On writing... collecting ideas

HALLIE: "The Complete Handbook of Novel Writing" (2nd Edition) comes out this month from Writers Digest Books, and I'd consider it a good addition to my library even if my piece on "Clues, Red Herrings, & Misdirection" were not in it. I can't believe the company I'm in. Here are just a few of the nuggets I found trawling through the essays.

On plot: "All good plots come from well-orchestrated characters pitted against one another in a conflict of wills." -- James N. Frey

On the three-act structure: "The three-act form is there because it works." -- Ridley Pearson

On setting: "In the end, the only compelling reason to pay more attention to place, to exterior setting, is the belief, the faith that place and its people are intertwined, that place is character, and that to know the rhythms, the textures, the feel of the place is to know more deeply and truly its people." -- Richard Russo

On character: "My method of character building is from the inside out--not necessarily the color of eyes and hair, the height and weight but rather how does a person sleep at night? What does he fear? Does he run from lightning of rush toward it?" -- Alice Hoffman

On writing commercial fiction: "Frankly, I don't care what genre a reader thinks my book is, as long as it gets him to pick it up." -- Jodi Picoult

This week we'll hear from some of the contributors to the anthology, including Elizabeth Sims (Tuesday on writing suspense), James Scott Bell (Wednesday on dialogue), Jane Friedman (Thursday on the changing role of literary agents), and me (Friday on clues and red herrings). Bob Daniher, who is celebrating having his very first short story published in the October issue of Alfred Hitchcock Mystery Magazine, will be our Saturday guest!

Today we'll tell you what we think. What writing advice do you have for aspiring novelists?

ROBERTA: Boy, those are terrific quotes Hallie--you are right, great company! To go along with what Alice Hoffman and James Frey said, spend time understanding your character's stake in the story (the mystery, in my case.) And how does your protagonist change over the course of the book?

More practically, treat your writing time with discipline--believe me, the book won't write itself. And get tons of help--if you didn't study writing, why expect you could just pick it up on your own?

HANK: Ask yourself: In this situation, what would *really* happen? What would people *really* do, or say or think? Why? And what would happen as a result of that? "It's all about 'because,'" Sue Grafton says.

RHYS: My primary piece of advice to aspiring novelists is WRITE. Don't say "I plan to write a novel some day." Writing is a craft. You only get better at it by putting words on paper, just as a potter improves by throwing pots. My second piece of advice is READ. We learn so much by observing the craft of the masters.

And on a more practical scale--draw a character arc for your protagonist and one for your villain. Where they intersect is your story.

JAN: If you want to find out who your characters really are, don't waste time with the pre-novel bio. Instead put them in really tough situations and see what they do. Then you'll get at deep character instead of hair color and college degree.

And I'll echo Roberta. If writing is important to you, do it before any other obligations can get in the way.

ROSEMARY: As the newest kid on this particular block I'm tempted to just say "What they said." If I have anything to add it would be this - you weren't great the first time you picked up a tennis racket or paint brush, don't expect your early efforts at writing to be fabulous. If you're paying attention and you really want to get better, you will. Even Federer practices his serve. (And takes advice.)

HALLIE: So Jungle Red readers and writers... what's the best (or worst!) advice you've ever given or gotten?

Never give in...

"Never Give In"

"This is the lesson: never give in, never give in, never, never, never, never—in nothing, great or small, large or petty—never give in except to convictions of honour and good sense. Never yield to force; never yield to the apparently overwhelming might of the enemy." Winston Churchill

In the last few days tennis fans have been treated to an extraordinary display of "never give up, never give in." I won't bore the non-tennis fans with the details but in four important matches the player who dropped the first set came back to win. In some cases they were also down in the second set. For the women that would have meant game over and for the men it would have represented an almost insurmountable hole to climb out of.

Beyond the obvious athletics, it's the idea of never giving up that's struck me while watching the Aussie Open. We don't necessarily do it on a global stage like Li Na, Serena Williams or Roger Federer but every day we write our stories and books and sometimes we are rewarded..and other times we can get an unceremonious smackdown. It can be a rejection letter, a negative review, the non-invitation to the cool event. But we don't give up.

Okay we we're not fighting a war..and we're not even battling for a trophy and a huge check (well, maybe one day..)but we are all tested in this business.

So tell me, have you ever thought of giving up? And if you did, what did you do to get yourself out of it?

An attitude of gratitude?

ROBERTA: I'm noodling around with a new book idea these days that features an academic psychologist who has stumbled into writing a popular psychology book on happiness. Each chapter starts with a blurb from that book within the book, based on actual research. Here's the lead-off to chapter four:

Though it may sound completely goofy, gratitude has been shown to boost happiness by promoting the savoring of positive life experiences, bolstering self-worth, helping the reinterpretation of stressful life experiences, encouraging helping others, building social bonds, inhibiting invidious comparisons, diminishing negative emotions, and thwarting hedonic adaptation!! One simple technique pinpointed by the research of psychologist Sonja Lyubomirski is counting blessings. In her study, people who actively expressed optimism and gratitude felt happier and less depressed than those who didn't. From THE HAPPINESS CONNECTION by Cooper Hunziker, Ph.D

So I figured, why not try this at Jungle Red? Tis the season, after all!

Roberta's List:

1. I'm grateful for the family I grew up in, and the family I married into, especially of course, my husband John.
2. Sounds corny, but I'm grateful for my pets. They provide hours of entertainment, plus pet therapy at no cost, and uncomplicated adoration.
3. I'm grateful to have such an interesting "job". Actually, this is my second amazing job -- psychotherapy was the first. Nothing like seeing people change their lives or hearing from readers about how much your book meant to them at a hard time!
4. I'm grateful for friends, for the generous, funny writers I've come to know and for old pals from years ago who've stuck with me for years.

Now it's your turn, JRW!:

HALLIE: I happen to believe that counting blessings does make me happy, but enumerating them feels like reciting the Brownie pledge. But ooookay.

1. I'm grateful for my daughters who keep me from taking myself too seriously.
2. For my husband, one of the kindest and gentlest souls on the planet, and who had to great gift of persistence. Can manifest as stubbornness...but that's another list.
3. For this new career I started in, ahem, midlife, and through which I've met so many interesting people.
4. For good health...which I try to remember to notice each and every day.

JAN: I don't think it's at all goofy that counting your blessings proves to have positive psychological effects. I think its common sense and is all part of this pseudo-Buddhist-yoga philosophy smattering I've been adhering to (except for the steak and alcohol avoidance). But I'm with Hallie, it feels a bit like the Brownie pledge....

1. In that vein, I'm grateful my mother was too cheap to spring for the Brownie uniform. I have no practical inclinations and never would have made it as a Girl Scout anyway.

2. I'm glad she forced me into ten years of ballet torture, even though I'm way too tall and inflexible and was clearly the worst kid in the class. It made me start smoking early to shock the kids waiting for their mothers to pick them up and established my tough chick reputation at a tender age. This was essential to survive the teenage years in New Jersey.

3. I'm glad my mother wore really clunky jewelry because it's kept me from being able to wear and spend a lot of money on all the costume jewelry trends that come and go. (it's the only passing trend I've saved money not investing in.)

4. But most of all (and you might have picked up on the mother theme) I'm really glad I had her as a mother. It would have been her 88th birthday last week and she was SUCH a tough, frugal, take-no-prisoners mother who insisted from day one that I was more confident, more graceful (hence the ballet lessons) and better than her in every way. None of this was true, of course, but it was as if she personally WILLED me to a successful life -- despite the early smoking and tough chick delusions.

5. Just as an aside, I'm also grateful for all the other stuff: entire family, father, brothers, husband, children, aunts, cousins, life, house, friends, yadayada... but you're all going to go into that, so I figured I'd try not to be repetitive.....

RO: Bad Ro is having a diabetic attack from all of this sugar...soooo
1. I'm glad I didn't marry the first two guys who asked me.
2. I'm glad I never had the nosejob or boobjob.
3. I'm glad that I saved that black sequined miniskirt because yippee it still fits.
4. I'm glad that I never slept with that guy, that time when I wanted to but knew I shouldn't so I didn't.
5. I'm glad I never shot heroin.

(PS.I seem to recall going to one Brownie meeting and that convinced me I wasn't a joiner..until I started writing mysteries.)

JAN: Hey, I wasn't that sweet. Mostly I was sarcastic!!

RO: Was I too dark? I'm grateful for Russell Crowe, Elvis Costello, Helen Mirren, Stephen Sondheim, Larry David, The National Park Service, Morgan Freeman, Bruce Springsteen, Jon Hamm, Mario Batali, Meryl Streep, The Dalai Lama, Jonas Salk, Bryan Ferry, Sean Connery, Roger Federer, Derek Jeter, Robert De Niro and my husband.

JAN: But not Tiger Woods?

ROBERTA: Obviously I've been outed as the best brownie scout in the Jungle Red crew. I must say Ro, you're giving me some very good ideas for the new book....so I'm grateful for that:)

RHYS: Such interesting dark glads. I bet Roberta, in psychological mode is having a field day with this.
In similar vein then:
1.I'm glad I grew up lonely and in the country in a big spooky house because it scared the hell out of me at the time but it created the imagination that turned me into a writer.
2.I'm glad I had the guts to break the mold and take chances--move to Australia alone, meet John, come with him to America because I'd never have had this great life living in UK suburbia.
3.I'm glad for my kids and that they are all bright and talented. I wouldn't have found it easy to be patient with stupid kids.
4. I'm glad I've matured into a nice person. I was too prickly in my youth.
5: I'm glad I have been lucky enough to write professionally all my life.
6. And of course I'm glad for my grandchildren. Having someone rushing to meet one with open arms and face glowing with happiness is the best feeling in the world.

HANK: Ah.

1. It was worth it to be the unpopular geeky one in grade and high school because it made me turn to reading and not peak too soon.

2. With ya on the drug thing, Ro. Whew.

3. I never pierced my ears, and I'm still happy about that.

4. I'm glad I listened to my mother, although she still doesn't think I did.

5. Again, sister Ro: I'm glad I didn't marry fiance #1. Eeesh.

6. I got some good genes, and I am constantly grateful for that.

7. Gosh, I have four books. I love them, I guess I can admit it. And this whole thing still brings tears to my eyes.

8. Jonathan. I still can't believe it.

9. I can still do a great big Brownie smile. (I have something in my pocket, it belongs across my face...anyone?)

Now comments welcome, snarky or un!

Sweet Fifteen!

RO: Fifteen grand slams. What a match! I hated to see Andy Roddick lose after he had such a great tournament, and played an almost perfect match today. And 16-14 in the fifth.? I can't believe I sat still for 5 hours, but I do it every year...and I don't even play.

And now back to the book stuff......

Is this news?

It may not be up there with Headless Body in Topless Bar, the infamous New York City headline, but this one has got to get honorable mention. It was either a slow news day or the grownups at the Trentonian started their holiday weekend early and left some kids in charge.

Having gotten the inspiration for all three of my books from items in the newspaper, I had to buy the paper. Who knows..maybe I can use it for book four.

Apart from dead celebs and the really serious stuff (war, the economy, the Yankees and the Red Sox), what's catching your eye in the papers these days?

Is it Roger Federer's quest for number 15, some politician's non-trip to the Appalachian trail? Take your gun to church day?

Is there anything you'd like to turn into your next mystery?