Shop Talk with Christina A.--The Hook

By: Christina Adams


Bang!

It could've been the sound of a door slamming, but as I catapaulted over the wooden fence of Mr. Woodard's farm I knew it was a gun.


When you are writing a story or non-fiction piece, that first line is so important. Depending on the genre you are writing, the tone and theme of your piece, and even your own personality, all come into play for those first few words. (After all, you are the first one who has to like what you are writing, right?) You want to hook the reader, make them care and give them only enough information to help them understand what is happening, not too much or eyes could start to glaze over and lists of to-do's start to muddle the attention. But how do you choose your hook?

Often when I have a story idea I come up with the climax first, next who the main characters should be and then I decide where these characters would need to start to make the climax intense. However, knowing where I want to start the story and knowing the right words to make that happen aren't always the same thing. Some of my stories have had their beginnings rewritten several times, but the key is to not let future rewrites keep you from writing that first one. The blank page can be scary, a monster waiting for the writer to slay, although like a war-scarred knight, the more battles you have fought and won the more second nature your fighting will become.

Once the first line is written and the whole story is finished, it is good to go back to that first line. I have found that after I have experienced the rest of the story I have a better idea of what the story is about, what is important and what I really want to convey to the reader. I want the first line to taste like the rest of the book with a dab of the theme in the words I choose. Is the story dark? I drag my words through the night. Is the story heartwarming? I gather words that are soft and open their arms. But no matter what kinds of story it is I always hide a question, if possible more than one, that will draw the reader in.

This is the way I have discovered works for me. What have you found that works for you? Do you start with intrigue, shock, mood, emotion? What kind of openings do you love to read? Tell me about it and let's talk shop.

Writer's Book Shelf-Plot and Structure

Book Review: James Scott Bell's Plot and Structure

By: Christina Adams

As you might guess from the title, this is a book for the writer who wants to dive deeper into technical aspects of writing a story or novel. Unlike many writers' book, that only have a chapter to devote to plotting, this book goes into detail on what a plot is, how to tell if it is not working and what to do to spruce it up. It also covers the structure of character archs, complex plots and the twist endings.

Even though this book has the word 'structure' in its title, it isn't only for people who love outlines and structuring. Bell covers both sides of the writing brain and points out the benefits of right-brained creativity and left-brained logic, as well as ways to make both sides stronger.

Reading this book has helped me to be aware of what I am trying to do with the characters and plots in my story. I have been able to create tighter plots and been able to recognize and avoid the mistakes I used to make. I would recommend this book for all fiction writers.

Book quote: "No matter what kind of novelist you are, there's one thing you will have when you've completed your manuscript--a plot.... The only question at that point will be, "Does it work?" By "work" I mean connect with readers. That's the function of plot after all. The reading experience is supposed to transport people, move them through the power of story. Plot is the grid that makes it happen."

Shop Talk with Christina A.--The Olympics

By: Christina Adams

I love watching the Olympics. In years past I preferred the summer games over the winter, but this year has changed that. There are still many things I don't understand about sports like curling or hockey and I am okay with that. It's the individual stories that has me riveted to the television, the journey of one person toward winning a gold medal, the dreams and hopes of a country holding their breath. Sometimes I get so excited it feels like my heart stops as I wait to see who will win.

I am amazed at the things a human body can do and when they talk about how much the athletes have to train to prepare for this event, this one chance every four years, I can't help but feel thankful that I am a writer not an athlete. I don't have to wait for one opportunity every four years for my writing to be recognized or to see the realization of my lifelong dreams. Nor do I have a whole nation counting on me and a world routing against me. Over all I have a pressure-free life and, even better, I have the rest of my life to write with no end to my physical ability to create.

Watching the Olympics inspires me to become the best I can be. It stokes the hope that dreams can be realized, if I persevere and don't give in to doubt. The only thing that can stop me is myself.

Have the Olympics inspired you in any way? What helps motivate you to keep writing? I'd love to know. Let's talk shop!

Writer's Book Shelf-Writing Children's Books

Book Review:Lesley Bolton and Lea Wait's Writing Children's Books

By: Christina Adams

This little book covers every topic in children's literature from its history to what can be expected in the future. It discusses nonfiction, fiction, how to know if you are a writer, whether you should illustrate your own book, how to deal with writer's block and what to expect when you get a contract in the mail. This is not a book on the writing process of writing for children, but an overview of the children's book industry, what it is like and what to expect.

Writing Children's Books is one of The Only Writing Series You'll Ever Need series and is more of an everything you need to know about than an all encompassing book on how to write for children. There is only one chapter devoted to writing and revision, but the book covers the whole process from concept to marketing.

The sections I found helpful were the chapter where the rights a publisher could offer you were explained and the chapter where the different age groups were defined by topic and word count. If you have a book for children, but you are not sure what age to target this is a good book to check out. This book is great for writers who are starting out and for any writer who wants a better handle on the world of publishing for children.

Writer's Book Shelf-The Elements of Style

Book Review: William Strunk Jr. and E.B. White's The Elements of Style

By Christina Adams

The Elements of Style is a classic rule book on the basics of grammar and fundamentals of style. The whole book is written as a long list of rules separated by glossaries. In five brief parts, each covering its own topic, the English language is broken down into understandable mechanics.

The first part covers grammar and punctuation, or as they call it, Elementary Rules of Usage. The second part goes deeper covering composition, from using the active voice to keeping related words together. The third part goes over the use of form, such as referencing, quotations and headings. The fourth section covers misused words and expressions. This was my favorite section because the authors went into detail on how these words are misused and the proper way to use them. They go through word definitions for farther/further, effect/affect, aggravate/irritate, disinterested/uninterested, nauseous/nauseated and give the actual meaning for everyday words like data (which is plural) and hopefully (which means 'with hope' not 'I hope' as it is now often intended). The fifth and last part goes deeper into style and outlines how to make your writing a clear, communicating tool. There is also a glossary and index at the end pushing the page count to a mere 105.

While this book originally came out in 1935 and definitely has an older, textbook-type, feel to it, the passion and understanding of the English language, as well as what it stands for, shines through. It has been updated, several times, since then, although I can't help imagining the horror they would have at the direction technology has taken our communication. I found this book a helpful reminder of the respect I should have for the boundaries of language and a deeper insight into the power of the written word. This book is one of the few universal writers book and can be beneficial for fiction or nonfiction writers equally. If you want a short read this book is for you.

Shop Talk With Christina A.--The First Conference

By: Christina Adams

The first time I went to a writers conference I had no idea what to expect. I brought a story I had recently changed the tense of for a private critique session and I was nervous. The first few hours I was introduced to more people, more concepts and more information than I thought existed. By dinner my head ached and I sat next to a man who told me this tragic story about his family, only after I left did I realized he was probably talking about his book.

The woman who critiqued my story instantly recognized that the tenses had been changed and kindly told me to keep working. I felt great, although I determined never to change tenses again. It wasn't until later when I saw the same woman asking another conference attendee to send her more did I realize what she didn't say. My story was not good enough and by association neither was I.

As the end of the conference drew near, I was depressed. I had decided to scrap that story and try something different. But I didn't know what. The focus of the conference was on how God needed all kinds of writers; everyone had a place God had specifically designed for them to fill. I went outside and listened to the birds while the wind combed my hair. I thought about all the story ideas I had and I began to notice a pattern. Some stories like the one I had brought were for adults, but the stories I felt more excitement for were the ideas I had for the middle school/teen genres. That conference was an eye-opener for me, partly because I had found my niche and partly because I grew to appreciate the other writers who can do what I can't. I will never be a poet, believe me I've tried. I may never be able to write for the little ones or craft a decent mystery, but I can write from my passion and grow where God has placed me.

What was your first writers conference experience? What did you learn? What surprised you? If you haven't gone to one yet what is your opinion about writers conferences? I'd love to know. Let's talk shop.

Shop Talk With Christina A.--Organization

By: Christina Adams

There are as many different types of writers as there are personalities. I am an organizer. I love organizing. I love lists. I love goals. And I love organizing my lists of goals. I have boxes, binders or folders for every scrap of paper I have written on and I have a whole shelf devoted to storing the binders and folders.

I enjoy organizing all my stories and ideas. There is a binder for finished stories I now think are silly or unpublishable, a binder for unfinished stories I don't intend to continue and a folder for every short story I have written. I also keep a binder devoted solely to my early stage ideas. When one of these ideas develop enough into a full fledged book idea I move it into a binder of its own, if an idea turns into a short story I move it into a folder. Or after staring at it for years without wanting to work on it, I move it to my unfinished story binder. There is a place for every stage of writing. This is my system, and it works well for me.

Now before you think my writing space is sparkling and sterile, you should know I have a habit of tossing all current papers into piles until a time--often once every six month or so period--where I can't take it anymore and purge my area of anything not bound or filed. After hearing about my binder obsession I am sure piles of loose, unconnected papers may be hard to imagine, but I like to think of it as my creative side expressing itself. Even if my piles are more organized than I would like to admit....

Every writer has their own method. Are you messy? Are you neat? What works best for you? I'd love to hear about it. Let's talk shop!

Writer's Book Shelf--Between the Lines

Book Review: Jessica Page Morrell's {Between the Lines}: Master the Subtle Elements of Fiction Writing

By: Christina Adams


Between the Lines is a book every writer should read, especially if you are searching for a book that goes beyond the basics. Morrell takes you to the foundation of effective storytelling, she shares what works and, more importantly, why. Each chapter focuses on its own topic, ranging from suspense to tension, epiphanies to subtlety, foreshadowing to flashbacks and prologues to epilogues. She explains what turns the reader away and reveals the tools you can use to keep the reader spellbound by your book.

I discovered this book at a great time in my writing career. I was tired of writing books that took a chapter to explain to me how I could transform my new story idea into a first draft. I knew what methods worked well for me, but I didn’t know how to polish my draft into a well-crafted novel. Between the Lines was the first book I read that explained what I needed to do and what I had to change to get there.

If you ever want to read a book on writing that goes deeper than beginner mechanics into storytelling technique, this is the book for you.

Shop Talk with Christina A.--My Background

By: Christina Adams

Is it a surprise when a writer says he/she loves to read? That is how it started for me. My arms were full every time I left the library and the next week I would do it again. It wasn't until I was twelve years old that I first started to write. I didn’t have many story ideas, but I would sit in my living room as my five younger siblings played (or fought) around me, writing down, as quickly as I could, everything they were saying. Most of it was dialogue, often several conversations mixed together. When the action had lulled, I would read what I recorded aloud to everyone and we would laugh at the things we said. It got to the point where I had to write incognito because they would start to act up whenever I had a blank piece of paper and a pen. But I loved the quick pace of dialogue and the more I wrote the more story ideas grew inside me until I had to write just to get them out.

Now, years later, I have written four manuscripts for children/young teens and have written short pieces in a variety of genres: adult, children, fiction, nonfiction, poetry, romance, sci-fi and fantasy. My current project is a sci-fi teen novel about a girl who has one week left to live or her whole planet will die. I’m in the editing phase of my first draft and I hope to be starting my second draft soon. When I am not posting here on “Dialogues,” I am posting on my blog Writing, Editing and Other Adventures.

Finding the time to write is always a challenge with my constantly changing schedule. But it all comes down to making the time to do what I love. At a writer’s conference I went to in 2008, Cynthia Lord (Author of Rules, a Newberry Honor Book) said she would get up at 4am so she could write for an hour before she had to get her kids ready for school. Talk about dedication! This has been a challenge for me and a goal I aim for, because no matter how busy I think I am, if I really love to write I could find the time.

So, what about you? When did you first start writing? You can answer either question or comment with one of your own. I love meeting fellow writers! Let's talk shop.