Continuity

Continuity is important to novelists. It's jarring for a reader to find that the father is accidentally called by his son's name like I saw in a historical novel recently. Continuity errors creep in so easily, especially if the writer works across the entire manuscript instead of linearly. I've done it and I'm horrified when I catch those types of errors.

I've got a small spiral notebook that records all the names I've used and a brief description of who each character is, but still errors creep in because I can't remember when I've updated it. Sometimes a minor character shows up later in the book and a new, more apt name shows up with them.

What's your techniques for catching this type of error?
How do you keep up with all the people who populate your WIPs?
Do you have any suggestions for the rest of us, other than rereading closely?

Goals

Goals are one of those little things that most writers have. They range from specific--write 3000 words a week--to the vague--work on something connected to a work in progress most days.

I'm more on the vague side. In fact my goals for June are:

• Word continuously on FF
• Do the June exercises and house party at the Forum

I've done a great job on the second one, but the first, not so much. In fact, I've written hardly anything for FRIENDLY FIRE this month. Does that cause me to get down some days? You bet. But it is also the nature of writing to ebb and flow.

At the Forum, we have a running Goals Thread for each month. Since April, I've been the maven for this thread. You'd think that would help me with my goals, but so far, I haven't seen much of a connection. Of course I can blame my house renovation and various aches and pains, but, truthfully, I'm been a bit lazy.

So what about you? Are you a writer who works by the word count and have a widget to count the words in each of your WIP's progress (Check HERE for examples and how to get a widget), or are you more like me, a little vague letting the ebb and flow take you where it will.

Let's just say, my dilly dallying hasn't helped me move much on my 2013 goal of completing a rough draft for FF... ; )

Laura Grace's Summer Garden

I'm still on a high from the house party. What a ride it was! Not only did I get to know Tom Chandler, I got to experiment with a young Laura Grace. The two are made for each other. ; )

Since I've written so much in the last week, I thought I'd give you a glimpse into Laura Grace's summer garden. All of these just finished blooming, are blooming now, or will be shortly. I've also added a bit of shade for the hot summer days.  Enjoy! ; )

(All photos Zan Marie Steadham copyright 2010)

Old Yoshino Cherry Tree

lantana

Rose

Lollipop lilies

hydrangeas

Maple tree

Star Gazer Lilies

House Party--A Night at the Museum

It's House Party time! Not at my house. It's not ready for such...yet. ; ) No, this is an ad lib writing exercise at the Books and Writers Forum. We haven't had one in a while and we're excited.

From time to time, one of the Forum members hosts a "house party" for our characters at a setting of their choice. My characters have gone to a psychologist's office for therapy, visited London during the Blitz, attended a fair hosted by King Charles II, gone skiing in New Zealand, visited Istanbul in the 15th century, gone to the Mall at the End of Time, and hosted a Fourth of July party in Cherry Hill.

I've blogged about this intensive writing exercise several times. Here's two links to the Cherry Hill House Party blogs.

HERE

HERE

This time, I have a new character, one who I know only a little about, at the party--Tom Chandler. It's only recently that Tom has come forward as more than Laura Grace's dead husband. His goodness has been revealed through her memories and grief. Back in December, Tom Chandler rose from my subconscious to demand equal time. Here's a blog post introducing his story in CAMP FIRE.
When we began to talk about a house party, I thought I'd take Tom as a 19 year old. He's still feeling his way to being his own man. Why wouldn't a Night in a Museum with wacky exhibits be a good idea to help me learn more about him? ; )

Here's just a bit I wrote to introduce him to the other writers.

Thomas Cherry Chandler (Tom), 19, is six feet four inches, with a long and lean build rather like Michelangelo’s DAVID. His golden hair is wavy, just short of curls, and sits on his collar and covers his neatly attached ears and flops over his high forehead. His complexion is fair with a tendency toward red, especially when he’s been out in the sun. His long face’s best feature is deep-set, dark blue eyes that are rimmed with navy and turn to slate when he’s angry. Tom usually wears bell-bottomed jeans with well-worn hems and a tee shirt.

He’s a direct descendant of the founder of Cherry Hill—Lawton Cherry. Unfortunately for Tom, his mother still thinks that being a “Cherry” matters more than the content of your character. And he doesn’t measure up. He cares too deeply for the poor and wants to be a teacher.

Tom’s reaction is to draw in, but seek areas where he can be his own man like making reproductions of the antiques in the house that people pay good money for—money he will use to get an education degree at the local college and not go to UGA and major in business like Mother insists. He’s more than just a “Cherry”. And he loves to slip out of the Cherry House where he lives to the woods to camp and be alone with his thoughts—thoughts that might be better left unsaid. Some he’s voiced only to be slapped down by Mother. Others he knows better than to say. But his stomach was aching from all the swallowed thoughts.

#

“Thomas Cherry! If you persist on this path, you’ll never measure up.”

Her voice followed him upstairs and down. After every discussion of his plans to be a teacher. Measure up. It pulsed through him every day and in everything he did.

How did you measure up to a ghost? The ghost who reigned in every timber of the house and created the town that bore his name? A ghost who had stared at him from the huge portrait over the parlor mantel every day of his life.

The cold blue gaze held him captive every time until he had to blink. But the small gilt mirror under the portrait dared you to compare yourself to “The Law.” Did measuring up have anything to do with the having the same high forehead, eyes, and square jaw? Or the same height?

No. It couldn’t be or Mother wouldn’t continue harping on being a Cherry and acting like one.

What about being a Chandler? Apparently Daddy’s family didn’t matter. Nor did Daddy if the arguments he overheard nearly every day were any indication.

Forcing his eyes off his own face, he stared at the “Great Gray Eminence” of Cherry Hill again. “What do you want of me, Old Man?”

Be your own man.

He froze. His breath whistled through his nose as his heart kicked up.

He could do that. And it didn’t take creating a town to do it. No. His goal was to be worthy of Laurie. Pure and simple. That would be enough.

 

If you want to know more about Tom, check out the Night at the Museum House Party. Bear in mind that we just started yesterday. The story is just taking shape. You're in a  wild and fast-paced read. You'll be amazed at the creativity and talent of the participating writers. ; )

Mission Accomplished!

No, I'm not being political. No at all.

And no, I don't have a completed rough draft to announce....

But I am proud to have a fully renovated kitchen. It took over six weeks, but every microwaved and crockpot meal was worth it twenty time over. (I'm not sure all the delayed writing was though. I'll have to get back to you on that...that is if I get started back to writing my WIP.)

(Just joking...I think. ; )

We replaced the old vinyl floor with porcelain tile and the old counter tops with new tops that look wonderful. Added a new microwave/hood over the stove, under cabinet lighting, a tile back splash, and more outlets. All in all, an amazing up grade. Just like WIP drafts, though, not everything needs to be changed to improve. The old cabinets got a lemon oil restorative treatment and we didn't change the layout at all.

Writing is no different. We draft a story and then go back with revisions and renovations that made add new characters and subplots, but the basic story remains the same. Or we just add small details to a scene to make it shine. 

I've spent a lot of time figuring out the place for everything and then putting everything in its place over the last few weeks. Writing is the same. Sometimes we move a scene from the front of the story to the back, or lop off the front altogether to create a new beginning further into the story.  We pull out things that don't work like old worn out phrases and repetitive words. Or we repaint by adding imagery or setting details. And we restructure by rearranging the order of the plot or change a POV.

 

The large pass through opening used to be an outside window. Now it's open and admits a lot of light into the kitchen. And hopefully my rewrites will do the same by allowing a bright view of real life. So, when the revising, rewriting, remodeling headaches come in my writing, I want to remember that the outcome will be grand with a place for every character to live and a scene in every place the plot needs one.



What about you? Do you have a way to keep your head up during renovation of your WIP. If so, please share it with us all. ; )

(Copyright of all photos is Zan Marie Steadham 2013)

WIP It Good Blogfest

Sometimes a blogfest comes around that is just too good to pass up. DL's W(h)IP It Good is one of those. Check this link out Cruising Altitude 2.0

"Our idea is that on Friday, May 31st, we will provide a forum to allow anyone interested a chance to tell the blogosphere about their most recent [W]ork [I]n [P]rogress. We’ll guide you by providing a few prompts to answer in your own post, and even give you the opportunity to solicit CP’s (partners who exchange material for detail critique – usually chapter by chapter) or Beta Readers (test readers who read entire manuscripts and offer broad opinions) if you’re looking for that."

Here's my answers to the prompts. What about you? What is your WIP about?

 

Here are the prompts we would like you to follow:

WIP Title: FRIENDLY FIRE

Word Count (projected/actual so far): 100k/106k (I need room to edit ; )

Genre: Women’s Fiction

How long have you been working on it?: Since March 2008

Elevator Pitch (if you came across an agent in an elevator ride, what couple of lines would you use to summarize your book):

Our deepest wounds come from those who should be our strongest support. The families of Cherry Hill, GA know this truth all too well.

Brief Synopsis (250 words or less):

Laura Grace Chandler knows the look of a child who needs a mother. All it takes is one look at Samantha Smith, an abused foster child, to make Laura Grace want to dive into the breach.

The only problem is, Laura Grace isn’t a mother, never has been. But she is a retired teacher who is recently widowed and needs to find a reason to keep going.

But Samantha Smith isn’t the only person in need of Laura Grace’s help to heal. Abuse is all around her and even right under her nose.

Are you looking for a Critique Partner?: Not at this time. My online community at Book and Writers Forum is filling this job.

Are you looking for a Beta Reader?: I already have several lined up for when I get a draft ready.

Writing Strong Women Characters

I found a link through the Women's Fiction Writers Association loops this week that I wanted, no needed, to share with you all.

Kameron Hurley takes on the usual stereotypes of women characters as mothers, sisters, daughters, and victims in a what that is beyond amazing. I do hope you enjoy this link.

We Have Always Fought

On the renovation front, the kitchen is nearly done. I'll be thrilled and delighted. I'm happy to say that I've gotten back to work this week on FRIENDLY FIRE after the busy lull of April and May. Cross your fingers that I can find the work ethic I had in January, February, and March... ; )

(The cherry trees have small ripened cherries among the leaves now. The birds love them, but they are only about a quarter inch in diameter. The focal image is of edible cherries in honor of them. ; )

Author Interview: Amy Sue Nathan and Her Debut Novel--The Glass Wives

I met Amy Sue Nathan in the blogsphere when someone who knows I write women’s fiction suggested I check out Amy’s blog—Women’s FictionWriters. The blog is a wonderful celebration of women’s fiction authors, and a discussion of various writing topics, and updates on Amy’s journey to the publication with The Glass Wives, published (May 14, 2013). Also check out her website Amy Sue Nathan.

 

Evie and Nicole Glass share a last name. They also shared a husband.

When a tragic car accident ends the life of Richard Glass, it also upends the lives of Evie and Nicole, and their children. There’s no love lost between the widow and the ex. In fact, Evie sees a silver lining in all this heartache—the chance to rid herself of Nicole once and for all. But Evie wasn’t counting on her children’s bond with their baby half-brother, and she wasn’t counting on Nicole’s desperate need to hang on to the threads of family, no matter how frayed. Strapped for cash, Evie cautiously agrees to share living expenses—and her home—with Nicole and the baby. But when Evie suspects that Nicole is determined to rearrange more than her kitchen, Evie must decide who she can trust. More than that, she must ask: what makes a family?

ZM: The Glass Wives is a sensitive and truthful story of ex-wives, widows, and single mothers—and the children who share their lives. Amy Sue Nathan has a voice that will sweep you into its embrace.

It’s been said that all debut novels have autobiographical elements. Do you think that’s true?

Amy:  I can’t speak for anyone but me, but there is part of me in The Glass Wives. My ex-husband died suddenly after we divorced, so that was the springboard for the novel. What does that mean? It’s not based on a true story, but I got the idea from that tragic event. I promise, I do not have a young widow living in my basement (I just checked).

ZM: Tell us about The Glass Wives’ journey from first idea to publication.

Amy:  Okay, sit a spell! I started writing in 2007, queried 116 agents in 2010 and signed with Jason Yarn in October 2010, sold to St. Martin’s in October 2011. Now it’s May 2013 and my book is on shelves in stores and ereaders!

 

ZM: 116! Wow, you've got patience!

Amy, you’ve done so much to promote women’s fiction writers on your blog. One of your standard interview questions s, “What’s your definition of women’s fiction?” I thought I’d turn the tables on you. What’s your definition? ; )

Amy: I’m smiling, Zan Marie. Ha, you got me! To me, women’s fiction is simply an encompassing label for books that probably appeal most to women and are not about romance. I also like the term book club fiction because books that are character driven and laden with issues give book clubs some meaty pages to talk about.  I can’t believe I’m quoting myself, but here goes: Women’s fiction is a book where the main character saves herself.

 
ZM:  I know you’ve been on the ground floor of the new Women’s Fiction Writers Association. What’s the latest news about WFWA?

Amy: I know that the founding team is getting closer to having the legalities worked out so the site can be launched. I can’t wait!

 
ZM: What’s next? Do you have a new book in the works?

Amy:  I do! Right now the title is FALLING INTO PLACE and it’s about a single mom blogger who lies about having a boyfriend, she achieves internet fame based on these lies, and then is offered a job on a popular website as a relationship expert even though in real life she doesn’t date at all—and she takes it. It’s a book about the big and small lies people tell, and what has to happen for someone to come clean and face the consequences. It’s also about how our lives online can sometimes overshadow our real lives.

ZM: Many craft books stress that writers must read and read a lot. Who is your favorite author, or what is your favorite genre? What draws you to a book you read for enjoyment?

Amy: I don’t have a favorite author, but I do gravitate to women’s fiction and literary fiction, that is something I know. I dabble in reading chick lit, the occasional thriller, some memoir. But mostly I read what I like to write.

ZM: Finally, what question do you wish interviewers would ask, but they never do?

Amy: Oh wow. I guess it would be fun to talk about how exhausting launch week is so that authors who come after me can rest up now!!

AMY SUE NATHAN lives and writes near Chicago where she hosts the popular blog, Women's Fiction Writers. She has published articles in Huffington Post, Chicago Tribune and New York Times Online among many others.  Amy is the proud mom of a son and a daughter in college, and a willing servant to two rambunctious rescued dogs.