Becoming a Better Writer, Installment #3, by R. Clint Peters
- R. Clint Peters, Author
- Feb 10, 2014
- 3 min read
I have an exciting announcement to make today. The Alberta Connection, a Ryce Dalton novel, was featured on BookBub yesterday, 2-9-2014 as part of the Action/Adventure eBook Bargains for Sunday. I was so excited, I actually downloaded my own book.
Today’s installment of Becoming a Better Writer will be a compilation of what I have learned from Characters, Emotion and Viewpoint by Nancy Kress, additional insights into writing gained by reading other authors, and how things are going with Operation Second Cousins.
Yes, I have changed the title. Second Cousins has become Operation Second Cousins. I just happen to like how the new title flows off my tongue.
Three days ago, I had arrived at page 79 in my edit of Operation Second cousins, but decided to redo several pages. Today, I am at page 53. I have noticed the time spent actually editing is small. I seem to have fewer things to change. Does this mean I have lowered my goals in what I want the novel to be, or does it indicate I made fewer mistakes during the initial composition of the novel? I hope it indicates fewer missteps.
The latest in the study of Characters, Emotions, and viewpoint is Motivation: You Want What?
To quote Ms. Kress, Motivation is the key to your entire story. I’m going to say that again, because it’s so important: Motivation is the key to fiction. You can create fascinating characters, with vivid backstories, appearances described in perfect verbal pitch, and settings so real we can smell them, but all of them will remain sketches, vignettes, or travelogues unless your characters do something. And they won’t do anything without motivation.
Kress, Nancy (2005-03-03). Write Great Fiction – Characters, Emotion & Viewpoint (p. 36). F+W Media, Inc.. Kindle Edition.
I think I have created the required motivation by the POV (Point of View) characters in Operation Second Cousins, including the primary conflict between the antagonist and the heroes.
However, one comment by Ms. Kress literally flew off the page:
You may not want to put that backstory into your book at all, especially if the killer is not a point-of-view character. But you should know it, because it will affect his outer actions.
She was talking about a basic motivational sequence:
NYPD detective: wants to solve the murder
Murderer: wants to not be caught
Yikes, I suddenly realized I know the motivation for the actions of my antagonist, but the reader doesn’t have the slightest idea why he is so upset. I have outlined the conflict between the hero and the antagonist, but the reader might ask why. (I have something to do for the rest of the day.)
The latest chapter in learning about other authors was a book I won’t review or even disclose the title and author. In my humble opinion, it missed in so many ways.
First, it was written in the present, which was a challenge for the author. Why? All of the dialogue, what little there was, started or ended with “says”, such as Dan says, “I’m going to go out to get some milk.” “OK, bring back some bread, too,” Tommy says.
The second major problem with the book was no show, all tell. I found myself flipping pages on my Kindle to get to something interesting. Or to at least get past the latest area that was bogged down. The book attempted to use a POV character as a philosopher, but failed miserably.
The plot paralleled a book I recently reviewed. This time, the hero is dead for ten minutes and then wonders why he didn’t see the tunnel of light. All the hero does for 200 pages is wonder why he didn’t have an experience when he was out of his body. I continually looked for an indication the author planned to answer the questions posed in the book.
Yes, I read to the end (although many pages were skipped, as previously reported) to see if the author was going to change from tell to show, write something besides “he say” or “she says” (perhaps “he shouts” or “he screams”), or delve into the out-of-body experience sub-plot inserted into the fist few pages. Sadly, nothing changed. If I was to give a review, the novel would be given one star, only because of the author’s refusal to stop writing.
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