60,000 Words in Ten Days

This is not a marketing gimmick. For one, I have nothing to sell... not yet.

This is something that two years ago I would not have thought possible. In the past I never quite finished my stories. And those that were almost there, really sucked. I got over that hump with Aces. But this type of productivity is not the norm for me.

So what did I actually do?

I wrote a 60,000-word romantic comedy in two weeks (ten actual days of writing). And I'm still having a hard time believing it.

Flashback...

Back on August 25th, just before I drifted off to sleep, a seed sprouted in my brain--a story about forgiveness and closure. I dreamt about it and when I woke up the next day I had a surge of flammable adrenalin.

The next day on the 26th, I wrote a blog about my new story. I flippantly said that I was having an affair. At that point in time, I was developing the idea. And as the parts of it came together, I started obsessing over it.

The fact is that I was in love--and I mean that sincerely. I was in love with the idea. I was in love with the characters. I began to feel those butterflies and anticipation and longing that one feels when you fall in love. I could't stop thinking about the story. I wanted (needed) to know how things would come together. Would they come together? Is it possible to fix things that went wrong in the past?

And when I get this way, my dreams are shattered. I've blogged about this as well. My world of dreams and reality get blurred. This is a curse, I admit. I was not able to sleep. I would work off the fumes of love and passion.

As I developed the story, I used a tried and true system that has worked well for me in the past (James Scott Bell's framework for plot and structure). This time, I incorporated what I learned in his seminar which I attended in Los Angeles.

By August 29th I was ready to start. I want to stress, that this is a very short, even by my impatient standards, period of planning time. But I had identified what I needed. I knew my main characters very well. Too well. I knew the conflict and the challenges. What I didn't know was how I would end it... but I never know that.

To get into the right state of mind, I spent time flipping through old year books (oh yeah, I worked myself up). I reminisced, bringing back and tapping into those awkward days. I read the notes that my friends wrote ("You're the best. KIT" -- "Lakers rule!"). Then I hit the mother load. I had forgotten that during 9th grade I kept a journal for about three months. As I read the horrible melodrama that was my life, I knew that I was ready to explode with content.

But I did one more thing on the 29th. I analyzed one of my favorite romantic comedies -- Notting Hill. I even blogged about it for you. My new story is a romantic comedy so I wanted to assure that I had not left any page unturned.

I bagan to write in earnest on August 30th. I wrote the first chapter and stopped there. I have this ceremonial thing that I write the first chapter and evaluate the voice, the dialogue and the characters. The next day I gave it to my wife. She smiled and said the thing every writer wants to hear. "I want to know what happens next."

The surge was unstopable. On Sept 7th I tweeted the following:

The next day, on Sept 7th I tweeted this:

Nine days of writing and I was at 53k words.

By the next day I was sitting at 60k words. Which happened to be the goal for this particular story.

I wrote fast, because I honestly couldn't stop the process. I was scared that I would lose it if I didn't burn through it. Also, I needed to know how the story would end. I used all my tools that I've written about in the past. Scrivener, Evernote and the iPad. Not to mention Nutella (#nutellaWriters) and espresso.

On Sept 9th, I was done. Over the past couple of days I've taken a break. I have to tell you, writing like that has a burn out effect. I was (am) exhauseted. To keep up this clip I would wake up at 4 AM to write until 6 AM. Then from 7 PM until 1 or 2 AM.

Now, I'm done. And a bit shell-shocked.

Now I'm letting it simmer. I'm creating distance from the story. I will return to it in a month (maybe two weeks... maybe one). And I have to say, I'm dying to read it. I'm already considering a few additional scenes... but I must admit, maybe I wrote those scenes already. 

I can't recall. 

It was all a blur. 

A dream, but a real dream.

Fight the good fight!

I'm Having an Affair...

Get your mind out of the gutter! Not that kind of affair!


The thing is... *sigh*

The thing is that I'm developing a new story and... I must confess, I'm falling in love with her... *eyes get misty*


It doesn't mean that I don't love my other stories. I do. They're all special.

It's not them, it's me. It always is...

I'm pitching Aces, while giving Rocky Peak a make-over... but the new one is... you know. New.


I hope they'll forgive me. In the end, if I love the story, and have the talent needed to pull it off, then it'll benefit all of them.

I feel that loving your story is critical. Your love and passion will translate into a story that will pick up the reader and take them through the roller-coaster ride you've written. You need to be head-over-heels with the story. You need to feel the ache, the longing to write more words. You need to feel justified when you don't sleep, or eat lunch. You need to feel it so strongly that time away from the story is time away from your once-in-a-lifetime love.

Am I being overly dramatic? Maybe.

But the reality is that from the day you start writing the first word of the story, to the day that it hits the shelves, you will have read your manuscript a few dozen (or hundred) times. Think of your all-time favorite book. How many times have you read it? Five, ten?

If you don't have a passion for your story, you'll get sick of her, before she's had the chance to evolve and shine into the beauty you know she will become. And that's not fair to the story that is trying so hard to break free from your head and onto the page.

What's your relationship with your stories? And how do you create separation between yoru "other" stories?

Fight the good fight!

A Weekend to Remember

I must confess, sometimes I can be a snob.

The Myth, the Man, the Master
James Scott Bell

Not over silly things, mind you. Well... okay, I can be a coffee snob. But any writer will tell you, coffee is one thing we should not take too lightly. But I digress.

No, I'm talking about being a snob over what I "already" know.

The thing is that if I learned something, if I have experience in the domain, if I feel that I've paid my dues and now I'm a bit of an expert, then I don't want to be treated like a novice. After all, I am an 'expert' now.

I've chronicled my challenge-paved path to writing before, but I think it's worth explaining again. For years (eight to be exact) I fiddled with a manuscript. On-again, off-again, but yes -- eight stinkin' years. And in the end, this manuscript was categorically bad.

It's sobering to admit something like this. But I have always been my best (or worst) critic. Of course, I didn't understand what made it stink. I just knew a bad smell when I sniffed it!

To the rescue: James Scott Bell's book on the craft --  Plot & Structure. I can't properly explain how much it helped me. As I read the pages, I became convinced that he wrote this for me. I had no quota and no goal. Every silly plot twist, flat character, and boring dialogue that you can think of, I was guilty of committing to paper. All of 'em!

So I dove into JSB's book. I like to believe that I became an expert on the material. And the result was that I completed the first draft of Aces in a matter of weeks. 8 years and I produced junk. 12 weeks and I had a complete novel. After I was done revising and editing, I started my second full-length novel, Rocky Peak. Same results.

Therefore I felt like I had it all down. I am the master. "I can probably teach that book," I thought very (very) quietly. Then I saw the posting of the "Seminar" by JSB. In LA, less than 10 miles from me.

Full Disclosure: I thought the seminar was for beginners. NOT me! I got this. I'm D man! What can he possibly team ME?

The reality is that I was struggling with the revisions phase for Rocky Peak. I felt like I was getting close, but something was missing. I couldn't put my finger on what exactly. This is where my snob-like mentality was my biggest obstacle. Once I got off my high-horse, I registered and in that act alone, things started to open up.

Last weekend, June 4th and 5th, I attended Jim's seminar "Novel & Screenplay Intensive." I walk in and there he is. Either he's very tall or I'm really short (okay, keep your opinions to yourself!). And this is when I knew I was in for a great weekend. Jim is a humble man. You would never know that he's a best selling novelist, a talented writer, and an expert teacher of the craft. Because he comes across as if he's still learning, but wants to share what he knows. In the business world -- in the domain of leadership -- we call this type of person a Level-5 leader (as explained in Good to Great by Jim Collins). Mr. Collins says Level-5 Leaders "...display an unusual mix of intense determination and profound humility." This statement personifies James Scott Bell.

A true expert isn't someone that hoards the knowledge, but one who willingly shares the knowledge for the overall improvement of the tribe (in our case, the writing community). And share he did. Some of us at the seminar joked that JSB is like Master Yoda. Although considerably taller, and less green!

One of the wonderful things about seminars is the people you meet. Yes, some were like me: working on getting their first novel published. But then there were others who had already published many novels. These are experts! They make a living writing novels. And they were at the seminar! Learning, taking feverish notes. No, you are never done learning and every novel you write will have its unique challenges. As a writer, I felt transformed and reinvigorated.

The seminar was filled with tools, techniques, and phenomenal examples from novels and movies. What he taught, sunk in. I mean really deep. I can't think of a technique or tool as a theoretical idea anymore. There are examples engrained within me. I do have a very long list of movies that I want to watch now, but that's a personal issue.

I hope that what he taught us will be released in his next craft book because there are nuggets of brilliance there. I don't want to give details about the seminar. So no real spoilers here (okay maybe one!).

At the end of day one, Jim showed us a tool that was worth the price of any seminar, book or on-line workshop he gives. He calls it the "12 Signpost Scenes."

If you've read his Plot & Structure book, or Art of War for Writers, or Revisions & Self-Editing, a lot of the "Scenes" will be familiar. But what he does here is he provides a framework for these critical scenes. The general flow, the main disturbances and "Doorways of No Return" and clearly articulated timeline.

Before you "purists" who write from the seat of your pants get all wound up, this is a simple exercise that helps you identify the big scenes, but just as important, you identify the big GAPS! That's it. You can stop there if you want. But oh, it gets better. I promise you.

I got home that first night and prepared my 3x5 cards for the "12 Signpost Scenes." And you know what? The problem that I faced with Rocky Peak suddenly became clear. There it was! I made that one correction, then the pieces magically started to fall into place. It was magic. It is magic. And Jim Scott Bell is a master magician of the craft.

I am a better writer as a result of this seminar. I have met other great writers. And I am in awe of JSB.

Now, if you don't mind, I have revisions to work on.

Fight the good fight!

One Year Later - Paris & The French Open

Those who follow my rants on Twitter know that last week I was on a business trip in Paris.

Couple of cool things about that:
(1) It turns out that exactly one year ago I was also in Paris. So this was an anniversary of sorts.
(2) It was on that trip where the idea for my novel, Aces, bubbled up to the surface

This trip gave me an opportunity to snap pictures of the "things" that inspired the opening chapters of Aces.

I am elated that my third most popular post on this blog is the chapter 1 excerpt of Aces. So, I thought I'd share what I "saw" with you.

As I've mentioned many times before, Aces was born in Paris, at the Pullman Hotel.

It so happened that the French Open had just started... French Open? No, that's not like a swap meet or an open house. That's one of four major tennis tournaments (grand slams) that happens during the year. Both last year and again this year, many of the pro athletes stayed at the Pullman.

While on the elevator, headed to the 23rd floor, I met Dominika Cubilkova.
It went something like this:
     Me: "Hi"
     Her: "Hello"
     Me: "Good luck today"
     Her: "Thank you"

Okay, it wasn't that pitiful, but it was not more exciting than that either. She did win that day, so I'd like to lay claim to her winnings for that day. Anyway, we were both headed for breakfast at the hotel's Le Montgolfier.

While I ate breakfast I saw a young guy staring at her like a love-starved pup. I wondered what he did? Was he a tennis player also? Maybe he was a young executive... or maybe he was there with his mom and dad :)

As I ate breakfast my writer's mind started to work quickly... by the way, the prosciutto ham, sharp cheese, fresh baguettes and everything else is to die for! As are the single serving Nutella packs... (excuse me while I clean my salivating mouth)

As I watched him, I thought, what if two people from very different, yet challenging worlds, fell for each other? What if all they wanted was happiness? And what if they had to choose between personal happiness and professional success?

In the opening chapter there is a scene with the individual thermos containers of coffee... this is what they look like. They are boiling hot!

The waitress that carried them had this determined look on her face. Dominika's huge tennis racket bag lay on the floor, but the waitress maneuvered around it with grace. So I thought, what if she hadn't?

You can see from these images that the view of central Paris is really pretty from up there.

I went to the office and all day this idea brewed. Thoughts of an opening scene populated my jet-lagged head. That night, when I returned to the hotel, I went to the bar. It has a very creative name... "Le Bar"

I melted into those plush seats. I sat with my iPad and started thinking, drawing, mind-mapping. I thought this bar deserved a scene or two as well.

That was one year ago.

Until then, I had not been able to finish a novel-length story before. There had not been enough for me to want to continue writing more. I lost interest and gas. But not with this one. I wanted to know what would happen to these two.

You never know when inspiration may strike. But when it does, we need to be in a position to jump all over it and bring it to life. Everything has the potential to evolve into a story. It's our job to find the story that lives in everyone we meet.

Fight the good fight.

Tools for Brainstorming - Part II (redux)

[Because of the Great Blogger debacle of 2011, I lost my original Part II post along with the comments. So Here is my attempt at recreating the genius I had committed to pixels - Editor]

 
I've decided to break this segment out into three parts. Why? Because this is my blog, and I can do whatever I want. How you like them apples?

Too heavy handed? Okay fine. How's this: I have so much information, such an avalanche of insight to share, that the only appropriate move is to give each technique their due time.

Or, something like that...

Method II - Sit on the Couch

This method came to me after I read the great James Scott Bell's "The Art of War for Writers." In it, he describes the Voice Journal, which is a great way "get to know" your character. You write in first person, and lay out the character's attitude, way of talking, answering questions that pop up. This is a steam of consciousness type of journaling.

I've used this method often, but I have a bit of a spin on it for the purpose of breaking through when I hit a rough patch.

When I'm revising, I will sometimes hit a spot that just doesn't feel right. Why did my main character (MC) do that? Why would he say that? Does it sound believable? Hundreds of questions come to me.

Think of yourself as the psychologist with a finely tuned truth detector that in the course of a conversation can pick up plausibility, believability and reasonability. You, the therapist, are asking the MC questions. You want to see why he did what he did? What was his "motivation" for acting that way, behaving that way, and saying the things he said.

As a consumer of entertainment -- be it books, TV, or movies -- I don't like it when others insult my intelligence. Picture this scene:

The Hero and Heroine love each other. But they have not expressed their true feelings, yet. The Heroine misunderstands the situation. The Hero should explain and resolve the misunderstanding. Simple. Just say it. JUST SAY IT. But he doesn't. The result is that they break up. Then that silly misunderstanding spirals into more challenges. And approximately 150 pages or so later, they realize they made a mistake. Sorry saps! 

Are you kidding me? If you've watched Telenovelas (Spanish/Mexican soap operas) you see this all.the.stinkin'.time. Please! What do you take me for?!

What? Oh, do I watch telenovelas? Em... well, you see... sometimes... umm, it's my wife, not me. It's her, I tell you!

Back to the couch. I imagine the MC trying to justify his decisions. It needs to make sense to me. I don't want to insult the reader. I don't my MC to insult me either. I need to make it plausible and realistic. In other words, would real people behave that way? As my reader you need to stay on my roller coaster, otherwise I risk losing you.

So when I find a scene that doesn't seem right, I sit my character on the couch and ask questions. I write fast and furious. In first person, with all the attitude that is appropriate for the character. He may even reveal things that are part of his unwritten back story. In other words, he tells me "why" his experiences and perceptions of the world have caused him to behave the way he has.

In practice, I usually find that my main character can not justify the questionable behavior but in this stream-of-consciousness writing, my character reveals new things that I can layer into the scene.

I find that my characters, when given the opportunity to tell me who they really are, I find a goldmine of information. I find more material than I could have imagined.

To those of you who write in earnest: has it happened that as you write a scene, your character does something completely unexpected? You pause and think about this behavior. You consider changing it. You tell your character, "That's not what I wanted you to do!" But if you're wise, you honor your character and let him show you what's really happening.

Sometimes the best way to have a breakthrough is by getting out of the way. Your job is to tell your character's story. Not your interpretation of the story.

So far we've discussed how to get focused (Part I) and how to let your characters speak up (Part II). In Part III, I will introduce a great tools -- the mind map.

Fight the good fight!

Tools for Brainstorming - Part I

I was stuck.

It happens more often than I care to admit. But it does happen. And when it does, I turn to my tired and true "techniques" for breaking through.

I have two methods which I will separate into two parts/posts.

Method I -- Sunflower seeds

Don't laugh! Brainstorming is serious business. What? You'd rather I gnaw away at my poor finger nails?

Okay, so maybe Part I is bit less "serious" but the fact remains -- this is what works for me. For anyone who's walked this line, you can understand when I say this is an addictive and focused activity. My mind becomes singularly focused on that stinkin' seed. I become myopic in that all other thoughts get flushed. And this is an important first step.

When I'm stuck, it's because clarity is alluding me. Things are muddled and the issue at hand is bombarded with so many other thoughts that I can't actually focus on the issue. Instead my brain is running in multiple directions.

I found that any action that forces focus, cleanses my head and allows me to start again.

Part II, will touch on mind-mapping and "on-the-couch" writing. You'll have to come back to learn about those methods :)

Okay, so back to my friends, the sunflower seeds.

The Process

Step 1:

Seeds! Get a bag, any bag will do.

Unfortunately, they are typically way too salty. What's a suffering writer to do?

Step 2:

Water! That's right. Apply water to sunflower seeds. Rinse 'em out a couple of times. Don't go crazy with this step. Just rinse, then pat dry. We're not making soup here.

Step 3:

Toast! Warm up a pan and drop them seeds right in. If there's still some water on the seeds, that's okay. The heat from the pan will cook it away.

Toss it around a bit. Move them seeds around so that they don't burn. Remember this, toast is good, burn is bad. Repeat it after me: toast is good, burn is bad.

Step 4:

Consume! Eat them like there's no tomorrow. As you crack, withdraw, chew and toss, think about the problem at hand.

The carnage!

The Method Behind the Madness

I'm sure you've heard of the saying, walking and chewing gum at the same time. This method is a take on that saying. You are focused on seeds and the problem -- nothing else. The seed is a physical process. Remember that a physical process that isn't automatic takes over both mind and body functions.

Focus and concentration are key elements in brainstorming a solution. Eliminate all thoughts that are blocking you and then start at the start -- the problem at hand. Nothing else.

“We can't solve problems by using the same kind of thinking we used when we created them.” ~ Albert Einstein

Fight the good fight!

The "Platform" that holds up your "Work In Progress"

I've always been fascinated by oil rigs in the ocean.

The ocean is amazing. She is vast, beautiful, dangerous, tempting, scary, inviting and unpredictable.

And an oil rig is this dinky looking thing in the middle of this vast terrain of danger sucking oil through a straw. And when the ocean has a temper tantrum, for the most part, these dinky little things hold up.

I've watched what the ocean can do -- at any time, to anything. Yet, these oil rigs survive.

Sometimes I think of my work-in-progress as an oil rig. Often, people focus on the "stuff" that sits on the platform. And some dress it up with clever plot twists, settings, detailed back stories, and conflicts... but what about the "thing" that actually keeps the platform steady and unwavering? What about the foundation?

For me, the foundation is the story. My stories are character driven -- this does not imply no plot. Indeed they coexist. So far, I have not found a way to separate the two -- the plot is what happens to the characters in the context of the story. My stories are about people being placed in a situations that calls for them to become more than was expected -- about testing the will of my characters to rise to the occasion.

I have thought up a lot of promising ideas -- I have pages and pages of notes that may never materialize into anything. You see, I've learned from the mistakes of the past. Writing a full-length novel, like the ocean, puts a lot of stress and strain on the story... and sometimes, the story buckles.

Writing a great story, although difficult and challenging, should be fun. You should love the tale your about to tale so much that all the challenges and exhaustion that sets in does not alter your passion for the story. A lot of unpredictable things comes our way. But if the story's not great, and bad things happen (and they will), we get trapped in revision hell. The process is no longer fun. Instead it's painful.

The way I see it, we write because there's something we want to share with others. It's important to tell that story in the best possible way. If built on the right foundation, your characters, settings, dialogue, and everything else will hum true.

"It's about the story, and it's always about the story." ~ Stephen King -- On Writing

How do you test your story's foundations? What questions do you ask your story to see if she'll hold up the trials and tribulations known as writing?

Fight the good fight.

Say that to me again!

I'd like to believe that I'm a smart guy. In fact, I pride myself on my ability to listen fully. Also, I'm not defensive on most things (most) and fairly open-minded to the possibility of anything.

So far, this has translated well with my writing. Every feedback that I've gotten I've been able to find a way to make my work better.

Maybe not so true with my second novel. I've been revising Rocky Peak for a few weeks now. My mentor, Michael Levin, gave me fantastic feedback (as usual) but he wanted me to push the conflict and the problem further. Make it bigger.

So I did. After I shared it with him, we had what I thought was a repeat conversation.
"Good, very good. But we've seen that before. Escalate it, bring something new to the reader."

Hmm... okay. So I  brainstormed some more and come up with the ground breaking idea. Send it off.

And again... "Yes. I get it. But, we've seen that in x book, and y movie. It needs to be fresh. Escalate it."

It didn't quite sink in until I watched Nacho Libre. Nacho Libre???? Yes, my friend, there's a lot of wisdom that comes from the lips of Jack Black. The specific scene is the one where his "Luchador" partner (Esqueleto) tells Nacho, that he hates all the orphans.

I Hate Orphans!
Nacho Libre at MOVIECLIPS.com

The reality was that I didn't want to hear what I was being told. I wasn't ready -- emotionally -- to take my characters there. Because I knew what it would imply -- There would be hurt, pain, and possibly loss. I didn't want to do that to them. I am too attached to them. I care for them. But isn't that when it really hurts in life? We suffer over people we know, scenarios that we can relate to, pain that we've experienced in the past. We may not want to open those wounds. We may not want to relive them, but if we don't, are we being honest. Are we really writing what is in our heart?

Last night was tough. When reality stares at you, do you look away, or face it with courage?

I outlined my thoughts and got ready to kill my darlings. By just past midnight, I had what I thought was powerful -- and painful. I haven't made the revisions yet, as I'm waiting for feedback. But when I do, I will drop head first into a roller coaster ride. And that's good. I should go through that, because if it hurts me, then I will give my reader something that will be meaningful.

I must do right by my reader. And the reader is who really counts... after all, I'm one of them.

Fight the good fight.

How I chose "her" name

I've been asked by a few followers, friends and my cats, how I chose the name "Gemma" for my heroine in Aces.

There are many theories... but there's only one truth. As your reward, you will know the truth. And one day, when I've sold Aces, and I invite all of you to the movie premiere (all y'all) you will have the insider information.

Let's start at the beginning. I have a day job. Okay, so that's not that exciting, but my day job is in the Entertainment Industry (Okay, that's not too exciting either, believe me). What that means is that we have a lot of coffee and a lot of one-sheets all over the place.

What? What's a one-sheet, you ask? Movie Posters. [That's "insider" lingo... you can be cool at the next party you go to].

Anywho.... As the idea for Aces was forming in my head, I was struggling with the name for my heroine. The hero -- Andre -- was immediate. Not sure why, it just was. But I struggled with this British tennis star's name. I had many options, none of them had the quality I was looking for. It needed to be special, like her.

So, there I was, preparing a cup of coffee...

Nice coffee machine, nice boy... and my eyes drifted off to a one-sheet in the hallway... (once again, that's a movie poster -- you really need to learn these terms before the premiere of the movie)

What? You can't see it too well?

How's this? Better?

And there it was! It was so obvious! So I -- What? You still don't get it?

Here you go. Look again!

That look in her eyes was exactly what I envisioned in the opening chapter of my novel when Andre and Gemma come face-to-face. You've read that part, right? What am I gonna do with you? Go now, and read Chapter 1 of Aces.

Okay, now with that scene in mind, look at her eyes again.

And what was this actress's name? I looked down. BAM!

Gemma Arterton. Gemma.

But what does that name mean? Would it be fitting?

courtesy of www.name-meanings.com

Gemma means "Gem." Of course it did... that is exactly how I imagined Andre thinking of her crystal blue eyes. It was meant to be. Come to me, my precious Gemma...

Now you know the whole story. But please remember to dress nicely for the premiere... What did you say? Okay fine, I need to sell the book first... well, actually, I need to get an agent first. Stop confusing me with facts!

Fight the good fight. It's worth it.

Gravity and the Magic of Writing

"Gravity cannot be held responsible for people falling in love." -- Albert Einstein

Albert, my friend, I think you may be wrong.

The universe is tethered to our galaxy. Our galaxy to our sun. Our sun to our planet. Our moon to our planet. Our planet to the people, and the people to each other.

Grand Universe by ANTIFAN-REAL -- http://antifan-real.deviantart.com/art/Grand-Universe-17189369

The force that binds the heavenly bodies is gravity.

What do we call the force that binds people together? Humanity? God? Love?

The connection is an orchestration of the kind that we may never properly understand.

I don't know what does the magic -- but the magic is real. And this magic goes far beyond connecting the obvious: people, nature, the oceans, the animals, ...

Think of a song that transports you in both time and place. A song that you heard twenty years ago in a place thousands of miles away. And in one instant, that tether is there, reminding you of the connection that was established so many years ago.

Think of your favorite novel. What tethers you to that book? Was it the story? The character? Or one obscure little line that forever altered your world?

Those of us who have elected to sink deep into the magic called writing, we realize that it really is magic. What else can we call it when one line sticks to you, latches on to you forever. What do you call it when words that were generated in my mind's eye are transferred to you, and you see the same thing--you experience the same vision? And years later when you think you've forgotten all about it, it hasn't forgotten you. For when you least expect it, that magic, that gravitiational pull will pop up.

I don't know what we call this force, but maybe it is gravity. And if it is gravity -- a form of it that we can't measure or test, yet -- then maybe gravity has a role in love as well. Maybe it can't be held responsible for falling in love... but maybe it can be held responsible for remembering, holding on to and not giving up on that love.

What made you love that song, that book, that person?

"Love lingers." -- Michael Koryta, The Cypress House

Is your book better than it sounds?

I've quoted this man many times before. I will quote him again. From Seth Godin's blog:

Better than it sounds

Mark Twain said that Wagner wrote music that was better than it sounds.

It's an interesting way to think about marketing. Is your product better than it sounds, or does it sound better than it is? We call the first a discovery, something worthy of word of mouth. The second? Hype.

I often feel that way about the great things I've come across. When I get excited about something -- be it a book, a movie, a lecture, whatever -- I try to explain it. My words collide into each other, meaning is lost, and the barrage of adverbs and adjectives must be nauseating. But in my excitement, the person listening wants to find out why Ara is so flippin' excited about this 'whatever it is.'

This is a typical issue of mine. Which is why I have been struggling with my query letter--never quite happy with it. Just to be clear, this is an internal struggle. I am never happy with what I do--not completely. I am certain I can do better. I push and push until I'm proud of the work. As for the query letter or synopsis, it doesn't seem to capture the excitement I have for the story. I feel that I don't do my main characters and the story they go through justice. One person who has read my manuscript and provided feedback on my query letter said the following, "You are totally underplaying the story, the characters and the connection they have."

This issue is greater than just about the query letter. It's an all encompassing phenomena. It's about how we talk about our craft and our work with others.

"What's your book about?"
                      "What do you write about?"
                                               "Where do you get your ideas?"

Back to Seth--this is not about being a better marketer or a salesman. Because obvious marketing comes across cheap, planned, with lack of honesty behind it. This is about releasing any and all judgement you have about yourself, your work, and your passion. It's about trusting your work and letting it sing. Maybe even generate music that last the test of time. Sort of like Mark Twain, Wagner, and Seth Godin.

Remember this, it is YOUR responsibility to make your book's pitch consistent with what it is. No one will sell the 'hook, book and cook' for you, better than you. You may chalk this off as, "I'm not the business man, I'm the creative one." Selling is not a bad thing. It's the way we clarify the value to someone else, so that they also get the benefit. It is using words to convey the story we're trying to tell. Who better to do that, than writers?

Fight the good fight!

Harry Potter + My Son = Showing vs Telling Lesson

My seven-year-old is supposed to read 15 minutes every day. This is called homework at his school. He's in second grade. We've had luke-warm success so far with this. What I mean is that he does not go and get one of the many books available to him and just read it because he wants to know what happens next. He completely sees this as a task from school -- i.e. not fun.

Last week we agreed that he will start reading  J.K. Rowling's first Harry Potter book, the Sorcerer's Stone.

This time, I took a different approach. I don't care if he reads for fifteen minutes. I care about what he understands in that span of time. Don't care about the number of pages, I care about the learning that takes place. I want to hear his interpretation of what he reads. He's a very good reader--don't get me wrong. But he's a mechanical reader.

I want him to appreciate the little details that go on in writing. I want him to appreciate the magic of words.

This is what we do: He reads a couple of paragraphs and then starts explaining it to me. I must say, it is the cutest thing. He gets a bit theatrical about the whole thing. At times I just watch him trying to explain it to me.

So I do what I hope most would. I ask him, "What do you think the author's trying to tell you?" or "Why did she say that?" or "I don't understand what he means. Can you explain it to me better? With your words?"

In that, a great lesson was learned. The lesson was not for my son, but me. What stuck out was one particular line:

Professor McGonagall pulled out a lace handkerchief and dabbed at her eyes beneath her spectacles.

I asked my son, "What's happening here?"
"She's crying," he said.
"How do you know that?" I asked.
"Because she's doing what someone who's crying would do."
"But the author didn't say cry," I argued.
"But she showed me with the thing that the professor did to her face."

BINGO. This, in a nutshell, is the age-old conversation of showing vs. telling. It's really that easy.

Ms. Rowling could have said:

Professor McGonagall cried.

Boring. We got some much more color with the actual text. She uses a "lace" handkerchief, not a cowboy bandana! She dabs, no trombone honk!

Often I wonder, "Will my reader understand what I'm trying to say? Maybe I need to be obvious."

My seven-year-old got it. Anyone can get it.

I've been fairly savage about eradicating "tell" scenes when I see them. I am sure, I still have some in ACES and in my new novel. Every time I see them, like a cockroach that won't go away, I zap it.

My story is better, my writing is better, and most importantly, the reader sees the images, depth and texture that I see.

Fight the good fight!

My Dream Agent? Martin Short

A few days back I wrote the following statement on Twitter:

I've been doing the query thing and I had an epiphany! [Enter singing birds and opening of gates]

Querying agents is sort of like going to nightclubs trying to find your spouse. "Hey, I'm an Aries. Wanna get married?" Tough sell.

The person on the other end holds all the cards and all you hold is hope. You must approach the person of interest hoping for the following:

• You showed up at the right time
• Person of interest is in the right mood/state of mind
• You have used the right words
• You've delivered the pitch in 10 seconds
• You don't make them vomit (okay so maybe your query won't make anyone vomit... but you get the point)

Don't get these right and... yes, my dear friend, Form Rejection.

In summary, the query letter is like your best pickup line. And for those who have observed people delivering pickup lines, they make for great entertainment, but they don't get you a spouse.

True story: many moons ago, we heard the best (meaning worst) pickup line in the world. There was this guy with a very heavy accent at the bar. He turned to the girl next to him and asked, "Hey Angel, you vant to meet the devil?" result? Form Rejection.

The brilliant marketing guru Seth Godin covers this in his book Permission Marketing. You need to build a relationship, a trust, a bond before you can actually ask for the next big step. It is hard to do that at a nightclub or in a query letter.

But if the query letter has a good hook, you can move to the next step, then the next, and over time, you can build that relationship. So, to close this loop, I am not one who will complain about query letters. There is a method to the madness. Honestly, if I can't sell my novel with a strong hook, who can?

On the other hand, if you want me to talk about Synopsis, man I have a lot of complainin' pent up inside. But that's for another post.

Having said all that, it is a fun game (no, not night clubs -- querying). Yes, I'm a bit odd, but I like games. This game can result in a huge payoff -- you may find your dream agent.

Which leads me to one of my favorite movies of all time. The Big Picture with Kevin Bacon. If you haven't seen it, shame on you. Get it now! It captures the challenges and curves on the road towards breaking into Hollywood. It rocks.

So, I leave you with the scene where young, just-out-of-film-school Kevin Bacon is meeting with an interested agent, played by Martin Short.

I wonder if Mr. Short accepts query letters...

Fight the good fight!

Writer's Block? Write an iPhone App for your Cat!

It's not actually "writer's" block per se. I've been working on this evil thing known as the synopsis. It feels like I'm going through a full-cavity search. But I digress.

While trying to rethink how I explain certain plot point, I developed an iPhone app. No, you will not find it on the iTunes App Store. I will give it to you here. For FREE!

Three key ingredients:

(1) Southern California Sun:

Other suns will do as well, but since our weather experts said we would have snow in Southern California, and instead we have a beautiful sunshiny day, I want to give a shout out to OUR sun.

(2) An iPhone:

In fact, other phones will do as well, you just need a nice shiny surface

(3) Cats:

Any garden-variety cat will do

The Application:

Position item #2 (iPhone) such that item #1 (SoCal Sun) reflects onto a wall or any flat surface, hence, exciting item #3 (cats)

The Result:

Happy cats, fee iPhone app, and not a single word closer to being done with my evil synopsis.


Fight the good fight!

Am I a Seven-Year-Old?

My seven-year-old takes piano lessons. He takes them... what he does with them is unknown.

When I was thirteen (that was, like, a couple of years ago...) I started to play the guitar.

Why? For the popularity of course :) I say that in jest, but there is some truth to it. It was cool to be that kid that knew how to play Crazy Train and Stairway to Heaven. But there was more to it. I wanted to learn those songs.

I wanted to feel the music hum through my chest as I strummed the strings. The feeling of accomplishment, completion, and mastery was my first taste of unadulterated joy.

I spent hours, upon hours, practicing. My fingers were literally bleeding, until they built the callous that made my finger tips iron-clad.

By the time I was about to start college (that was, like, a couple of years ago...) I put my guitar aside and focused on... video games, of course (What? School? What's the matter with you?).

I not only played video games, but I learned how to design them. I could play for hours, and would think just as long about what made some games better than others. My engineering studies fortified the designer, the problem solver in me. I got pretty good at it.

By the time I graduated, and entered the work-force (Yes, you guessed it, that was also a couple of years ago...) my friends and I decided we had enough energy and knowledge to launch a start-up video game company. We did. Had a lot of fun. I spent every waking hour drawing, coding, testing. It was a passion.

Hank from Beach Raiders - Art by Jack Edjourian - Partner & Friend (Copyright, 1999 Sudden Presence LLC)

Let's fast-forward to today... and get back to my son. We got back home and he had to practice. Had to, not because he wants to, but that's what he has been told to do.

He sits behind the piano, plays the song once and says, "Okay, I'm done."
"I want you to play it three more times," I say.
"So... two more times. I played once already. Two more is three. You said three."
"No, three MORE times, from this minute," I say.
"So, you want three more... then that's four. That's it, right?"

I know that this is typical of the generation. I get it. "Tell me exactly what you want from me, and I'll give that to you. Just as you asked. Nothing more, nothing less."

However, in that moment I saw my face in his. That is my pitiful attitude as it relates to query letters and synopsis. I've been looking for that magic formula. "So... if I have a hook, explain the plot, and the challenge, then I'm done. Right?" I have not treated this part of the process with the same passion that I give the actual novel. Seems completely illogical.

I am a realist. I study the rules of the game, and find the way to win. Everything I do, I do with pride. Nothing half-assed in my life. When I decided to get a graduate degree (yes, a couple of years ago) I went to a top-20 program and graduated with honors. When I decided to buy an espresso machine, I learned how to make the best damn coffee possible (come over and you'll never think of coffee the same way again :D ). I have never--ever--done anything with lack-luster passion for it.

So why have I not jumped into the query process with both feet? Why have I only queried four agents? Don't know, don't care. It's NOW that matters.

Release the hounds! Take the children inside! This'll be fun.

And don't expect me to blog about the rejections. I play to win. I'll tell you when I have found my agent, my partner. It may take years, it may be for another book, but when it happens, you'll know!

Until then, fight the good fight.

You're A Writer If...

Let's do something fun.

It seems to me that those who pursue the art and craft of writing are a unique type of humans...

Originally from: http://bit.ly/i8DuLB

Let me explain: We sweat over each word, for years, knowing there's less than a 1% chance we will finish the novel, much less get an agent, much less find an editor, much less get it published within three years after getting an editor, knowing that there's a 95% chance that we'll sell less than 400 copies.... Yet,  millions of us keep on doing it, day in and day out.

I am convinced there are some traits that makes us writers.

So let's start tweeting out favorite lines.

The format should be as follows:
     -->  #youreawriterif [your reason]

A sample tweet would look like this:
     -->  #youreawriterif the word query induces instant nausea

If you want you can also include the link to this post:
     -->  #youreawriterif [your reason] http://bit.ly/ggPjkP

If you don't tweet, get an account already! Just kidding (so touchy are these writer types). Post a comment and I'll tweet it for you.

Have fun, get creative. Let's do this!

Bring in the Beta Readers!

Rocky Peak Academy is almost ready.

"What?" you ask.

That's my new novel. Not sure if this name will stick, but that's what I'm calling it and I'm the master of my writing destiny (for now, until an agent, and an editor, and a publicist, and a... you get the picture).

I'm just about done editing my first draft. I suppose that would be considered the 2nd draft, but I'm not ready to make that commitment yet.

My manuscript will go to my wife (first reader) and Michael Levin (coach, BS detector and best selling novelist extraordinaire) sometime next week.

Once I have their feedback (the good, the bad, and a bunch of ugly), I will start the 2nd draft in earnest. And once that's done... bring in the beta readers.

Here's how I choose mine: they need to really care about my writing goals, they need to be willing and able to tell me the blatant truth, some will be artistically inclined, some are nearly copy editors, some are aspiring novelists. In total, I try to get about six of them. But it needs to be an even number.

Why even? For the tie-breaker, of course!

I will take all of their feedback and consider everything carefully (my ego is very small... it really is. I accept most feedback on face-value). If there's a pattern, then I have to trust my beta readers. But if there's a split, then house wins (that's me). I will make the call.

How do you pick your beta-readerss?

Do you look for people with strong fashion sense?

Maybe physically attractive?

Or is the intellectuals?

How many people?

Nope... no steroids here

Let me know. I'm very needy.

Take care, write well, and always, fight the good fight.

Like Fine Wine...

Today, I completed the read-through of my new novel. I'm very proud at this moment. It may be the effect of the special energy concoction I twitted about...

I needed a boost and this one did it. I was able to complete the non-editing read-through of my first draft. I found some holes, some gaps, and some not so impressive areas. But that's what the 2nd draft is for, right?

All in all, I am very happy. I got goosebumps at the end of the story. That has to be good, particularly since I knew how it ended :)

When I finished my first draft, I set aside my manuscript for two weeks. I was very good about it. Not once did I read it. I was tempted. Big time. Here's another one of my paranoid tweets:

I waited two weeks. My hero, Stephen King, in his book on the craft of writing (On Writing) recommends a minimum of two weeks, ideally a month.

My other hero, James Scott Bell, also recommends the same thing in his fantastic books.

So I did, and it was the best thing I could have done. The time created distance and objectivity. In fact I had forgotten a lot of the details. Even the name of the bad guy had escaped me. I was able to read it like a "near" first time reader.

On my first novel, ACES, the two weeks was painful. With this one, I was able to handle it. During the two weeks I read books that I need to read, worked on my blog, got sick, and worked on strategy documents for my day job. And because I worked on other things, I was able to get a lot more value from the process.

Tell me, what's your process between your first draft and when you read the entire manuscript again?

How long do you wait?
What do you do to fill that space?

What's this eBook thing, anyway?

This is almost painful to watch. The look on their faces as they speak about this weird, new thing called the "Internet"

Okay, so maybe the video has nothing to do with eBooks... but maybe, it really does.

I can't help but let my very expensive education from USC get in the way. I guess when I got an MBA, I learned to look at most things through the eyes of an entrepreneur. Most people in the industry are pretending, hoping that this eBook-thing and self-publishing-thing and indie-publishing-thing will go away. If we shove our head deep under the sand--real deep--it'll go away.

It won't go away. It's already too late. The question, the only question, that should be asked is what are YOU doing to ride this wave? How are you reconsidering the impact and possibilities and opportunities that this wave will bring.

In this blog, I write about writing.

But my "other" life is, and has been, about bringing new technologies to market. I've launched businesses, ran businesses, and helped others realize their entrepreneurial dreams. Today, I help develop the technology roadmap of the movie industry. And I see a dangerous disease everywhere I look.

There is a disease that's called denial. And unfortunately, in the book publishing industry, denial is the de facto standard. As writers, we can't be blind. This is our careers, the future, the platform upon which we are able to deliver our stories to others.

We can watch that 1994 TODAY SHOW video and laugh. "How ridiculous, and blind," we'll claim. "For the love of everything that we know of, the Internet is the backbone of everything we do."

In ten years, will we look back at the articles, and YouTube videos produced in 2011 about eBooks and laugh? Will we wonder how so many people missed the boat?

Nutrition for Writers

I may not be a nutritionist, but I know what works for me! And if it's good for me, then it must be good for everyone else.

What are the two basic food groups?

That's right: coffee and ice cream 

I will, at no cost, give you an exclusive license to use a mixture that I want us to call "The Ara"

This little piece of heaven will give you the sugar and coffee rush you need to konck out at least 2,000 words in one sitting!


[Note: This statement has not been verified by the FDA or Writer's Digest]

If you're going to use my recipe, you need to give me the name recognition. I was told that my brand was important. This is a good place to start. 

Speaking of starts, here we go:

STEP 1

Espresso - Please do not cheap out and use some instant coffee. One ounce please. Anything more, and it might as well be called colored water

STEP 2

Chill the Espresso - In the freezer she goes. For about 20 minutes. Don't let the dang thing freeze. Just make it cold.

STEP 3

Ice Creme - Vanilla ice cream. Once tight scoop. Don't overdo it. You really don't want to have that much ice cream. You want it to be just enough goodness.

STEP 4

Combine - Gently pour the chilled espresso on the vanilla ice cream.

STEP 5

Have At It - Don't share. Don't listen to Barney. When it comes to this, Sharing Is NOT Caring. It's just silly. You don't want to share your awesome, The Ara, with everyone. You can share the recipe, and my blog, but don't share the creation henceforth known as The Ara.

Here's the last part of the deal, if you like it, let me know. If you like it-like it then join my blog, or twitter account. I say a lot of cool stuff! At least, I think so.