Learned, Inspired, Motivated

Last Saturday, several of us travelled from Greenwood via Winona to Clinton, to hear novelist Carolyn Haines talk about writing. More specifically, she spoke about the business of writing.

I jotted notes and this is an attempt to make sense of them, which may or may not have worked.

The first question a writer must ask is: “Do you want an audience?” And she said a lot of good stuff about why you need to know this, none of which I wrote down.

Next two questions to consider when structuring your novel are:

Whose story is this? The reader must have a guide.
What point of view are you going to use?

More about point of view (pov):

First person is very powerful. It can be intimate, it draws the reader in. It’s a powerful voice because the reader is right there. You can use memories to move the story along.

If you opt to use third person, you can use multiple pov, telling the story from several characters’ points of view. With third person, you can manipulate the place and time. You can hide things from the reader

Second person is very difficult to do. I think there is one notable book that used it and did well – “Bright Lights Big City” by Jay McInerny, maybe? (“You are not the kind of guy who would be at a place like this at this time of the morning. But here you are…”) Seems to me like that would get tiresome to read after a while.

Next Carolyn gave what is basically a formula! For writing a novel! Yes! The logic in that appeals to me so much. It takes some of the lofty mystery from the process.

Every novel has:
Exciting event, usually in the first 30 pages
First turning point, usually in the first 50 pages
Midway turning point
Final turning point
Climax/black moment/crisis
Resolution

Also, more nuts-bolts-type information:
Publishers want novels to be around 100,000 words, which is roughly 400 pages in 12 pt. Courier New, double-spaced with 1-inch margins.

Next she talked about character arc, how there must be change in the main character. If not, then the reader must change, but that is difficult to do.
Writer should establish a pattern of storytelling and stick with it.

Another form of novel is the issue-based storytelling. It involves one central issue and stories about different characters affected by this issue radiate from the novel, like spokes from the center. These characters have their own stories.

Carolyn talked about why plain writing is important. You don’t want the reader to get mired down by an element of the writing, such as one brilliant sentence. You want the reader to simply read so that the attention is focused on the story, not the writing.

She mentioned that plot, theme, setting, character, and style are elements of writing.

Plot and structure are the hardest elements for creative types. Plotting is much like drawing a blueprint.

Character, including dialogue, comes easier for creative types.

Other random things I jotted down:

Pacing naturally reflects the voice in the storyteller’s head.

Each scene must reveal character and must move the story forward.

It is the writer’s job to manipulate the audience.

By the same token, the writer must never disappoint the reader.

Any of you who were there, if I've misremembered anything, let me know.