Welcome Dianne Gardner

I'd like to welcome Dianne Gardner to the desk today. I'm excited that she's joining us to share her fascinating story with my readers.

We've all met them, those people who seem to have lived several lifetimes in one. Dianne Gardner is one such person possessing many talents. She shares her creative side with the world through her painting - she's an accomplished artist - and storyteller. Though certainly not the limit to her creativity, we'll focus on these at the desk today. Let's get right to the questions, shall we?

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Q & A with Dianne Gardner:

Life experiences mold us as human beings and it would seem moreso for the creatives among us. Your creativity seems to have many veins reaching out into the world around you, Dianne. Tell us, was there a particular life event or series of events that set you on your creative journey?

What I have learned from writing.

When I was young I wrote poetry in order to express my deepest thoughts, make sense of them, validate them, and understand them. Through the years, reflecting on those poems and the moods that inspired them taught me something about the creative process, and creative people

When I was a teenager I used to tell my friends that their (and my) mood swings and depression were the key to creativity. Instead of fighting them, I’d say, we should embrace them. See those dark moments for what they, that is, a time to soul search.

As a much older and hopefully wiser person, I still embrace my moods. They don’t have nearly the swing they used to probably because I have a brighter outlook on life than I did when I was a teenager. But they certainly come in handy during the writing and painting processes.

Having published my first work a year ago I have to say I’ve learned more about writing lately than this teenage tidbit I still hold on to. Though mood swings might be a catalyst to sitting down and writing my heart, I’m finding other avenues of inspiration as well, such as walking in the woods, music, and brainstorming with friends.

I’ve also learned that patience is a top priority to good writing.

I’m on my fourth book now. Each book has been a product of more and more patience than the one before. Not just with editing, but with developing. I’ve found that resting after a scene, taking a walk in the woods, really thinking about the story and the possibilities, can prove to be extremely fruitful.

I have a portfolio now. I’m happy with it, especially since the last of the trilogy is finished. Now I can spend more time developing the craft of writing and story telling than I did when the excitement of being a newly published author was way too overwhelming to contain.

What is one of the most unusual things you have done in your life? 

I lived in a Hogan in the southwest desert. A house made from cedar poles and adobe, we built them ourselves and the Navajos thought ours were so much better than theirs, several of them had us travel (by wagon) to their homes and build a Hogan for them! In trade they would feed us a steady diet of fried bread and mutton stew. While the men were building, I helped herd sheep. Back on our 80 acres of land in an area known as “desolation flats’ we kept 25 horse. Our property was adjacent to BLM land, so it’s like we had the whole blast red-coated dirt laden country to call ours. We herded cattle for the rancher who lived a few miles away.

Do you write a specific genre? Do you have a targeted age group in mind when you write your stories?

I write fantasy, but a lot of it has my own crazy experiences in it. I target teens (especially boys for the Ian’s Realm trilogy)  9 to 90 fantasy.

What advice would you give to aspiring writers?

Study!!! Hone your craft. Join a critique group. Get beta readers. Learn and don’t think you are the best author in the world.

Are there other tips you could give that you learned on your sojourn to your first published novel?

You can’t ever learn too much. Really! You can always get better at your craft so don’t stop learning!  Go to conferences, workshops, find people who write that you admire and learn from them. Read. Read books on writing too.


Another tip is research. I'm a hands on kind of person. In the Ian's Realm trilogy Ian travels to a mountain and eventually has to enter some dark and loathsome caves. My husband and I took a trip to Ape Cave, a lava tube under Mt. St. Helens where you walk a mile in pitch black. What an experience! And it helped to write that part of the story! You see the photographs I took in The Dragon Shield trailer nicely animated by my videographer Alex Chandler.



Another research project I did was help construct a yurt with some SCA reenactor friends.
They made this yurt, the walls and everything
and were excited to set it up for me.

I put the step by step raising of it on my blog for you to see. In the short story Meneka, the native people are shown how to erect a yurt for the first time in their lives by the young wizard. The Realm habitants live in yurts.

I was excited to have my granddaughter invite me to chaperone a field trip on The Hawaiian Chieftan, a tall ship that berths in our waters alongside The Lady Washington (the Intercepter in the Pirates of the Caribbean). That was so much fun and so educational. And it was also so timely because I was in the process of writing about Ian's tall ship adventures with the pirates in Rubies and Robbers!

I love making my books my story.

 

 

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Dianne Gardner's Bio:

She's been a painter all her life having started at the age of 12 under her mother's supervision. Her first private art lesson was with a sculptress in California. Excelling in art in school and on to college, her portfolio includes portraits, inspirational works, and plein air landscapes. She was the portrait painter for the Washington Renaissance Fantasy Fair for several years painting 20 minute oil paintings during the fair. She has just recently started illustrating books, beginning this endeavor with a 9' triptych of Stenhjaert the Dragon, the antagonist in Ian's Realm.


Dianne is an active member of the Society of Children's Book Writers and Illustrators, and the National League of American Pen Women. Besides the Ian's Realm Saga (Deception Peak, The Dragon Shield, and Rubies and Robbers which will be released in 2013) she boasts authorship to four short stories titled A Tale of the Four Wizards Series which interweaves with the Saga.


She writes for middle grade and young adults targeting boys and adventure loving girls, but adults are some of her most zealous fans of all. Her writing definitely falls under the 'family friendly' category!

You'll find Deception Peak, Book I in The Ian's Realm Saga here. 

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If you'd like to connect with Dianne, please click on the links provided below.

Publisher’s website:
http://www.hydrapublications.com/shop/deception-peak/
Official book blog:
http://dragontargeseries.blogspot.com/
Dragon Shield Trailer:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_c2rm6mGBrM
Website:
http://gardnersart.com
Facebook: 
https://www.facebook.com/TheIansRealmSaga?ref=ts&fref=ts
Twitter:
https://twitter.com/DianneGardner


Finally, to see the book trailer for book 2 in The Ian's Realm Series, "The Dragon Shield" that Dianne mentioned above, check out the video below.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_c2rm6mGBrM&feature=player_embedded

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It's been a real pleasure having you here at the desk today, Dianne. Thank you for coming by and sharing your experiences and work with us. It's been informative, enlightening and fun, fun, fun! 

 

 

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*Please note that the photos on todays blog are copyrighted by Dianne Gardner and may not be taken from this blog without her express written permission. Thank you for your integrity.

 

 

 

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Getting to Know Author DeEtte Beckstead







I'm happy to have the author of Victory and The Christmas Visitors, DeEtte Beckstead, here at the desk today. She's a wonderful wordsmith who tells stories filled with hope and love. If you've read her books, you already know how special she is and if not, you're in for a treat as DeEtte shares a special promotion with us today. The links for both books are below with the cover images.
Now, let's learn more about DeEtte.

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     What is your genre of choice? Why did you choose this genre?

I write mostly in Christian fiction. I didn't intend to write this genre, it sort of just happened as I wrote the story. I like it because that is how I think. There are more popular genres, but this is my niche!


     What are you working on now?

I am working on a short story using a section that was cut from another book I wrote. That's why I like to keep the sections that are cut. They may not work for one story, but can in another.

     If you have published something, tell us about it.

Last November The Christmas Visitors was published. It's a short story about a family who gets caught in a blizzard on the way home for Christmas. They have a paranormal sighting (a demon) and have a car accident. They then meet an elderly couple at the farmhouse they go to for help. What they experience there changes their lives forever.

Victory was published in December 2012. It's the story of a little girl, and the town where she lives. The town has a history of patriotism, faith, and friendliness. The little girl, Brown Eyes, orphaned when her missionary parents were killed in a fire, lives with her only known relative who does not want the girl. When The Guest comes to town, the people open their hearts and town to him, without knowing who he is or what his motives are. Shortly after his arrival, The Stranger appears, much to the discomfort of The Guest. Slowly, the town loses its freedoms as one of the men takes over little by little. When they have a face to face showdown on the mountain, the life of the child and the future of the town are at stake.

     What did you like to do while you were growing up?

I was privileged to have a loving family as I grew up. I am the youngest of 5 children, and 18 years younger than my oldest sibling. My oldest sister was in the University of Utah marching band when I was 2 to 5 years old. They made me their mascot, and I even sometimes was on the field with them, twirling a small baton. I learned to read early, and was read to daily. I remember my mama reading Five Little Peppers and How They Grew and many others.

I loved to go fishing with my dad and my grandpa. I used to get scared when we were out in the boat and both would move to the same side when someone caught a fish. I just knew we were going to capsize! We never did, of course. They were careful, but I was little!

We also went camping as a family. We didn't have a sleeping bag for each person, so some of us slept under the stars on huge camping quilts. I still remember their musty, camp smell!

My parents loved to travel, and I usually got to go with them. We went by car, and with no air conditioning, either! Crossing the desert of Nevada and California was hot! And it seemed that we would get a flat tire somewhere in the desert!

I had a few friends growing up, but I enjoyed playing alone, too. My dad built me a puppet stage, and I would put on shows for the dogs or my nephews and niece, who were closer to my age than were my siblings!

I was in Girl Scouts and had many wonderful experiences with them, including winter camping in a Pony Express station!


     Who are your biggest supporters?

My biggest supporters are my kids and some of my close friends.


     What is the message you want people to get from your current work or work-in-progress?

In The Christmas Visitors, I want the reader to know that God always sees them and loves them. In Victory, the message is that God loves them. Period. It's about forgiveness and faith and freedom. Freedom is precious, and we must NOT take is lightly.
 
     Do your stories come more from your own experiences or from observation of others?

There are some of my own experiences in my writing, and some from others I know or know about. Some of them are purely the creation of my imagination. I do people-watch and sometimes use people I see as characters.


     Anything you would like to share with us about you and/or your writing?

I didn't start writing seriously (meaning with the possibility of publication) until I had raised my family. I had written many things over the years, and some were published in group newsletters, but I don't really count those. When I write, I write from my heart. I try to share my characters in a way the readers feel they know them. I don't know if I succeed at that or not, but I try!


     When you aren’t writing, what would we find you doing?

Crocheting, watching old movies, being with my kids and grandkids, reading...or maybe taking in a museum or concert!

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 Author and blogger, DeEtte Beckstead started writing in 2007 when her son challenged her to get involved in the National Novel Writing Month, known by the acronym, NaNoWriMo. The manuscript sat untouched with several others until January of 2012 when a good friend encouraged her to seek publication. The Christmas Visitors is her first published short story, and her current novel, Victory is also her first.

DeEtte spent much of her childhood playing the piano, clarinet, and guitar, reading, and making up stories. She was active in Girl Scouts, which gave her a variety of experiences. While in college, she was on the University of Utah Synchronized Swim team, and taught winter camping and survival skills for Girl Scouts. She has spent many years working with people with disabilities.  

Originally from the state of Utah, currently DeEtte lives in New England where she writes full time and works on the editing team of Master Koda Select Publishing. Her other interests include swimming, crocheting, reading, traveling, history, and her grandchildren. In addition, this devoted mother of six and grandmother of twelve has been a concerned participant in dog rescue services for many years.

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DeEtte's books would make great Mother's Day gifts.

Victory is on sale through the 19th for 99 cents!

If you haven't read this 5 star rated book, grab a copy for yourself now. 

The Christmas Visitors is also on sale for 99 cents right now.
I know you'll be blessed when reading DeEtte's stories.
She has a wonderful way of touching the hearts of her readers.

 

US: http://amzn.com/B00AJ9QEKM
UK:http://www.amazon.co.uk/dp/B00AJ9QEKM 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

US: http://amzn.to/11Igxrr

UK: http://amzn.to/15bYMXm

 

 

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Would you like to connect with DeEtte Beckstead around the net? It's easy to find and connect with her.
Check out the links below.   

  

Blog:

http://deetteanderton.wordpress.com

Facebook:
www.facebook.com/DeEtteBecksteadAuthor        

Amazon author page:
http://www.amazon.com/DeEtteBeckstead/e/B00ADDW94Y/ref=ntt_athr_dp_pel_pop_1

AuthorsdB page:
http://www.authorsdb.com/authors-directory/66-deette-beckstead

Twitter:
https://twitter.com/DBAnderton 

Goodreads:
http://www.goodreads.com/user/show/2207218-deette-beckstead

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A Visit with Brenda Perlin

I'm excited to have Brenda Perlin visit with us here at the desk today. Brenda is highly energetic, motivated and friendly - so much so that it tends to flood out onto those around her - in the best of ways, of course. *smile* I know you'll enjoy getting to know her and learning more about her book, Home Wrecker.  She has exciting news to share with us concerning her book release, too. Let's get straight to the interview. 

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The Interview:

1.) What inspired you to write your first book?

My inspiration came while I was planning my wedding. I was approaching 30 and going through what you might call a mini life crisis. I picked the story back up while I was going through a divorce some 15 years later and possibly going through a real life crisis!!!

2.) What was your favorite part of the book to write and why?

I think I enjoyed talking about my new found love. Even though I was over forty I felt like a silly teenager. I was so giddy in love.

3.) Did you learn anything from writing your book and what was it?

That would be a big fat YES!!!! I have learned quite a bit along the way. I am still learning. Most of the time I feel as green as Kermit the frog. More than anything I learned not to let criticism stop me from what I am doing. People are entitled to their opinion. Not everyone is going to appreciate my story.

4.) What has been the toughest criticism given to you as an author? What has been the best compliment?

Let’s start with the best compliment. It feels so good when someone reads your book and wants to talk to you about it and share something personal. It makes me feel that they connected to my story in some way.

As far as criticism I have been pretty lucky. I can’t really remember any except for a few rejection letters I received initially. Honestly people have been pretty kind to me even though my book is titled Home Wrecker.  People have definitely been more understanding than I would have expected.

5.) Was there a particular person who stood out in their support of your writing in the beginning?

Yes, I had a relative that believed in me from the first time she read my writing. She told me early on that I had a special gift. She really believed in me.

6.) What has been the biggest challenge in your writing/publishing life so far?

My biggest challenge was when I signed up with my first publisher. They were a very deceitful company that was only interested in the money. Before my book came out I was so excited. That was until I saw that they were charging $27.95 for my paperback. It was extremely embarrassing. How can you ask people to spend so much money? I tried to get them to understand but they would not budge. I felt it really hurt my sales and put off a lot of people.

7.) How did you feel when your first novel was accepted by a publisher?

When I received my first acceptance letter I was over the moon excited! It felt so good to get that kind of gratification. Even though it didn’t work out, it has been such a great learning experience. I feel so fortunately to have had this experience.

8.) Any recent or upcoming appearances/events that you would like to share with us?

I sure do. I am having a Home Wrecker book release party on April 29th on Facebook at 4:00 pm Pacific Standard Time. Please join in on the fun! The more the merrier!!!!!

9.) Is there anything you would like to say to your readers?

Well, first of all I want to thank anyone who takes the time to read my book. That is such a good feeling. I really appreciate the support. Also I would like to ask if you do read my book and you like it I would be so grateful if you could leave a review on Amazon.com or Goodreads.com....or both. That is the highest compliment you can give a writer!

10.) Can you share a little of your current work with us?

I would be happy to. This is from my second book Home Wrecker: The Brooklyn Chronicles. I can’t wait for it’s release as well! It is all so exciting!!!

“I never planned on being an adulteress, or a cheater, or even a liar. I have told plenty of little white lies in my lifetime but it wasn’t really in my makeup to do something so unethical, as I did. Cheating wasn’t something I ever considered doing. It certainly was not in my nature or had anything to do with my upbringing. I was raised to be a “good girl” whatever went along with that. I was taught to treat people as you wanted to be treated. My parents were respectful individuals and if I were to bet, they never did anything against the law. Well, that is not exactly 100% honest. They both had their departures from innocence. My mom had a bad habit of eating candy from the bulk bins in the grocery store as if they were free samples. She thought she could eat at her leisure while she strolled around with her grocery cart in one hand and her ill gotten goods in the other. My dad also had a few digressions that I witnessed on numerous occasions. Once I caught him changing a price tag to his advantage at Costco and another time I caught him while we were vacationing in France unscrewing the shower head from the hotels shower. He said he liked the water pressure so much that he actually got out tools that he brought from home, climbed up on a chair from the bedroom and went to work to remove the entire shower head. It was not as easy of a job as he thought and all his efforts were wasted. He realized after he removed the piece that the wiring would not work on his shower at home. The question I have is, who brings large amounts of tools with them on a plane traveling across the ocean? That would be my dad in a nut shell. He appreciated good equipment and he definitely liked a deal.”

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The Book:

Brenda Perlin’s Home Wrecker

The Home Wrecker book cover was created

by cover artist JD Robinson at Rabbit Run Films.

He did an outstanding job.
 

Description
Home Wrecker is the first book in a three part series that follows the main character, Brooklyn throughout her childhood, adult life and then what seems like an “endless” journey towards redemption for her and her new love interest, Bo.
Brooklyn and Bo, each unhappily married to someone else, have to decide whether to stay with their spouses or give up everything for each other. What would Brooklyn's husband and Bo's soon-to-be ex-wife do to break them up?

Bio
Brenda Perlin was born in Los Angeles, California in the Sixties. She studied acting and photography after high school. Later, her true passion was ignited when she became interested in health and fitness and became a fitness instructor. At twenty-nine she started writing Home Wrecker during the time she was getting married. She put her story down shortly after the wedding and didn’t pick it back up until she was forty-six and going through a divorce.
She now resides in Orange County, California.

Connect with Brenda Perlin:

GOODREADS
http://www.goodreads.com/book/show/15825106-home-wrecker

WEBSITE
http://www.homewreckerthebook.com

FACEBOOK: HOME WRECKER
https://www.facebook.com/HomeWreckertheBook

FACEBOOK: HOME WRECKER: THE BROOKLYN AND BO CHRONICLES
https://www.facebook.com/HomeWreckerTheBrooklynandBoChronicles

AMAZON AUTHOR PAGE
http://www.amazon.com/Brenda-Perlin/e/B0088M542Q/ref=sr_ntt_srch_lnk_1?qid=1359823060&sr=8-1

TWITTER
https://twitter.com/HomeWreckerbook

8 Slices of cake
http://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/8-slices-of-cake-melanie-toye/1114675541
http://www.smashwords.com/books/view/281812

LinkedIn
http://www.linkedin.com/profile/view?id=228478303&trk=tab_pro

 

 

Now that we've come to the end of our visit, I'd like to remind out readers again about the book release party for Home Wrecker at 4:00 pm PST on 29th April. It's just a few short days away and promises to be fun for all!  Please join in on all the fun at the link below.
https://www.facebook.com/events/447180968707670/

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It's been a pleasure having you visit with us today, Brenda.

Thank you for sharing and best of luck with the book. 

Please join me in thanking Brenda for visiting with us

here at Nadia's desk by commenting below.

 

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Writing in the Shadows with Randy Ingermanson & John Olson

This Randy Ingermanson interview with John Olson was published in Randy Ingermanson's Advanced Fiction Writing E-Zine in December 2009 and is used here by permission. Please keep in mind that any offers in this article will have changed since its original publication date. Nonetheless, the wealth of information found in "Writing in the Shadows" and "Powers" are a great help to the beginning author with or without a special promotion.

That said, let's get to the good bits.
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Creating: Writing in the Shadows

I met John Olson at a Christian writing conference in 1996. Both of us were unpublished novelists with a background in science.

I soon learned that John had a yen to write novels based on the vampire mythos and an uncommon ability to write spooky stuff. John soon learned that I like scary fiction.

That weekend, we forged a friendship that's lasted for over thirteen years. We've coauthored two books together. We've climbed corporate ladders and abandoned them. We've held each accountable as we pursued our dreams. I've learned boatloads about the art of writing fiction from John, and also a bunch about the art of living, and I hope I've paid him back by teaching him a thing or two also.

A bit more than a year ago, I sat in on a major track John taught at a writing conference on the subject, "Writing in the Shadows." I enjoyed his talk tremendously and kept thinking, "Darn! Why didn't I think of that?"

John's latest novel, POWERS, is just now hitting the bookshelves. I got my copy last week and am reading it now. It's a prime example of "writing in the shadows."
I've asked John for an interview so I could introduce you to his ideas. Here's the result:

RI: I really enjoyed your lecture series last year on "Writing in the Shadows." In a nutshell, what is "writing in the shadows" and why would an author want to do that?

JO: You've heard of reading between the lines, right?
Well, writing in the shadows is writing between the lines. It's a set of techniques for creating mood and evoking an emotional response in such a way that readers aren't consciously aware of why they are responding the way they do. The words on your page all have shadows. Once you learn how to harness these shadows for your own purposes, you can use these techniques to add creepiness to dark scenes, dread to action scenes, joy to celebration scenes or chemistry to relational scenes.

RI: Editor often tell us to "show, don't tell," but they rarely show us what they mean by that. What does "show, don't tell" mean to you?

JO: It's pretty easy. It means to... uh, show and er... not tell. Okay, maybe it isn't so easy to explain. Let me give you some examples. As a novelist I'm often tempted to write something telling such as: Hailey was scared.

But if I do this, I don't give the reader a chance to experience that fear emotionally along with Hailey. Readers know intellectually Hailey is afraid, because I told them she was (and foolish readers that they are, they trust me), but they don't get to experience the fear along with her unless I actually show Hailey being afraid:

Hailey froze. The vampire's teeth were only inches away from her neck. She held her breath and tried to think, but her pulse throbbed like kettle drums in her ears. She had to make her stupid heart slow down. It was only encouraging him.

See? I never once told you Hailey was afraid, but you probably figured it out anyway. That's showing.
Okay... I know what you're thinking. I totally cheated. Of course Hailey's going to be scared with the sharp end of a vampire pointed at her neck. But what if your story doesn't have any conveniently located vampires? What if you need to show fear, and the reader doesn't even have a reason to be afraid yet?

That's where writing in the shadows comes in. It's possible to write a scene in such a way that your readers will pick up on the fear without knowing the reasons behind it.

Your POV character doesn't even have to realize she's afraid. In fact it's often better if she doesn't. If she knew she should be afraid, she might not walk into that dark basement we need her to walk into. We see this technique used all the time in movies. Our clueless heroine walks into the dark basement and suddenly the background music changes. We know right away what's going to happen, and we start yelling at her, telling her to turn her flashlight on, but she doesn't seem to hear us. It can't be because the background music is too loud, because if she could hear the music, she'd know the vampire was hiding behind the artificial Christmas tree waiting to jump out at her and make us wet our pants.

Stupid heroines. If only our novels had soundtracks to go along with them, showing in the shadows would be so easy! But if you think about it, our novels do have background music. It's hidden in the shadows of the words. Sentences have flow and rhythm and cadence. Words have connotations that evoke mood and emotion and tone. Characters have autonomic responses that happen whether they're aware of them or not. We have all kinds of tools to work with. We can go beyond showing and show in the shadows like this:

The door closed behind her with a sigh. Hailey shivered as a chill brushed across her mind, leaving behind the aftertaste of decay and wet rat. She hurried toward the elevators, fighting the urge to break into a run.

Hollow footsteps echoed loud and lonely in the empty marble hallway. Stepping into a waiting elevator, she punched the ninth floor button and leaned back against the wall. The door shut with a clank, sealing her in.

See? Words like "sigh" and "aftertaste of decay and wet rat" and "sealing her in" create an emotional subtext that shows the reader what to feel without telling them why we want them to feel it. That's showing in the shadows.

RI: You're a strong proponent of giving readers "partial information." What do you mean by that, and what have you got against giving readers the full scoop on things?

JO: Giving the full scoop ruins all the fun -- at least it does if we're talking about novels. Ice cream is a completely different subject. Imagine a murder mystery where the author tells us who the murderer is the second we're introduced to him. Or imagine a romance where the author tells us all about the couple's future life together as soon as the male lead is introduced. It kind of spoils the fun, doesn't it?

Well, that's what we do any time we give the reader too much information. We take away the mystery and anticipation. So if Dash Totallyripped McMoneybags throws up the second he sees our heroine, don't tell us why. Let it be a mystery we can look forward to solving. And if Sydney Hottiepants is in love with Dash, don't ruin the romance by telling us. Let us interpret what she's feeling by the way she agonizes over her decision of which flavor of lip gloss to wear. Remember, when we meet people in real life, they don't come with fact sheets pinned to their shirts. We have to "figure them out" by interpreting their words and actions.

Let's face it. We humans are really good at interpreting things. It's one of the things we do best. By giving our readers too much information, we deny our readers the pleasure of interpreting and figuring things out for themselves. Not only does it take away from the fun, but it feels shallow and contrived. Why? Because that's not how reality works. We may think that giving ten pages of backstory on the history of Sydney's attraction to losers is going to make her seem more real, but it will actually have the opposite effect. In reality we never have access to all the information. We have to interpret the clues we're given and figure things out for ourselves. It's more fun that way -- even if we get everything wrong.

RI: Pace is a critical element in modern fiction which is rarely taught. Can you give us your top three tips on pace?

JO: Sure...
Tip 1) Slow. Tip 2) Medium. Tip 3) Fast.
How's that for a fast-paced response? Of course I could have picked up the pace by writing "Slow, medium, & fast." Or I could have slowed it down by using a plethora of multisyllabic adjectives and obscure, seventeenth century, Latin-derived inkhornisms -- which brings me to my fourth point.

Readers subconsciously assume that reading time is proportional to the timing of the events they're reading about. If a writer takes time to describe the wildflowers beside the trail, the readers will infer a leisurely pace. If the story gives a quick succession of vague impressions, the readers will assume a rapid pace -- like the POV character is moving too fast to process all the visual information streaming past her eyes.

That's why you should never describe the wildflowers while a vampire is chasing your heroine through the woods. That's also why words like quickly and rapidly should be avoided. Not only are they evil "telling" –ly adverbs, but they also work against what they're trying to convey. Inserting them into a sentence actually slows down the sentence (which slows down the action in the reader's mind even though it's supposed to make the reader think the action is speeding up). The word slowly, on the other hand, doesn't work against itself, and is much more acceptable even if it is also an evil "telling" –ly adverb.

Pacing is tricky. There are hundreds of ways to inadvertently slow down a fast-paced scene. One of the worst culprits is what I call "order out of" which is when the author presents information to the reader in the wrong order. Take, for example, the following sentence:

A gloved hand burst through the wall and clawed at Dash's face.

On the surface this looks like a perfectly good sentence, but if you look at what's going on in the reader's mind, you'll see why it slows the action down. When readers read the words "a gloved hand," they picture the gloved hand in their mind. Then, when they read further and read that the hand bursts through the wall and claws at Dash's beautiful face, they get confused and have to readjust the pictures in their minds.

Their first impression of the gloved hand was on the wrong side of the wall. They could see it in their minds, so they automatically put it in Dash's view, because he's the POV character through whose eyes they are viewing the action. But when it bursts through the wall and claws our hero on the face, they have to back up and readjust the picture so that the hand is on the other side of the wall. These kinds of readjustments break the flow of the narrative and slow the pace down -- usually at times when we're trying to speed the pace up.

RI: One of the things you and I have always agreed on is that fiction is about giving the reader a "powerful emotional experience." What are the main emotional drivers that propel a story forward?

JO: Besides the inherent pleasure we all get from reading beautiful, well-written prose, I think there are five main drivers that make our readers want to keep turning the pages. I could tell you what they are, but that would spoil all the fun. Instead, I'll give you a hint. They're so central to fiction that they're written on the shelves of most book stores. That's right. They're the genre labels. See if you can figure it out. What emotional driver is central to each of these groups of genres?

* Mystery
* Romance
* Action/Adventure
* Thrillers, Suspense and Horror
* Historicals, Science Fiction and Fantasy

RI: Any question I should have asked and didn't?

JO: I never know how to answer this question. I suppose it's because I always think through all the questions I know the answers to and then reject those questions, because they're too easy. And I avoid all the questions I don't know the answers to because, well... I don't want to look stupid. Which means I always end up looking stupid -- whether I'm stupid or not.

Stupid question.
Okay, here's a question you should have asked me:
Q: Who is the best author and writing instructor you've ever cowritten a book with?

A: The answer can also be found on book store shelves.
(Hint: Search for the word "DUMMIES" written in big bold letters.)

RI: Thanks for the plug, John, but it may be a wee bit superfluous. I already mentioned my new book, WRITING FICTION FOR DUMMIES, about 5000 times last month, and I'm going to mention it further down the page in this issue. But it never hurts to have you mention it too. Thanks for your thoughts on Writing in the Shadows!

PS: John Olson has a new audio course, "Writing in the Shadows," which will go on sale on my Web site soon. Before that, though, we'll give you a chance to get it free -- if you buy John's latest book POWERS, which happens to highlight all of John's ideas for writing in those pesky shadows.

Why would we give away a two-and-a-half-hour-plus audio course to you just for buying a book? For the answer to that, see the marketing article just below, "How to Run a Book Rush."

This article is reprinted with permission of the author.

Award-winning novelist Randy Ingermanson, "the Snowflake Guy," publishes the Advanced Fiction Writing E-zine, with more than 18,000 readers, every month. If you want to learn the craft and marketing of fiction, AND make your writing more valuable to editors, AND have FUN doing it, visit
http://www.AdvancedFictionWriting.com.

Download your free Special Report on Tiger Marketing and get a free 5-Day Course in How To Publish a Novel.
Randy Ingermanson
Publisher, Advanced Fiction Writing E-zine
http://www.AdvancedFictionWriting.com/ezine


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