wasn't working for me. I really am pleased with how things just fell into place.

RW: What has it been like with Dustin Time's release? And what are you doing with its promotion? Book signings, interviews, etc?

JK: Every stage along the way its ups and downs. "w00t - I'm accepted" is dampened quickly by "You'll be published in a year." "I'm out" is slightly squashed with "it will be "e" only and around 4 months before you see print." "I'm in print!" is squashed again when you have to search for somewhere that will take them since I'm finding big name stores and chains only shop in their warehouses and won't do any ordering of their own - even to support a local writer.

Don't get me wrong at all. I cannot be more thrilled for the shot Champagne gave me. Without them - it would be still on my laptop. But sometimes even being printed still has limitations. All I can say is I'm not giving up pushing it. I have only just begun the search since I just got the books in my hands a few days ago. So far, I have a friend with a gallery in Bemidji, MN, where we used to live, that is thrilled to host my 1st signing and the local drug store in the town that I work in was happy to order them for their shelves. It's a great start.
I'm anxious to get to other towns where I have friends waiting for me to sign books for them. It's a funny feeling having friends want you to sign something for them. I'm especially looking forward to going "home" (Maui) and doing a signing there.

RW: Yeah, the promotion thing isn't all fun and game and glamorous, but at the same time, it's thrilling because the book is out and you get to do it -- many writers won't come to that part of the business. Your Maui signing would be so cool and such a great homecoming (bring me along, please). Now that you're focusing on the release activities and promotion, are you writing any new work? If so, can you tell us what's in the pipeline, including works that are in submission?

JK: I do have another women's fiction out with an agent so once again, I'm in the biting-my-nails-waiting-to-hear stage. I did start another novel a few weeks ago but this is much slower going... and that's okay with me! I am forever editing my other novels and still need to attack that middle grade series & go agent hunting there. I dont' think I could I have any more pots on the fire right now if I tried!

RW: Sign of a prolific writer that has a strong career ahead of her! Best of luck to you. What parts of the writing/publishing process excite and please you the most and which parts you can do without? Are their any advice you can give to writers who are trying to get published?

JK: The writing part I love. From there, everything else is, in a word, "hell". Summing up your "baby" into one page query is tough. Researching agents that accept your genre isn't so much a picnic either. I tried to be very careful to make sure what they were looking for, what they wanted in the submission, and how they wanted it formatted. E-mail only? Snail mail? Query only, query + synopsis, Query, synopsis + 10 pages... etc. What font do you want? Spacing? Then check and make sure Agent Query says the same thing as their website. Then double check with Predators & Editors to make sure they are legit.... I remember spending an entire day and getting only 3 queries out...only to get rejections at lightning speed. The only advice I can offer is if you really want it, you have to hang in there. No one wants to hear "not for me, thanks" in the coldest stock rejection possible on practically a daily basis, but it is a part of the process nonetheless. I got around 80 rejections for Dustin Time. In all honesty I was ready to quit when I got the acceptance e-mail from Champagne. You'll get tired of hearing this but if getting published is your dream, don't you dare give up!

RW: Perseverance, amen! What have you learned from this process, though: from writing, editing, querying to the heartache of rejections, and finally the joy of getting published and a print copy in your own hand? Is it all worth it? Are you now convinced that this is what you want to do (some writers just want to be rich and famous and they give up writing once they realize it's not that easy)? But anyway, what lessons and wisdom you've gained through this?

JK: I knew being rich and famous wasn't part of the deal. (Unless you know someone who can slip a copy of my book into Ron Howard's hands ;) Being a part of a writer's forum and mingling with people going through every stage of this along with me has helped keep me grounded about the whole process. It is most definitely worth all the heartache I went though to get to this point. I have learned I am a lot tougher than I thought I ever was. Whodathunk? You keep kicking me and I keep getting right back up! I would rather sit through a double root canal than send out one more query. But if I don't get accepted with the agent I have a full MS out with, I know I will send out another batch immediately if not sooner. If I never get another book accepted, I will continue to write anyway because I honestly love watching my stories unfold and frankly, these bastids probably won't leave me alone.

RW: That's really great, and something to aspire to as a writer. That kind of passion. Recently you talked about your background and your happy childhood and loving parents and what that means to you as a writer (and it was a funny blog). Can you elaborate on that some more here? :)

JK: It is especially fun for me to use my parents as figures in some of my books. In Dustin Time, Kaitlyn is on on the phone talking with her mom and forgets her dad is on an extension. It's always that way when I call my parents. You get one - you get them both. In another book, the MC's mother offers her friend something to drink. He declines. The mother continues to offer more things (even to drive to the store to get him something) until he caves. That's my mom. I'm pretty sure my husband proposed to me because his father said "Meet the mother first. You'll get a feel of what she'll be like." Ha! Fooled him! Everyone loves my parents. If I get to count siblings by who calls them Mom and Dad... I have about 100. :)

My parents always embraced the "odd" that was me and encouraged me every step of the way. My mother recently mailed me some of my 3rd grade short stories. Beauties such as the assignment "Who tied the knots in my underwear?" Er... thanks, Mom.

RW: LOL, and great material for stories. Our readers may want to know, who is/are your favorite character(s) in Dustin Time? And why?

JK: Dusty of course if the obvious 1st pick. The way he loved Kaitlin through every “time” made me melt every time I read it. She tossed more than her share of flack his way, but he always saw through it and loved her with all he had. Kaitlyn was a pretty tough nut, too. I love strong female MC’s. I have to add Frank as well - just don’t ask me who he was. The geezer just showed up. The 1st comment I usually get from readers is, “You gottta tell me! Who was Frank?” I love that it leaves a little bit of mystery to the story, even for me.

RW: Frank reminds me of Chevy Chase's character in the Hot Tub Time Machine -- just don't ask who he is! Since the book is written from Kaitlin's point of view, is it harder that your other MC (Dustin) who is not a POV character (the hero) is more popular? Or does it come with the territory of a romance? Have your readers comment that they want to know more what Dustin is feeling and thinking, or do you think that came through from how he acts and treats Kaitln? [This is a POV question, I suppose]

JK: I have never seen that movie. There's a time travel one I missed?

Since it was Kaitlyn going through the traveling - it had to be in her POV for the most part but you do see snippets of Dusty's here and there. That was actually the biggest editing hurdle for me. I giggle thinking about one scene: "Dusty wrapped his arms around Kaitlyn and held her by her perfect ass." My editor wrote, "She wouldn't think her own ass is perfect." I replied, "No woman would! Sorry - POV again!" LOL!

I did have one reader comment that they didn't like that it was Dusty's POV towards the end. That surprised me since it had to be that way but I gave her "kudos" for paying such close attention and for the comment (and will probably abuse her as a beta for a book in the future). Maybe it being in Kaitlyn's and not Dusty's has helped with the number of male readers that have enjoyed it. Most men shy away when they hear "romance novel". I'm glad to hear I still have a fan base in the "hunkier" population as well.

RW: Men do shy away from romance -- that's one thing I have to keep in mind, too, as I write love stories, which is just a step away from romance. I have to have something for the guys, too. But anyway, I think it being in 3rd limited (and not 1st) helped a lot -- to put some distance between the male readers and the heroine. Are you going to write more romance/women's fiction or are you stepping out of your comfort zone in the future? And if you're staying with romance... any more paranormal romance?

JK: I guess I can't really answer that completely. I will continue to write but I can't say what they will be. The one I'm working on now is actually more "thriller-suspense" so far, but he's a hunk and she's a bi-- .....we'll call it strong willed. You know they are gonna end up in the sack! I guess I’ll just have to go where my muse takes me. We've gotten along so far with that arrangement. I'll have to leave it at that for now. ;)

RW: That's cool. Is it too soon or too hush-hush to talk about the book you're currently shopping around or writing? If that's the case, can you tell us: How many story ideas do you have at one time (or currently) and how do you choose which to tackle?

JK: It's definitely too soon to say anything on my current WIP. As far as my one out on submission, it was especially fun to write. It was my 1st real "bad guy" and hopefully not cliche' "evil twin sister". I'm keeping the rest under wraps for now. *evil grin*
I only ever have 1 story going on at a time. On the rare occasion where I get an idea for a novel when I'm in the middle of another - I jot down a note or 2 and tuck it away. Not exciting, I know. But hubby can only handle me calling out one other name at a time. ;)

RW: That's pretty much what I do (not the "calling out another name" thing -- I'm very disciplined :) ) Keeps me sane. I can't understand how some writers can write 4 novels at the same time. Well, really, best of luck with Dustin Time, and your other projects. To close this interview, please answer the following questions with the FIRST things that come to your mind (no deliberating, please):

a. How would you describe your writing style?
b. What is the coolest place you've never been to?
c. What word comes to your mind right NOW?
d. Hot hunk or strong woman?
e. What's in your purse/bag?
f. If you could do it all over again, what would be the one thing you'd change?
g. How would you get to New Orleans?
h. What makes June Bug tick?
i. What ticks off June Bug?
j. If you would never write again, what would you like to do?

JK:
a. Like everything else I do - by the seat of my tukus!
b. Always wanted to go to Greece although I can't say why.
c. Dribniff. (I believe it was from a M*A*S*H episode. Don't know why it sticks in my head.)
d. Hot hunk. duh.
e. The usual - checkbook & wallet, emergency eyeliner and mascara, an assortment of lip balms (wash your sins away red wine, butterscotch schnapps, and margarita flavors. Sense a theme there?) hand lotions, nail file, mini tape measure and multi-tool with scissors, flashlight keychain (so I don't ever take caffeine pills mistaking them for Tylenol in the dark again), gum, vitamins... you want me to keep digging? I have to move the sink out of the way if so.
f. Other than avoiding guys with psyco ex-girlfriends, I have to say I wouldn't change a thing. Who I was at every stage has made for some pretty interesting characters to read (or at least write) about. I would like to have made time for professional level writing courses though. There's a lot to be said for proper comma placement!
g. Oh... I know this one. Head south? Drive, baby. Drive! I love a good road trip. Stock up on those Mari gras beads & let's go!
h. I only do what my rice krispies tell me to.
i. Mean people. Especially rude people at airports. It's not the person at the counter's fault! Be nice!
j. You might as well ask what I'd do if I quit breathing. I don't think I could ever give up writing. My mouse pad reads "Writing is not a matter of life or death. It's much more important than that." The one thing I would love to do though and hopefully will get my fill someday is travel, travel, and do some more traveling.

RW: It's a wrap. And thanks for playing! Now go and write!

JK: Thanks for having me, Ray! This was a blast to do!

For more information on June and her projects, please visit her website.

The Hermione Syndrome

2011-01-12T12:19:00.000-08:00

Of all the characters in the Harry Potter books, I think I identify with Hermione the most. Not that I'm a cute, short witch (or maybe I am), nor am I in love with Ron Weasley, but I've always been the perpetual Know-It-All and teacher's pet. I was far from being the brightest and hardest-working students in my class, but I sure "knew it all." My teachers liked me enough to tolerate my big mouth, and my classmates believed I did know it all, and they often came to me for answers. Little did they know...

As an adult, that side of me never really goes away. I just suppress it. Well, as much as I can, at least in real life. The Internet, however, began to unleash my inner Hermione way back when I started using it -- WAY WAY back (some of you may remember Relay and Usegroups on the mainframe as well as BBSes back in the 90s). The year is now 2011, and that hasn't really changed. I frequent a couple online forums and I believe my Hermioneism rings loud and clear.

I know this know-it-all aspect of my personality can be a big turnoff, but I can't help it. So instead of fighting it now, I simply embrace it. Hey, if you don't like me for who I am, that's okay. There are plenty of people in the world.

With this know-it-all side of my personality comes the "I told you so" habit. Again, I try to bite my tongue most of the time, but deep down you know I love to say that.

One of these "I told you so" moments came last year. For a few years now, I've been telling people eBooks would prevail and become a mainstay. Many people -- writers included -- told me they would NEVER read eBooks, and they would NEVER shell out $250 for an eBook reader. They were very sure about that. "No way would I pay that much for an eBook reader when I could get a printed book for $6.99. And who would want to read a bunch of dots on a screen when they can hold a real book?"

Well? The year is 2011 and eBook sales are about to eclipse that of print, and eBook readers such as Kindle and Nook are selling like hotcakes, arguably some of the most wanted things during the holiday season. Every day I hear more and more people converting to eBooks -- people who only two years ago said "I would NEVER buy an eBook reader or read eBooks."

I nod and smile. Deep down, I'm saying, "I told you so."

The same went with the iPad. Before it came out last April, I kept telling people it would become one of the hottest, trendsetting items in the world. But no, people were saying, "Who wants an oversized iPhone?" That included electronic makers. They brushed off the iPad as a novel idea. They waited for Apple to fail. They thought, "It's neither a laptop or a smartphone. Who would want to pay $500 for such a thing?" Well, people who don't want a laptop or a smartphone, that's who. And so far the Apple has sold over 7 million iPads in 8 months and it's projected to sell at least 20 million a year by 2012. And now everyone from DELL to SONY are rushing to come out with their own tablets.

I told you so.

This week there was this new user on a writing forum I visit from time to time. The user barged in, posted a ton of questions, and was being overtly belligerent when responding to others. I told someone, "I'll give this person 24 hours." Lo and behold, that user was temporarily banned the next day.

I told you so.

I know, I know. But I can't help it. I'm usually right.

OK, you must really hate me now, or think I'm insufferable.

I told you so!

I'm a Heartless Critter

2010-12-20T13:07:00.000-08:00

And I don't mean I'm a snake or spider.

One reason why I don't do a lot of critiquing for fellow writers is that I believe in honest, brutal truth. Unfortunately, not every writer can handle the truth.

I understand that. We, as artists, are essentially self-absorbed and we believe in our works. Furthermore, we're very protective of such works. Everyone likes to hear praises, "well done" and "you're such a great writer." Rejections of any kind, including constructive criticism is hard, even something as minute and simple as "you have a comma splice."

Been there, done that. So I can certainly understand.

However, I can't offer my critique without being true to myself and the craft, and that is: Be honest and upfront about everything. I am not going to do a crit if the writer only wants praise and encouragement (I give them, too, but not in the form of critiques). I don't think that kind of critique is useful to a writer. And I also make sure they understand that everything I say, as harsh or as unflattering, is all from the heart and the way I see it. They are only my opinions. OPINIONS. These opinions may be wrong -- I may be very wrong! -- but I don't give them because I am trying to be condescending, to say, "I know better than you." I'm not trying to insult other writers. I'm not trying to say "you suck."

Far from it. What I want to do is to pay it forward and help my fellow writers. I have no ulterior motives. I don't get the jollies for ruining other people's self-esteem. If I didn't want you to succeed, I wouldn't offer my help. I'm not trying to ruin you or your career. I'm not trying to sabotage you. When I crit, I'm honest with my opinions but I am not mean-spirited. I try to be very professional about it, even if you're my cousin's daughter's boyfriend. Especially if you're my cousin's daughter's boyfriend.

However, I've also lost a few friends because of my honest opinions. The truth is, some writers are not ready to accept their writing needs work, or something still isn't right with it. Or they simply don't agree with me, thus they think I'm a fraud. Or a meanie. Or just plain wrong. And that's fine. But to lose friendship over this? It's not worth it.

Therefore, I decided a while ago that I wouldn't be doing any more crits. Whenever a writer asks me to offer my opinions, I start to tread carefully. The thing is, even if they say, "Be brutally honest with me. I can take it," they don't really mean it. And they think I'm wrong. Worse, they become resentful.

Yeah, that happened to be a few times.

Not worth it.

In fact, I'm a much happier person now that I'm not doing any crits. I've found peace.

Fantasy

2010-12-02T19:04:00.000-08:00

I admit I don't read much fantasy and I may not be the best person to talk about the genre (and I'll probably offend others who write fantasy...but!) Recently I read and critiqued a few fantasy queries and I noticed something:

- Most queries/stories start with a boy or a girl who has some kind of handicap (broken family, orphaned, physically ill, etc.)...
- who has magical powers, whether he or she knows or not
- they're usually taken or led to a magic realm....
- where they're quickly met with the villain(s)....
- and they discover they have special power, or destined to save the magical realm, either via some kind of prophecy or by being thrust into that position
- they must choose to go back to their normal life or fight to save the world

OK, I may have exaggerated a bit, but not too much. After reading about 10 queries that follow a similar arc, I begin to wonder: Is Fantasy really that derivative? And how are the writers supposed to set their manuscript apart? If I were an agent and I read 100 queries that sounded like that (albeit with different names, locations, artifacts and "magical powers"), I'd feel like drowning myself.

I suppose that's the bane of genres, especially if you're on the other side, trying to find something unique and good to publish. How are you going to dig through all those manuscripts when they all sound similar. I assume the same could be said about anything (romance, for example -- all variations of the same "X meets Y and they fall in love against all odds" premise).

I'm not knocking genres. Seriously, I'm not. Obviously these story arcs work. But my question is, how does a writer distinguish himself/herself from the pack, if everyone writes a similar arc? I suppose the trick is in the details: the characters, the locations, etc. The problem is, if you're writing about a magical kingdom and a magical stone, chances are you're competing with 1000 other writers who wrote about magical kingdoms and magical stones, and your risk having the disenchanted agent skimping and saying, "What's new? Next."

It's a tough business, and when you're writing a genre that is full of tropes and conventions, it gets even tougher to set yourself apart. More of the same thing is not necessarily a good thing. It's indeed a tough job to set yourself apart.

QUERY HELL

2010-11-25T12:10:00.000-08:00

Queries are difficult. Anyone who tells you otherwise is either a marketing genius or has never done it before. For me, it's even harder because I have a natural aversion to anything "business-like."

Ever since I was a child, I've always loved writing stories and being creative with my words. My teachers fell short of calling me a liar because I loved telling tales and embellishing my stories. Whenever my teachers asked us to write "fiction" (usually short stories in less than 500 words), I was so excited. I loved creating characters and thinking of twists, etc. I guess that was when I first realized I wanted to be a fiction writer, although I didn't know such a thing existed back then.

But when it comes to "formal writing" (letters, proposals, memos, etc.) I sucked. My stories would get A's, but my letters and memos would get C's, and I hated writing them.

Writing queries brings back all those bad memories. The idea of trying to sell a 120,000-word novel in less than 200 words is mind-boggling to me. How can I effectively convey the concept of the idea, develop the characters, and make it "sizzle" all in 200 words (this post, for example, is already longer than 200 words, and I'm not even done yet).

After drafting 12 versions of my query letter, I was still reluctant to workshop it because I truly believed it sucked. I sucked. I have nightmares and cold sweat just thinking about it. But I decided to put my fear aside and workshop it anyway, and my fear was confirmed: While it was a "decent" query -- competent and grammatically correct -- it had no X-factor. It didn't wow anyone. The best comments I got were along the line of "I like it" or "the story sounds fantastic, if only you can really convey it effectively."

I was pleased in that most people who gave me advice said the story did sound interesting. So at least it's not a dud. Now, how would I make it sizzle? I had no idea. I workshopped it for about two weeks and got increasingly frustrated, not because I thought my critics were crazy and unkind, but because I understood what they were getting at, but I couldn't see a way to do it. It was like seeing a mirage in the desert: I know it exists, but I don't know where it is and how to get there.

Then a fellow critter, Jim, who can be abrasive at times but also straightforward without any bullshit -- and I admire that kind of brutal honesty -- engaged in a lively debate with me. True to form, I started arguing because a) I was frustrated with myself for not getting it, and b) I wasn't exactly sure what he meant. I was trying to reconcile what I knew with what I needed to do.

And then something clicked.

It was this opening line of my query: "My father spent four years in a labor camp during the Pacific War."

By itself, it says everything I NEEDED to say, but it was flat and uninteresting. It sounded like something an indifferent intern would write just to meet a deadline. However, I was intent to make this my opening line because my dad's personal experience really was the inspiration of my story and I wanted to make this personal and unique. Then Jim said, "Why not make it dramatic and personal?" and he offered two suggestions: "I remember the pain in my father's voice when he told his story" and "My father weighed 85 pounds..."

At first, I rejected both suggestions. I thought the first one was cheesy, and the second seemed overly dramatic. And since this story isn't my dad's biography, I wondered how relevant it was anyway.

Then something really clicked.

Show vs. tell.

I've always advised other writers to show, instead of tell, when they write their stories, because "show" is more exciting and immediate and personal than some narrator "telling" us how to think or feel.

So why shouldn't a query be the same? Why am I telling you who the character is and how he/she feels and what is happening, if I can show you? And that's what the line "my father weighed less than 90 pounds" is -- show vs. tell. Instead of saying my father survived the camp, the visual of him weighing 90 pounds is so much more powerful and evocative.

EVOCATIVE.

And from there, I crafted another, almost completely different, version of the query. Suddenly, it has life. It has pizzazz. Most important, it has my voice, because that's what I do best: storytelling by "showing." I found myself using vivid imaginaries and strong verbs instead of vague descriptors. I found myself using visuals and facts to convey ideas. Instead of saying "he survived," I was showing it. And that tactic made a world of difference. From the tepid line "My father spent four years in a labor camp during the Pacific War" came this opening:

My father once said, "What doesn't kill you only makes you a guilty man." He weighted less than ninety pounds after four years in a labor camp during the Pacific War, and he believed he should have been the one who died.

Fall 2010

2010-11-24T09:38:00.000-08:00

Fall of 2010 turned out to be a really good period in my professional life. I really can't complain, even though sometimes my funks got in the way (you know, the usual "everything I do is shit" or "nobody likes me").

I've had four acting/modeling gigs since October. Not only they were great for my wallet, they were also great exposure as the products start to show up. For example, the medical commercial I did in October is starting to get me noticed (because, truthfully, I really do look like a doctor -- Grey's Anatomy, when are you folks going to call?) And now I'm in LA shooting a movie with Tyrone Power Jr. It's been really fun.

On the writing side, I finished the first draft of my novel in September and did four drafts since then. I also got my query in a good shape. I feel so much better now, about this whole process. I only need to hear back from my betas and finish with my "final" draft, and then I'll be off with the chase.

So, in general, I feel okay about these past few months. I've had my ups and downs, and serious self-doubts. I've had days when I felt like everything was crap. But over all, I feel good about things. And I'm ready to take on the world.