Character Central - set them apart from the crowd

Oh, that I would imagine a character that jumps off the pages! I've read many a book with superb, multi-layered characters, but its the ones breathed life into by film that stand out the most....Take Sir Anthony Hopkins playing Hannibal Lecter in 'Silence of the Lambs'. He won an Academy Award for Best Actor with a screen time of only 16 minutes! His character is so memorable, and his portrayal so chilling that he dominates the story even though he features for so short a time.
Then there is Indiana Jones, and Lisbeth Salander; Ferris Bueller and Rocky...

Characters in books are not easy to get a depth to. And its this depth that draws the reader in. The character needs to stand out from the crowd, do things differently, make the reader feel an empathy or a fascination whether they like the character or not. The better the character stands out, the easier it is for the reader to construct the mind movie.

Three elements to a character that create depth:

Nighthawk Moth

1. Physical - what do they look like and wear; what do they do - their mannerisms & affectations, where do they live; what is their profession; what do they drive; are they married, single, with children or without; star signs; religion; and everything that makes up what you see on the surface.
2. Their emotions - what they feel about a specific topic, like politics; how they confront issues; have hey a quick or a slow temper, do they make friends easily; how do they feel about being married or single, or having kids or not; and everything about the way they react to their surroundings, or influences in their environment.  
3. Their issues - this is the deep stuff. This is where you can get into why they do what they do, or why they feel the way they feel. It could be as stereotyped as 'he had a bad childhood, so he became a ... recluse, murderer, the Barber of Seville.

The more you get into the head of your character, the more you'll find yourself saying 'he/she wouldn't do that, they would do this'. Essentially, you know them well enough to make that observation. That's the place you want to get to with your characters.

To get a handle on this, you can review scenes from movies. I've even paused and rewound so that I can write down a summary sentence for each scene across the length of a whole movie, just so I can see how all  the scenes weave together to make up the whole story, and more importantly, how the characters evolve over the various scenes.
As with Hannibal Lecter, they don't need to even feature in a scene to evolve through it...

A Scene is a Story

I enjoy a good movie just as much as anyone, but in addition to the entertainment value, I love seeing how they tell a story in each scene. A scene doesn't need to pick up exactly where a previous one left off. Nor does it have to give every detail - only those details relevant to the particular storyline. Our minds fill in the gaps in milliseconds anyway. It is all the scenes put together that tells the entire story, and each scene moves the whole story along in some small way (or big one).

It takes some concentration and imagination to get this right and for myself I can say, its a work in progress. Every time I do it, I get better at it (I think!).

With Sedgwick Green, I completed my beat sheet, and a broad outline of all 60 scenes (bare bones of the story). But I found that as I've started to write, the story has evolved and become more complex so I keep fine-tuning and then writing more, and then stepping back and fine-tuning again. I want to get each scene to move the story forward in a 'wow' way so my readers cannot put the book down.
The addition of a hook at the end of each scene (or most), I think I can add in on the rewrite when I have all the plot twists and turns worked out. Ideally they need to pull the reader forward to something that could affect the character in the future, or a consequence of an action - theirs or someone else's.

This way of writing is new to me, and I have yet to find my rhythm. At the moment its a discipline that I do everyday. I imagine that as the bits of the story come full circle in my head, it will flow easier. During the rewrite (after the first draft is complete), I'll fill in the areas where I need to conduct research or drill down into something more deeply.

A Book is a Mind Movie

As a writer, I'm almost always playing scenes in my head. When I walk the dog, lie in the bath, settle in for a kip on the sofa, or even when I'm brushing my teeth. I constantly play around with my characters and what happens to them in my head.

So, what's the movie bit about? I see my scenes as scenes in a movie.

I visualize what happens in them from the backgrounds and environments (place), to the characters (people), to the conflicts, dramas, and happenings. I even choose actors to play my characters...

For me, each scene must have a beginning, a middle and an end. There must be something distinctive that moves the story along in every one. It doesn't have to logically follow from the previous scene, but it must be relevant to the story progression.

To get a good idea of this, watch a movie and note what happens in each scene. Summarise what the scene is about in 1 or two short sentences.

Then read through it and see how the story is moved along through the different scenes. A scene shows you something that is integral to the story... it doesn't have to tell it.

The book that gets you turning those pages at speed is the one that has the inimitable hook at the end of the scene. Peter James is a master of this. I've been reading a lot of his work lately because it hooks me in from the start, and I struggle to put it down until I've finished. The secret to a good hook is that it raises a question, the answer to which has serious consequences for the subject/character. I can practically see the dilemma they face and have to read on to find out what happens.

Are you making movies in your head whilst you write?

Self-publishing - The Benefits

Years ago, the idea of being self-published was frowned upon, and often considered a disadvantage if you were ever to seek an agent and go the traditional publishing route thereafter.Today, it can only be considered an advantage if you go about it the right way!
Funny how things go full circle.

Why do I say this when there's a fair amount of bad press between self-published/indie authors and traditional publishing (agents/large publishers)? From what I have read, and I can cheerfully say, I have not read everything, so I stand to be corrected, it seems that opposition raises its ugly head when the mud slinging gets in everyone's eyes on both sides of the fence.

With the global pressures on profit and turnover, you can increase your chances of securing a deal with an agent and traditional publisher (if you choose to), by self-publishing and playing an active role in the marketing of your book.

Your book is the seed from which the tree develops. Your marketing efforts form the branches/networks through which your promotions flow, and eventually the tree should be strong enough to grow unattended.

There is space for everyone out there, so do what works for you and allow everyone else to do the same. Trust me, no one is out to get you personally (unless you've been doing some serious mud slinging of your own).

So, lets look at those benefits of self-publishing:
1. Sense of achievement: You get your book out there in a published format even though you may have had a gazillion rejections. You've done it! If you never do another thing with your book, and you never make a single sale, you are still a published author. Its a great sense of achievement.
2. Additional income: The vast majority of us are not going to spend many hours slaving over our book only to stop when it gets published, sit back and say, that's it, I'm done. We want to generate income with it. This requires marketing (more on that later), but the option to earn additional income is there.
3. Change of career: Publishing a book may give you the opportunity to change direction in your career. You may think I'm talking purely of a runaway best-seller, but there are other reasons at play -  it could be the platform for a lucrative copy-writing career; you could use it as a promotional tool to local press or a magazine to become a columnist; or you could discover a love for editing and proofreading.
4. Building your brand: Marketing yourself and your book is a sure-fire, rapid way to learn about digital marketing and social media. If you have loads of money to throw at marketing then you can employ the best of the best and have them do it for you. If not, then you need to do it yourself, until the time you've made enough money to hire the best of the best and have them do it for you! Ultimately, as a writer, I want to write. That is my passion. But I also love people and I enjoy marketing and the creative energy that goes hand in hand with it.  So for now, I market myself... who knows what will happen down the line.
5. Honing your craft:
Learn, practice, improve - learn, practice, improve - learn, practice, improve. Your work is never done. With writing there is always more. That's the beauty of it. The trick is not to let the quest for excellence prevent you from taking the next step - getting it out there.
6. Getting noticed:
Some writers write because they don't want to be on display. Its a way of hiding out of sight from the world behind your books and your characters. But if you want your work recognised, and purchased, this is something you have to do. In the digital world, its called 'Know me, Like me, Follow me.' In fact there is a book by Penny and Thomas Power entitled exactly this. In the writing world, it could be 'discover me, read me (and enjoy), become a fan. This is what you want - people who know who you are, like you and what you do, and become fans. Ultimately, they become your very own marketing and advertising agency.
7. Closing the big deal/making a good living: I alluded to this in the beginning of this post: writers like Amanda Hocking who has just secured herself a $2,5 million publishing contract is a shining example. She is a prolific writer and she has built her own dedicated fan base. With these two elements, you're as close to success as you'll ever be because even if no million dollar deal comes up, you're making the big bucks on your own anyway!


I'm not touting one route as any better or worse than the other: they are both effective and both lucrative.

This post is meant for you, the writer, who wants to write and to share their work with the world, however you find your way to market. 

Publishing Yourself Part 2 - What format?

When I first started my journey down the self-publishing route, I hit a few stumbling blocks.
Firstly,I didn't find one site that told me all the 'how to' in one place. Granted there may be such a site but I didn't find it.
Secondly, I couldn't find anyone who could simplify the process for me, unless I paid for it.
There are so many different types of books which people want to publish that the sites have to cover every single option.  I had to wade through all of this to find that the process is actually not as difficult and complicated as I first thought. In my ignorance, I knuckled down and read copious amounts of information to understand what options there were and what would work best for me.
Once you understand, it will appear much easier, but to get up to speed, you need to do one of two things:

• Read a huge amount of information yourself
• Pay someone else to do it for you. 

The information in this blog is geared specifically to self-publishing black and white novels - no pictures or strange fonts, or unusual formatting, etc.

In Part 1, I looked at how ready your material needs to be before you start the publishing process. So, you've proofread and edited, and proofread and edited and ... I could go on. At some stage there needs to be a final cut-off otherwise, its a process that can easily be used as a procrastination tool. Publishing yourself is like laying your soul bare to the world - not an easy process - and sometimes the prospect is so daunting, we want everything to be perfect. Perfection doesn't exist, only excellence - so do your utmost and know its the best you can achieve, and then let it go.

So, what format would you like for your book?
Do you know what the various formats are?

Let's have a look at the different formats:
1. The Amazon e-reader - Kindle
2. Other e-readers, e.g. Nook, Kobo, Sony, Bebook, iRiver and others.
3. PDF, HTML, Java, .Mobi, PDB, LRF, ePub.
4. Paperback

You can make your book available in all of these formats at no cost to yourself.

Points to consider before choosing your format:
1. Who is my book aimed at? Decide who are the most likely readers of your book. Is it very niche or will it appeal more to a mass market?
2. How would my audience prefer to read a book? Once you know who your readers will be, you can narrow down the best format for that audience. A YA (young adult) book will do very well on an e-reader as most young people are tech-savvy and prefer electronic devices over anything else.If  your book discusses fishing off the coast of Cornwall, your audience may prefer a paperback instead of an e-reader.
3. How will I distribute my book? Unless you are prepared to spend a tidy sum on printing your own books, and negotiating what is likely to be a less than sweet deal (for you anyway) with the local book store, you are not going to see your book gracing their shelves any time soon. Thankfully, there are so many other distribution outlets for the self-publisher.
4. Where will it be available to purchase? Besides the bricks and mortars stores, there is a veritable mine of online avenues for you to pursue. Amazon, Smashwords, Createspace, online book stores, online book clubs, your own website/blog. Just these areas alone can ramp up serious sales for you.
5. How do I market it? Aaaah, the million dollar question and probably the hardest/most time-consuming part of self-publishing - you do! Adverts, reviews, blog tours, social media platforms, online book clubs - unless you are paying someone to do this for you, it is all up to you.

It might seem like an enormous mountain to climb when you are standing at the base never having scaled a rock-face before. And possibly this is the wrong analogy because I wouldn't want anyone to think climbing a mountain is easy! But publishing your own book is not as difficult as it seems. A little bit of research, some well-spent time, a smidgeon of preparation, and you've done it. There are some nifty solutions out there for the indie author, and we'll go through them together.

Next post - all about Kindle!

Deadly Obsession on iBookBuzz!

I have to get used to putting Deadly Obsession out there. Every spare minute I have, I'm trawling the internet looking for viable marketing opportunities. No one said it would be easy. Identifying the opportunities are one thing; serving it up for all to see is another.
A few posts ago, I spoke briefly about pen names - to use or not to use. I was really conflicted about which way to go until right before I thumped the 'publish' button and chose to go with my real name.
Its a lot like baring your soul to a stranger and not being sure what kind of response you will get. Will they be kind and thoughtful or will they take your dreams and dash them against the nearest rock.

The fact is I never know. If I cannot rise above my angst on this subject then I might as well lay down my quill and stow away the parchment.
My first huge hurdle was actually publishing.... now I'm over that. What seemed so huge now feels very  de rigeur. The next big leap was asking an independent reviewer to give me feedback on the book. Why I thought she might get back to me in one day, I don't know. Probably because I was gnawing my fingers to the bone at that point.  Its been three weeks and Deadly Obsession is scheduled for her read list next week. So, I guess I've overcome my anxiety on that one.

Then, I found this site  for book lovers which runs a monthly vote geared to a specific genre. Five books are selected from a bunch of submissions, and then the 5 books are voted on. The book with the highest votes is selected to be read for that month. Readers can then give their feedback on the book.

So, I submitted Deadly Obsession, and held my breath. It was another of those 'should I, shouldn't I' moments just before I hit send.

You could have knocked me over with a feather today when I found out it has been selected as one of the top 5!! Yeeeeeeeeeeeha! I am so excxited!

Have a look at Deadly Obsession on the iBookBuzz site. I know you cannot be as excited as me, and maybe I should just wind my neck in but I'm over the moon.

However ...its not over yet....
Now I have to wait until 15 February to find out if it has been chosen as the Romantic Suspense read for March.

So cross fingers and hold thumbs ... I'll keep you posted.

Gabi

The Hunger Games - will I ever write a story like this?

I heard the buzz from a friend's daughter just before Christmas. She and I often swap YA books and when one finds a winner, we pass it on to the other. I had just swapped Beastly and Red Riding Hood with her for Shiver, Linger and Forever (I'm a faster reader).

"Have you read The Hunger Games?" She asked.
"The what?" I looked blank.
"Its amazing, the best. You have to read it. My new all time favourite."

So, I googled it, the hype built. I started reading blogs, and news releases. The excitement grew. Then I found the movie trailers, the voting for who should play the heroine, the countdown to the premiere, and I was hooked.
Ordered them straight away from Amazon, and let them lie. Why? How?
Well, I had to finish The Colour Purple (Alice Walker) for my book club get together next Friday and, I was engrossed in Linger (Maggie Stiefvater). The minute I flipped the cover at the end of the book, I dived into The Hunger Games.

That was last Monday. I started the second in the trilogy, Catching Fire five days later, having devoured THG.

Suzanne Collins had me at 'this is the day of the reaping' on page 1. The story launches right into the action from the get go and there is plenty of it.
Katniss is a very compelling heroine although not always likeable at first. Her interaction with Prim and then Rue, gives her a soft side that she doesn't often show due to the nature of the situation she finds herself in probably. I don't want to share too much more because I wouldn't want to spoil it for you. The story is the grip in THG. Its a whole new world, and it takes you deep inside.

One day, I hope my stories will do that. When I write, I get totally engrossed in the story I am writing, and the hours fly by in a heartbeat. I'm hoping I am able to do the same for my readers.

Gabi

My best muse - the woods

On a crisp winter's day, with leaves crunching underfoot, a cold wind at the back of my neck, the sun filtering through the trees and the wagging tail of my friend's dog in front of me, I couldn't be happier.

Walking in the countryside is more than just a form of exercise for me. I get to de-stress. My shoulders relax because I tend to hunch them when I write (I know, bad habit). I get the chance to fill my lungs and let the smells that come in remind me of things - wet earth, a log fire (not in the woods... on the air from someone's home bordering the woods!), cows, fresh grass.

Re-writes - Friend or Foe?

Let me say this right up front, if it's not a passion of yours, you need to ask yourself seriously why you are doing it. I'm talking about writing. The commitment 'tis not for the faint-hearted'!

Just the writing of the book takes enormous effort, but what happens afterwards is where the most work comes in.

Outline and Plot

I'm one of those writers who can't just wing it. I've read about a few authors - Stephen King is one - who closet themselves behind closed doors, and bash out the first draft of a book in four weeks without looking up. 

Pen names ... To Use or Not To Use?

Is it a throwback to when we were kids and wanted to be someone else (I know some people who still want to be someone else), or is it because our real names never seem to have the panache that celebrity names have (we all know most of those are made up anyway)?

Maybe they provide an outlet for our alter ego, or give us access to a life we don’t believe we can live. Whatever it is, and whatever they are, the use of a pen name/pseudonym is very much a personal choice.

Deadly Obsession - How I Did It.

A few people have asked me how I’ve done it, so I thought I’d start sharing my experiences in this blog whilst I write my next novel. I’ve learnt an enormous amount about so many things on this journey. And the only thing I’m absolutely certain of is... I’ve so much more to learn!

Deadly Obsession started in January 2006 when I woke at four in the morning with the story idea.