Master Class: The Devil is in the Details (SIWC 2011 Notes)

So. *coughs* About those notes. I pleaded holidays back in December. Whoops. Honestly, things got away from me, and I was a bit preoccupied with other stuff; March WIPMadness being one, and my best friend's Vegas wedding, in which I was a bridesmaid, being another. I've *definitely* been self-absorbed with rewrites, which I do not regret one bit.

But yesterday it dawned on me that SIWC 2012 is now just six months away, so there's no reason I should still be holding onto these notes. Of which I think there are only two or three more sets. So today I present to you a real treat: my notes from Diana Gabaldon's master class on description.

Remember: these are my notes, and not a substitute for taking the actual class. And if there's something you'd like me to clarify, feel free to leave a comment and I'll try my best to clarify things.

* * *
Master Class: The Devil is in the Details Diana Gabaldon Details count.
- Details are important, but they’re not the whole story.
- Details are not action.
- Details are not story. Make sure you’re telling the story first. The story itself should work without the details.
- Can pull you into the story
- Sensory involvement
- Underpainting: Using the details not to change the flow of the story, but to give dialogue a more vivid feel

Technique: Rule of 3 (common in jokes):
- If using any element twice, it will resonate subconsciously, but the third time people notice.
- Only use it the 3rd time if you want people to notice. (e.g. comedy)
- For senses: use any 3 of the 5 senses, and you’ll create a vivid scene.
- Not just sight and sound, but also smell, touch, taste.

What details can do:
- Details can pull you into the page, for reader involvement. Sensory involvement.
- Details can provide you information without being obvious or direct (e.g. describing bloodshot eyes instead of saying “exhausted”).
- Body language can help convey the story
- Details can set the setting: can slip into the story
- Inconspicuous logistics
- Use to enrich story but also for stage management
- Use to introduce objects you’ll need later (hide in plain sight) – technique: use distraction, hide in the underpainting – the first appearance of the object or detail, so the scene can be doing multiple things at once
- Advanced: Use details to add a thematic layer: e.g. love, marriage/committment, self/identity, berayal, being stuck/trapped
- It's easier to see theme more clearly in literary fiction, not so much in genre fiction (because genre fiction is usually more focused on the action), but genre fiction can do this, too. Can be a good book.
- Little details can change the painting (the story). Helps develop a whole new layer of meaning.
- The key to writing any scene that is deeply moving is to tell it simply. Use restraint. Don’t tell readers about the emotion, let them feel it.

FYI: Sex and Violence
- Layering: sex and violence can be added as layers and themes to a story.
- People are interested in sex automatically. Where many writers screw up is in the assumption that sex scenes are about sex.
- People are similarily interested in violence/blood.
- Sex and violence get people’s attention.
- That being so, don’t abuse it, it has to be appropriate, and it has to come organically.

More about details:
- What’s important in the layout is the white space.
- What’s left out? That says a lot, and is as important.
- Things have to be important to the view of the protagonist.
- And If it’s important to the protagonist, then the protagonist will notice it.
- Details are not just for literary style – can be used as insight and metaphor for any story
- Keep in mind the style of your story. What are you writing? E.g. if writing a thriller or mystery, probably won’t stop to notice the setting.
- The problem with details is that details are everywhere, you just have to figure out which ones are important.
- Quality, not quantity: Can use any amount of detail, but need to know which details matter.
- Step out of the way of the story, keep what’s going on simple.
- The add in the distinct details to colour the scene without the details get in the way.
- Be exact, use specific details.
- Choose the right details.
- What is the unique detail about this scene, this character
- Can add to the sense of immediacy.
- There can be power in what’s left out.

Focus:
- When dealing with a new person, start in media res (saying or doing something).
- Character must be in action.
- When it’s somebody else, don’t say, “He was a Scottish Hawaiian who came to the city as a teenager and got a job with...(etc)”
- Can have them doing something that illustrates the traits instead.
- Timing is important in detail. Don’t dump it on the reader.
- Can use details after the character enters the scene.
- How does a viewpoint character describe themselves? You don’t want to focus on that.
- Word choice in description (if writing first person) betray’s the speaker’s attitude and beliefs
- Whose point of view is important, and what they notice reveals their character. They notice different things. They see different details.

Have an artist’s eye.
- Have a different way of seeing: describe plainly, rahther than a tortured description.
- If deeply into the point of view character, what they notice about another character can help describe them (e.g. having to look up says they’re taller, mentioning he’s missed a patch of whiskers while shaving to get that he’s a bit slovenly)
- See with their eyes.
- Only you know the heart of this story, what’s inside these characters. Use the details to make it unique.
- How does the light fall?

Give it a rest.
- Don’t just keep trying to describe things. It’s more important to tell the story.
- Don’t let the details get in the way.
- Let the emotion emerge from the story, don’t say “I feel this” or “He was enraged/angry”.
- Pack a scene with details while being focused on the action/dialogue driving the scene.

A sentence needs to be graceful. Details need to fit in the story.
- Be simple. Describe things simply.
- Use the right details so that the language is beautiful, so that it flows.
Any story is defined by the character and what they want, whether they get it or not, what they’ll do to get it, and how it changes them (what do they give up?) That drives the story.

Technique: Chant
- List a number of details to induce a sense of awareness in the reader, help pull the reader deep into a point of view
- Details that the character is aware of
- Specific details (e.g. name the tree species rather than calling it a tree, if the character knows what it is)
- Give the reader what’s unique about the characer’s viewpoint
- Can induce a sense of hypnosis
- Not just a list, do it delicately so that it fits the rhythm
- Repeat rhythm and style
- Be graceful in the chant.

Other Thoughts and Techniques:
- Dialogue helps break things up.
- Description is not the story itself, but description helps bring it to life.
- Use movement: we are genetically hardwired to focus on anything that moves. Any flicker of movement. If large chunks of description are needed, have your character move through it. We pay attention to it because movement gets us aware. The reader will absorb it peripherally. So use at least one sentence of movement, because just that will lead the reader through description.
- It makes the story richer and deeper if the scene is doing more than one thing.
- Try taking details out from the scene. If the scene still reads well, then maybe the details aren’t necessary.
- Have a sense of character, have a sense of place. Details help convey this.

Note: technique is not style.
- Diana Learned from Dickens (little details and nuances to deliniate character and the narrator in David Copperfield), PG Wodehouse (humour), Dorothy Sayers (social nuance)

Unrelated to the main topic:

Diana’s 3 rules for writing:
- Writers have no secrets (except from themselves). We know everything she knows as long as we know how to read a book.
- 1. Read everything. Read a lot of everything. Helps you decide what you don’t like. And what you do like. You need to know it’s something you enjoy. You have to like to write. This is where you begin to learn to write—by reading. Read widely, in and out of your genre. Learn how to analyze why something does or does not work.
- 2. Write. The only thing that will teach you to write is the act of putting words on paper. The important thing is that you keep doing it. Try to fit it in when and where you can. If forced away for a bit, disorientation may be natural, but you’ll get back into it. But not writing may cause inertia.
- 3. Don’t stop writing. Don’t give up. If you get stuck, switch to something else (another project) to get yourself unstuck. If only one project, write a synopsis or character study. Anything that helps you get words on the page is the right way to do it.

“Any way to get words on a page is the right way to write.”

Don’t write to market expectations or the market’s demand.

A good mystery involves the external events and the character’s personal life, and how they intertwine.

You can teach people the craft of writing, but you can’t teach people how to tell stories or invent characters. The more you do anything, the better you get. Even if you’re born with the ability to write stories, writing is *work*.

If writing from an unfamiliar point of view, remember that we all want the same things. That can help to get into the character.

* * * More soon! I promise. :)

1002

He slipped a rufie in my drink. Idiot me, I was already tipsy—it was New Years, and the club was packed. Going out alone like that? Yeah, not my best idea.

Now it was September 27th, more than two years later. Or so said my nightstand alarm clock's calendar. December 31st would mark the third year he'd kept me here.

Wherever this was. The Mojave, maybe? Something told me that despite the dry air and golden sand all around his stone fortress, I was still on American soil. I hoped. That was all I had left, you know?

“Scheherezade, my love.”

I gritted my teeth and looked away as he wrapped me in his arms. That was the price for having hippie parents. “I’ve told you a thousand times. It’s Sherry.”

See, Stockholm syndrome? Not really my thing.

He shook his head at me. “No, dearest. Tonight is our thousand-and-first.”

I suppressed a snort. His gaze cooled, reminding me of the torture tools in the dungeon.

“Y-yes, darling,” I simpered. “And what tale would you hear from me tonight?”

Once I was a children’s librarian. Now I tell this nutjob stories.

“Your namesake,” he breathed, clasping my hands tight. “Please.”

Nodding, I guided him to the bed. Our bed, unfortunately. Seated between him and the clock, I began:

“Once there was a sultan whose first wife betrayed him. In anger, he took a new wife to bed every night, then had them beheaded the next morning. Until Scheherazade. Each night, she told him tales, but she never finished before sunrise. Each morning, he would let her live so that he could hear the story’s end. When on the thousand-and-first night she ran out of tales, she expected him to kill her, but the sultan realized he’d fallen in love instead. They were happy to the end of their days.”

“And you, love?”

I blushed. “Of course.”

At that, he fell to nuzzling my neck, so passionate, so sure of himself. So foolish. I smashed the alarm clock against his skull.

Damned if I’d live with him another night.

* * *
This was my entry for Yearning For Wonderland's Once Upon A Time flash fiction contest. Be sure to check out other entries below, and feel free to join in!

About Those Goals ... (March Madness Check-In, Day 26)

I couldn’t help but recall Mother’s warning. “Never mind what you intend, Janni,” she’d cautioned. “A journeyer’s path is neither clear nor straight, and the Land may have other plans. You cannot know where you’ll end up.”

"I tink I can

I tink I can

I tink I can"

Welcome to the second day of the very last week of March WIP Madness! Just five more days until the month comes to a close. Can you believe it?

And what a month it's been! Ups, downs, challenges, the unexpected ... and of course, the goals we started out with. What did you set for yourself? What did you intend to accomplish?

Now for the tough question: What have you actually done?

... Okay, deep breaths. Relax, I mean you no harm.

The truth is, I'm a big believer in the idea that if something hasn't gone as planned, then that's the way things were supposed to happen. I'm not talking about the unexpected change of plans like I discussed last week. I mean on the larger scale. Maybe a story isn't ready to be written. Maybe there's more work to be done before you can even think of that other goal on the list. Maybe you need to encounter or read or watch just the right thing to do your work justice. Or maybe something else of equal importance has to happen first.

My point is, we shouldn't beat ourselves up about it if we haven't been making our goals. The fact that we have goals, that we signed up for this month of Madness in the first place, means that we are doing something, taking charge of what we *can* control, and making the most of it when we can't. And that's what matters.

(Not that this is an excuse to slack off, mind. This is March Madness.)

I love participating in monthly goals posts. I think they push me to do more because they help me stay focused and accountable. I may not always manage to get everything I wanted done, but I don't lose sight of what I want to achieve, either. And doing it this way, as part of a community? Whether it's once-weekly or thrice-monthly, or even just a twitter hashtag, the fact remains that it's done together, and we can all encourage each other.

My own goals took a major turn. There was a lot more that needed to be done for the sake of the story, to tell a better story. I'm not going to manage one of the items on my personal March WIP Madness Goals list, sending out queries, because I need to make these changes, first. No, it's not what I started out with, but I am sure glad it happened the way it did. Now the rest of the week will be pushing to get as much of that as I can done.

So, Wipsters, how about you? Are you where you expected to be with your goals? Any major twists or turns? Remember, we have less than a week left in this challenge, and we have each other for encouragement and support. Let's make it worth it!

And remember to check in with Denise Jaden tomorrow for more encouragement (and prizes, too)!

Dealing With The Unexpected (March Madness Check-In, Day 19)

"Sofie was more than a little surprised when she discovered the difference between a fern and a cactus."

 How do we deal with the unexpected?

Sometimes things come from out of left field. We can't always be prepared for all things all the time. Whether they're good or bad, news, events, and even feedback about our work can throw us out of our rhythm.

My plans for the weekend went out the window on Tuesday. A spontaneous family invitation out of town, one that was worth accepting, meant that I'll be away from home until late today. And so I canceled appointments, booked off tomorrow so I'll have some time to wind down when I come back, and early Saturday I left for a relaxing three-day Vancouver Island getaway.

Yeah, yeah, I know. Not exactly something to complain about. *grins*

I am of course grateful for this. I needed it after a stressful week. But it wasn't exactly what I'd planned. I'd set goals for the weekend! Places to be! Don Rocko and I were supposed to catch a movie! A dear friend and I were going to hang out (and those plans, I forgot to cancel. Oops.) And on top of all that, I had this post to write!

But when my plans changed, I had to readjust. I spent time that I would have normally devoted to my creative endeavours packing and getting ready for the trip. It threw me off my game. Fortunately, in this case everything worked out well, but we all know that isn't always going to be the case. So as easy as it is to fall into the comfortable, planned pattern of our daily lives, we've got to be ready to accept surprises when they occur.

How do you deal with the unexpected? What strategies do you have? March Madness folks, have there been any surprises thrown your way this month that you weren't expecting? How have they affected your goals, or did you find a way to work with them?

So far I've had ample opportunity to devote time to my March (WIP) Madness goals, which included catching up on my reading and working some more on my WIP. I finished my second pass last week, and now I'm onto a third (and hopefully final) list of items to fix before I send it out into the wild. This weekend away has proved fruitful, with intense epiphanies about how to make the story better. And earlier last week, I also got some research done on my other novel project, as I researched the character's identity and roots. How about you?

I might not be able to respond much until I get home tonight. And don't forget to stop by Denise Jaden's blog tomorrow, where she'll draw for more fantastic March WIPmadness prizes!

Respecting the Day Job (March Madness Check-In, Day 12)

"For now its just playing, but one day i'll find that artery"

Lately, I've been thinking a lot about the day job, and what it means to me. When I was a kid, once I'd determined that I wanted to be a writer, my dreams centered around me one day being published, rich, and famous. Reality didn't factor into my ambition when I was twelve, and seventeen years later*, I'm still working on that dream—of being published, at least. Rich and famous? I may be an optimist, but I'm also a realist.

And these days, that's something I've come to terms with. Last week's Magical Words post by David B. Coe about the realities of publishing (and even Carrie Ryan's follow-up about YA publishing in particular) wasn't entirely news to me. But still a part of me had been clinging to the idea that my day job was just that, a day job, one that no matter how much I loved it I would eventually leave to pursue my writing.

That's not to say it won't ever happen. Anything is possible, right? Just that lately, I've come to realize that I'm happy with what I've got. The job I do is rewarding in itself. No one minds that I use my lunch break as writing time. And by working a little bit extra every day, I get one day off every two weeks (hint: it's Mondays).

Sometimes I feel confined by days when I don't get as much writing time as I could if I didn't have the day job, but even on those days, lately I've made it work. Writing in the car while DH drives us to and from work (yay carpooling). Squeezing in half an hour before sword class. Making sure I use the lunch break for actual writing. Fitting writing and reading in where I can, because that's what I need to do.

I thought about taking today and the Monday two weeks from now off, specifically for March Madness, but that's not what this is about. The point is (Dear Universe), this is reality. And I love my job enough to know that even after getting published, I could still handle it. Probably would have to handle it. The "Day Job" may be an epithet for some, but I can't let it be that for me. And youthful fantasies aside, I'm okay with that.

March Madness folks: How are things going today? Do you have a challenge to your writing schedule that you've come to embrace and respect? What do you do to squeeze in writing time? Progress-wise, I'm coming along. Since last week, I've edited 9 chapters. Still more to go, but there's a write-in tonight and I'm hoping to get some work done. How about you?

I'll be at work today *points to title of post* but I'll be sure to respond this evening. And don't forget to check in at Denise Jaden's blog tomorrow!



* * * * You do the math. Guess which big one I'll be celebrating this June?

Embracing Change (March Madness Check-In, Day 5)

"Uncomfortable kitteh is ... apparently comfortable"

Welcome to March Madness Mondays! For those of you participating in the challenge, how's progress? For some, I know the weekend meant a break from the madness. For others, it was an opportunity. For me, it was a weird mix of both. I didn't manage quite what I'd intended to accomplish, but I made *some* progress. I'm up to Chapter 15 in my second pass read-through after making a major change. (More on that in a bit.)

Which brings me to my point.

Do you ever get attached to something? An element in your story. A certain creative habit. Even reading in a particular genre. Whatever it is, it's easy to fall into a comfort zone. We like it just the way it is and we don't want to let it go. So when someone tells us it doesn't belong or that we need to stretch ourselves or do things differently, then it rankles and if we're attached enough, the criticism falls on deaf ears.

But what if that means that we get so attached we refuse to make a change when we really need to? (Yoga pants, I am looking at you. Yes, you're comfortable. Fashionable everyday wear? I wish.)

So, what was it for me? Well, I always thought I was pretty flexible. Editorial suggestion? Sure! If something's not working, I can make changes. As long as the essence of the story remains, then if it makes things better, I can do both the story and myself justice by making those fixes. I'm not adverse to learning new things. If I have the opportunity to be a better writer, then I really ought to embrace it, right?

Yeah, but there was one little detail I'd decided was a non-negotiable.

Some of you already know the story, but I might as well explain it from scratch: My WIP, SIGN OF THE STAR, was written in first-person, present-tense. And even though some of my beta group told me that it didn't work for them, I chalked it up to a matter of opinion. The original was written that way. And that's how I wrote the revised version, too. But I clung to the idea that that was how the story was supposed to be. Even when one of the Magical Words folks made an excellent point that present tense comes at a heavy price. (Seriously, check the comments. See Moira Young's—my cursed pen name at the time—naive response.)

Then last month, I had tea with an awesome beta reader who doesn't pull punches, and she nailed the problem I'd been having with it when editing by telling me that "it was like watching through a veil". She had trouble connecting with the characters because the present tense created an artificial distance. Which was exacty not what I was going for.

So I caved. And before February was out, I'd changed the story over to past tense. (Really not hard, even though for awhile there I was mentally changing the tense of any text I encountered. Hooboy.) Now I'm making a second pass for clarity, voice and flow. And I love the story so much more. It feels more accessible. Janni's voice has never been more clear. Did I damage the story's integrity, or change my heartsong? Surprisingly, no.

Sometimes we have to make the change. Sometimes it can be scary. And sometimes it can be exactly what we need.

So, have you gotten stuck on or attached to something in your work? Have you asked yourself what the cost would be to you to try something different? What are the possible rewards? What's the worst that could happen if you gave it a chance? March Madness, #wipmadness, is about putting yourself out there, being daring. Let us embrace all that it can offer.

Update: Forgot to add, don't forget to check-in tomorrow (today actually) at Denise Jaden's blog.

Madness Ahoy!

The Madness begins on Thursday. Not that it ever ended; if you've been around on Twitter you might know about #WIPmadness, a community where we set monthly goals for reading and writing and try our best to reach them. Writers take turns hosting weekly check-ins. It's very motivational. It helps us keep in touch with ourselves, our hopes and our plans. The wonderful positive energy is held and we all strive to do our best. It's a type of Callahan's: shared pain is lessened, shared joy is increased. And we write.

Tomorrow, February 29th, Denise Jaden will be hosting the official goals thread. We state our intent. And then, on March 1st, the madness begins in earnest. Daily we check in with our progress. We encourage each other. And to top it all off, there will be prizes for participating!

So, come join in on the fun. I'll be hosting Monday check-ins and even offering two of the prizes. It's not quite NaNo, but it's something. Today I heard another writer refer to a completely different project as "Beautiful Chaos". I like to think of it as creating a magical space within the eye of the storm that is our lives and keeping it going for all of March.

Join us! It'll be fun, I promise. *cackles*

... Oops. Sorry. I'm not allowed to cackle in public anymore.

Hope to see you there!

Job Satisfaction

There was a new figurine on the basement mantelpiece.

The summer I was seven, Grandma Taylor took to babysitting me and my sisters, since Mom’s last mat leave was done with and she couldn’t afford otherwise. I was the eldest, and back then I escaped from my snotty, whining siblings whenever I could. The basement, a cluttered monument to years gone by, had its own fireplace, and Grandma liked to put her garage sale finds along its edges. No matter how poorly made or what they portrayed, tiny statues were her favourite. And since this was a Monday, I knew there’d be something new waiting for me.

I crept closer, peering at the addition. Squarish and squat, wings folded back upon itself, the miniature stone statue scowled through the gloom. Just as I reached him, gaze level with the mantelpiece, the drafty room grew colder.

Then his eyes moved.

“Of all the injustices,” he muttered, and I could have sworn he clenched his claws. “To be consigned to a dungeon!”

I blinked, but I wasn’t fazed. Children never doubt the magic, not even the first time. “This isn’t a dungeon,” I told him. “It’s just a basement.”

His tiny gaze met mine. “Don’t you understand, child? This is a travesty! Gargoyles are meant to protect humans. What am I guarding here?”

“Well,” I hedged, “These are kinda like my grandma’s treasures—”

He sniffed. “I see no gold or jewels.”

“And I come here a lot,” I quickly added. “You could guard me.”

Now he studied me, intent. “Do you mean that, truly?”

I nodded.

“And you promise?” His voice now quavered with hope.

“Yes,” I breathed.

I don’t hear him anymore. Somehow I lost the magic when I grew up. But these days, he guards my apartment.

* * *
This was my entry for Yearning For Wonderland's The Fairy Ring Contest. Interested in participating? Here are the details:

Lost in the Music

I'm counting the cars
on the freeway below
lost in the music ...
- David Usher

For more than a year, I've heard people say that listening to music while trying to concentrate on something (such as studying or writing) is bad, because scientists have proven with multiple studies that multitasking is bad.

And I get where they're coming from. They're right: multitasking *is* bad. When I have to multitask at anything, I don't get nearly as much done as when I'm focused on a single project at once.

But I disagree that listening to music should be counted among that.

I am the eldest of four girls, with a five-plus year gap separating me and the other three. Now married, I live in an apartment and I don't get to choose my neighbours, whether they be screaming children or hard-partying college kids. My entire life has involved finding peace and quiet so I can write. And since I don't live on a farm or in a cabin in the woods or on the lake, away from the bustle of life, I need some way of minimizing distraction. Music helps me do that.

I'm trying to think of a way to explain this. In some places on the Internet, I've tried to explain that I use the music to fortify the part of my brain that deals with interruptions. The sound forms a barrier from *other* sounds that might distract me. The rhythm from the beat plus the melody of the song itself both get me in the groove. I stop listening to the song itself and I get into a zone. The music protects me. Did you know, I wrote the climactic two chapters of SIGN OF THE STAR by listening to Kevin Rudolf ft. Lil Wayne's "Let it Rock" on repeat sixty-eight times?

Now that I really think about it, I realize that what I'm describing is a trance. Hey, if it helps me write, I am perfectly fine with that designation.

A final thought: Several times in the last few months, I have tried writing without music. The fact that I am easily distracted aside, I feel unschooled, unable to concentrate, and way less productive. The only exception to this is (don't laugh) when I'm alone in the woods or it's so late at night, there *are* no distractions.

Even then, there's an iTunes in my head. Earworms? Not really. At this point, if something annoys me I can switch songs.

What I think this all comes down to, though, is the oft-repeated Magical Words mantra: there is no one right way to do this. I shouldn't feel bad if others, even scientists, disagree. This is what works for me. If listening to music while writing doesn't work for you, that's okay; to each their own. The times when I forget this are the times when I am least producive; when I complain, my TOEM writing group laughs and tells me to don my headphones.

Girl, put your records on.