First Lines – Love ‘em or Leave ‘em?

Since we never judge a book by its cover (romance novel readers may be an exception?) how do we form our initial opinion of a book? Some people read the back cover material, others the forward. Most of us give every book at least a page or two before we decide if it is worth our time more than going out for ice cream. But still, there is one thing that can make or break a book.

No, it’s not the author being interviewed by Oprah, although that couldn’t hurt.

I’m talking about the first line.

I have completed the outline for Blood Lust, all seven versions, and have gone through at least two sets of character development exercises. I think I am to the point where I know my characters and what they want out of life. Now to start the story, hence – the issue of the first line. I have several options. Here is the current one:

“For the record, the only reason I have written this much so far is the chow in lock-up is worse than last week’s field rats on a cold day.”

What does this tell us? Well, the story seems to be writing itself in first person, a form I am unaccustomed to using. So far so good on that one. What else? Someone has been in jail. For what? You don’t know – yet. It is also implied that the person is no longer in jail and perhaps writing is a requirement to stay that way? Finally, the use of the terms “chow” and “field rats” tells you the person is of a military background. The tone tells me this person isn’t thrilled about writing their story, either. Hmmm.

Lot of info, but really, does it want you to move on? Hopefully so. The next few sentences will establish more of the hook and by the end of the first paragraph you will know the person’s basic background (their torment) and the issue (tension) with the newly introduced antagonist.

That’s the goal, at least.

What are some of your favorite first lines? I think Harlan Coben’s introductory statement used in Six Years is a great one. John le Carré’s The Spy Who Came in from the Cold has a classic. I’d be interested in what you have read. Let’s hear from everyone!

And as always, thanks for stopping by!

Ian Fleming said what?

I have spent a good part of the week reading, and am much better for it. I won’t bore you with all the sordid details, but I recommend to you writers that if you are not reading, you should be, and throw some research in for fun. Not just research on the general lifestyle of ninjas in rural, Ming Dynasty Japan for your historic suspense novel, but also research other writers. Find a link online and just keep going. You never know what may turn up.

To wit: I was tooling around the Internet, as I am want to do on occasion, and came across a short essay by Ian Fleming, yes that Ian Fleming, on “How to Write a Thriller.” Kind of dated in some respects but still chock full ‘o wisdom. I especially like how he differentiates authors from writers. I’d plagiarize here but you are certainly capable of clicking on the link.

Here’s the cool part (as if reading Ian’s personal thoughts on writing isn’t cool enough.) The blogger who researched and then reposted the essay is Peter Morwood. Not familiar with the name? Star Trek fans, Batman fans and others of the same ilk may (should) know the name. I’ll let you do your own investigation (click here) but suffice to say, you never know who you will meet when researching. Do I think I will have the same career as Peter? No way. But his path shows it is possible to be successful in more than one area. Writing is writing and your imagination is the limit!

Oh yes, one final thought on research. Everyone wants to be published. No shocker there. And to help our novels, we spend a ton of time on that research. After all, no one wants to have their private eye “flip the safety off on his snub-nosed revolver…” when there actually isn’t a safety to flip. If anything, the weapon would have a grip safety, but I digress. So please, if you do get published – do the same research on your cover art. You may not get a say in the matter, but if there are errors on the cover art, at least bring it to someone’s attention.

PS – if your book is the one that has a sketch of a Marine in his dress blue uniform, make sure the medals are on the wearer’s left side of the blouse, not the right. Just saying… No link included, to protect the innocent.

Off the soap box now. Back to reading!

Ian Wright cameo on Doctor Who? (Photo credit: mistersnappy)

 

On Writing, Naps and Wine

St. Augustine writing, revising, and re-writing: Sandro Botticelli’s St. Augustine in His Cell (Photo credit: Wikipedia)

My wife tells people I can sleep with my eyes open, while sitting or standing. And she would be correct.

I learned this little trick while attending a “work more efficiently” seminar that was so boring I completely caught up on a years’ worth of overdue naps over the course of four days. I did manage to wake up for the end, when the presenter was promulgating the concept that “one must take a break every once in a while and get back to basics.” So, what does this have to do with my writing? Let us recap.

Last week I posted a list of tasks I had hoped to complete during the week. Here is a status update:

- Complete the first chapter of Blood Lust. DONE. Well, at least the first draft. It has a ways to go.

- Create a new recipe for Exploding Potatoes; then cook it, take the photos and write the post. DONE. Check it out here.

- Write the script for the corporate presentation. DONE. Three presentations given; ten to go.

- Organize and hopefully delegate some of the writing requirements for the non-profit’s next event. Deadline is the week before Memorial Day so the clock is ticking. – NOT DONE. I really need to get started on this. Soon.

- Write the next writer’s to-do list, with a recap of how this week went. Currently, IN PROGRESS. However, if you are reading this, then you can change the status to DONE!

As for this next week? I am taking a reading week. I have numero0us books on my “need to read” shelf and this week I will take one of them with me constantly, reading at any and every opportunity. It’s Harlan Coben’s Six Years. The first sentence alone makes the book worth a full read. The second book is a craft book on writing, specifically dealing with developing characters. We can all use more of that skill-set, yes?

Enjoy your week. Do something positive, be it write like crazy, take care of your kids, read a book, or maybe just nap. If wine enters the picture, all the better.

 

“This dialogue sucks,” he said.

In a perfect world of puppies and kittens, our characters would have concise and effective dialogue on every page of our novel. The protagonist and his or her buddies would be create subtext, forcing the reader to use their imagination to extrapolate meaning from intentionally missing detail. Words would be used judiciously; every word would push the story forward.

However, many writers still try to “write dialogue as they hear it,” in real life. This is not usually the best way to go about moving your plot from point A to point B. Still unsure? Record a random conversation and then transcribe it. Yes, you will probably stop halfway through due to boredom. Do you really want to inflict this pain onto your readers? Not me. I have few enough of those as it is. Why drive the rest of them back to their Netflix account?

Now, I overhear many interesting statements from caffeine-deprived patrons who drop by the coffeeshop the NEMWC (Norfolk Early Morning Writer’s Center.) So far the winner is “I had married in a brothel, but it didn’t work out the way I had hoped…” Now, if I could just fit that into one of my novels. There’s a huge story behind those 16 words. Regardless, most of our true conversations would make for rather boring books.

The point: I have finished the first draft of the first chapter of Blood Lust. It is by no means the final version. First, I need to beef up the characterization of our man Parker. I know what he is like, but you readers don’t – unless you can read my mind. I need to add some physical actions, a bit more dialogue – all of which will create the alpha male character he is supposed to be.  Hmmm. Mind readers. Interesting thought (no pun intended.) Some of my readers work for the government. For security, perhaps I should put my tin foil beanie back on?

Second, I need to take a step back and reread some books on the craft of writing. Just because you read something once, does not make you a master tradesman. If it did, I suppose I could read a book on karate and then consider myself a black belt. No, put the ego aside and pick up one of those books collecting dust on your shelf. There are tons of good books out there. We writers seem to collect them, but not necessarily read them more than once. But, it never hurts to review. I have two in mind, one of which is on my Nook, the other on my Kindle. Fortunately, I have both accounts linked to my PC so I can access them at any time. This takes care of the next several lunch hours! Facebook, thou shalt have to wait.

Having trouble with your dialogue? Think your story has well written dialogue? Check out Kristen Lamb’s blog, Warrior Writers, and the series of posts she recently published featuring guest blogger Les Edgerton. He has some very pertinent and salient comments on writing dialogue. You may be surprised. Great stuff, Les!

The point is – writing is a craft. It takes work, diligence, study and more work to create something worthwhile. And while I am justifiably proud of finishing the first draft of chapter one, I know it is far from being finished.

Time to put down the quill and put the cap back on the bottle of India ink (showing my age, yes) and do a little craft-improvement research.

TQ4R (Today’s questions for readers)

- How do you approach dialogue?

- Do you actively engage in activities designed to improve your writing skills? What are they?

Have a great weekend, people. I will be busy working on technical writing as well as reading those aforementioned references plus all of the related articles listed below. Should keep me plenty busy. See you in a few days!

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Related articles

• Les Edgerton Shows How to Write Amazing Dialogue – Part 1 (warriorwriters.wordpress.com)
• Dialogue, glorious dialogue – Instalment 3 of the Dialogue mini series (ofglassandbooks.wordpress.com)
• Good Dialogue And The Flash Fiction Story (pittsburghflashfictiongazette.com)
• Decoding Dialogue Writing: My Thoughts on Creating Natural Dialogue (crampedwriting.com)
• Les Edgerton Shows How to Write Amazing Dialogue – Part 2 AN EXERCISE (warriorwriters.wordpress.com)
• Differences in Narrative and Dialogue Writing (tracykauffman.wordpress.com)
• Les Edgerton & Two Tips to Take Your Dialogue to a WHOLE New Level – Part 3 (warriorwriters.wordpress.com)
• Dialogue Tags – Said is Not Dead! (writingbravely.wordpress.com)

A Writer’s Weekly List?

Well, it’s Sunday evening here on the Eastern Shore of Virginia and that means we are all very tired. Being exhausted on a Sunday just comes with the territory of being married to a pastor, I guess. Today was okay for me, but it was non-stop for her since she did three services in two churches then hit the road for a three day conference in central Virginia. All I have to do now is pet-sit three puppies and a cat, plus water some plants – as long as I don’t forget. Come to think of it – maybe we’re even. No, I got the better end of this schedule.

I should probably have Siri add “water the plants” to the reminder list on my phone.

Speaking of lists, you may have noticed that we all live by lists: to-do lists, grocery lists, birthday wish lists, top ten lists, even bucket lists. I know a guy who works in the television and motion picture industry, and every Friday evening he sends out a note to his peers, asking them to list what projects they are working on at that very minute. In case you ever wanted to know, Hollywood tech people seem to work into the late hours of the night, even on Fridays, editing what has just happened or setting up for is about to happen.

This parallels writers, I think, since we seem to write whenever we can – even if it is on a Friday night.

Some of us like to recap what we have written over the past week. I suppose I could do that – I wrote a decent opening line to Blood Lust and a few paragraphs to start it off. I also posted the non-profit’s quarterly corporate newsletter to the social media sites. And this is all well and good but the problem I see now is that I know what I have already done.

Isn’t it more important to know what you intend to do?

Here’s my writer’s to-do list for this next week:

- Complete the first chapter of Blood Lust. (Maybe this is more of a wish-list entry?)

- Create a new recipe for Exploding Potatoes; then cook it, take the photos and write the post. Hint: it involves tater tots!

- Write the script for the corporate presentation. This is a work thing, not a personal writing thing. But it is still writing.

- Organize and hopefully delegate some of the writing requirements for the non-profit’s next event. Deadline is the week before Memorial Day so the clock is ticking.

- Write the next writer’s to-do list, with a recap of how this week went.

I think that should about do it.

Lists. Do you have one? Are you successful at completing your lists? Are you sick and tired of lists? I may be by the end of this week.

Stay tuned…

 

 

 

 

 

 

Related articles

• Foetal Writer – My list of baby steps. (tryingtowriteit.com)
• Writer’s Boredom (ayoungwriterslife.wordpress.com)
• On the Eastern Shore (breezesatdawn.wordpress.com)
• Lots of work (breezesatdawn.wordpress.com)

Be a part of the solution

Boston Marathon Finish Line.1910. Author: Unknown. (Photo credit: Wikipedia)

Back in the day, 1988 I believe,  my band – pseudonymously referred to as “Sergeant Pena and the Boys,” played New Orleans style jazz at the finish line of the Boston Marathon. It was a happy time for us because we were working musicians, the runners were happy because they had just finished a grueling 26 mile race, and spectators were happy because it was just a great big party.

Today, Boston was a different scene. A sad one. A surreal one, full of confusion, panic, chaos, fire, smoke and blood.

Here in the US, most of us tend to live a fairly good life, with little worry about famine, unchecked disease or factional warfare. Sure, we can always use a little more money. And I for one have to settle for a bacon cheeseburger instead of a prime rib. But overall, in my neighborhood we are first world-ers existing in a pleasant environment with an unabashed freedom to write in any genre touching any subject, even the most controversial ones. Politicians are fair game for satire. There is no privacy act on stupidity. We all have our life and liberty, and we pursue our happiness in whatever form it may be, even if it means running a punishing 26 mile race.

Today, someone decided to usurp the wonder and glory of superhuman physical effort, instead pushing a personal agenda of some sort via horrific violence.  I am sure we will find out soon enough what ill sense of logic wrought this carnage, but in my opinion they took the cowardly path, a trail of secrecy used by those who lack the intellectual means and or moral courage to publicly stand for their beliefs.  Suck it up and join a debate, write an op-ed, or at least participate in the political process. Vote.

And while you are at it – read.

Learn from history. Study theology. Ponder the writing of Descartes. Mull over the validity of Carlos Castaneda’s tale of shamanism. Engage in civilized political discourse. Volunteer. Gain an appreciation for life. Human life. All life.

Do I think the perpetrators of today’s tragedy in Boston are reading my blog? Of course not.

But – we should all read, research facts, and use critical thinking to make our own informed decisions instead of following the opinion of television pundits.   Perhaps we can use our writing to influence others, inspiring them to take the higher road of intellectualism vice relying on the base instincts of brute force.

To sum up: keep writing. Please. And be proud of what you write. Your efforts can and should stimulate curiosity, help bring new dreams, and  cause greatness to occur.

Through your writing, be a part of the solution.

 

 

 

Related articles

• 2 Explosions at Boston Marathon Finish Line (usnews.com)
• London Marathon security to be reviewed after Boston blasts (metro.co.uk)

Maybe it’s just me…

but after touring the International Spy Museum in Washington, D.C., I think fiction writers would make excellent spies – or at least the people who think up the cool gadgets and plot lines.

We have just returned from our trip and I must say the admission price (a little over US$22 when purchased online) was well worth it. The museum had much more than I anticipated, plus, and I think this is unfortunately a temporary exhibit, an entire section dedicated to the 50 years of James Bond.  There was a section on the Bond villains, another with displays of props such as the golden gun, photos and posters galore, plus my favorite – the blue Aston Martin DB5, complete with tire shredding hubcap extension. For those who remember Jaws (the bad guy, not the fish) you will see his teeth on display.

A kid in a James Bond candy store was I.

Back to the museum highlights. At first, you think you are entering just another cheesy tourist trap, complete with the obligatory ticket desk and faux velvet ropes used to cordon off lanes for the masses to queue up and spend money. Once you get past this area, though, the coolness begins.

The elevator bypasses the second floor and goes directly to the third floor. The short ride is an experience. Very unexpected. Listen to the voice; it will be giving you clues on what to do next. The blue lights in the floor give just the right amount of ambiance.

Now you are on the main exhibit floor and you immediately come across a gentleman who will offer to take your “Spy Photo.” You stand in front of a green screen and he takes a photo of whatever pose you choose and then hands you a card to present at the end of your visit. Here’s the deal: you can take the photo or not, you can redeem your card or not. If you do, you will get your picture imposed onto the James Bond opening graphic – you know, the one where you are viewed through the gun barrel, about to be shot? Yep. That one. It’s pretty cool, but I’m a James Bond nut. Take that for what it’s worth. It comes in a nice little display folder, with another shot of the Aston Martin. For $20, you get a single 5×7 inch photo, for a few dollars more you can also receive a 4×5 and two 3×4 photos. Is it worth it? That’s up to you. I thought so, but again, kid in candy store…

Now on to the main exhibits. Many are actual artifacts, some reproductions. You will go venture through 20,000 square feet of spy-craft history, learn about actual (historical) operations, and probably learn a bit about American history, albeit the shadier side. Of course, there are some interactive displays as well. All in all it is a lot of fun for adults and kids, too.

My hint: When you leave the elevator you will be given a chance to assume a false identity. There will be a variety of names you can choose from, each with a backstory. If you want to play along – memorize the backstory. You will need it later. I tried it, but failed miserably. The guards were “very suspicious” and would be “watching me very carefully.”

Of course, it’s a spy museum so you will learn that “everything is not always as it seems.” In other words, there are hidden cameras and microphones everywhere. And if you look hard enough, you will find mini command centers where you can spy on the other visitors. I came across two such areas. One was easy enough to wander through, the other involved crawling through the air duct in the ceiling. I opted out of that little adventure. Maybe in my younger days, but not now. No need to require the rescue crew to pull an old guy out of the ceiling.

The Museum also has “Operation Spy” on the second floor; an activity where you can test your spy skills in an hour long “mission.” We opted out due to time. Something I will look into the next time we visit will be the “Spy in the City” activity where you will tour around DC, armed with a GPS receiver that will show video clues, codes and “audio intercepts” leading you on an outdoor adventure. This is more my speed, as long as the codes lead us to Starbucks.

If you decide to visit, and you spy buffs should, be sure to go to the website. The Museum has an ongoing variety of programs throughout the year. Plan ahead and make the most of your visit!

Overall, I was impressed with the sheer variety of stuff, the historical research that had been done, and the largeness of the museum. I came away with a few ideas to incorporate into future novels, particularly the code techniques. The Spy Museum was really just a culmination of the efforts of very creative people who were bent on trickery and deception – all done in the name of flag and country, of course.

Which brings me to the question: could fiction writers make good spies?  Or…have we already?

Author DJ Lutz on a research trip at the International Spy Museum in Washington DC.

Related articles

• Bond Villain’s On Display At Washington D.C.’s International Spy Museum (warnewsupdates.blogspot.com)
• Spy museum features Bond villains (wyff4.com)
• Spy museum features villains. Bond villains. (security.blogs.cnn.com)

I have sunglasses – they’ll never see me.

 

Washington DC – Penn Quarter: International Spy Museum (Photo credit: wallyg)

Sometimes the best thing a writer can do is go out and live life, then write about it. After all, it worked pretty well for Papa, yes?

 

A little more on the tame side, our road trip to the International Spy Museum in Washington DC starts in a few minutes. I’ll not be packing the laptop but will have the phone for pixs and Facebook updates.

 

Who knows, maybe I’ll meet the next “Intrepid”…

 

Where do you prefer to write?

Miles Davis (Photo credit: Wikipedia)

Where can you sit, your thoughts your own, with no distractions, and write with abandon? At home? In an office? Perhaps somewhere outside, away from those who want you to hear their story of how they always wanted to be a writer but never had time?  I have found (lately, at least) that I am getting a decent amount of quality writing accomplished at my Secret Early Morning Writer’s Center and Coffee Shop. Not many people know about this place, which makes it a nice place to clack a few keys and make progress on the novel.  The music is usually pretty good, not too overbearing, and there is a constant stream of writing prompts that enter the SEMWC&CS, if only for a few minutes.

A few observations:

Music – today, classical guitar of the Segovian-style. Yesterday, we were graced with a conversation between Miles Davis and Cannonball Adderley from the Blue Note 1595 reissue, if you are interested.

The Regulars – the retired physician, an avid reader. A nice guy, he has an unofficial reservation on the first leather chair. We also have our local police officer, a K-9 man to be specific, who always ends his shift here. Too bad he can’t bring his dog in here. I think that would be way cool! We usually have two “almost” theologians, discussing what is wrong with the world. If your world has a problem, I am sure they have already come up with a solution for you. Just ask them. But really, don’t. It will just encourage them.  There are others – a steady mix of students (a veritable fashion show from Cache and A&F,) business people trying to fix their ties while balancing that cardboard tray holding coffee for the boss, and a fleet of sailors on their way to one of the many Navy bases we have in our area. No need to look farther for writing prompts…

The Staff – The happy guy who wants to know everyone. Every group has a happy guy, sometimes it’s a girl. I think it’s a law.  Then there is the hipster dude with the closely cropped full beard. He never says anything; probably the smartest guy here. At the counter today is a nice lady, a woman who is on her third career now thanks to the recent recession and two ex-husbands. Did I mention some people like to share far beyond what is needed? Sometimes we have the girl “from the hood” who is really not. But she tries.

The Writing  – yesterday I determined how the antagonist will meet his end and in the process incorporated a new subplot. Very cool. This morning is blog time; tonight you will probably find me working on how Blood Lust will end.  At the SEMWC&CS, I usually get an hour and a half of solid writing done. Makes the 2 dollar coffee worth it.

And speaking of libations – for me it is coffee.  No cream, no sugar. No mocha, whipped cream, or anything else. Just coffee. Hot and straight up. Is there a better way to start the day?

I think not.

If you can find the SEMWC&CS, feel free to snag a power outlet and join me. I’m the guy who always sits in the corner facing the door (the apex of paranoia?)  Or just have some coffee and watch the people. So many stories, so little time…

Where is your favorite place to write?

The Sea Level Singer/Songwriter Festival

Just finished sketching out Day 11 of my protagonist’s battle against the scourge of the parallel universe (those would be the bad attitude wannabe vampires) and decided to post today about a different style of writing: lyrics and songwriting. Not my thing, really, but I do appreciate the complexity and challenge of writing lyrics that work well with music. It’s the old “if songwriting was easy, everyone would have a hit…” I have no hits, so you can see why I stick with short stories and novellas.

Anyhow, how did I end up on this subject? Thanks to our local National Public Radio affiliate, WHRV, I heard an excellent show called “Out of the Box.” This program features new music – literally stuff that has just been released, thus coming right ‘out of the box’ and into the studio for play. Anyhow, last night, host Paul Shugrue had a songwriter in the studio, performing  original music. The guy was really a kid, only 17 years old, but what talent! The lad was musically astute, skilled on the acoustic guitar, and a fine lyricist.

The point is, in writing there are many genres: mystery, romance, sci-fi, YA, poetry and yes – even songwriting. If you want a different perspective on your art, check out areas outside of your own genre. Songwriting – it’s worth a listen, especially the stuff from musicians who are not selling their souls trying to become the next whatever. They are not “in it to win it,” they are just trying to communicate a story to the listener. Isn’t that what are all trying to do?

Here’s a link to a festival coming up in the Southeastern Virginia area – specifically Hampton Roads. It’s called the Sea Level Singer/Songwriter Festival and it should be a good one. If you can get there, you should. You can always link to WHRV on you computer, if only to listen to “Out of the Box.” I will have to check to see if there will be a simulcast or podcast after the fact.

Who knows, maybe your next novel will involve modern day traveling minstrels? My curent WIP, Blood Lust, now has a jazz trio that will eventually become an integral part of the novel’s ending. It’s Day 11, I think they may make another appearance on Day 12…

Stay tuned!