Thursday, December 20th, 2012
Last week, I had a crisis of confidence. I suppose it had to happen, but I also sincerely hope never to have another. But now that I’ve survived it, I’m ready to embrace my understanding of storycraft. I won’t say that I’ve mastered storycraft, because I believe that I – or any other author – never will. Instead, we get closer and closer to the line of mastery, and like the illusive rainbow, we find it just a little further away.
I also celebrate that rewriting is the crucible where books are born. I love piecing story together for a suspenseful tale. This time, I’m in such a hurry to get to rewriting, that I may be short-changing the first draft. I have to develop the patience to allow the words to flow – no editing allowed.
Confidence. Patience. My companions along the road to the end of this new story – to the beginning of the next. Maybe I should be the passenger and allow them to take turns driving. Hmmm, that’s a thought…
Filed under: OnWriting by Cathryn Louis
Tags: « author - crucible - driving - emotion - rewriting - storycraft - suspense »
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Thursday, December 6th, 2012
A couple of weeks have passed since I’ve worked on the new novel. Reading stories with multiple timelines has been liberating — and fun. Working my way into using dual timelines has been difficult, but I’m there now. Angst is behind me and it’s now time to return pen to paper or — most likely for me — fingers to keys.
Though it has not been related to the story, I have written every day. It’s gotten me out onto the Writing road again. After hiding so long with my back turned and eyes closed, it’s great to be out in the cool, crisp, breezy autumn air. Now I’m refreshed, rejuvenated, and ready to restle wrestle the words onto the page.
I’m probably rusty, but that’s okay – this is only the first draft. I needed the time away after I discovered what my heroine’s story should be. I was too washed out to go back and fix what I had written so far.
Yet again, I’m drawing on my love of the dance. I’ve a more complex choreography this time: the hero and heroine each have their stories – now and in the past. I’ve committed to this novel, and I’m sure I will learn a lot along the way. As always, I’ll share on my blog.
Happy writing/reading y’all!
Filed under: OnWriting by Cathryn Louis
Tags: « choreography - dance - dual - duet - first draft - storyline - timeline »
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Wednesday, November 28th, 2012
An autumn of firsts.
Sparks – my first novel – is now published as a Kindle Edition. It got its first editorial review. It has now also gotten its first Goodreads and Amazon reviews. Hopefully, they aren’t the last.
I’m thrilled that the first reviews are very positive – especially since they are from people I do not know, and may never meet. One of the reviews is from a reviewer to whom I sent a copy; another is from a reader who felt compelled to share her thoughts about Sparks. I thank them both very much.
There would now be many more reviews had I begged friends to write them. After all, many of them have a copy of Sparks. Instead, I decided to see whether Sparks could make its own way – be accepted on its own merits by people who do not know me and simply love a good read.
This is like starring in my own thriller, except with obstacles that are real, and that sometimes seem insurmountable. Each next page might bring disappointment and misery; but I am too riveted to turn away. I have to trust that whatever I think I see, whatever happens along the way, these first steps are heading toward a happy ending. My decision is made. I promise you–I’m all in.
Filed under: Events! by Cathryn Louis
Tags: « Amazon.com - dive - first - Goodreads - kirkusreviews - reviews - Sparks - thriller »
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Thursday, November 22nd, 2012
Blessed are those among us who have enough to share.
That is my aspiration, as it is I believe, for all of us who care.
Happy Thanksgiving!
Filed under: Events! by Cathryn Louis
Tags: « caring - holiday - sharing - stories »
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Thursday, November 15th, 2012
Previously, I thought I had a way to portray dual timelines–vignettes. Now I know that they will work for some cases, but not for all. I have to use the best technique for story advancement. It may be a flashback. It may be one or more scenes. It could be a chapter. It could even be a vignette. I have to trust that the story will tell me which to use and where to use it.
Once again, I am calling upon my courage. I must break the rules–pledge my allegiance to the story instead of to writing convention. According to the Kirkus Review, breaking the rules worked for Sparks. Maybe I can do it a second time. Maybe I can do it even better this time. Or…maybe I’ll fall flat on my face. The only way to know is to try.
Both timelines in my new novel are strong stories. At first I thought to tell the full earlier story and make the suspense in the later story depend entirely upon the timing of the revelations of the events of the earlier story. Now I see that the novel will be much stronger if I tell the stories in parallel, with the climax of the first story driving directly into the climax of the later one. Visualizing it and putting it on paper are two separate things. I can see it. Now I have to write it. Aiming for another “TV ready” novel. 🙂
Filed under: OnWriting by Cathryn Louis
Tags: « climax - kirkusreviews - movie - n2 - novel - storycraft - timeline »
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Thursday, November 8th, 2012
I love creating stories with intelligent heroines–especially the ones for whom the television is simply their largest computer monitor. However, the backstory for the heroine in my new novel is giving me fits. How can I hide a crucial piece of her personal history from her? If it’s anywhere on the World Wide Web, she’ll find it. Anything else violates readers’ ability to suspend belief. I’ve had to trash every storyline I’ve come up with. Even the heroine isn’t going for them. Every time I try a new premise, she scoffs, “Please–tell me you’re joking.”
Her need to get to that information is supposed to drive her portion of the story. Despite all my attempts to kick it, push it, and bully it into gear; it stalled. And she smirked. I hate that. What I hated even more was having to let her go. But I did.
Just as I prepared to move on to another story, an idea hit. The only way Her Geekiness won’t be able to find the crucial piece of information is that she doesn’t know it exists. She’s not looking for it! The revelation energizes her story. Exposure of the information is the climax–just as it has always been. Now however for her, it’s not just unexpected, it’s a mind-blowing surprise. Of course, there are people around her who know of the information–and therein lies the dramatic irony.
I’ve come up with a different mechanism to set her story in motion. Matriochka dolls of deception. Opening each reveals another layer of misdirection, until the innermost one (the truth) is reached. Yes I know–more rewrite and I haven’t gotten anywhere near the end of the first draft. But at least I’m heading toward it instead of writing start after start. Hmmm–now I’m wondering about multiple sets of Matriochka dolls…
Filed under: OnWriting by Cathryn Louis
Tags: « backstory - climax - conflict - first draft - heroine - inciting incident - irony - n2 - plot - technology »
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Thursday, November 1st, 2012
Here I am, swimming in the published author pool. The view from here is surreally different. I’m not quite the same person I was before last week. I can now point to a piece of work I have finished and launched into the world for all to see – perhaps even read. 🙂 It’s gratifying to hear from people who have read it. I get to say hello and discuss Sparks one-on-one.
I’m also meeting other wonderful, creative people around the net, whom I would never have known if I hadn’t published Sparks. New experiences are enhancing the way I’m writing my next story. Speaking of that, my words are flowing again. No nagging whisper of something unfinished at the back of my brain. Though still in dangerous waters, Gabrielle and Jarin have moved on. Together or apart? Find out in Sparks. Maybe we’ll see one or both of them in other stories down the road. It’s all in the family, right? *wink wink*
Filed under: onPublishing by Cathryn Louis
Tags: « author - novel - publishing - Sparks »
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Thursday, October 25th, 2012
Champagne anyone? Sparks is done–sent off into the world to pursue its destiny.I’ve put a permanent line through the ‘publish Sparks’ item on my list. Now I can fully focus on the next story. Except that…
I hadn’t realized that readers would get so attached to Gabrielle and Jarin. Friends ask what their next story will be. My goal now is to make the next pair of lovers attract readers just as much – or maybe even more.
I was thrilled with the Editorial Review from KirkusReviews.com. I loved the part about being ‘TV-ready’, but am puzzled about the comment of ‘a bit overdone’. How can a thriller be overdone? Well, there is lots of drama in Sparks. Guess I really paid attention when I learned the art of crafting dramatic conflict. 😀
Sparks is released as an ebook for now. But once enough readers express an interest, I will use the proceeds to also release a paperback version, available to bookstores and libraries.
In the meantime, #amwriting. Oh yes, and #amsippingchampagne.
Filed under: Events!, onPublishing by Cathryn Louis
Tags: « debut - kirkusreviews - love story - novel - Sparks - thriller »
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Thursday, October 18th, 2012
It apparently isn’t enough to keep up with all the drama the characters in my new story are creating for themselves. Now I am muddying the waters by interweaving their dramas and making each of them instruments in each other’s dilemma. Insanity. I don’t know why the writing is taking me in that direction, but it is; so I now have to master the road.
If I can pull off the twists, turns and reveals, the story will be much stronger and far more suspenseful. But that’s the thing: ‘IF’. Once more, I’ve challenged myself with more than I currently know how to do. First, I have to reacquaint myself with dramatic irony, dilemma and subtext. Then I have to take it to the next level. Unfortunately, I don’t yet know where ‘the next level’ is.
The explicit effort to manage dilemma is new to me. Of course, it is the source of dramatic conflict, but there are several types of dilemma I can exploit and I need to deeply understand what they are and which applies for each character’s situation.
Another big thing is that for me to understand how to weave the stories together, I need to have a complete narrative of the story from each of the main characters’ points of view.
Yippee.
From one first draft narrative to four.
Or six.
Or kill me now…
Filed under: OnWriting by Cathryn Louis
Tags: « characters - irony - narrative - subtext »
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Thursday, October 11th, 2012
It’s good that my nights are filled with dreams about my new story. I hardly have time to work on it during the day. Writing to my dreams saves me the time of figuring the story out during the day—and then writing.
My days are consumed with the logistics of publishing Sparks. It’s a complicated dance where a mistake by any dancer could cause all the rest to fall, ruining the performance. More likely is that the choreographer–me–will make the error; I seem to be slipping off my feet a lot lately. Anyway, publishing Sparks is another wild ride, and as usual, I now know far more than I did when I started.
So where am I?
Finalized manuscript–check.
Book cover–check.
eBook conversion–happening now.
Next up… NetGalley. Next week, look for Sparks under the IBPA.
Filed under: onPublishing by Cathryn Louis
Tags: « debut - logistics - NetGalley - novel - reader - Sparks »
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