But We're So Much Better Than Everyone

A few weeks ago I was getting my hair done and my hair stylist, in an effort to strike up some conversation, asked what was new with me.  Well, this was just a day or so after I finished the rewrite of Aurumenas, so that was top on my mind.  I informed her of my latest accomplishment and I got...the look.  You know the one.  The look where the one giving it thinks we've accomplished nothing greater than finishing a scrapbooking project, but they're sure we think we've just won the lottery and are bound to become the next big thing.

Yeah.  It was irritating and I immediately wished I'd kept my mouth shut.

The look was quickly followed by the high pitched voice one usually reserves for children.  "Oh yeah?  What is it about?"

I knew and she knew she didn't really want to know, so it was painful giving her my one sentence pitch.  Her eyes immediately glossed over when she figured out I'd written a sci-fi, and YA at that.

That's when I did what I wished I'd done from the beginning and brought the conversation to an end by saying nothing.  After a few nods of my head and "uh-huhs" she soon realized I was done talking.

This kind of stuff happens a lot.  I've heard some version of this tale from quite a few other authors over the years.  People just don't understand us.  They can't grasp the scope of our vision or the strenuous labor we pour into each and every sentence.  We are arteests and they are simply ignorant, unworthy of our time.  Only those who truly understand us should ever be allowed to have access to the fruit of our minds poured out on paper, otherwise they will taint the beauty and elegance of books with their tacky, ignorant ways.

Right?

Uh...no.

That's silly.  We may be artists, creating something out of our imagination, but unless we intend on only writing for our own enjoyment, we're also businessmen.  The moment you put it in your head to seek representation or publication, you've turned an artistic hobby into a business.  It's too late for you to start complaining about how people might find out about your (hopefully) soon to be published book, or who might read it. 

If I'm going to bother to write a book for others to read, I want as many people to have access to it as possible.  Giving them that access is not tacky.  We as writers should want everyone to read, no matter who they are or where they're from.  

I've been a part of a lot of groups throughout my life, and every group always (without fail) thinks they're better than every other group.  They think they are more compassionate, understand the world better, are more intelligent, etc.   

But notice I said "group."  That's the funny thing about groups because if you were to take people individually, they probably wouldn't necessarily believe those things about themselves.  One or two may, but for the most part, people understand that they do not know the most or they are not the most skilled at something.  However, when you put the group together and pit it against another group, the people feed off of each other and the group almost becomes a sentient being and wholly other.

Look at politics, for example.  If you were to put a democrat and republican together, they would most likely be able to carry on a civil conversation.  They would give their points during their turns and respectfully listen to the other when their turn was done.  You put a group of democrats against a group of republicans and conversation is impossible.

The same is true for any group (that one just happens to be the most visual in today's day and age).  Writers sometimes have the habit of looking down on non-writers.  Not individually, but when the group gets together.  I've been a member of a lot of writing communities and it happens in every one.  And it's easy to see why.  We writers are often looked down upon by people who don't write, because everyone thinks they can do it.  When we share our stories with each other what inevitably happens is we try to bring ourselves up, convince ourselves we are accomplishing something, by looking down on those who looked down on us. 

But here's the truth:  you are accomplishing something.  When you let the laundry or dishes pile up or the dust settle into thick mounds on your furniture, it's not because you're being lazy in front of the computer.  It's because you're working.  Don't doubt that.  But don't start thinking that you're work is too good for some people, either.  If it's really good and worth reading, then everyone should have access to it.

~Emily White

  For another great post on this topic, go to Hairnets and Hopes.

One of these days is not like another

I woke up this morning thinking about a few things. One, it was my birthday and two, woop-de-doo. I have two kids who have no idea that it's my birthday, my husband left for work before I even woke up, and I'm far too old to expect anything from my mommy. This day, for all intents and purposes, is the same as any other day except for one thing: I really want to feel special. Most days, I'm perfectly happy giving and giving of my time and attention to others, but today I feel deep down that someone should wait on me. But it's not going to happen. So I move on.

As always, though, my thoughts drift to how any of this could be relevant to my writing. And then I realized that none of my characters have ever known when their birthdays were. Which is very surprising considering I do tend to know mundane data that I never put in a short story or novel. But this kind of data doesn't seem very mundane at all. In fact, the knowledge of one's birthday is usually extremely important in determining your sense of self. "On this day I was born" and "on this day is when I became a part of humanity." And though I don't hold any weight to horoscopes and such, I do still believe that the time of year you were born helps to shape who you are, especially if you grew up in a region that experiences the full-blown changes of all four seasons. And yet, I've never once considered the time of year my characters were born or under what conditions they came into the world. So how can my characters possibly be seen as real people if they don't know that one little detail. Even people who don't celebrate their birthday still know on which date they were born, because it's important.

So I've resolved to give birthdays to each and every one of my characters from now on. The data may never make its appearance in any of my works, but I will know and so will my characters. And maybe today will turn out to be a little less mundane than it's started out as. Here's hoping! :)

~Emily White

Writing, Writing, Writing...

With my goal to be completely done with Aurumenas by the end of the year, you better believe I'm super busy lately! There are days where I'll sit at my computer to work on my book only to reach 2:00 in the afternoon and realize I have not yet showered. Yeah, not good. With that in mind, I realize that I haven't been the reliable blogger that I should be. But it's all for good reasons, my friends!

I have goals that must be kept and my master plan is coming along beautifully! In January, I promise, everything will be back to normal. Maybe. I'll keep you updated! ;)

~Emily White

The Power of Words (Part 1)

"It was the best of times, it was the worst of times..."

Try to start your novel like that and I guarantee you that in whatever writing group you belong to, the people will start going crazy. "It doesn't make sense," "those two things can't be true at the same time," and of course, "it doesn't pop. You should start your first scene with some kind of action."


Clearly, this is the opening of A Tale of Two Cities, by Charles Dickens. Not only does that opening work, it's one of the most recognizable out of the 168 million+ published novels out there. And Charles Dickens didn't even stop there. The first paragraph (and it's a long one) repeats that contradictory format. In fact, if you keep reading, you'll see that the opening isn't contradictory at all. Instead, it sets up the theme of the book perfectly. Charles Dickens articulated the feelings prior to the French Revolution in a way that few (if any) have done better.

Some consider Dickens rather verbose. And they may be right, but if I were being paid per word, I think I would want to stretch my sentences as well. However, that doesn't take away from the fact that his words had impact. He was a master. Dickens knew just what to say and how to say it. There wasn't a wasted word in the bunch.

Unfortunately, there are a lot of writers out there who think that the admonition to be clear and concise means creating short, choppy sentences. Let's take a look at the whole paragraph from Dickens's work:

"It was the best of times, it was the worst of times, it was the age of wisdom, it was the age of foolishness, it was the epoch of belief, it was the epoch of incredulity, it was the season of Light, it was the season of Darkness, it was the spring of hope, it was the winter of despair, we had everything before us, we had nothing before us, we were all going direct to heaven, we were all going direct the other way--in short, the period was so far like the present period, that some of its noisiest authorities insisted on its being received, for good or for evil, in the superlative degree of comparison only."

That entire paragraph is one sentence. Let me repeat: one sentence. But who among us would dare think it needs to be changed? It is so completely opposite of how we think we are told to write, and yet, it is nothing but supremely beautiful. At first sight, this opening appeares completely meaningless. It doesn't set us up for the scene, it does not introduce the MC, and nothing is happening (where's the action??). But by the end of the book, we see just how impactful and perfect that opening is.

Charles Dickens, like all the masters before him and after him, shows us that writing is an artform. We are not just telling a story, we are weaving a tale. It must be beautiful as well as concise. Each single word that we put down must drive the story forward and contribute to the picture as a whole.

Our words have the power to create worlds in the minds of complete strangers. We must not take this lightly. If we want to be taken seriously at all in the publishing world, we must approach paper (or a computer screen) with the same solemn respect as any master has ever approached an outlet of his/her creativity.

Don't forget to check in on Friday when I will continue the series on The Power of Words.

~Emily

When it Rains, it Pours

My battalion arrived in Iraq in September, the hottest and driest month of the year. When the commander of the company my company was replacing explained what to expect from the rainy season, he poured a bottle of water on the ground. Needless to say, we were all very skeptical. I mean, come on, this is Iraq we're talking about! Surely the man had to be exaggerating just a little bit. Alas, he was not exaggerating at all. When the rainy season finally came, it made light of the old saying: when it rains, it pours.

Well, lately the ideas pouring out of my mind have been very similar to the rainy season in Iraq. Just as the dry season in that country would surely lead you to believe that not a drop of rain would ever again fall from the sky, the rainy season will make you convinced that you'll never see dry ground again. And that's the way I feel right now.

Just the other day, while watching the news, a great idea for a novel popped into my head. It is unlike anything I have ever written. In fact, it's not even fantasy, but a thriller. Obviously, I haven't started writing it yet because I still need to finish Aurumenas, but it's always exciting to write a novel when you know you have another one to take its place as soon as you're finished.

And speaking of Aurumenas (because remember, I said it was pouring), new subplots and twists have been popping into my head; ideas that I never would have guessed when starting, but seem to fit perfectly in the direction my characters have taken me.

Needless to say, this is the part of writing that every writer lives for. We persevere through the dry patches because we know our hard work will eventually pay off.

Some Good News to Share!

I recently entered a short story contest on the WD forum. To be honest, I almost didn't submit anything, but I'm glad I did because I ended up placing first! This just goes to show you that, no matter what, you need to get your work out there; don't let excuses get in the way.

Here I was, on the day of the deadline (yes, I am a procrastinator) writing out the first few words of my story. I didn't finish it that night. I got about a third of the way through the story and decided the drivel wasn't worth the wasted space or anyone's precious time in reading it. I went to bed without another thought. The next day, I discovered that the deadline had been pushed back a few days. It was then that I smacked myself around a bit and resolved to finish my story.

I didn't finish it that day, or the next day. In fact, I didn't even work on it. No, it wasn't even until the day before the deadline that I decided to look at it again. It was still drivel, but it was my drivel and I sat behind my computer until that story was done! After a few small edits, I sent it away hoping and praying that I would get more than one vote (my own). As it turned out, I got a few more than one.

We are always our own worst critics. Now, after this small victory, I can allow myself to look at that story and admit that it's actually pretty good. I'm glad I decided to put myself out there and enter that contest. I just hope that this situation will always remind me that, no matter what, I need to push forward and submit, submit, submit!!

And I certianly hope that this story will inspire you to do the same.