Author: Elizabeth Spann Craig

Janice Hardy ran a post on her Story Flip blog on those times when you want to show that time has passed as the protagonist learned a new skill or developed a new romantic relationship, etc. In film or on TV, sometimes you’ll see a video montage showing the character learning to play championship tennis, or becoming the karate kid, or going on a series of lighthearted dates with the new romantic lead. There’ll be invigoratingly peppy music accompanying it.

I usually end up rolling my eyes a little during the montage scenes. I think it’s lazy of the director…and, probably, I’m a little envious because literature doesn’t have a similar device.

So what can we do as writers, to indicate passing time and a major shift occurring in the character’s life? And how do we keep it interesting?

Janice’s idea was to introduce some conflict into the scene where this is occurring. This would prevent the scene from playing like some happy little sequence with only minor setbacks and a happy outcome after minimum effort. Maybe the hero has a setback while learning the new skill. Maybe the conflict of the novel is looming in the background, increasing the tension while this character is working hard to learn the skill…what can we have go wrong for the protagonist?

Her post got me thinking of other possible ways we could approach this type of scene.

Dialogue– The protagonist summing up what happened for another character: “You wouldn’t believe what I went through. I practiced from sunup to sundown every day for the last few months. Broke the strings on seven rackets. It was brutal, but I’m ready for the big match.”

A zippy summary—For the rest of the year, Tammy felt like she was barely hanging on as she worked two jobs, finished up the work for her degree, and kept as much of an eye on her daughter as she could.

Some showing, not telling on the work involved: “Ma’am? Did you decide which mat and frame you wanted for the diploma?”

“The nicest, most expensive thing you’ve got in the store.”

Or start your story at the point where the skill has already been learned or the relationship is already in progress. Or where the transformation is more important…and becomes a bigger part of the book. This isn’t going to work for those examples Janice gave where a character needs to suddenly develop these magical powers to rise to the occasion and defeat an evil force. But it could work in other areas.

Do you really need to start the story before Tammy suddenly decides to take on a couple of jobs and finish her degree while being a single mom? Could you start it with Tammy in the middle of this struggle? Or, conversely, should you have Tammy’s struggle be the plot of your book…not just a quick montage-type scene. Or you could have it start right as Tammy is coming out of the struggle. She’s had a rough last year, but she’s about to get her degree! Life looks great…she’s so optimistic. But then we can throw some major conflict her way right when she thinks things are looking up.

Have you ever had to write something you wish you could use a montage for? How did you approach it?

One of the most popular posts that I tweeted last week was this one: http://zenhabits.net/creative-habit/ on Leo Babauta’s excellent Zen Habits blog.

His post, summing, up was on the number one habit of highly creative people. It was solitude.

He’d polled some creatives from a variety of different fields for the answer, but he’d also pulled examples from the past, like:

Picasso: “Without great solitude no serious work is possible.”
Sandburg: “One of the greatest necessities in America is to discover creative solitude.”
Mozart: “When I am, as it were, completely myself, entirely alone, and of good cheer–say, traveling in a carriage or walking after a good meal or during the night when I cannot sleep–it is on such occasions that my ideas flow best and most abundantly.”

I think solitude is definitely important for a creative person to collect his thoughts and brainstorm ideas.

Sometimes, it’s hard to come by, especially if you have a family around you.

I’ve found, though, that even when I go out to write and I’m around people I don’t know, I feel like I’m in solitude enough to be creative. It’s only when the people are interacting with me that it’s a problem.

Another interesting part of his post was the number two habit of highly creative people—participation.

Babauta says this participation comes in different forms: connecting with others, being inspired by others, reading others, collaborating with others.

He does ask the question how we manage solitude plus the need for participation. His answer was to schedule separate time for both, which I can definitely see:

But how can you have both solitude and participation? They obviously have to come at different times. Finding the balance is key, of course, but it takes a conscious effort: this time is for solitude, and this time is for participation.

Why are they both important? We need inspiration from without, but we need creation from within.

Something that I’ve noticed with myself, though, and what I wanted to bring up here because I think it’s a shared trait of most writers is that I carry my solitude along WITH me..

I have a feeling of apartness…not loneliness…when I’m out in a coffeehouse or a public place. I’m the observer, I’m the note taker. I’m soaking it all in, but running it through the writing lens.

Most of the writers I know are happy to sit on the edges of a group or gathering and watch the people. We’re less happy being the center of attention—you can’t observe life as well when all eyes are on you. We’re the perfect bystanders.

But, to a certain degree, I do get a lot of ideas and a lot of inspiration when I’m out in public and around other people (who are frequently potential characters). But I’m more inspired if I’m not participating or interacting with them. I guess I’m being inspired by the people, frequently without making a connection with them.

What’s your take on the subject? Do you find more inspiration in solitude or through participation? Both? And do you prefer your time alone more than your time spent with others (at least, when it comes to creative inspiration)?

I have a week and a half until my children’s schools let out for the summer.

This time last year, I was completely horrified at that realization.

This year? Not so much. Because I managed to write the better part of a novel over summer break last year. It had to be done…I was under a deadline. I developed my own routine last summer.

Now I’ve got a routine for every occasion, not just summer break.

Please pop over to the Meanderings and Muses blog where I outline some different writing routines for whatever kind of day you might be facing!

First of all, I’d like to make a little plug for my upcoming release, Delicious and Suspicious, written under my Riley Adams pen name. Today, my book is reviewed on Mason Canyon’s book blog, Thoughts in Progress. I hope you’ll pop over and visit there.

And now, Twitterific. Here are writing links that I’ve posted to Twitter for the past 7 –8 days. If you’re looking for a particular topic, just plug in your keyword into the search box at the top left-hand corner of the blog and the roundup with your subject will come up. To narrow your search down on the page, do a CTRL+F, type your subject, and hit enter.

12 Useful Ways To Get Out Of Ruts– http://dld.bz/fhBc

The Battle Between Money and the Muse: http://dld.bz/fhAB

Self-sabotage and our writing day: http://dld.bz/fsT8 @meghancward

8 Rules to Consider Before You Write for Free for the Exposure– http://dld.bz/fhAp @wmfreelanceconn

How to Incorporate the iPad Into Your Social Strategy– http://dld.bz/fhAg

More On The Writer’s Eye– http://dld.bz/fhAd

Seven Things You Should Always Ask A Writer– http://dld.bz/fh9S

Are plays proper literature? (Guardian): http://dld.bz/fh9C

5 Tips to Tame the Social Network Monster– http://dld.bz/fh9b @BonnieGrove

Who’s afraid of Simon Cowell? Tips for embracing criticism: http://dld.bz/fh96

20 Questions to Enrich Your Setting– http://dld.bz/fqPt @PauloCamposInk

Why Creatives Are Confused– http://dld.bz/fh9j

Four tips for portraying young adult characters: http://dld.bz/fqPq @p2p_editor

7 Quick-Start Techniques for Fighting the Fear to Write: http://dld.bz/fqNY @copyblogger

8 Reasons No One’s Following You On Twitter– http://dld.bz/fqJW @marianschembari

How to cope when the publishing game has sucked your soul dry: http://dld.bz/fh9v

Developing Your Talking Points on Your Book: http://dld.bz/fh8T

Editing your novel? A roundup of sound advice: http://dld.bz/fh8K

“I want to keep my e-book rights!” (An editor’s post): http://dld.bz/fh8H

How to Never Find Your Passion– http://dld.bz/fh8F

10 tips on preparing a speech in a hurry: http://dld.bz/fh7Q @tonyeldridge

Am I doing my research and learning the craft, or am I just putting off writing my story? http://dld.bz/fh76 @meghan78

Check Scenes with GOLF Checklist: http://dld.bz/fh7h

On Theme in Query Letters: http://dld.bz/fh6H

How to form a daily writing habit– http://dld.bz/fh6C

Describing a hero: http://dld.bz/fh65 @Janga724

Why Writer Beware Doesn’t Provide Publisher Recommendations (Plus Some Advice)– http://dld.bz/fh6u

Making time to write: http://dld.bz/fh6a

Title attraction–what should go into title creation? http://dld.bz/fndn

12 elements of good storytelling: http://dld.bz/fncB @layindalayinda

Mystery Lovers’ Kitchen cookout for Mem. Day wkend– & @CleoCoyle w/ a coffee-marinated steak— http://dld.bz/fnbt @kristadavis @AveryAames

4 ways to fuel up for your writing time: http://dld.bz/fmSE

When You Should Stop Slogging Through Writing– http://dld.bz/fh5T

The “Triple T” you need to finish your writing journey on the right foot: http://dld.bz/fh53

How to write a blog post that has people rushing to your site: http://dld.bz/fmuQ @ZiggyKinsella

Elevate your blog posts by well-positioned quotes: http://dld.bz/fh4U

Pace–it’s not a race: http://dld.bz/fh4B

Make sure your novel has an edge to it: http://dld.bz/fh4A

Open Letter to Amazon: How Amazon can solve self-pub gridlock with independent rating index. http://dld.bz/fgYb @JohnBetcher

7 Tips on Book Publicity– http://dld.bz/faZz

Conducting an author interview: http://dld.bz/faZk @TeresaFrohock

Addicted to Researching? http://dld.bz/fhDZ @corramcfeydon

Acknowledging fears of the submission process: http://dld.bz/faY2 @bluemaven

The Hero’s Journey Part 7 – Approach to the Inmost Cave– http://dld.bz/fhDU @JustusRStone

The bookstore of tomorrow: More than just selling books: http://dld.bz/faYr

Everything I Needed to Know About Writing I Learned From Lost— http://dld.bz/fh4h

Looking at the BEA (LA Times): http://dld.bz/fhDB

Villains, Heroes, and Second Bananas– http://dld.bz/faYd

The No. 1 Habit of Highly Creative People: http://dld.bz/fh4f

Barbecue Mysteries: http://dld.bz/fhDv @JanetRudolph

Marion Zimmer Bradley vs. Fanfiction– http://dld.bz/faKH

Ten Ironies of Writing: http://dld.bz/fhCY

Author, we have a problem (tips for plotting): http://dld.bz/fh3W

BuNoWriMo challenge from @HartJohnson: Write a 50,000 word novel in June http://bit.ly/a0hVxk RT @inkyelbows

How to Monetize Your Site Without Causing an Audience Revolt– http://dld.bz/faKA

Verbal Warfare: do you engage in conflict on blogs and forums? http://dld.bz/faK9

What’s taking so long? I want your third book now! (The behind-the-scenes process of getting a book published): http://dld.bz/faK6

A Word on Literary Fiction— http://dld.bz/faK2

How we write: The phases of the writer– http://dld.bz/faKv

An agent with memoir-writing FAQs: http://dld.bz/faKs

Protagonists–what makes a bad one: http://dld.bz/fgcJ

Tips for writing comedy: http://dld.bz/ffNH via @thewritertype

What it’s like to work with a mentor: http://dld.bz/faKm

Writing–it might be simple, but it ain’t easy: http://dld.bz/faKj

Help readers keep your characters straight (video): http://dld.bz/faKd

What to do with positive and negative feedback: http://dld.bz/faJV @JodyHedlund

Protagonist and antagonist questions and answers: http://dld.bz/faJU

As a writer, are you a maximizer or a sufficer? http://dld.bz/faJG

How to Achieve the Same Benefits of a Guest Post by Leaving a Blog Comment– http://dld.bz/eYub

Even published writers have their insecurities: http://dld.bz/eYtG

Plot-Driven or Character-Driven Novel? http://dld.bz/faZ4 @CPatrickSchulze

One Sentence to Describe My ENTIRE Book? http://dld.bz/eYtc

Ways to gather information to help your writing career: http://dld.bz/eYsD

When you’re not the writer you thought you were: http://dld.bz/eYsj

Romance Roots: Jane Eyre– http://dld.bz/faZT

The Reader Responsibility to Author Direction- http://dld.bz/eYqZ

4 warning signs your novel isn’t working: http://dld.bz/fb7c (correct link this time.) :)

Which comes first–the title or the story idea? http://dld.bz/eYrQ

An agent on getting people to read your book: http://dld.bz/eYrJ

Trouble opening your story? http://dld.bz/eYrE @wawriters

15 more things your characters should never do: http://dld.bz/faYH @VictoriaMixon

Formulating a Plot…Thinking it Through– http://dld.bz/faMN @JustusRStone

Top 10 troubled males in fiction (Guardian): http://dld.bz/faKQ

The Importance of a Critique Group- http://dld.bz/eYr8

For Niche Writers – 9 Ways to Make Money in Specialized Markets: http://dld.bz/eYuK

Altering poetry for publication: Good or bad? (Writer’s Digest) http://dld.bz/eYrx

Quaint Brits Cling to Paper Books: http://dld.bz/eYrq

What’s the best poetry to learn by heart? (Guardian): http://dld.bz/eYuF

Authors: Build Your E-mail List—NOW (Writer’s Digest) — http://dld.bz/eYrf

Using conflict to help define our characters: http://dld.bz/eYq8 @p2p_editor

10 Ways to Cut Through the Social Media Noise and Be Heard– http://dld.bz/eVyC

Just because you have a finished manuscript doesn’t mean you’re ready to be published: http://dld.bz/eVy9

When jealousy holds us back: http://dld.bz/eTej

The Hobbit or The Lord of the Rings? Artists’ perspective: http://dld.bz/eTdU

10 signs you’re almost finished with your book: http://dld.bz/eXQH @elspethwrites

Arm Chair BEA – How Do I Get to Actual BEA Next Year? http://dld.bz/eTdR

Publishers express fears over price, paperbacks and fragmentation at BEA: http://dld.bz/eYuT

On copy editing–why it works: http://dld.bz/eTdN @BubbleCow

An agent explains why writers shouldn’t get too frustrated with rejections: http://dld.bz/eTd2

The Title is…erm?: Recalling Book Titles: http://dld.bz/eVzr

What is an editor? http://dld.bz/eVzf

How many books do you have stored on your computer, waiting for you to write them? http://dld.bz/eTbF

Clay Shirky on Authorship, Wiki novels, and the Future of Publishing http://dld.bz/eTbm

Writing Contests-For and Against– http://dld.bz/eTbb

Writing tips one writer learned from “Lost” : http://dld.bz/eVK3 @flawritersconf

8 Reasons To Switch To Windows 7 (If You Haven’t Already)– http://dld.bz/eTaW

Visiting schools as a children’s book author? Tips for propping up your visit: http://dld.bz/eTaM

25 best true-crime books: http://dld.bz/eVyQ @JanetRudolph

Women in Peril in Novels– http://dld.bz/eTa5

When the Muse Leaves, It’s Time to Think—Creatively– http://dld.bz/eTav

The Hullabaloo with Yahoo! and the Content Mill Debate– http://dld.bz/eQaf

On Rural Fantasy– http://dld.bz/eTbs

From One Young Writer to Another: Develop Your Swag and Stay on Your Hustle– http://dld.bz/ePZ6 @litdrift

The Benefit of Critique– http://dld.bz/ePYH

Got writer’s block or writer’s flab? @CleoCoyle with tips to cure both: http://dld.bz/eUka @authorterryo

Contested Will: Who Wrote Shakespeare? (Barnes and Noble blog) http://dld.bz/ePY4

Neil Gaiman Dust-Up Raises Questions About Authors and Speaking Fees (Huff Post): http://dld.bz/ePYF

8 ways your story needs to be tweaked: http://dld.bz/ePY3 @VictoriaMixon

Victoria: A Steampunk Exploration– http://dld.bz/eTdt

Got research? 40 useful sites to learn new skills: http://dld.bz/eNM5

The Difference between an Agent and a Literary Publicist — http://dld.bz/eTcr

NY Times reviews– less of a big deal: http://dld.bz/eTfN

An author on working with small publishers: http://dld.bz/eNK7 @alexisgrant

Publishers Weekly Epic Fail (by JA Konrath): http://dld.bz/eTbP @jakonrath

Writing the Thriller: Keep It Unexpected– http://dld.bz/eNKg

Snow White and Seven Synopses: http://dld.bz/eMVk @Kate_Hart

8 ways to find motivation at home (working at home) : http://dld.bz/eMUV

The battle of discovery in writing (veering off the plot we planned): http://dld.bz/eMUT

What an editor does: http://dld.bz/eMTR

Work for hire vs. royalty writing: http://dld.bz/eNMC

A Showcase of Free RSS Icon Sets for Bloggers– http://dld.bz/eMTf

5 reasons to plan ahead when writing a non-fiction book: http://dld.bz/eMSW

In praise of short stories: http://dld.bz/eMS8

Pippi Longstocking, With Dragon Tattoo (NY Times): http://dld.bz/eMTp

When characters meet–writing introductory scenes: http://dld.bz/ePWC @dirtywhitecandy

Public speaking as a promo tool: http://dld.bz/eMS4 @QueryTracker

Writers–be courageous: http://dld.bz/ePYW @wordrunner

Lit Agents Analyze Impact of J.A. Konrath’s Amazon Deal– http://dld.bz/ePYB @GalleyCat

What to do with your novel when you don’t know what to do: http://dld.bz/ejBe @dirtywhitecandy

When reality hits our delusions of grandeur: http://dld.bz/eMSu @JodyHedlund

Our characters have to feel to come alive for our readers: http://dld.bz/eMSr

5 things TV teaches writers: http://dld.bz/eP9N @janicebashman

An agent asks if the grass is really greener…with another agent: http://dld.bz/eMTM

Hardening our skin against rejection and revision requests: http://dld.bz/eMSb

Email Marketing: The Killer Monetization Method You Haven’t Tried Yet– http://dld.bz/eMTJ

Beyond the Lost Booker: other neglected masterpieces (Guardian) — http://dld.bz/eMSE

The Fastest Way to Increase Your Google Ranking– http://dld.bz/eMRY

9 Unsavory Character Traits of Real Authors: http://dld.bz/ePer @ZiggyKinsella

On hiring your own publicist: http://dld.bz/eMTu

The Afterlife of Stieg Larsson (NY Times): http://dld.bz/eMRv

2 editors tell how to get past the first reader — Tips from SCBWI conf http://ow.ly/1P6Dp @4KidLit

How Online Writing Groups Help You Get Published– http://dld.bz/eMSB

Notes on dialogue: http://dld.bz/eMQY

Light your writing fire: http://dld.bz/eMQS

Character Emotions and You– http://dld.bz/eMTr

Konrath wants a world that’s DRM-free: http://dld.bz/eMQp

10 tips for overcoming stage fright: http://dld.bz/eMTc

A Date With An Editor or Agent – 10 Steps To Make You Look Beautiful– http://dld.bz/eMQh

Marketing our passion—or writing for ourselves? http://dld.bz/eMB2

5 books that can save the world: http://dld.bz/eMBj

Mystery writer @AveryAames w/ champagne fondue recipe & the last wk to win bookstore gift cert.: http://dld.bz/eMAp @CleoCoyle @kristadavis

Losing the secondary business can kill you: http://dld.bz/eHq4

If books were used as perfume: http://dld.bz/eHqa

On Amazon Book & Product Recommendations: http://dld.bz/eHp5

A time to write (even without support from our families or friends) : http://dld.bz/eHnV

When adverbs attack–a reminder to use them sparingly. http://dld.bz/eHg5 @KD_Miller

40 Beautiful, High-Resolution Wallpapers (for authors who want to spruce up their desktops): http://dld.bz/eHnG

Writing—manners and wit: http://dld.bz/eHr5

Book Signing Fail (photo): http://dld.bz/eHn7

Generality is the death of the novel: http://dld.bz/eGEt

Writing Comes Before Research, Or at Least at the Same Time: http://dld.bz/eGEr

Why Professional Writers Need a Blog. Or Not. http://dld.bz/eGDY

5 ways to improve your online visibility: http://dld.bz/eGDU

After keeping us waiting for a century, Mark Twain will finally reveal all (Twain’s autobiography to be released): http://dld.bz/eHrD

Why writers procrastinate–and tips for moving ahead w/ our writing: http://dld.bz/eGDy

Who needs a publisher? http://dld.bz/eG77

The Bookseller’s Patter– http://dld.bz/eCdy

New Wave of Dissent in Tibet Met by Crackdown on Writers— http://dld.bz/eCdx

Tips on non-verbal communication paired with your dialogue: http://dld.bz/eBZ9

Konrath on book piracy: http://dld.bz/eBZ7

7 things writers need to know today: http://dld.bz/eBMJ

Every author wants a great review: http://dld.bz/eBME

Agatha winner @SandraParshall shares turkey (or not) recipe at http://bit.ly/GU8HG @ElizabethSCraig @KristaDavis @CleoCoyle RT @ AveryAames

Twitter for writers–finding other writers, useful hashtags, and how I personally use it (elizabethscraig): http://bit.ly/bRkWPb

Worldbuilding, or world growing? http://dld.bz/eBM2

Authors and the victim mentality: http://dld.bz/eBMz

50 really cool bookstore blogs: http://dld.bz/eBGE via @cathyskye

Getting non-fiction clips for your writing portfolio: http://dld.bz/eBGx

How to read a publishing contract (part 13): http://dld.bz/eBGh

Ten of the best towers in literature (Guardian) — http://dld.bz/eASn

A collection of book marketing links: http://dld.bz/eASm

How to increase the pace of your novel: http://dld.bz/eASh

Adding up the cost of producing our own Ebook: http://dld.bz/eARV

3 Sci-Fi writing exercises: http://bit.ly/c7m0uQ

A Contrarian Stance on Facebook and Privacy– http://dld.bz/eARN

This is a subject I haven’t worked out for myself yet, but I’ve been thinking about it.

There are definitely some authors that, when you say their name, you get an image of a particular kind of book.

Stephen King.

Nora Roberts.

J.K. Rowling.

To a much lesser degree (and I think this mainly refers to genre writers), you have midlist authors who get associated with a particular genre and writing style. If the author has done their job promoting themselves and their books and creating a brand, then the reader is probably going to make an association.

Just among the websites and blogs that I visit, I definitely know who writes what—who writes YA, romance, mystery, steampunk, fantasy, SF.

And there’s a reason for that. It’s usually what the writer likes to read and what they’re good at writing.

Right now I have 2 cozy mystery series and am working on developing a possible third. They’re all set in the South and are humorous.

Not only do I enjoy writing these kinds of books, but they’re easy for me to write. They come completely naturally to me.

But what if you’re trying something completely different?

If you’ve worked on your branding and you have a particular following that knows you write a particular way and then suddenly you switch to a different genre and style, then you could possibly end up with some readers who aren’t happy.

Readers who were expecting one thing and got something else. Especially if you built a brand around it.

While I wouldn’t let my branding stop me from trying something new, I’d approach the marketing carefully, I think.

Yes, you’d want to carry some readers over with you, especially if you’d built up a nice reader base.

But not at the risk of alienating some of those readers by not being truthful about the change of genre.

Pros of pseudonyms in this situation:
There won’t be a book buyer perception that limits your scope—they won’t think of you as someone who writes something completely different.

You won’t upset readers who might expect one thing and get another.

You can develop a name but still tie in your other (real) name with marketing. It would be easy enough to put something on your blog page, web page, and social media that says something like “Check Out John Smith’s New Fantasy Series—Written Under his Aaron Felder Pen Name.”

Cons of pseudonyms in this situation:

To some degree, you’re starting over with your reader base. For someone walking through the bookstore and taking a book off the shelf, they’re not going to know you. So you’ll be promoting and building up a whole new name. In a new genre.

Although you can promote your other name through your real name, you’ll still have to do many things twice—promote both names at once and in different genre communities. Maybe not twice as much work if you’ve got a lot of that basic social media structure in place and know how to quickly build it up, but a lot of extra work. So far, since I’ve stayed in the same genre, I haven’t run into any problems promoting both my names online…tied together. But Riley Adams is about to have a Facebook presence really soon.

What do you think? Do you see author branding as something that possibly has a creative downside for a writer?

And a programming note–tomorrow= Twitterific!