sign-up
Copywriting Services
Information For Writers
For Writers
Campaign
our guest book.
We value your comments.
Q: How do you know in what tense to write? Is there a certain formula that a writer can learn so that they will know which tense will work best for a particular situation?
LAM: This is a tough question and I'll tell you why. Unless you are an english major, new authors have a lot of trouble with tense. All I want to do is tell a good story. In doing that I, myself, sometimes get the tense mixed up. Before submitting your manuscript, have some one that you can trust and who knows how to correct grammical errors read over your work. If you are narrating a story you want the whole thing to be in past tense. An exception is your dialogue. That can be in present tense. For present tense get in character with your character and tell the story from their point of view.
MM: Well, this isn't something I really spend much time thinking about. I do always edit a lot (as I go along and several times after completing the draft). At that time I simply make sure that if I've slipped into the wrong tense, I change it. This isn't really much of a problem unless a writer is relating something that happened earlier in the story, and since that isn't the most effective method of story-telling (at least not usually--I've done it from time to time, but I wouldn't do it very often, since it slows the pacing and can distance the reader), it's not much of a problem.
TSJ: Passive vs. active voice and the various narration tenses (past, present, etc.) are two separate things. Writing in passive voice means that the writer is using "weak" verbs, which show rather than tell what's going on. Passive voice distances the reader from the story and its characters because they are not being allowed to experience the action as it occurs. Active voice is the use of strong action verbs and more immediate sentence structure to convey the story in the most vibrant and lively way possible. Here are some examples:
The sky was blue with a lot of fluffy white clouds. (Passive voice - not very visual)
Fluffy white clouds bunched and drifted like so much cotton in the cornflower blue sky. (Active voice - can you see the difference?)
Braedon was angry at Ariana for tricking him into helping her. (Passive voice)
Braedon slammed the door and stalked across his chamber. How dare Ariana trick him into helping her? (Active voice - much more intriguing way of showing his anger)
As for the different forms of narration, most fiction is conveyed through third person past tense. This type of narration means that a character is "narrating" the story after events have already happened. For example: Braedon picked up the stone and held it in his palm. It began to glow and grow warm in his hand, as if alive.
Some writers, particularly in the thriller and suspense genres, use third person present tense to foster a more immediate and urgent feel to their story. Converting the same example from above: Braedon picks up the stone and holds it in his palm. It begins to glow and grow warm in his hand, as if alive.
If this same story were being told in first person past tense, the text would read like this: I picked up the stone and held it in my palm. It began to glow and grow warm in my hand, as if alive.
First person present tense would sound like this: I pick up the stone and hold it in my palm. It begins to glow and grow warm in my hand, as if alive.
For further explanations of form and style, pick up Strunk and White's ELEMENTS OF STYLE.
Q: What criteria do writers need to know regarding manuscript submissions? What elements need to be present in a manuscript before it is ready for publication?
LAM: Before submitting any manuscript, know what genre your work falls under. It would be a waste of time to send a horror manuscript to a romance publisher. Write a query letter that will grab the editor, agent or publishers attention in the first couple of lines. Otherwise you lose them. Always send a synopsis. It, too, needs to be eye-catching.
MM: I always keep a checklist of elements I want to make sure I've covered (there's a page on my website that gives more detailed specifics. It's called INSURANCE QUESTIONS FOR WRITERS). In a nutshell, a writer needs to make sure she has a believable and compelling conflict, sympathetic characters, characters that change from beginning to end as a result of the relationship, and a satisfying resolution. If she has those things, there's a good chance she has a marketable story.
Q: How long should a synopsis be and what format should it be written in?
MM: I've read various interviews of editors, and it does seem that many of them are looking for different styles (some want very short ones, some want character sketches at the beginning, some hate character sketches), so if there's an opportunity, ask. Otherwise, this is what I do: I always start the synopsis with a very brief (one or two sentences) explanation of what the hook for the book is. For example, here is the beginning lines of my synopsis for THE BILLIONAIRE BORROWS A BRIDE, my December 2002 Silhouette Romance: A woman invents a phony fiancé to protect herself from a playboy, only to be hired by an even more notorious playboy at the local charity job auction. After that, I just skip down a line or two and tell the story, always keying in on the progress of the relationship and ignoring the details. The conflict must always be at the forefront in the writer's (and therefore, the editor's) mind. As for length, ah, there's the big question. I tend to write a long synopsis (12-15 pages for a 200 page book--probably longer than most editors want), but for a first time author, a long synopsis might pose a problem. It seems to me that most publishers are asking for 5-6 pages. In that case, I'd just condense. It's a good thing to get used to doing, anyway. If you write for Silhouette, you eventually (after writing and selling the book) have to do art fact sheets (for the cover artist), and at that point, you'll be asked to include a one page synopsis. It's difficult at first, but what the writer has to ask him or herself in that case is simply: what's the heart of the story? That's what a synopsis is all about anyway. What is the basis of the story and how does the relationship proceed from major conflict to eventual resolution.
Q: How do you know where and how to begin and end a chapter?
LAM: The story tells me. That's why I do a number of re-writes. When I start writing, I start with a concept. Once the rough draft is completed, I go back and fill in the holes. The next time around I fill in more. The story is finished when all the questions have been answered that I started with.
TSJ: There is a writing "rule" that says a writer should open a scene or chapter at the latest possible moment, and close it at the earliest. What that boils down to is, don't overload the beginning of a scene or chapter with a lot of backstory, description, or introspection. Open the door to the reader as the action is happening, or at the moment immediately preceding the start of the action. Get in as late as possible, without confusing the reader about what is going on. Ending a scene or chapter should occur at a moment when the reader is fully invested in the action (or the characters) and eager to find out what happens next. In short, you want to end with a hook. Hooks are really a manipulation of your reader's emotions, where you have given them story events that will elicit a strong emotion such as fear, or surprise, or curiosity. In a romance, it's not uncommon for a chapter to end when the sexual tension is at a high point: right before or during a kiss, or just as the hero and heroine are about to come together physically (no pun intended!).
Q: What is your definition of good writing?
LAM: Good writing is when you tell youself that you'll read one more chapter before putting the book down only to find that you can't stop when you reach the end of that chapter.
TSJ: One of the "hazards" of being a writer is you end up losing some of the wonderment of simply being a reader. It's next to impossible for me to turn off my writer's brain when I am reading now. Things I never used to notice, like ping-ponging point of view, clumsy structure, anachronisms, stagnant characters, etc., now jar me out of a story. To me, good writing is any writing that can absorb me into the world of the story, make me forget to analyze, and simply enjoy.
Q: What is a story arc?
LAM: A story arc has to do with plotting; the term is frequently used in dramatic/screenplay writing. When plotting your story, you want to build to the significant plot points. Think of it like riding a roller coaster. The roller coaster climbs to the top of the rail, speeds down, goes up to a higher point, speeds down, goes up to a point higher still. Most commercial scripts are written with that formula. Each rise is an arc. You can plot your story's development by drawing an arc and charting significant plot points up each arc and back down.
MM: As for the question on what a story arc is, yikes, you're asking the wrong person. I know there are people who live by these things. I have a friend who tries to discuss them with me now and then (much as I adore her, I tend to start woolgathering during these discussions). The truth is that I just find it hard to believe that the greats (Nora, Susan Elizabeth Phillips, Jennifer Crusie, to name a few) ever even think about such things when they're writing a story (but I could be really wrong). To me, writing is simply all about the characters and what's happening to them, what they're doing. If you get in your characters' heads and keep asking yourself "what would this person logically do next?" or "how can I create more tension here?", or "what can happen in this scene that will really catch the reader by the throat?" you'll probably have story arcs, but it won't be something you're actively thinking about. So...I hope it doesn't sound as if I'm knocking people who need the details of the "how to." I just don't personally use that technique because I get bored easily (what a big baby I am!) and I'd rather just stick with the characters. For some people, I think story arcs must work. I just don't know that much about what they are and how to use them. Okay, Lynette, that's my take (such as it is).
TSJ: Actually, I believe this term comes from comic books and other serialized forms of fiction, such as ongoing television series or a collection of movies that really tells one big saga-type story over the course of several episodes (think Star Wars or Lord of The Rings). As a novelist, I personally interpret the term "story arc" to be the general plot structure of a book. Simply explained, the story arc should illustrate: · the beginning of the book (from the establishment of setting, set-up, and character introductions), · the story question (the dilemma or problem that incites our characters to act toward a specific goal), · the rising conflict (those increasingly significant obstacles that will keep our characters from attaining their set goal or goals), · the climax or black moment of the story (the peak of the story rollercoaster when, based on the characters' decisions and actions to this point, all stands to be gained or lost-in a romance or any other high drama/emotional fiction, typically at this point the characters are faced with an "all is lost" scenario), · the resolution of the conflict (both external and internal, in that order) · and lastly, the denouement of the story (victory is snatched from the jaws of defeat, characters demonstrate growth based on their "journey" through the story, and no loose plot threads remain). For more stimulating ideas on plot structure, I recommend THE WRITER'S JOURNEY by Christopher Vogler. Vogler breaks down story even further, using a sequence of twelve events--events that are present in nearly all of our classic myths and fairytales. In addition, he suggests mythical archetypes that provide some wonderful insight into the creation and use of characters.
Q: Would you give us some tips about making writing flow effectively?
MM: Sure, this is something I'm always working on and something all writers worry about. My suggestions would be to make sure you concentrate on having a lot of dialogue, since dialogue creates a sense of immediacy and steps up the pacing. Make sure you either have good transitions when you're moving from one point of view to another and when you're moving from one location or time frame to another. Keep secondary characters in their place, since the story slows down when they're in the spotlight (even if they're funny or entertaining in some other way). And my current favorite and the one I'm trying to improve on myself in my WIP: try not to over-do tags.
*Lindsay Langford will be joining the conversational fray soon, so be sure to bookmark this page!
 Linda Armstrong-Miller realized at an early age that whatever we read affects the way we feel about people and situations. Linda wants her work to be imbedded in the minds of her readers so that they are forced to form an opinion and stand behind it. |
 Myrna MacKenzie is a prolific writer who has written many novelsfor Silhouette Romance. Her humor and writing style makes her a favorite amongst readers. Her Extra For Writers is a must-have for writers. It is filled with tips and encouragement. Bookmark it today! |
 Tina St. John's four medieval romances have won numerous writing awards, including the Romantic Times Magazine Reviewers Choice Award, the National Readers Choice Award, and the Booksellers Best Award. Her latest release from Ballantine, BLACK LION'S BRIDE, is the sizzling sequel to her RITA nominated 2001 title, WHITE LION'S LADY. To learn more about Tina and her novels, or to read further articles on writing and publishing, visit www.TinaStJohn.com |
More authors will be joining us soon!
Site Map