What’s Up Wednesday
I wasn’t sure if I was going to blog today, but I decided to do a “What’s Up Wednesday” post, if only to let you all know I’m still around and doing stuff. For those who don’t know, What’s Up Wednesday is a blog meme created by Jamie Morrow and Erin Funk as a way for readers and writers to keep in touch with their blog friends. Just answer a couple of questions and you’re done. If you want to participate, there’s a sign-up linky-widget-thing at Jaime’s blog.
What I’m Reading
I just finished the latest installment in Gary Corby’s Hellenic Mysteries Series, starring Athenian super-sleuth Nicolaos and his partner-in-crime (and other things), Diomita. This third adventure, SACRED GAMES, takes part at the 80th Olympiad in 460 BC. One of the Spartan athletes has been murdered, and Nico’s best friend (who also happens to be Athens’ star competitor in the vicious pankration) looks the likeliest suspect. Gary does such a good job of raising the tension throughout the story. At first Nico wants to see his friend cleared so he can fulfill his life-long ambition to compete in the Games. As the story progresses, the politics behind the case come to the fore, and the result of the inquiry could lead to war. Despite the fact that there are many references to sex (though few, if any, graphic depictions of sex), I really enjoyed the book and look forward to the next.
I’ve just started reading ‘SALEM’S LOT by Stephen King. I saw the TV movie/mini-series (the one starring David Soul) back in the late 70s/early 80s. We watched it as a family. I know, ‘SALEM’S LOT is not exactly the first thing that comes to mind when you think of “family movie,” but I remember seeing it with my older brother and my Dad and Mum (though Mum was probably watching over top of her knitting). I’ve never read the book, so I’m intrigued to see how it compares.
What I’m Writing
I’ve kind of stalled on my WIP revisions at the moment, because I’m doing a lot of thinking. A lot. I’m concerned that there’s not enough tension, not enough to motivate the reader to turn pages. What I like about the story is the MC and the what-if idea behind the story, and there are some good scenes. But I feel the story itself is lacking. So, I’m thinking through ways that I can heighten the drama, and make character motivations a bit more solid and compelling. And I have to say, much of my thinking has been inspired by my recent reading…
What Inspires Me Right Now
I mentioned how Gary Corby does such a good job of raising the stakes in SACRED GAMES. I’d already been feeling my WIP lacked high enough stakes, and Gary’s book just brought this home to me. My WIP is not a murder mystery, so I don’t think the stakes need to be as high. But I look back on this and other page-turner books I’ve read recently (e.g., SCARLET, SAFE FROM HARM), and I consider how the writers don’t just rest on the MC’s initial motivation to push them through the story: they raise the stakes, so the story moves from “MC needs to do X” to “now MC really needs to do X” to “now MC has to do X or all hooblie will break out.” Right now I have an MC who is stuck in London and needs to get home, and while I have things happening to her in London that add to the overall drama of the story, there’s nothing that raises the stakes such that by the last third of the book she really needs to get home ASAP. So recent reading has been inspiring me to explore motivation in my WIP. And that’s good.
What Else I’ve Been Up To
Not much to report, really. I mean, I’ve been doing stuff, but it’s been reading, writing blog articles, studying, and spending time with the family–nothing newsworthy.
How about you? What have you been up to?
I tend to stall when I’m just thinking rather than writing, but your analysis was great! It makes me want to look at my WIP and analyze the tension the same way. I’m not very good with figuring out what makes a scene/plotline work – I just tend to write in circles until something comes out the way I want it to. 🙂
Thanks, Rae. Like I said, the way the stakes will be raised in my WIP will be different than in a murder mystery, and the way I raise the stakes will be different than the way they’re raised in a romance novel, for example. But the fact is, I need to raise them. The reader needs to feel that my MC really had no choice but to leave, and has no choice but to return. This makes every obstacle that gets in the way–especially of the latter (returning home)–that much more significant.
I really need to read more Stephen King, which I’ve been saying for some time now but not actually doing. The TV series of UNDER THE DOME is starting up next month and I still haven’t read our copy of the (enormous) book. I had high hopes of reading it beforehand, but I’m not sure that’s actually going to happen. THE STAND was such a great read, and I was so impressed by King’s master skills at description. So, so good.
Feeling stalled out on writing is kind of a drag, but at least you’re still thinking of ways you can make it better. I’ve been going through some similar stuff with my rewrite, so I can relate. Here’s hoping you find those breakthroughs you’re looking for, because I’ve always thought this story sounds fantastic! 🙂
I’ve read UNDER THE DOME, but not yet read THE STAND. It’s on my shelf, though, and I’ll get to it soon, hopefully. Considering the size, I actually read UNDER THE DOME relatively quickly. I don’t know if I’ll catch the TV series. We’ll see–maybe a few episodes. I’ve got nothing against the series, I just don’t watch a lot of TV.
Thanks for the encouragement. I’ve considered shelving the WIP for a while, but then I remind myself that it is a cool idea, and really deserves to be written, and written well. I’d sooner stay on it and take my time getting it right than leave it to gather dust and run the risk of never going back to it.
I haven’t read many Stephen King books. I probably should, because the guy is a master!
Thinking is good. It’s actually a pretty big part of writing.
I’m sure you’ll find great ways of raising your story stakes, if that’s what it needs 🙂
Given as many books as King has written, I’ve not read that many either. I’m going through books of his that have either been recommended to me, or that I’ve always been curious to read. If you’ve read ON WRITING, you can certainly see much of his advice on display in his work.
Thanks for the encouragement, Juliana!
I’ve only read Gary Corby’s first book in that series, but I think he’s an excellent writer! Glad to hear that the other installations are just as enjoyable to read. He does a great job of making a historical setting modern and easy to relate to (as strange as that sounds!). I hope you make a breakthrough with your WIP soon! A little time away always helps me see what I need to do to make the story better.
Gary does do well at communicating ancient Greece to a modern audience, and making it entertaining. If you enjoyed the first, I would commend the rest of the series to your TBR list, Julie. 🙂
I hope I make that breakthrough soon too. Thank you!
Reading most always inspires me in my writing – so glad it’s paying off for you! Happy writing!
Thanks, Alison! 🙂
Hmmm Salem’s Lot sounds interesting. I may have to check it out. I like what you said about the MC not resting on the initial motivations through the story—something I need to keep in mind, too
Thanks, Chandler. This is actually hard for me to do, because I know it will result in some serious re-writing of my WIP. But I gotta do what I gotta do! 🙂
Hellenic Mysteries sound really intriguing 😀 And I need to read Salem´s lot, I saw the movie and really enjoyed it…Good luck with your writing! Raising the stakes is always good 😀
Gary Corby’s series is really good. I recommend it to anyone who likes a mystery, and especially those who like historicals. There aren’t many historicals I know of set in ancient Greece, so it’s well worth your time. 🙂
Thanks for the well-wishes, Eloide!
I struggle with tension, too–I think I need to take a tip from you and start examing how the masters really do it! Good luck with figuring it all out 🙂
Thanks, Rebecca. Reading can be very dangerous for a writer–especially when you read someone who does well what you don’t do so well. You learn things, and start having to make changes to your WIP…!
SACRED GAMES is probably a book I’d never think to pick up, but your description of it is intriguing! Maybe I’ll check it out sometime.
I love your description of what’s inspiring to you right now … I think it’s so hard to read books now and not read them as a writer, or read them to learn! Which is kind of fun in its own way.
Gary’s books are really good, and I’m surprised they aren’t more widely known, so I’m glad to do my bit to get the word out. The first in the series is THE PERICLES COMMISSION, but while there are some running story lines, you can read the books stand-alone.
There are some books I read simply because I’m curious how the author writes a particular genre, or because the author is known for a particular style and I want to learn more. But even books that I read for pleasure (which is most of them) end up being an education! 🙂
I actually haven’t read Salem’s Lot. Next time I’m on a horror kick I’ll have to pick it up ^_^
Tension can be a tough thing to build and a really hard thing to maintain without going completely over the top. Looking at how other’s do it is a good way to kind of get your head around how it can work for your writing too ^_^
Have a great week, Colin!
I think how tension is handled differs depending on genre. Romance-novel tension is not necessarily going to be life-and-death, but in a suspense or horror novel, it could well be. The trick is, so I gather, to make the tension appropriate, believable, and compelling. I like the way Gary Corby doesn’t throw it all on at the beginning, but builds it up over the course of the story. You’re right that it’s easy to make the stakes so high that it’s unrealistic. But if you get it just right, you have yourself a page-turner. And that’s easier said than done.
Have a great week yourself, Cole! 😀
I’m hoping reading might help fix my stalling WIP too. 🙂 Hope it works for us both!
Thanks, Emma! Reading has certainly helped me identify weaknesses in my WIP–fixing them is another matter. I, too, wish us both success in that regard. 🙂
I’ve stalled a bit on my WIP too. Like you, I’d rather sit back and think about it than plow ahead and make a mess of it. Good luck raising the stakes in your story!
Thanks, Erin! I suppose I feel the luxury of being able to step back and think about it because I’ve written the first draft, so I already have a story. And there are parts that are “keepers”–but it needs a bit of a kick up the tension. That may mean a major re-write of large portions of it, and I definitely don’t want to rush into that.
All the best with your WIP. 🙂
Interesting, Colin, to think about tension and raising the stakes. It can be so tough– I wish I had some sage advice, but I don’t. :0) I do think that recognizing issues with your own work and then addressing them is a huge gift for a writer. So, well done.
Thanks, Kat. It is very helpful to have an idea where the story’s going astray. I just need to figure out how best to fix it. 🙂
I tend to slow down on my writing when I’m doing a lot of thinking too. It works well for me. I untangle all my ideas and then the writing flows so much better. Oh and I get inspired by what I’m reading too.
I know many writers make copious amounts of notes–and I’ve tried doing that. But I usually end up working out all my main plot points in my head. Perhaps I might jot them down somewhere, but certainly not with notebooks full of thoughts. I’m not sure if this is a good or a bad way to work, but it’s what I tend to do.
The book and the 1970s TV film are quite different. A lot of the characters in the book either disappeared or merged into one character and events are different. Still, love the 1970s version because of old school creepiness. ^^ The 2004 adaptation was a lot closer to the book if still a tad different, especially at the end but a lot of the narration from the book ends up in the film when Ben Mears narrates which I really liked.
I don’t think I’ve done much. I’m on holiday at the moment for a week so I’ve been running about with appointments, jobs to do, and concentrating more on family history. I think I’ve needed a bit of real life time.
I plan to re-watch the TV film when I’ve finished the book. The description of Ben Mears doesn’t sound like David Soul, so I’m already having to try to undo that in my head as I read! 🙂 I might check out the 2004 movie, too. I expect there to be differences, simply because books and film are different media and communicate in different ways. It’s still interesting to see how they change or adapt the story.
We all need real-life time, and I hope you’re thoroughly enjoying yours, Robin. 🙂
I’d be interested to hear if any of your CP’s feel the same way about your WiP and the amount of tension you do or don’t have? They always say we’re our own worst critic, so you never know if all it needs is a little tweaking instead of major reconstruction. Regardless, it never hurts to jot down big ideas you’re hoping to perhaps cover in your MS – and then stand back and look at all of them and see where your creativity steers you. If it helps, I’ve been stalled on my current WiP right now, too! But, I think I made it over the hurdle Tuesday night – and I’m almost done.
Best of luck in getting it all figured out!
Thanks, Erin! This story’s nowhere near ready for CPs! This revision is the second draft, where I beat the story into shape out of the mass of ideas that is the first draft. I know there are scenes that need to be written, and even a sub-plot, so it needs more than a little tweaking. However, I’m trying to be reasonably critical, and not overly picky. It’s hard, I know… 🙂 When I’m done with this draft, I’ll start hunting out some CPs…