Alphabet Soup

Huge sigh of relief - the holidays are over! Now, back to business. 

Before the break, I was reviewing some of the books I read during the Fall into Reading program. Today's review encompasses a series of books by Sue Grafton. Her series of mysteries began with A is for Alibi and marches straight through the alphabet. I think she's up to U now, but I'm not sure. I'm also not sure what she calls her series (Alphabet Mysteries? Millhone Mysteries?) because it's not printed on the front of the book, like most series do. However. For Fall into Reading, I wanted to read O is for Outlaw. I actually managed to read O, P, Q, R, and S over the autumn months, and today the library just informed me that it's my turn to read T is for Trespass. I'm looking forward to it.

First, the unpleasant stuff. The Grafton series isn't Biblically moral. Several books in the series contain sex scenes, although they aren't graphic. They kind of remind me of the old movies, where the Extremely Handsome Male Lead picks up the Gorgeous Female Lead and carries her off to the bedroom, slamming the door with his foot. In the next scene, he's leaving the bedroom, a cigarette in his mouth as he tucks him his partially unbuttoned shirt. Well, maybe Grafton takes it a little further than that, but not too much. I was not offended by the sex scenes, but I could have lived without them. Also, her crime scenes are somewhat gruesome and graphic, and at times, the bad guys get violent with the protagonist. Those scenes didn't bother me, either, but I know some Christians would have a hard time with Grafton's books because of these unpleasant things.

So what keeps me coming back to them? The protagonist is amazing. Kinsey Millhone is an unorthodox ex-cop private investigator who gets sucked into these seemingly sublime mysteries, only to find them much more intriguing, twisted, and down-right dangerous than she first thought. Kinsey is likable, sympathetic, and has a moral standard that she sticks to. It's not the same standard as mine, sure, but she's got her own version of right and wrong, and it sides with law and order. She's also stuck in the '80's: the series began in the early 80's, and there's only three to six months between each story, so real time passed her by quickly. Bottom line, Kinsey doesn't have a cell phone, or internet access, or affordable bugging equipment... she does it all the hard way.  

The mysteries are also engaging. In the entire series, I've guessed at 'who-dun-it' for every book, and guessed wrong more than half the time! And I'm pretty good at guessing mysteries, so I love the challenge. Grafton brings all the characters to life, so much that I feel I know them by the end of the story. She's always got multiple suspects, and they all have believable motives and opportunity. There's almost always one clue that gives the whole puzzle away, and like the Sherlock Holmes mysteries, Grafton puts the clue in plain sight but disguises it as ordinary. 

Bottom line: I really like this series. The problem with mysteries, though, is that once you know who-dun-it, it's no fun to read again. I haven't purchased any of these books because they're readily available at the local library, and I probably won't read them a second time. But they were worth the ride the first time around!

Review of Deathly Hallows

I read Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows during my Fall Into Reading excursion, and I'll offer my review, for what it's worth. Yes, I know I'm way behind. Deathly Hallows came out in July. But I checked it out from my local library, and had to wait this long for my turn.

It was worth the wait! It took me two days to read all 26,000 pages, or however many there were, and I loved it. Deathly Hallows nicely wrapped up all the hanging plot points. The protagonist prevailed. The antagonist was brought down spectacularly. We even had a glimpse of the future. And I couldn't quit turning pages: conflict and tension galore! Every time I thought it couldn't possibly get worse, it did.

*Spoiler alert * (skip to the next paragraph if you haven't read the book yet). This book truly tugs at your emotions. My heart sank when Harry was captured and taken to the Malfoy's. I cried when Hermione was tortured. I cheered when Dobby freed them. Then I cried again when Dobby died. Moody's death, his eye mounted on that office door, all those deaths at the end, Tonk's and Lupine's orphaned newborn, Harry's spirit of sacrifice, Neville Longbottom's bravery, the truth about Snape, Harry's marriage and children, even the names he gave his little bairns... Wow! The entire book was a roller coaster of emotions.

I also learned more about the craft of writing by analyzing Rawling's techniques. Despite the fact that she writes for a younger audience, and my audience is adult, I learn some fantastic plotting skills. Rawlings knows how to tell a story! She creates sympathetic characters, places them in a truly unforgettable setting, and then offers extraordinary conflicts to overcome.

I thoroughly enjoyed all the Harry Potter books, and this last one was just as spectacular as all the others. I recommend highly recommend them to anyone who enjoys a good story.

-Sonja

Without A Doubt, Read Colleen Coble

Back in September, I posted a list of books I wanted to read for the Fall Into Reading program described by Katrina at Calapidder Days. I'm an avid reader. I had twelve books on my Fall Into Reading book list, but I've read closer to thirty books since the beginning of September. I thought I'd post some book reviews in the coming days.

The book I want to discuss today wasn't even on my Fall Into Reading list, but it should have been: "Without A Trace" by Colleen Coble. I attended one of her lectures at a writing conference in late September, and her teaching style and content drove me to read one of her books.

"Trace" is a mystery/suspense/romance. I can't really pin it down. The protagonist faced two mysteries: searching for lost people and trying to identify a murderer. And all the while, she's inadvertently falling in love. (I don't want to give anything away, so forgive me for being nebulous.) The book sucked me in - I stayed up way past my bedtime because I couldn't put it down. I'll admit, I figured out the first mystery long before Ms. Coble brought it to light. But she had so much suspense, so much intrigue, I had to keep turning pages. And when the murderer's identity finally came to light, it surprised me. I'd guessed wrong on the second mystery. The book had a satisfying ending and a tear-jerking reunion, and if I say any more, I'll ruin the journey for you.

Bottom line: I recommend this book, for what it's worth.

-Sonja

The Biggest Weakness

Randy Ingermanson, in his blog post at Advanced Fiction Writing, said something profound yet beautifully simple: "The life of a novelist is about continuous improvement. You will NEVER arrive. You will never be perfect. The trick is to identify your biggest weakness and work on it until it's no longer your biggest weakness."

Wow. That's heavy. In the last month or so, I've been working on my dialogue tags, trying to remove unnecessary ones. I think I've about mastered that. So now, I ask myself, what's my new biggest weakness?

That's a no-brainer, since I've struggled with this for years: imagery.  

One of my writing friends, Melody, has the spirit of a poet. Her fantasy fiction sparkles with beautiful imagery. Her word choices are exquisite. Her scenery jumps off the page, making me feel like I'm there. And I've noticed, in speaking with her, that it all just flows naturally that way from her brain. She's lyrical. Imaginative. Poetic.

I've not been blessed with that type of gift. I'm a Vulcan. I see things in logical progression, with proper motivations, plot lines and subplot lines weaving in and out of each other. Scenery and imagery is incidental, especially in my first draft. Once I've got all the action, suspense, and character development thoroughly laid out, then I have to go back and add in the scenery, the sensations, the metaphors and similes that make the story hop off the page. I easily identify the patterns, mirrors, and moods I need to establish; then I struggle to add the sights, sounds, smells, tastes, and textures. 

I'm pleased that I can identify my greatest weakness. Now I'll follow Randy's advice and work on it until something else takes the title "biggest weakness."

-Sonja

"Holy dialogue tags, Batman!" Robin exclaimed

For the past two weeks, I've been struggling with dialogue tags. Silly me, I thought I'd mastered them... then a friend pointed out how many unnecessary tags I managed to work into my text. So, I went on a learning binge, and am now ready to impart the vast amount of knowledge I've collected. Which isn't a ton, but it's definitely improved my dialogue.

Lesson #1: The modifier "said" is invisible. Use it, because readers completely overlook it. 

"Take this," Matthias said. 

I've identified the speaker with that little invisible word. Other words, like exclaimed, postulated, articulated, and shouted, are not invisible. They stand out in the sentence, calling attention to themselves and away from the actual dialogue. And I don't want that. So I use "said" whenever I need to identify the speaker.

William Noble, in his book "Shut up!" He Explained: A Writer's Guide to the Uses and Misuses of Dialogue, says that the modifier "said" should be used at least three-quarters of the time any modifier is used, and a page of dialogue should not go by without a couple of "saids" appearing in the text. 

Lesson learned: when I want to identify the speaker, use the word "said."

Lesson #2:  When possible, avoid dialogue tags altogether.

"Take this," Matthias said.

"What is it?" I peered inside.

"Gold, mostly."

The reader knows Matthias said that last line because it was his turn to speak. (Of course, if there were three people in the conversation, then the speaker of line 3 becomes foggy. But when there's only two, this works well.) When possible, leave out the tag. It makes for a quicker read, and it's definitely invisible. But I need to be careful, because if it isn't clear who is speaking, then leaving the tag off can add to the confusion and annoyance factor.

Lesson #3: Use beats instead of a modifier. Beats are the little bits of action interspersed through a scene, such as someone walking to the window or rubbing their eyes. They can take the place of the word "said," like this: 

"Take this." Matthias handed me a bulging leather bag.

Instead of saying said, or gushed, or ordered, I substitute the dialogue tag with this big of action. Doing this adds a pause in the speech, eliminates the need for tag, and identifies the speaker all at once. A brilliant little tool, which I employ often. There are two important rules to remember when working with tags: don't interrupt the dialogue with too many beats (the poor reader will get dizzy, trying to follow all the action and conversation) and don't use cliched tags (puffing on a cigarette, drinking coffee, scratching, etc.). Otherwise, they work nicely in place of tags.

Lesson #4: Use a variety of these methods. Too many of any one technique stands out. Not using "said" enough, using no dialogue tags at all, or using only beats all lead to confusion for the reader. That Biblical truth is universal: moderation is the key.

For what it's worth!

-Sonja

Happily Ever After

I read an interesting blog posting by Rebecca Luella Miller today. She was talking about how Christian fiction is "growing up" and is no longer the "poor quality" stuff that used to come out. What caught my attention was this line:  "Some Christians are troubled by writing that includes immoral behavior, while others are disturbed by stories that have happy endings."

I'll admit, I laughed when I read that line. Obviously, the title "Christian reader" can't be limited by boundaries. Not all Christian readers appreciate romances.  Not all Christian readers buy speculative fiction. Some of use won't touch a story about the end times, while others thrive on end time thrillers. Obviously, diversity is alive and well among Christian readers.  As it should be!

I write fantasy. Bad things happen to my protagonist. He's tempted by those things that tempt all men: lust, greed, anger. Yet I've heard some well-meaning Christians say they don't want to read books that have the protagonist doing something evil. They don't want to see bad things happen. They don't want to read about giving in to temptation. They want a happy ending, where the hero and heroine get married and live happily ever after raising seven kids, three dogs, a cat, a rat, and a hamster. And I'm happy there are books out there to fit the bill. Personally, I'd rather stick my finger down my throat. Conflict gets my blood racing, and there's nothing I love more than a story full of tension and fantastic elements and the unknown. I don't mind a love story subplot or a sad ending, as long as it was a fantastic ride and the ending tied up all the loose ends. I know I'm a minority in the world of Christian fiction readers, but it pleases me immensely that I can find books I like in amongst the romances, thrillers, and cozy mysteries.

God has created a fantastic world, and none of us created beings are completely alike. And THAT'S where the conflict comes from. It's a blessing to know good writers fulfill all those literary desires, and that the Christian fiction industry is, indeed, growing up, publishing a wide variety of genres by authors who've perfected their word-smithing skills.

-Sonja

Keeping Track of Story Details

Randy Ingermanson's blog contained a list of questions he's going to tackle over the next week/month/year, how ever long it takes him to get through them. He asked for a vote: which question to conquer first? The list of questions inspired me to write a blog entry of my own, answering one of them: how do you keep track of story details?

I keep track of story details in an elaborate three-ring binder, divided into four sections: a character table, a map section, a calendar of events, and character profiles.

The character table is separated into columns, each containing a different set of information: character names, occupations, place of residence, special skills, family members, description, and special notes. It's handy to sort the table in different ways within my word processor, but I usually keep it alphabetically by character name. I find myself forgetting a minor character's description or spouse name (I have a massive cast for my book series), so it's nice to have all that at my fingertips without having to sift through my text.

My map section is relative small. I've got a hand-drawn map of the region my story takes place, and hand-drawn map of the wilderness setting where most of my story takes place. I've also got a small-scale city drawing so I can remember the basic layout: river, docks, shipping district, housing, downtown, residential areas, and outlying farming community.

The most valuable section is my calendar. Each page covers one month; I simply write in the highlights of each day on the proper date. I not only keep track of plot points, I also track my protagonist's birthday, the equinox and solstices, pregnancy due dates, foreign events -- basically anything that can be attached to a date and has significance within my story.

The fourth section contains my character profiles, usually one sheet per character, and an odds-and-ends section where I keep track of things like foreign words I've used in the story, city populations, the meanings of names, etc. 

That's how I do it, for what it's worth.

-Sonja