The Joy of Brainstorming

There is nothing in the world of writing that can beat good-old-fashion brainstorming session with another writer when it comes to creating ideas for a new book.

Nothing!

Take for example the next subject we are working on for our Dottie series of teaching books.  Villains. That’s right. Villains. How to create them, how to give them interesting personalities and how to kill them off.

But, and isn’t there always a but, we were stymied on how to explain the differences between a full-blown, really nasty villain such as a psychopath and a run-of-the-mill villain, such as a petty criminal. Then there are the antagonists and the anti-heroes who might play a role as villain. How does one tell the difference between all these levels of villains?

Sigh.

The answer: we brainstormed the problem over a tasty breakfast at our favorite working/eating restaurant.

 

First we stated the problem which was how to explain the different types of villains and how they were created. Of course that is two problems, but they are interconnected or at least they seemed to be.

 

SUE: I think we should divide the villains into two groups. Start with the classic villains such as sociopaths, mentally unstable folks and throw in the witches, aliens and monsters. Then we can put the lesser villains such as the antagonists into their own group.  

 

BECKY: No, I don’t think that is the way to do it. Let’s look at how these villains can to be villains. Were they born villains or did their environment turn them into villains? Think about the monsters, beasts or aliens - they have no choice. They are simply born that way, but the others, such as say a terrorist or even a bully, were they really born that way or did their environment and other disturbed people turn them into villains?

 

SUE: Hmm. Interest point. We should start at the beginning. Ah, I’ve got it. Let’s start with a lump of clay.

 

BECKY: Clay? You’ve got to be kidding.

 

SUE: No. Clay. Let’s take this lump of moldable clay and see what we can do with it. Okay?

Here we go. Clay is clay right? So we can safely say that some villains are like clay. They are simply born or create that way from the get-go.

 

BECKY:  Got it. This would include aliens, beasts, witches… all those villains that can NOT changed or those where NO change is possible. And let’s throw good old mother nature into this category. She does what she does because she is born that way.

 

SUE: Right. But now we take that lump and put it into a nasty or evil environment and what happens. The clay turns into a nasty or evil villain.

 

BECKY: But there are other factors that influence our formation of a  villain. Science and technology and other people. Environment, it seems to me, is only one factor in molding this villain into what he/she will become.

 

SUE: Right! Some villains are born evil, while others, may be born with evil tendencies, it depends on their surroundings, which include both environment and people to nourish these minds and turn them into villains

 

BECKY: And depending on the level of rage or hate thrust upon our lump of clay, this will determine their level of evilness.

 

SUE: By George, I think we’ve got it.

 

And we did. That's how we'll be working on categorizing our villains.  Brainstorming depends on the give and take of the writers and the ability to change directions, open their minds to new ideas and in general, to simply go with the flow.

 

Look for our next book in the Let’s Write a Story series, Creating the Villain, which will be out in the winter of 2017.

Different Approaches to Getting Organized

Everyone has their own way of writing. There are the plotters who love to do detailed outlines of their ideas before they start writing. And of course there are also, at the opposite end of the writing scale, those who write by the “seat of their pants” or in other words, they just start writing and usually follow the needs, wants and desires of their characters.

 

Writers also organize their working areas in a variety of ways.  We have always talked about how we approach our writing in different ways—Sue is a careful plotter while Becky works the second way—just starting out and writing scene by scene.

 

It shouldn’t surprise anyone that since we are so different in our plotting methods that we also approach the organization of our work in different ways as well.

 

Sue: I have only one computer, and one desk, but I do have a whole wall of shelves with notebooks that contain my notes or typed books.

 

Becky: I have three different computers and write in several areas and often take one of my laptops to coffee shops or libraries to write. I also keep a bunch of individual notebooks for each of my fiction stories, but they are small and portable so I can take them with me wherever I go.

 

Sue: My concern in organizing my work is that I have many on-going projects. Besides the teaching/writing series Becky and I are working on, I have several individual books in progress and another whole series of how-to books. I am definitely a plotter as whenever I start a new project I start a new notebook

 

Becky: I too have several writing projects going at one time--both fiction and non-fiction, and that is partially why I use different computers. Besides our writing projects I blog on a regular basis and keep my pictures for those blogs plus for Twitter and Pinterest on my desk top computer.  I keep my fiction writing projects on my laptop and a couple of thumb drives so that I can be prepared to work wherever I am.  I work in several rooms at home, depending on my mood, so I need to have my laptop handy and ready to unplug and take with me wherever I plan to write. There are times I even move outside to write on the patio. I also like to be prepared to write anytime and anywhere I might be.  I have always kept a small notebook in my purse and another in my car so I can write a scene while I am having lunch or even while I’m waiting to meet someone.  If I hit a rough spot in my writing, a change of scene is often just the right prescription to get me  back on track. I sometimes go out to lunch just to sit in a coffee shop or restaurant and write. 

 

Sue: But back to organizing. I love my computer and how it stores all my files. I have files inside files and often I spend too much time trying to find the right file and as I am a visual person my wall shelves are filled with notebooks, actual real, turn the pages, notebooks. One for each project, one for each book, one for each I’m-going-to-do-that-someday ideas. And of course, notebooks with almost completed books that probably will never see the light of day.

 

Becky: While I am writing in lots of different places I have always managed to pull all my files together into one main file location eventually, usually on a weekly basis.  I often use those handwritten notes to get me started writing in the morning. Just copying them into my computer gets my mind working so that I can start to increase my word count every day. By revisiting my written notes I get pulled back into the story.

 

Sue: Our point being, no matter what you write, where you are in your writing career, you need some kind of a system to keep your ideas, notes, research and whatever in some kind of order… something that works for you. Not your spouse, not your kids, and not your mother-in-law. Grin.

 

Becky: Right. You can read all the organizational tips you can find, especially on Pinterest or listening to your other writing friends or in writing groups, but whatever you do, find your own way and then use what makes the most sense to you.  Forcing yourself to do it the way someone else organizes can often leave you frustrated and confused.

 

And please note, our new book, Creating Memorable Characters, Volume II, in the Let’s Write a Story series is now out, both as an ebook and in print. And we have added a FREE worksheet  bundle for those who love to organize their stories through written worksheets.

Developing Our Characters

Both of us write fiction… mysteries… although Becky has romance in her books while Sue's are cozies with little or no romance.

But we both need to create characters that “fit” into the story line.

Becky:   My characters pop into my head and I find myself starting to develop them as the story goes along.  Sometimes I don't know them completely until I have finished with the first draft of my book.  I keep a blank character profile handy and as I find out something about a character I will write it down.  Often by the time the book is done, most of the blanks are filled in.  Then I can use that profile as I edit, to either deepen the character or make certain he/she doesn't go off the rails somewhere.

Sue:  I have a pretty good idea of my character even before I start writing. But as Becky says, they develop during the writing both physically, mentally and of course, emotionally. Sometimes when I get to the end of a scene or chapter and when I know what has to happen for the plot to progress I find that I have to “give” some new aspect to the character.

 Becky: Right. When I first start out I really don’t have a great grasp on how my hero/heroine is going to react until the first problems start to pop up. This comes quite often as I am writing.

Sue: I agree. When the protagonist sees the dead body or example, how do you want this character to react?

Becky: And when they first kiss, what should the reaction be so the story will continue? Do I have them get all mushy and lovey-dovey and suddenly, if this is a romance, the story is over on page 15? Well, of course not.  I am going to throw come conflicts and other roadblocks in the way. I want them to have to work to make that romance become a total reality.

Sue: Absolutely. Here is where you have to deepen the emotional and mental aspects of the character, whether the good protagonist or the villain. So I keep a three-ring notebook by my computer. Each character has his/her own page where I am careful to note first their physical appearance and then add personality traits and emotional responses as I develop them in each scene. Little did I know when I started working on my latest cozy that one of the main characters needed to have an eidetic memory…but by the time I got half way through the first draft I realized the plot wouldn’t work unless he could remember certain happenings. 

Becky:  And little did I know when I first started writing my Dead Man Series that I was going to have one peripheral character who got under my skin and started demanding a bigger role in the story. The funny thing is people who have read the book tell me that he's gotten under their skins as well.  I was already halfway through writing book two, so while he plays a role in it, he wasn't the main character. Now I am working on book three, and telling his story.

So speaking of characters... we would like everyone to know that we are in the final stages of editing our very own character ebook in which we have pulled together all the various elements and factors a writer needs to consider when building and develop his/her characters for their next book.  It's in the final editing stages at the moment, so please watch for it on Amazon… it has this catchy title, Creating Memorable Characters, and it will be available sometime in March.

After that, our next ebook is The Plotting Wheel, and every writer who has ever stumbled over a plot problem will love this book. Watch for it sometime this summer.

Looking Forward in 2016

BY SUE VIDERS & BECKY MARTINEZ

Sue:

Whoosh…

And in a blink the year is gone and we writers are faced with the dilemma of what to do this coming year.

The new year is a place where nothing has yet happened. The calendar, while full of family errands and work related events, remains blank as to our writing goals.

Which, of course, poses the question, the huge question, of what we will write this coming year. What are our writing goals? Do we start a new story, poem or play or do we work around our writing, spending time doing publicity, finish up what we didn’t finish this part year orspend out time going to even more classes or meetings? What do we do?

Or do we want to look back and bask in the glory of what we accomplished this past year?

Maybe. But mostly no.

What has been written this past 12 months is history. It’s done. And unless there is something that needs to be carried over into the new year, sometimes it’s simply better to start fresh.

Okay, not always.

For example, I had spent most of the last few weeks finished up an outline for my next book. It was perplexing, as it is the third in a series with many old and new characters, each of which needed a new goal, which in turn needed a new plot.

Sigh. But with the holidays in sight, I managed to finished it up. Now, I’m not pleased with all the sub-plots, but I did finalized the last part, weaving all the various strings together into a neat and colorful tapestry.

But with the new year in sight, I deliberately put the outline aside, waiting to start on the first page of the new calendar where I could begin to fill in my writing goals. So many words here, exchanging a critique with my writing partner there and so on, until the empty spaces on the calendar were full of penciled goals.

Penciled in. I never use ink. In the writing game, it pays to always have options. Always have the ability to change the goal. Never get it up, but sometimes re-think the ultimate outcome you have in mind.

And now the new year is here. I look at my first goal, “write the prologue this week, goal, 2000 or so words” and I begin.

I love beginnings. I love the new year.

 

Becky:

 

For me the new year always seems like a new beginning. I really love the idea of starting over, even if I am working on a project I started last year.

 

There is always new opportunity in the new year. On the last day of every year I make a list of what I accomplished last year and then keep it. The next day, on January 1, I make a list of what I want to accomplish in the new year.

 

It's great to be able to look back on those lists in future years.  For instance this year, I was able to post that we had finally finished and published our first Dottie booklet.  For this year I listed the next three Dottie booklets as goals for finishing and getting published.  That would be a wonderful accomplishments, because we have wanted to publish our class lessons for several years now and we have continued to work on them every year, even as we teach new classes.

 

We're also going to be teaching our own classes that feature some of those booklets this year. Working with students is always a great way to get our own inspiration for our fiction writing.

 

I suggest making a list of what you want to accomplish in the coming year. We're still in January so making the list now gives you eleven months to get it all done.  These can be wonderful motivation, not only to get things accomplished, but I love looking back on my old lists.  Seeing the publication of my book, Blues at 11, in 2015 was wonderful, because it had been on my list of projects for several years. Now it is published! 

 

So I recommend, look forward to what you want to do, but don't miss out on looking back too. Celebrate what you've accomplished in the past year.