Does Your Story Write Itself?

Writing (Photo credit: Wikipedia)

Writing stories, someone once said, is like raising a child. You, the author-parent, set out with dreams of where you want to story to go, what you want it to accomplish, who it's going to meet, and how it’s going to “turn out.”

But stories, like children, have minds of their own.

They take detours. They explore dangerous places. They bring home uninvited guests.

What’s a good author-parent to do?

I’m currently trying to figure this one out. Three-quarters of the way through the second revision of my novel-in-progess, The Power Club™, a new character has entered the story.This character was in earlier drafts, but he just didn’t fit into this one, so he was omitted.

But, suddenly, there he is again.

By bringing back this uninvited guest, my story is starting to assert its independence.

Sometimes, this can be a good thing; other times, not. Writers should always be in control of their stories. A grad school professor once told me that when a story “writes itself,” it's a sign the author hasn't thought it through carefully. 

And yet sometimes those unexpected detours and uninvited guests can be the best thing about the story.

Back when I was working on my comic book, Gold Dust, I introduced a minor character who appears for one panel. A short time later, when I had the opportunity to write a story for an anthology that was never published, I decided to use my minor character. At this point, I still had no idea who she was or her motivation.

But as I was writing the story, she told me who she was—and her background and setting worked well with the end-of-the-world story I was telling.

(And, yes, I am being purposefully vague.  There’s always the hope of publishing that story some day.)

Characters, of course, don’t actually talk to writers—though it doesn’t hurt to believe they can. Writing usually involves your subconscious working itself out through your characters.

The lesson I took from this was to let my stories live and breathe.  Let them explore their world, but hang back and make sure they don’t stray too far. 

Naturally, this entails judgment and guesswork. How do you know when a story is straying too far from its original purpose? You don’t—though repeated practice can develop your sense of what might work and what definitely will not.

I’m not sure if I’m going to keep the “uninvited guest," but I’ll let him stick around for awhile and see what develops.

What about you?  What do you do when your story writes itself?

If you like this article, you may also like:

• "How to Stop Procrastinating: Trust the Writing Process"
• "Arguing with Sharks: Overcoming Your Writing Fears"
• "Letting the Fiction Take Over: How to Turn Your Reality into Fiction"

5 Tips for Dealing with That Difficult Reader

Image by aramolara via Flickr

When people read your story and tell you it's wonderful, they make you feel like you're soaring through the stratosphere.  But then THAT reader comes along.

You know THAT reader.  He's the one who tells you your story is good, BUT . . .  Or she listens patiently while you explain some aspect of your story and then trips you up with your own words.  ("That's not what I got out of your story!")

Sometimes, THAT reader does it to be mean.  More often, though, he genuinely cares about your story and is perplexed by something — something which didn't ring true to him or which left him confused about a character's motivation.  Sometimes, his questions feel like an interrogation and make you want to lawyer up. ("I'm not saying anything further until my character seeks counsel!")

So, how do you deal with THAT reader?

For me, I start by reminding myself that I don't have to win every argument.  I don't even have to participate in every argument put before me.

This simple technique can help you, as an author, preserve your sanity.  It acknowledges that everything you write reflects your opinions, views, and ideas.  These things come from deep within you and were formed by some combination of your life experiences, beliefs, values, assumptions, and even prejudices — all of which are unique to you.  This means your ideas can be flawed, even though you may not be aware of it.

But the reader also has his own ideas, which come from his own life experiences, etc., and may also be flawed.  Perhaps this is why he reacted so oddly to your story.  Or perhaps his ideas — and yours — aren't really flawed.  Perhaps they're just different.

As the author, your options when confronted by THAT reader are few.  You can attempt to set her straight by arguing your point of view.  You can dismiss her opinions as belonging to someone who just didn't "get it."

Or you can adopt a different attitude by following these tips:

1. Respect the reader's intent.  Particularly if the reader is a peer editor or beta reader, all feedback is good.

2. Listen with your mind blank.  This is difficult to do when we feel our work is being attacked.  Our normal response is to become defensive and start formulating a rebuttal.  But if we're focusing on what we're going to say, we are probably missing or misunderstanding what the reader is saying.  This means we may overlook a suggestion or insight which can improve the story.

3. Choose not to see the reader's comments as an attack.  Again, this is difficult, particularly if the reader comes across as an attacker or interrogator.  However, you are always in control of how you respond.

4. Smile and nod.  Affirmative body language does not have to mean you agree with the reader; it can mean you understand what he is saying.

5. After your emotions have died down, carefully consider the content — not the presentation — of the reader's words.  

• Content is the substance of what is being said ("The ending of your story lacks dramatic punch").
• Presentation is the delivery of the content ("How could you take me on this wonderful ride and leave me hanging???").

Separating content from presentation helps you see where the reader may have a point.  It also helps you avoid the feeling that she is winning and you are losing.

Dealing with THAT reader can be uncomfortable, but buried deep within his seemingly hurtful questions and comments may be nuggets of wisdom.  Getting to those nuggets takes patience and a willingness to put our own egos aside.   However, anything that helps us improve as writers is worth the effort.

Related articles

• The Power of Criticism (jhardyb.wordpress.com)
• Writing Tips Wednesday - Accepting Criticism (davefarmersblog.wordpress.com)

What a Difference a Year Makes: The Longview Literary Festival

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This post is two days early because I’ll be spending Saturday at the Longview Literary Festival in Lee's Summit, MO.

The Longview Lit Fest is an annual gathering of authors, publishers, and anyone else interested in writing and publishing.  I attended my first Lit Fest last year, and it changed my life.  For one thing, this blog wouldn’t exist without it. 

In the fall of 2010, I was just beginning to work on an idea for a YA story.  I had spent much of the previous two years writing a novel that went nowhere, so I was reluctant to commit to writing another novel.  I had leaned of the Longview Lit Fest through a writing group I was part of, and the dates coincided with fall break at the college where I teach, so I thought it would be a good idea to attend, sit in on some presentations, and maybe  interact with other authors who are trying to accomplish the same thing I am (namely, get published!).

The festival featured presentations by both published and unpublished authors, and a chance to talk with professionals in the field.  All of that was valuable and eye-opening to me.  But that’s not why the festival changed my life.

While there, I ran into an old friend I hadn’t seen in over ten years – someone who, when last I saw her, didn’t write fiction and had no aspirations (to my knowledge) to be a published author.  But now, not only was she writing two children’s books of her own, she had joined The Kansas City Writers Meetup.  She regaled me with stories of her critiquing group, which met Monday evenings at a local coffee shop.

I was already a member of two critiquing groups and, though I learned a lot from both of them, my participation was winding down for various reasons.  I was thus hesitant to commit to another group.  But when you run into someone you haven't seen in a decade in the unlikeliest of places and you find this person actively pursuing the same goals you are . . . I've never placed much stock in "signs" appearing out of nowhere, directing people where to go, but I haven't ruled out the possibility of signs, either.

Bottom line: I joined the KCWM and was invited into my friend's Monday night critiquing group. 

Flash forward a year later.  I am now the co-facilitator of that same group, along with Dennis Young (who was also at the Longview Lit Fest last year).  I've written two complete drafts of my YA novel – the novel I was hesitant to write in the first place.  I've met a number of wonderful writers whose feedback and fellowship I've come to appreciate.

And I started this blog – a direct result of a KCWM presentation given by Kristi Bernard, who sold me on the necessity of creating a social networking platform.

On top of that, I'm launching Three Rabbits Publishing, an author promotions/online publishing business with the self-same Kristi Bernard and K.P. Kollenborn, two outstanding authors I met through KCWM.

All because I attended the Longview Literary Festival last year.

The moral of this story?  Step out in faith.  You never know where it's going to take you.

I still have a long way to go before I publish my novel, but I've got a lot more options than I did a year ago.  More, I've got a sense of direction and a supportive network of fellow writers who share the same or similar goals. And, because of all of that, I'm a lot happier than I was a year ago.

So, if you happen to be in the Kansas City area this Friday and Saturday, stop by the Longview Literary Festival.  You never know what might happen.

The Longview Literary Festival runs from 10:30 a.m.-6 p.m. Friday and 10 a.m.-5:30 p.m. Saturday at the Mel Aytes Education Center, 500 S.W. Longview Rd., Lee's Summit, MO.  I’ll only be there on Saturday due to other commitments.  But if you're there, say hi.