I’m listening to the National CDs from Atlanta, so you might hear me mention the workshops in the weeks to come. Great blog fodder.:mrgreen: In Vicki Lewis Thompson’s workshop on branding, she talked about Susan Elizabeth Phillips being stuck in the midlist ghetto at one time. (Are you in shock? Me too.) SEP analyzed what she did well–sex and humor–and what she didn’t–plots. So she decided to emphasize sex and humor in her books and deemphasize plot. She built on her strengths.
This struck close to home, because I’d come to the same epiphany about my work months ago. I’d been writing plot heavy books, but they weren’t selling. And the thing is, I felt the false notes as I wrote them, and all the falseness went to plots. Finally, I stopped and thought about what were my strengths: Dialogue and humor. Relationships between characters.
Before I wrote this blog, I asked my CPs what they thought my strengths were–because who knows better? Karin said “your quirky characters make me smile.” Liz said “tight writing, keeping the action going.â€
I used all these strengths in my last book, MISS CONCEPTION, and it’s the best book I’ve written. My wip is a women’s fiction, and for awhile I thought I had to write it differently, without the quirkiness. My progress was slower than any book I’d written. At more than halfway through, I thought of putting it aside. But I liked what I’d written so far. I loved the characters and the premise.
I decided to keep on writing–with a difference. I allowed myself to go off into my “quirky offbeat†ways. And I started having fun. The unexpected was happening–and I loved it. I was building on my strengths again, the ones I’d forgotten about.
My CPs all write to their strengths. Karin writes hot cops. She has a strong energy-filled voice. Her heroes are alpha–and so are her heroines. It makes an interesting and combustible combination.
Michelle writes fantasies and historicals edged with magic. Her writing is lean, short scenes with lots of action. Very fast reading. Almost like an epic cartoon coming to life. I believe once she’s “discovered†by a smart agent and editor, she’s going to have a huge readership. I can see her wip selling to the movies.
Liz is the opposite of Michelle and me–and we all love her books, including Karin. She excels at creating worlds. She gets deep into her characters. When I’m critiquing her chapters, I get totally involved in the scenes. Liz has steadfastly known her strengths all along, where with me it was a longer road.
Vicki Lewis Thompson quoted Dolly Parton, and I will too: Find out what you do well and then do it on purpose.
What about you? What are your strengths? Are you doing them on purpose?
Edie, this post is wonderful! I, too, took the longer road. Initially, I tried writing within strict guidelines. Novel after novel to learn my craft. I had the word requirements down, but my voice didn’t fit the mold too well.
It wasn’t until I settled down and wrote from the heart, that I truly found my voice and stride. It was an awakening and a perfect transition for me. I think my strenghts are characterization and dialogue, so I draw from there.
Hmmm. Now I would not have thought my characters weren’t my strongest suit. Generally, my characters form in my head as I’m writing and I flesh them out (no pun intended) as I go. However, I looooove world building, so I guess that shows in my writing. Ya think?
I’m glad your WIP is fun again, Edie. I’m very eager to read this book.
LaDonna, I can tell from the 10 lines in Karin’s contest that I’m going to love your books. Writers like me and you who write out of the romance box have to search a little longer for our place. Although somce people seem to know right from the beginning where they belong, that wasn’t me.
Liz, you put the same detail and depth in your characters that you do into your world building. That’s my opinion, anyway. Ask Karin and Michelle. They might see other strengths in your writing.
My book is still coming slow, but that’s because I’ve been sidetracked by so many other things. I wrote 5 pages last night and felt glad to write that many (or few:lol:).
Hmm, my captcha is Eros. You know, I’m pretty sure that I’ve gotten Psyche too.
Maybe I’ll be able to write a ‘real romance’ sometime, Edie. And I’m working on that post. I just need to squeeze out a few more words.
I’ve always assumed that my strength is voice. For some reason, it’s the one thing about writing that’s never worried me.
Edie, thanks for those kind words. I feel the same about your voice. And gotta love your attitude. Yep, it might take longer but we shall find a home! And, Liz, can’t wait to read your stuff too. World building is something I admire. I wouldn’t know where to start!
May, I’ve never worried about my voice either and can’t understand people who do. Doesn’t your voice naturally come out when you write? And if you don’t want to write “real romance”, don’t. Write what suits you.
LaDonna, Michelle suggested we share chapters of our writing so we can see what each of us do. That would be fun.
Edie, I’m there!
It does sound fun.
ROFL! Okay, this is toooo much! I’ve got Psyche again for my captcha. Maybe it’s an omen?
Edie, that’s what I always felt as well. When the concept of voice was introduced to me, I thought, “Well, everybody has a voice.”
I’ve a friend who thinks that many bestselling authors have a unintrusive (to the reader) voice that’s not very distinguishable unless you are really analysing their work. Interesting point-of-view, and in some ways, I can see where she came up with that.
When I say write a romance, I’m including any book with a romantic subplot with a HEA. I can’t help but wonder if I’d succeed if I wanted it less. LOL.
Okay, LaDonna, let’s do it!
May, I’m not sure if that’s true about unobtrusive voices in bestselling authors. At least not all of them. Nora Roberts and Jenny Crusie both have distinct voices.
Maybe your captcha is a sign. You can write a romance about Psyche and Eros and give them a HEA. Or not.
Okay, Edie and May, I’m dying to know. What is a CAPTCHA??
I hesitated mentioning this, ya know in case it’s well-known in the writing community thing. Then decided, we’re all here to learn so…..
See, I would put Nora under unobtrusive. It’s got nothing to do with the quality of her work, just that I think her voice has a smaller “Stands Out” quotient.
Then you take someone like Lilith Saintcrow or Nalini Singh (to make remove one variable, I’m referring to Lili’s third-person stories), and the “Stands Out” quotient ups.
It’s nothing to do with writing.
It’s the anti-spam word you guys have.
And mine’s Psyche again! Next it’ll be Eros.
Duh??? Okay, I’m romeo. LOL Thanks for the cloud-clear.
Sarcasm. Without a doubt. I do sarcasm well. Which isn’t ironic because I tend to have a very sarcastic personality (in a nice, sweet, wholesome sort of way of course.
) Personally I think this works both to my advantage and against it. People who identify with sarcasm and like snarky characters love my work. People who don’t tend to think my characters are a little on the un-likeable side. (Particularly unpublished contest judges who make assumptions off 10 pgs and can’t see that a snarky character at the beginning of the book is going to go through a major character arc before the end…but THAT’s another topic entirely. LOL)
As for voice – it took me five books to realize I had a snarky, quirky voice. Everything before that felt forced. Book five flowed, and it taught me to go with it. Don’t try to tame my voice and make it sound like eveyrone elses, because it just won’t work. I wish I’d been like the rest of you and figured that out earlier.
May, I haven’t read either of those writers yet. I’ll watch out for their books. Nora has a very commercial voice. I wouldn’t mind that at all.
Elisabeth, snarky, quirky voices are great for ST. It works for Mary Janice Davidson.
And I didn’t figure mine out early. It took me years of writing the wrong kinds of books for my voice to get it.
Oddly I had a recent problem with sarcasm. One of my main characters is funny, and funny people are sarcastic. My own CPs didn’t like her, so I had to make her nicer in the beginning–and then I let the sarcasm shine through.:twisted:
Grrrr, right now I’m having to cut some really awesome dialogue during my revision process. I think that’s why I’m having so much difficulty with the revisions. I don’t want to cut my strength: dialogue. grrr……
That’s rough, Karin. I’ve been waiting for your chapters too. Start snipping.
Every once in a while I write a terrific quirky scenes — and then I realize it doesn’t further the plot. If I dropped it, it wouldn’t be missed. So I cut.
Ooh, I got eros as my word. Am I lucky or what?
It’s funny you posted about this today, Edie, because I’ve been thinking about voice a lot this week. I just blogged about it earlier, in fact. For a long time, I did not have a consistent voice, and I think I was trying too hard to force my books to scream “epic fantasy.” I was getting nowhere, so I took a break and wrote contemporary romance for a while. When I came back to fantasy, I was able to see that I had been gunking up my story with a voice that was NOT natural for me, and when I decided to go with the leaner style I learned from writing contemporary, things got a lot better. No, I’ll never have that beautiful, mythical-sounding voice that some wonderful fantasy authors have, but maybe my unobtrusive, direct style will work for me.
With the crit group you guys have, I bet y’all get to read a lot of cool stuff. It sure sounds like it to me!
Michelle picked some interesting captcha. I think I told her Thelma and Louise for my picks, lol.
Lynne, I just read your blog. Kudos for realizing what your voice is! Obviously the leaner voice works for you, so you go!
Our crit group is great. The odd thing is none of us writes the same kind of book, and all our writing styles are different. It’s the quality of writing that matters to me, as I read all across the genres.
Edie,
Fantastic post. And count me in on the chapter share. lol. I would say my strengths are characterization, deep POV and showing emotion. I struggle with dialog and pacing.
May,
About voice. I’ve always been told that those with a very strong voice, as in one that stands out and gets noticed–are the hardest to sell. There is too much of a love/hate relationship with readers.
But once these voices sell, they are always the ones that hit it big, make a excellent career and manage to survive the long hall.
I don’t think of Nora Roberts as having an unobtrustive voice. I think of it as smooth, and commercial. Easy to read and identify with. To me her voice is still strong– just smooth.
I love sarcasm in characters.
But don’t you think the characterization needs to be immediate and deep to be able to pull it off? If you have a character say something snarky, with no characterization behind to soften it up–they can come off as bitchy or mean.
My brother is very sarcastic. And its gotten him into more trouble than you can imagine. lol
Great post, Edie. Your strengths are definitely humour, quirkiness and really tight writing. Your work is always a pleasure to read. And a big SMOOCH to you for saying I’ll have a big following. Please, be really, really right
Michelle, I am right about that. It will happen.