Category: Uncategorized

Today I’m over at
K.M. Weiland’s Blog, WordPlay (a fantastic writing craft blog, if you haven’t visited),

talking about three
types of good repetition for our
stories.  Hope you’ll pop over.

by Elizabeth S. Craig, @elizabethscraig

Sometimes when we’re drafting a book or
writing an outline, we’ll run into something that needs
to happen in the plot, but is clumsy, or seems convenient or contrived.

I’m working on something now and ran into
this problem.  As a matter of fact, I’ve
run into this same exact problem in a different manuscript.  I need to have my sleuth’s home broken into.
How can I get away with that?  She has
nosy neighbors.  She’s alert.  She’s, as a matter of fact, an insomniac.  The villains in my stories are gifted
amateurs, not career criminals with a knack for picking locks. 

It’s difficult to make this break-in
happen without making my sleuth appear dumb, forgetful, careless, or generally
unfit for sleuthing.

Why would she leave a door unlocked when
there is a killer afoot?  How could my
newbie killer easily and stealthily break into her house, if she hasn’t left
the door unlocked?

How will she get away from this intruder
once he gets in?  He intends to murder
her since she’s such a pest and since she’s also discovered important
information…that she doesn’t yet even realize is important.

It’s important that whatever reason I
happen on is mentioned previously in the story. 
In other words, I don’t suddenly need to have the intruder inside the
house and have Myrtle think, “Oh no—I forgot to lock the door.”  Better to let the reader in on the forgetting
when it happens, if that’s the approach I want to take with the contrivance.

So…I make my lists.  In the hopes of helping anyone else with
their own plot holes and struggles with conveniences, I’ll share some of what
would go onto mine:

She leaves the door unlocked because
she’s lugging something heavy into the house and forgets to go back to lock it.

She absentmindedly leaves the door
unlocked when she walks in and hears a ringing phone and then ends up on a
disturbing phone call.

She locks the door but leaves a window
cracked to let the cat in and out.

Someone she trusts comes in behind her
and Myrtle thinks the trusted friend has locked the door behind her (and leaves
later from a different door), but the trusted friend doesn’t lock it—for
whatever reason. Complex and rather messy.

The killer breaks a window quietly by
taping it with duct tape and then holding a dishtowel up to the window and
striking it with a hammer.

The intruder gets hold of a spare key or
somehow copies her key…this will require a good deal more set-up.

The sleuth left it unlocked on purpose
and lured the killer there as a trap.  
(And she has some sort of back-up—since we don’t need the additional
problem of a main character doing something stupid or conveniently reckless.)

In the for-what-it’s-worth department, my
editors’ views on conveniences tends to be that—as long as I’ve put some effort
into setting it up—the readers will suspend their disbelief.  In other words, they absolutely don’t want a
moment where the sleuth realizes she forgot to lock the door and that’s the
first the readers hear about it—when the intruder has entered her house. They
want the readers to see her forgetting
to lock the door. 

Is it too much of a coincidence that
she’d forget to lock the door on the very night the intruder wants to break
in?  Well, it’s definitely a coincidence.
Although I’d point out that my husband—incredibly scrupulous about locking
doors—left his car unlocked once many years ago while he carried in Christmas
presents from a shopping trip.  He forgot
to lock it later. And that was the one time in 20 years of marriage that we had
something stolen from a car. Coincidences do
happen.  I think, though, that it’s a
good idea to only have one big
coincidence in a story.

More posts
on convenience, contrivances, and more:

The Editor’s Blog–Coincidence
Destroys the Suspension of Disbelief –by Beth Hill.

The Other Side of the Story–What
a Coincidence! Creating Plots That Don’t Feel Like Accidents—by Janice
Hardy

Beyond the Margins—Managing
Coincidence—by Leslie Greffenius

Writers in the Storm–9 Plots That Rely On Coincidence and Contrivance—by
Kara Lennox

How do you handle convenience in a plot?
How much, as a reader, can you overlook in a story?

by Gretchen Archer, @Gretchen_Archer

I don’t have a clue. He probably doesn’t
either. I’m sure there are forensic accountants, Schedule Cs, and colorful pie
charts with the secret formula for how this man, in today’s publishing climate,
earned so much money by simply putting pencil to paper (they say he
writes-outlines-edits long hand on legal pads), but I bet there’s no
one-sentence explanation. “Mr. Patterson, it was the Alex Cross fleece booties
that shot you from Forbes Stinking Rich to Forbes Obscenely Loaded.”

The only logical answer? James Patterson
supplies a high-demand product to an eager and willing consumer. That’s how he
does it. Who’s next? Who will be the next J.K., Danielle, John Grisham? I hope
it’s not me. I don’t want to be the next Gillian Flynn or E.L. James, either,
but for different reasons, and not because I hate going to the bank, something
they must be doing a lot of, too. It’s because, having read both Ms. Flynn and
Ms. James (kudos, ladies) I know I could never do what they’ve done (in the
first place) without giving up my life. For me to go that deep, I’d have to
shut off everything and everyone, and what if, when I dug out, everything and
everyone were gone?

Which brings me to a terrible confession:
I’m not in it for the money. I write with the luxury of knowing  there will be dinner on the table and lights
on in my house if I bring in Sandra Brown numbers or, like many other happy
writers, I don’t.

I’m in it for the fun. Writing is fun.

I write, entirely, for my own amusement.
While there’s an underlying message in my Davis Way Crime Caper Series—you
can’t have something for nothing—my solitary goal, when staring at the blank
screen, is to entertain myself.

Maybe I need to get out more.

Plot is fun. For whatever reasons,
because I couldn’t drum up a hotel sewing kit if James Patterson were standing
in front of me holding a critical runaway button, I think of plot in terms of
thousands of colorful strands of loose, wispy threads all around me, and my
goal is to gather and assemble and weave them in such a way that they come
together in a strong, affecting, and charming design. (Side note: I think of
editing as someone saying the light lavender strand, that I love, and spent
forever plaiting in, looks horrible.)

Characters are fun. I have the pleasure
of taking all the good I’m surrounded by and giving it to my characters. I do
the same with my bad guys. The parents who blame everything and everyone but
themselves for their child’s rotten grades-Sailor language-haircut—in the book.
The friend who won’t stop making harrowing relationship decisions—in the
book.  The desperate man having a very
public meltdown at the bank when he’s the one who bounced the checks—in the
book.

The research is fun, because learning is
fun. For DOUBLE DIP (Henery Press, January, 2014), I learned about French food,
slot tournaments, bananas, mega churches, and waste management. Which didn’t do
a thing for my cash flow, but I really enjoyed it.

Outside of the writing process, the
people are fun. If you’re not working with people who make your life and your
work a better place, get new ones. I’m surrounded by the greatest group of
people imaginable. I’d have never met them had it not been for the writing, and
they’re worth more to me than money. Above all, they’re fun.

You’ll read next week that Mr.
Patterson’s 18th release (this year)
has been knocked out of the NYT’s #1 spot by none other than Mr. Patterson
himself, with his 19th. Be happy for
him. Go, James, go! Rake it in! 

Gretchen Archer
is a Tennessee housewife who began writing when her daughters, seeking higher
educations, left her. She lives on Lookout Mountain with her husband, son,
and a Yorkie named Bently. DoubleWhammy is her first Davis Way Crime Caper. www.gretchenarcher.com

Double Whammy: Davis Way hits the jackpot
when she lands a job at the fabulous Bellissimo Resort and Casino, but only if
she can steer clear of her ex-ex husband, her evil twin, and pesky felony
indictments.

 by Elizabeth S. Craig,
@elizabethscraig

Twitterific is a compilation of all the writing links I
shared the previous week. The links are fed into the Writer’s Knowledge Base
search engine (developed by writer and software engineer Mike Fleming) which
has over 19,000 free articles on writing-related topics. It’s the search engine
for writers.

Sign up for our free newsletter for monthly writing tips and interviews with top
contributors to the WKB or like us on Facebook.

Mike Fleming and author and writing coach
James Scott Bell are offering an online, interactive, writing program to help make
your next novel great. It’s called “Knockout Novel” and you can learn
more about it at KnockoutNovel.com. Plus, all the data is stored in your Hiveword account for
easy access.

Strategies for Turning Impersonal Info
Dumps into Compelling Copy: http://bit.ly/18Ik5wb
@jodierennered

Stalking the Muse: http://bit.ly/13aqUa8 @ashkrafton

To Save Indies, Publishers Need to
ReConsider DRM: http://bit.ly/104KaVA
@dearauthor

Creating a reader-friendly website: http://bit.ly/11M96PW @ellenmgregg_nh

Why Literary Agents Attend Writers
Conferences: http://bit.ly/104KrHU
@KarenDionne

One Writers Conference Can Be All the
Catalyst You Need: http://bit.ly/11M9oX4
@hopeclark @bookbaby

How to Promote an Audiobook: http://bit.ly/104KBPI @dinasantorelli

Tips and an exercise for writing better
dialogue: http://bit.ly/11M9EoN
@hookedonnoir @kristenlambtx

Writing Tip: Clustering: http://bit.ly/104KQdr

Understanding screenwriting (analysis of
various movies and TV shows): http://bit.ly/11M9ONa
@slant_magazine

Using Language To Evoke Emotion: http://bit.ly/104LuaJ @woodwardkaren

Perils of the Writer: Clarity and
“Literary” Writing: http://bit.ly/11Mayln

Great Scene: “Fight Club”: http://bit.ly/104LBTM @gointothestory

Book Marketing Using Paid Promotion:
Targeted Email Lists: http://bit.ly/11MaMZR
@thecreativepenn

Dealing with Bad Reviews: http://bit.ly/104LJCW @jakonrath

Creating Perks for a Crowdfunded Writing
Project: http://bit.ly/11MaUIN @jasonboog

Why Do We Keep Making Ebooks Like Paper
Books? http://bit.ly/11MbPst @gizmodo

The Joys of 1-Star Reviews: http://bit.ly/104MBHG

10 Screenwriting Lessons You Can Learn
From Forrest Gump: http://bit.ly/11Mc7zG

When is it OK to Blog Your Book? http://bit.ly/11Mcb2x @annerallen

10 Literary Beers to Drink While Reading:
http://bit.ly/104MNXl @flavorpill

I Don’t Need a Hero: The Kick-Ass
Heroines of Gaming: http://bit.ly/11Mcjit
@c_morgs65

A Look at a Middle Grade Query Letter: http://bit.ly/104MWtU @janice_hardy

How to Write a Screenplay in Nine (Not
So) Easy Steps: http://bit.ly/11Mcudy
@scriptmag

Why Suddenly Is a Four-Letter Word: http://bit.ly/104MZWA @KMWeiland

100 Things for Authors To Tweet About: http://bit.ly/11McJVT @authormedia

How to Write a Memorable Beginning and
Ending: http://bit.ly/104Ngsv
@write_practice

A look at 3rd person POV: http://bit.ly/11McSc4 @fictorians

Fiction Writing Exercises: Symbols and
Symbolism: http://bit.ly/104NnEx
@melissadonovan

Comfort food for the long wait: http://bit.ly/11McY3e

Don’t Write A Drama Spec: http://bit.ly/104NrnQ

Tips for better blog posts: http://bit.ly/11Mfneu @EdieMelson

Songwriting Tip: Writing The Bridge: http://bit.ly/104Ploq @usasongs

What are agents looking for in a writer? http://bit.ly/11Mfuqd @carlywatters

Synopsis Writing 101: http://bit.ly/104PFDz @MyraJohnson

Thoughts on how subplots fit into the
main story: http://bit.ly/11MfPJM
@DeeWhiteauthor

Artists and writers: drop the confusion
and define your own labels: http://bit.ly/104QQTx
@originalimpulse

With More Authors Self-Publishing Each
Year, How Will Your Book Get Noticed? http://bit.ly/11MgVoS
@thecreativepenn

The Most Common Dialogue Errors In
Screenplays: http://bit.ly/104QZGH

How to Set Tone and Mood in Your Scenes: http://bit.ly/11Mh8Iz @janice_hardy

How To Guarantee Yourself a Rejection: http://bit.ly/104R4Kn @behlerpublish

Demystifying Contracts: Novels –
Discounted Royalties: http://bit.ly/11MhezM
@amazingstories0

When Should Writers Get Critiques? http://bit.ly/104RaS5 @jodyhedlund

Handling Story Problems: http://bit.ly/10cxbwT @mooderino

Colon review: http://bit.ly/104TR6j @missedperiods

The sexual jeopardy device in sf/f: http://bit.ly/10cxIPu @ThGalaxyExpress

“Indie First?” What Is Best In
Publishing? http://bit.ly/1380bxa
@chuckwendig

Beyond the same-old fantasy culture: Nine
authors worth reading: http://bit.ly/10cxPKO
@juliettewade

When Should You Send Your Short Story Out
For Critique? http://bit.ly/104UbC6
@woodwardkaren

Hugh Howey on Why Writers Need an Author
Platform: http://bit.ly/10cxWGr @hughhowey
@danblank

How To Create And Maintain The Habit Of
Writing: http://bit.ly/13Z2Wxx
@woodwardkaren

Use Relationship Marketing to Sell Books:
http://bit.ly/YAqHOi @bookmarketer

The Art of Modeling–How Other People’s
Books Can Make Yours Better: http://bit.ly/13Z35Bf

7 lessons from 7+ years blogging: http://bit.ly/YAqUkg @amytschubert

Choosing your genre: http://bit.ly/13Z38Nk @JanetKGrant

How to Set Tone and Mood in Your Scenes: http://bit.ly/11Mh8Iz @Janice_Hardy

This Is The BEST Time To Be A Writer, If
You Work For It: http://bit.ly/YArbE2
@danblank

How to Write Multiple POVs: http://bit.ly/13Z3kvZ @ava_jae

How a marketing scientist wishes that
Amazon reviews worked: http://mz.cm/YArte2
@SEOmoz @dr_pete

1 trad. published author tells about her
positive self-pub experience: http://bit.ly/13Z3EuP
@ElisNaughton

Writing with Repercussions: http://bit.ly/13Z3NhH @susanjmorris

Publishing With A Small Press: Yes, No,
Maybe? http://bit.ly/13Z7Af7 @mollygreene

2Tips to Take Your Dialogue to a New
Level: http://bit.ly/YAwmnl @hookedonnoir
@kristenlambtx

Live First, Write Later: The Case for
Less Creative-Writing Schooling: http://bit.ly/13Z7V19
@Jon_Reiner

How to Stick with It When You’re Learning
Something New On Your Own: http://bit.ly/YAwFOY
@lifehackorg

Digital publishing and the loss of
intimacy: http://oreil.ly/YAwOls
@fjdekermadec

How to get better feedback: http://bit.ly/13Z8eZR @berkun

5 Cases of
“Which”/”That” Confusion: http://bit.ly/YAwXFB
@writing_tips

The Author Solutions lawsuit–a time for
restraint: http://bit.ly/10EkFHH
@Porter_Anderson @sarahw @MickRooney7777 @DavidGaughran

7 things 1 new author has learned so far:
http://bit.ly/13Z8sAd @writersdigest

Tetris Effect + Genetics: Why We Write: http://bit.ly/YAxabN @poetrynews

A Complicated Genre– Telling Your Own
Story: http://bit.ly/13Z8EPY @wendylawton

The rejected writer: http://bit.ly/17JGn1Z @karencv

Saggy book middles: http://bit.ly/17JGqef @tarynalbright

Be precise but avoid unnecessary details:
http://bit.ly/17JGTwW

How to trim the fat from your story: http://bit.ly/17JGXNf @nickthacker

Tips for finding fresh ideas: http://bit.ly/17JHheS

Why Suddenly Is a Four-Letter Word: http://bit.ly/104MZWA @kmweiland

Marking Time with the Viewpoint
Character: http://bit.ly/ZNbvvH @noveleditor

Why Does Horror Have Such a Bad
Reputation? http://bit.ly/17JHAGE
@thisisdannyg

Triggers And Taboos In Fiction: http://bit.ly/ZNbND5 @VeronicaSicoe

Writing an epic–getting stuck: http://bit.ly/ZNc1dk @matty_gibbon

5 Tips for Submitting to Writing
Contests: http://bit.ly/17JI2EM
@EDFsChronicles

Freelance Writers–Building a Writer’s
Portfolio: http://bit.ly/17JIa7s

Social Media Rule #1 for Writers – Be
Social: http://bit.ly/ZNcnR8
@DevourerofBooks

The Art of Asking People to Buy our
Books: http://bit.ly/17JInaC @Rachel_Aaron

What the heck does a book cost? http://bit.ly/17JIxyD @Scholarlykitchn

Remember the Quiet Moments: http://bit.ly/ZNcKez @Lydia_sharp

Social Media for Authors: Where Do You
Start? http://bit.ly/17JIFOI
@mybookshepherd

How to embed tweets and follow
conversations: http://bit.ly/ZNcSux
@stevebuttry

Emotions Belong To Readers: http://bit.ly/17JIJy4 @mooderino

10 Tips To Finish What You Start: http://bit.ly/ZNrVnU @lifehackorg

Creative Researching: http://bit.ly/ZNs2A1

Views on viewpoint: http://bit.ly/17JU0hP

A List of Things Scott Turow Doesn’t Care
About: http://bit.ly/17JU8Or @davidgaughran

How To Get Out of the Slush Pile: http://bit.ly/17JUch7 @Martinaaboone

What’s to love about Goodreads? http://bit.ly/ZNss9m @Indie_Jane

Reading as an Agent: http://bit.ly/ZNsuOD @martinaaboone

Communication Breakdown for your novel’s
dialogue: http://bit.ly/17JUsMY
@DavidCorbett_CA

6 ways to market children’s books: http://bit.ly/ZNsFt8 @LauraPepWu

Goals for You and for Your Characters: http://bit.ly/ZNsL48 @plotwhisperer

When you suspect you’ve been taken for a
ride by your publisher: http://bit.ly/ZNsSN8
@JapanLite

How to use the QueryTracker site: http://bit.ly/17JUMLA @janelebak

Diversity in Writing: http://bit.ly/ZNsXQO @martinaaboone

Does your book need an index? http://bit.ly/16h4maZ @SueCollier

Creating amid chaos: http://bit.ly/ZHuEM9 @JennaAvery

5 Ways to Stay Physically Healthy While
You Write: http://bit.ly/16hai3J
@chrisrobley

How to unlock personal truth through
intuitive writing: http://bit.ly/ZHBHoe
@justinemusk

Dan Brown has got readers. Has he got
talent? http://bit.ly/14ss93y
@Porter_Anderson @MichaelPDeacon @JakeKerridge @mollydriscoll

How To Punctuate Dialogue In Your Prose: http://bit.ly/16haJLw @writerscramp1

What’s Your Character’s Deal Breaker?: A
Key to Compelling Characters: http://bit.ly/16haRdV
@dannymanus

How Indie Authors can use NetGalley: http://bit.ly/ZHCfdI @BiblioCrunch

Impact character(s): http://bit.ly/ZHCMfz @glencstrathy

Tips for creating a viral book trailer: http://bit.ly/16hbRP6 @tferriss

Characters for hire: http://bit.ly/ZHJVws @ClayStafford

What Works in Real Life Works Just as
Well in Writing: http://bit.ly/17MIbYj
@EdieMelson

Roundtable on Unreliable Narrators: http://bit.ly/17MIpP1

A reader explains why readers don’t owe
authors anything: http://bit.ly/YGkkJd
@mittenstrings

Joe Konrath responds to questions: http://bit.ly/17MIFNR @JAKonrath

How to beat a creative block: http://bit.ly/YGkrV5 @FortheCreators

Advice for writers waffling over whether
to start a project: http://bit.ly/17MIUIJ
@EdanL

Finding beta readers: http://bit.ly/17MJ0QR @goblinwriter

4 Ways Google+ Communities Help Authors
Build Their Platforms: http://bit.ly/YGkMXN
@genelempp

The Slow Death of The Old Paradigm
Author: http://bit.ly/17MJpCN
@kristenlambtx

5 Steps to Take Before You Publish Your
Blog Post: http://bit.ly/YGlbtr
@wherewriterswin

Time Management for Writers: http://bit.ly/17MJN4h @nancyjcohen

Just Get On With The Story? http://bit.ly/YGlvZ8 @mooderino

Scheduling options for freelancers: http://bit.ly/17MKbQi

Tips for taking your spec script to
market: http://bit.ly/YGlRii @gointothestory

Dos and Don’ts of Working with an Editor:
http://bit.ly/17MKryG @fictorians

Writers selling to writers: http://bit.ly/14bPCqj @Porter_Anderson
@PBSMediaShift @MissAdventuring  @ChuckWendig

Marking Time with the Viewpoint
Character: http://bit.ly/YGm5Gb @noveleditor

Writing advice from 14 spec fiction
authors: http://bit.ly/11UJZuc @22words

Spring Clean Your Writing: http://bit.ly/15vQZUY @howtowriteshop

At 9 p.m. EST, joining #indiechat to
discuss going from trad. pub to self-pub. 
@bibliocrunch

Falls (pushing) as a murder method in
crime fiction: http://bit.ly/10HKono
@mkinberg

The wages of platforming: http://bit.ly/13hjTRB @Porter_Anderson
@DonMaass @RLLaFevers

How to create a marketing plan for a
self-pubbed book: http://bit.ly/17uLR3c @NickThacker

Tips for putting your villain in a crisis
situation: http://bit.ly/11IC6NS
@WhiskySageMusic

Use of cars as a murder weapon in crime
fiction: http://bit.ly/108LPtP @mkinberg

Guest Post by Mitzi Kelly, @mitzi_kelly

I’d like to thank Elizabeth for giving me
a platform to discuss one of my favorite subjects:  the writing process. (Not!)

I have to admit, I doubt if many authors
approach a writing project with the same helter-skelter methods I use, but I’m
looking forward to the opportunity to analyze my lack of a strategy.  Or, I should say, my lack of an organized strategy.

It really is quite frustrating. From the
way I start a new manuscript, to the way it eventually ends up, are at such
different ends of the writing spectrum, it’s a mystery to me how I complete any
project.   Wait, I just thought about
something! This puzzle could provide the major plot theme in my next book in
the Silver Sleuths Mystery series!

My process really is that convoluted,
folks.  I could probably benefit from a
team of sleuths investigating it, but I’m going to give it my best shot.  Please bear with me as I try to describe my
creative process, because the key word here really is “creative.”

First of all, one of the easiest tasks
for me in beginning a manuscript is giving it a title.  In fact, in almost every instance, I have
thought of the title before I’ve even written “Chapter One.”  A fun phrase (the title) will pop into my
head, and then it’s just a case of what if
. . .

The second step for me is to clear my
desk, pull out pen and paper, and detail the physical and emotional traits of
my characters.  Yes, I actually do this
in longhand.  I use one sheet of paper
per character and I add tidbits, if necessary, as the story develops.  There’s something about writing down the
specifics that satisfies my imagination. 
Don’t ask me why because I certainly can’t explain it.

I then move on to the plot outline and a
chapter-by-chapter analysis, both of which are also done by longhand.  This is a time-consuming process, but I enjoy
it. By the time I’ve done all this ‘writing,’ I feel I have a good, strong
grasp on what my story is going to be, and it’s at this point I sit down at my
computer.

After a day of typing, that good, strong grasp feeling has evaporated
because somewhere in the middle of chapter one, my characters have taken over
and changed quite a bit of the initial outline, which also affects my
chapter-by-chapter analysis.  Out comes
the pen and, while muttering under my breath, I make the adjustments to the
story line. By the third time I have to do this, I’m no longer muttering under
my breath.  I’d be more specific, but you
get the picture . . .

And that, my dear friends, accurately
explains my writing process.  Weird? Yes.
A ton of wasted paper? Certainly. Fun? Most assuredly!  Because every writer’s goal is to get to the
point in the manuscript where you type “The End,” and it doesn’t really matter
how you get there.

Strange procedures, quirky habits and
ritualistic customs are all part of the process. A writer has to find a process
that works for him or her and just start writing. Um . . . I mean typing,
because our readers aren’t thinking about any of our strategies while they are
engrossed in our finished product.  I
mean, really, can you imagine what my readers would think if, while trying to
solve the latest crime in my novels, they knew what I had gone through to
create the darn thing!     

Mitzi Kelly grew up in
El Paso, Texas and now lives near San Antonio, Texas with her husband, John,
and son, John Lewis, and four dogs.  An
avid reader of all genres, she also enjoys intelligent political debate, and
especially time spent with family and friends.

She is the author of
the popular Silver Sleuths Mystery series published by Thomas &
Mercer.  The first two books, CLASSIC REVENGE and DEADLY POLICY are available at Amazon.com, and the third book in
the series will be released soon!  You
can contact her through her website at mitzi@mitzikelly.com.