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MERRY CHRISTMAS!

PB&J: Picture Books and All That Jazz: A Highlights Foundation Workshop

Join Leslie Helakoski and Darcy Pattison in Honesdale PA for a spring workshop, April 23-26, 2015. It's a great Christmas present to yourself or a writer friend! Full info here.
COMMENTS FROM THE 2014 WORKSHOP:

• "This conference was great! A perfect mix of learning and practicing our craft."�Peggy Campbell-Rush, 2014 attendee, Washington, NJ
• "Darcy and Leslie were extremely accessible for advice, critique and casual conversation."�Perri Hogan, 2014 attendee, Syracuse,NY

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Opening a novel in an interesting way is crucial. I often see stories-in-progress with weak openings. This week, I happened to pick up a copy of the classic Jurassic Park, and I was stopped on the first page with the economy of language. In two brief paragraphs, Crichton sets a scene, introduces a character, puts us into the character’s life, and places us in a Costa Rica fishing village. He accomplishes so much in a brief passage. Let’s look at it to see if it gives us tips on starting our own stories.

Opening of Jurassic Park

The tropical rain fell in drenching sheets, hammering the corrugated roof of the clinic building, roaring down the metal gutters, splashing on the ground in a torrent. Roberta Carter sighed, and stared out the window. From the clinic, she could hardly see the beach or the ocean beyond, cloaked in low fog. This wasn’t what she had expected when she had come to the fishing village of Bahia Anasco, on the west side of Costa Rica, to spend two months as a visiting physician. Bobbie Carter had expected sun and relaxation, after two grueling years of residency in emergency medicine at Micheal Reese in Chicago.
She had been at Bahia Anasco for three weeks. And it had rained every day.
(First two paragraphs of Jurassic Park, Prologue, by Michael Crichton.)

Weak openings leave me confused, wondering where I am and what is going on. Crichton starts with a specific setting. The second word is “tropical,” which narrows down the location on the globe, while also explaining the type of rain. A “corrugated” roof probably indicates a lower income area where cheaper materials are used for construction.

Notice the great verbs which animate that first sentence: fell, hammering, roaring, splashing. And it ends with a strong descriptive word: torrent. This is masterful selection of language. After one sentence, I know approximately where I am and what is happening.

Next, Crichton focuses on the point-of-view character for this section. Because it’s a prologue, this character won’t be important in the story proper, but he takes the time to give us some of her background, which implies much about her state-of-mind.

She is an ER doctor, just finishing her residency in Chicago, and she thought this trip to Costa Rica would be a vacation. Notice that she’s an ER doc. The old sayings is that you should never put a gun in Chapter 1, if you don’t intend for it to go off sometime. Crichton put an ER doctor in the first paragraph because someone soon would require emergency medical attention. We know Roberta/Bobbie (Notice how he named her fully, then gave us a more casual nickname) is skilled in medicine, but she’s also tired and disappointed with this location.

As far as setting a mood, the torrential storm sets up the possibility of something happening. We’d expect that a “torrent” would bring other problems with it.

Finally, Crichton actually names the locale: Bahia Anasco on the western coast of Coast Rica.

Setting, mood, characterization, anticipation–Crichton sets up so much in just two short paragraphs!

Applying Crichton’s Lessons to Your Story

Setting. Readers need to be oriented immediately to the location of your story. While you describe the setting, use language to create a distinctive mood and set up anticipation. Don’t be afraid to name a location directly.

Mood. Choose language that sets up a distinctive mood. The torrential rain is described with evocative verbs and language. Strong, forceful, a force of nature–you expect something to happen, and soon.

Characterization. It’s important to know something about the character. Crichton gives us a name, place of origin (Chicago hospital), and something of her inner life. Bobbie is a strong-willed woman or she wouldn’t be an ER doctor; but she’s tired because of the “grueling” residency. Bone-weary, maybe. The impending emergency that will require her skills will challenge her, not because she’s not capable, but because she’s so tired. That’s great characterization for one paragraph!

Anticipation. How can you not turn the page? Crichton has set up an interesting enough scenario, and populated it with an interesting character that I’m hooked. I would read on! Wouldn’t you?

Avoid weak openings! Study Jurassic Park for hints on how to take your story’s opening to a new level.

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It’s so hard to stay when you desperately want to leave.

1) In a Romance, one partner may be ready to move on. He or she may have envisioned what it might be like to be with someone else. Perhaps they have that someone already picked out. This creates the will they stay or will they go push-pull. 

2) In a Mystery, this dynamic creates internal conflict when Dick must solve one last case when he'd rather be spearfishing in Fiji. His partner may be eagerly anticipating a promotion and chafing at having to finish the case.

3) In a Literary or Young Adult Coming of Age tale, this dynamic forms the battleground of the young adult striving for autonomy while still coping with parental expectations and restrictions. Every parent and teenager has dealt with this rocky road from tweenhood through college. It could be told from the parent’s or teen’s point of view. 

4) In a Historical tale, Dick may be trapped in a city or small town while dreaming of moving west. He is eager to go, yet something forces him to stay. Perhaps he dreams of being a sailor but must stay and deal with his sick parent while his peers take off on great adventures.

5) In a Thriller, this can affect Dick’s dedication to solving the overall story problem. He may be ambivalent about the cause, the people involved, or his role in it because he'd rather be somewhere else.

Use internal conflict scenes and internal narrative to illustrate the character’s impatience, impaired decision making, fantasizing about the new reality, anxiety, anger, and frustration. He can step forward then step back until a crisis forces the issue. You can close the door on your character, preventing him from ever leaving or you can set him free, allowing him to slam the door behind him. The artistic choice is yours.

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CATCHING FIRE
by Suzanne Collins

(Scholastic Press)

I can tell you exactly three things about this book without spoiling it:

1. I'm shallow enough that I savored just *having* Catching Fire as much as I enjoyed actually reading it.

2. If you're tempted to be let down by the political domination of the plot in the first half, don't despair. The second 200 pages will nail you.

3. You know that sinking feeling you get when the chunk of pages left to read is getting skinnier and skinnier, but the action isn't winding down? And can't possibly wind down in the remaining 1/8 inch? Be prepared for that. (Especially if you're as great big a pouty-pants about cliffhanger endings as I am.)

The end.

(Available September 1. As if you aren't already counting the days.)

Jerk, California
by Jonathan Friesen

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An extra post that kind of goes with the previous post.

I'm sure I'm way behind everyone else but in Neil Gaiman's journal (wow, journey back in time and that sounds so cool, as if I peeked into a famous author's personal diary*), I found a fabulous link to clips from Coraline.

*Don't mind me - I've been sitting at the computer too long and I'm slowly losing my mind. :)

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I wish I had more insightful things to say. I wish that my blog was an amazing dissertation on education theory and policy. It isn't, and truth be told I don't have anything insightful to say. I have a lot of questions, fears, and haphazard possibly unsupported theories about my views on education. I know I haven't had the experience of most people, but so you might question, why blog, why do it at all. Maybe it is my liberal arts education, but a part of me feels that the questions are just as important as the answers. What questions do new teachers ask themselves in the few weeks before they are gifted 20 or so smiling faces. Here are some of my biggest questions...feel free to supply answers if you have any, or simply smile. 

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I'm told by Shelf Awareness that Redbery Books in Cable, Wisconsin, recently began using the tagline "Books: The Ultimate Stimulus Package." The phrase doesn't appear on their website, but kudos to these booksellers for thinking creatively about the IRS Economic Stimulus Payments. How better to utilize that random chunk of money (or, as my tax preparer speculated, advance on next year's refund) than by patronizing independent bookstores?

I've been thinking a lot about the Stimulus Payments, too. Actually, with a little help from some very creative friends, I'm working on a little venture that offers my own alternative for using that cash in a way that has a real economic impact. The campaign should launch by early next week -- keep your eyes on this space for details.

And while you're getting all anticipatory... it's totally time to look forward to BEA! Here are just two of my highlights for maximum butterflies-in-the-stomach expectation:

The ABA Celebration of Bookselling at 5:00 on Wednesday, May 28, in addition to being the usual joyous drinky/snacky/chatty gathering of booksellers from across the country, is going to mark the unveiling of something the ABA has been working on for the last couple of years. I've been sworn to secrecy, but I've seen a preview of this announcement... and it made me cry, in the good way. It's not often a branding/marketing initiative does that to ya, but when you're in a business that incorporates some of your highest ideals, sometimes you get lucky that way. I may try to give you some further hints as we get closer... but most importantly, don't miss the unveiling!!

And right after that, if you're one of us under-40 booksellers, don't miss the Second Annual BEA Emerging Leaders Party! We'll be sending out an invite to our mailing list soon and posting info in industry periodicals, but I'm giving you the sneak preview now:

Wednesday, May 28, 7:00 to 9:00
The Woods, 1533 N La Brea Ave (less than 10 minutes' walk from Hotel ABA)
OPEN BAR 7:00 to 8:00, courtesy of Reed Business
Featuring hip authors to meet, young booksellers to mingle with, and tips on making the most of your BEA

No RSVP needed, though we'll probably need some bookseller ID at the door. Hope to see you all there and get the party that is BEA started!

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(I just discovered that there is a chipmunk living in the drainpipe that backs onto my bedroom, which explains the mysterious noises that I haven't mentioned here in case people started doing wolves in the walls jokes.)

...

You know, the main reason I've been wearing more or less the same thing for about 20 years is that I don't ever have to wonder what to wear. It makes life easy.

My assistant Lorraine just asked me what I wanted to wear to the Beowulf premieres in the UK and the US and I realised with a sort of creeping horror that I didn't know. I already wore a tuxedo-and-bow-tie to the US Stardust Premiere, and I wore a leather jacket black tee shirt and and black jeans to the UK Stardust premiere. That pretty much completely exhausts my range. I suppose I could wear a different leather jacket, or perhaps a tie instead of a bowtie with the tux, but (shakes head gloomily). I don't know. Decisions, decision. (I asked an actress friend what she was going to wear and learned that clothes designers actually lobby to have actorish people be seen wearing their clothes on the red carpet. I had to explain that it doesn't work that way for writers. I suppose I could toss a coin.)

...

I've been using Google Documents to share ODD AND THE FROST GIANTS with people who needed to see it... and just realised that none of the little corrections and fixes I've been entering -- and dutifully saving -- have been saved. Instead it seems to have taken a version of the document open in Google Documents on another computer somewhere in the house as its master text, which means the saves I've done on the downstairs computer I'm on have apparently not taken. (I've sat there going through all the old saved versions it's kept -- 121 of them and they only seem to go back and forwards between a couple of versions in which a But changes to a Still, because at a guess it's open in two different tabs somewhere on whichever computer it's on that Google is paying attention to...) Between the people who can't get in to see it and write me grumbly emails, and the way Google Documents sometimes fails to send the letters inviting people to look at it (but still lists them as now having access to the document), I think I should have paid a bit more attention to the word BETA underneath the words Google and Documents.

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Hello Mr. Gaiman!

I just thought you might be interested to know I've carved a Jack O'Lantern of you for our dorm's pumpkin competition. I'm hoping to scrape a "Most Original" for it, but I might lose to the Andy Warhol's Marilyn Pumpkin. Ah well.

Here is a link to a picture of it I posted on facebook.

http://bgsu.facebook.com/photo.php?pid=34570514&id=20923362&op=1&view=all&subj=2200703877&aid=-1&oid=2200703877

Sorry it's not lit up, apparently they're a fire hazard. Such is dorm life.

I hope you're not weirded out by this. But really I don't know, I might not be as original as I think I am. Probably dozens of Neil O'Lanterns get made every year!

Thanks,

Katy Gehred

Probably. (Small grin.) No, I think it's just you. if more turn up I'll try to link to them here...

Lauren

It seems like Ravelry is something you sign up for and then wait to be invited to join. But consider it plugged...

Not a question, just pointing out something your readers might find useful: you can buy british editions of books and ship them (almost) worldwide without having to pay postage at The Book Depository website (www.bookdepository.co.uk).
(I am not affiliated with this website, I just find their service useful and impressive)

Good to know, although it doesn't look like you can pre-order stuff there. Right now for Odd they send you to Amazon.co.uk, anyway.

...

I just learned that the official on-sale date of The Graveyard Book is September the 30th 2008
...

Maddy wants to know why I haven't posted a photo of her on this blog for ages, and suggests that simply by posting a recent photograph I could prove to the world that I still love her...



...

Lots of people wrote and told me I could order Marmite from Amazon.com -- and I did! It just arrived. Unfortunately a bottle was smashed in shipping, and I discovered that Amazon won't let you return or refund grocery items, so I don't think I'll be doing that again.

And many of you wrote and asked me to explain Marmite. And I shall. but not now.

...


Right. Back to rereading Bone.

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