Book Review: “On Writing” by Stephen King

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books, craft of writing, fiction, fiction writing, how to write a novel, Stephen King, writing, writing a novel

At long last, I finally read and completed Stephen King’s “On Writing – A Memoir of the Craft”, his part autobiography, part how-to-write book which has been widely received. I had heard many great things about this book, and earlier this year, felt it was time for me to finally learn from The Master.

Click here to check out the book on Amazon!

This is a great book, even though many have said so. But I want to re-echo it, this is a great book if you want to learn the craft of writing. Here are a few things that stood out for me:

“You must not come lightly to the blank page”:
I like how Stephen King talks about we writers must approach the blank page like we’re “ready to kick ass and take down names”. Or even, “with nervousness, excitement, hopeful, or even despair”. He’s, of course, very passionate about writing, and he’s the kind of writer who was born to write. People like that would see flakey writers as insulting to the craft of writing. That is why he says, “its writing, damn it, not washing the car or putting on eyeliner.” True, very true.

Reading King’s tough words made me wonder how exactly do I approach the blank page. I certainly do not take lightly. But I am one of those who does with the “nervousness, excitement, hopeful, or even despair”. I am not the kind looking to kick ass, though I could imagine it would be fun to do so!

“The best form of dialogue attribution is said”:
Yeah, I’m one of those writers who feels – and even likes – to use attributions like asked, shouted, whispered, etc. I just feel like it gets rid of the repetitiveness of said. Sure, it might be OK to do that, but I also get what King means. We as writers are supposed to allow our readers to decide for themselves what is going on. In this case, our readers are to figure out what tone or level of voice characters are speaking in. Using other attributions would be like holding a reader’s hand, or rather, telling rather than showing. We all know the main rule for writing fiction: show, don’t tell.

“I don’t believe any novelist…has too many thematic concerns”:
This is interesting because for anyone who’s ever sat in an English Lit class, themes are one of the biggest topics when discussing a novel. King brings this up, but makes it clear that it not important, or as he puts it: “no big deal”. The themes in his novels are simply “interests which have grown out of my life and thought, out of my experience” as a human being. He also adds that “good fiction always begins with story and progresses into a theme”, and not vice versa. I found this to be a relief because whenever I write, I worry about themes. I remember that issue being drilled into my head in high school and college, and at one point, it scared me away from any fiction writing.

Its unfortunate that many English teachers are forgetting the important thing about fiction: it is sometimes just a story.

But only sometimes. Even King, when he ends off this part, says, “once your basic story is on paper, you need to think about what it means”. Themes are inevitable, but they are not the point of writing a story.

“Paragraph, not the sentence, is the basic unit of writing”:
I like this because this is something I’ve noticed when I write. I put a lot of thought into where a paragraph starts and where it ends. Sentences, particularly their content and length, don’t worry me as much. Paragraphs on the other hand, kind of stress me out in a way! I always worry if they’re too short or too long, or if one short paragraph should really be on its own or be part of a larger one. I even worry if I have too many short paragraphs going on.

But I worry because I realize how important a paragraph is. As King puts it, “it is a marvellous and flexible instrument…you have to learn the beat”. Yep, paragraphs are the rhythm to a novel.

Anyway, I highly recommend Stephen King’s classic book on the craft of writing. Please do read this you haven’t already. You’ll learn a lot and you’ll be relieved a lot. Either way, it is the book all writers need to have on their shelves, with many pages dog-earred.

 

 

 

Well….Hey There!

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authors, books, eBooks, how to write a novel, Indie books, novelists, novels, paranormal, self-published authors, the writing process, urban fantasy, vampires, writers, writing

Hi everyone!

Gosh, its been such a long time. Maybe too long 🙂

It’s been a long while since I took a look at this blog, and its also been some time since I’ve been checking out my author platform elsewhere online.

Yikes, it feels so strange to see all of this now.

It used to feel like I was looking at a blog, or Twitter account or Facebook page that belonged to someone else. And to see my book on Goodreads was like seeing something from a past life.

But lately, seeing all this is like seeing an old friend. And maybe even like rediscovering an old part of myself that I’m excited to be in touch with again.

It’s been over a year since I announced that I was going to take a break from writing fiction. I had been having doubts about whether I wanted to continue with creative fiction, and I was feeling lost writing the sequel to “The Dark Proposal”. So I took a break, but I still flirted with the idea of writing fiction.

Starting last summer, the idea of writing “The Dark Proposal’s” sequel arose now and then. I was inspired by a couple of things, such as a song by Evanescence and a few personal experiences. In January this year, I realized what the sequel could really be about, and what kind of person Claire would be in her second story. At that point, the character of Claire McCormick began to finally slowly take shape, as well as the other characters.

I felt as if I could finally see Claire and get to know her as a person. I began taking notes on her upbringing and her family life to better explain the person she was during “The Dark Proposal”. I had felt I could’ve done better in her character development, but I feel those notes greatly helped me form and shape her.

The same goes for Hilde, The Black Roses, Casames and even Daniel to some degree. I became to know them more through my note taking, and they appeared to be flesh-out human beings (despite being vampires 😉 ) who were as complex and flawed like anyone else. It was a joy to see them as this.

Finally, this past March, I checked out my book’s page on Goodreads, and saw – to my surprise – there was a new review! It had been a long dry spell of any ebook purchases, let alone reviews. So I was thrilled to see my book was still being read, 18 months after I had published.

Seeing that review, which was positive and displayed excitement for the sequel, gave me the final boost to get started on the second book of my long dormant trilogy.

Yes, I am going to work on the sequel to “The Dark Proposal”. And I am as happy as many are 🙂

However, it won’t be an overnight thing. I can estimate it will take me 2 or 3 years to get the sequel published for the world to read. That is because I already have a busy life (you may recall that I wrote my first book while unemployed with plenty of time to write), and also, there may be a chance that I’ll self-publish this book. I don’t know. I have to wait and see. Maybe I can get a small publishing house to do so.

But even more so, I am going to take my time writing this book. Before, I was kind of rushing to write, while probably triggered my writers’ block. But I want to do this slowly so I can produce a novel that I will be pleased with.

I also will writing this book much differently as compared to its predecessor. I see this book as being darker in tone and in emotion. I also see it getting more into Claire’s mind and heart, and also capturing the essence of the vampire world and what is at stake.

I’m starting to read short stories that have a goth tone to them. I’ve read “The Raven” a few times to absorb its goth prose, and now I’m scouring for other goth literary pieces to get an idea on the tone I will be needing for this sequel.

I may even tweak a few things or mention somethings that should’ve been mentioned in the first book.

Basically, a lot in the sequel will reflect “The Dark Proposal”, but there will also be quite a few changes because of my new approach as a writer, writing this trilogy.

So, slowly but surely, I will be writing the sequel to “The Dark Proposal”. When I complete and what I’ll do with the final product is so far off that I am not really thinking about it. Just learning and growing as I write this. I have great ideas for this story, and some things to say about the human experience. I won’t say what they are now – that will come later.

So, good to see you all again! I will probably blog twice a month, just to keep everyone updated and to talk about my developments as a writer.

But until then, it is good to be back, and I look forward to taking you all on this journey with me, and I can’t wait to speak to everyone all over again!

Cheers! ~ Megan Cashman

 

 

 

 

 

 

Why I Don’t Write Strong Female Characters

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Arya Stark, books, characterization, cultural portrayal of women, culture, female characters, fiction, Game of Thrones, how to write a novel, Sansa Stark, strong female characters, writers, writing

A recent article in the British magazine, New Statesman, talked about how female characters in fictions are often depicted as strong – and there are some who are not too thrilled about that.

Not that being strong is bad thing, not at all! But as the article’s author, Sophia McDougall points out, strong female characters are just that: strong. They kick ass, either by martial arts or weapons, and have little room for weakness. I get it that this is likely the result of a backlash against such books as the Twilight series, where it’s heroine, Bella Swan, is doormat. There is also a desire to see female characters who are able to stand up for themselves and be their own person, because historically, society has preferred women to be passive.

But I always felt that the need for strong female characters has led to some of them being so strong, they almost cannot be related to. And the criteria for a strong female character was always the same: she kicks butt, has an in-your-face attitude, doesn’t desperately need a man in order to be complete, and hardly ever cries. To me, that’s a narrow definition on what it means to be strong.

Even more so, it doesn’t allow the female character to be more human, and as McDougall points out, it is not on par with male characters who are considered strong:

Are our best-loved male heroes Strong Male Characters? Is, say, Sherlock Holmes strong? In one sense, yes, of course. He faces danger and death in order to pursue justice. On the other hand, his physical strength is often unreliable – strong enough to bend an iron poker when on form, he nevertheless frequently has to rely on Watson to clobber his assailants, at least once because he’s neglected himself into a condition where he can’t even try to fight back. His mental and emotional resources also fluctuate. An addict and a depressive, he claims even his crime-fighting is a form of self-medication. Viewed this way, his willingness to place himself in physical danger might not be “strength” at all – it might be another form of self-destructiveness. Or on the other hand, perhaps his vulnerabilities make him all the stronger, as he succeeds in  surviving and flourishing in spite of threats located within as well without.

It seems like male characters get to more fleshed out human beings while female characters are more one dimensional. They are either weak or super strong, with little room in between. It is kind of bizarre and frustrating that female characters are apparently not allowed to be fully human, with their quirks and flaws, along with their toughness and strong-will. To be honest, I feel the current criteria for a strong female character is almost a mockery of how strong a woman should be.

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It also seems to say that in order for a woman to be strong, she needs to be more masculine. Let’s look at Game of Thrones and two of it’s very different female characters: the Stark sisters, Sansa and Arya. Many fans of the show and books love Arya because she is a tough girl willing to fight and kick butt. Basically, she is a tomboy. And she’s so popular, fans are naming their daughters after her.

On the other hand, her older sister, Sansa is frowned upon for being more ladylike, preferring dancing, singing and embroidery. Now, Sansa is not a well-liked character because she is naive and snooty. That I totally get. But she also not well-liked because she isn’t kicking butt like Arya would. I’ve read many comments online where fans complained about Sansa not physically fighting the Lannisters’, particularly the much hated King Joffrey. Many fans consider Sansa to be weak in this case.

I disagree very much because Sansa does possess enough inner strength to survive months as a prisoner at Kings Landing. I don’t know how many 14 year olds, or even grown adults, would handle watching their father unexpectedly lose their head, be tormented daily by their captors both physically and mentally, living in fear and losing hope of ever escaping their prison. The fact that she hasn’t gone insane is a sign that Sansa Stark is a strong female character – and she doesn’t need a sword or a sharp tongue to prove it.

Furthermore on McDougall’s article, she says there needs to be more equality between male and female characters. If male characters can be well-rounded with their strengths and weaknesses, why can’t their female counterparts?

She says:

What do I want instead of a Strong Female Character? I want a male:female character ratio of 1:1 instead of 3:1 on our screens. I want a wealth of complex female protagonists who can be either strong or weak or both or neither, because they are more than strength or weakness. Badass gunslingers and martial artists sure, but also interesting women who are shy and quiet and do, sometimes, put up with others’ shit because in real life there’s often no practical alternative. And besides heroines, I want to see women in as many and varied secondary and character roles as men: female sidekicks, mentors, comic relief, rivals, villains. I want not to be asked, when I try to sell a book about two girls, two boys and a genderless robot, if we couldn’t change one of those girls to a boy.

When I wrote The Dark Proposal, I set out to create a realistic character in Claire McCormick, and not go with the trends of a über-strong female character. First off, it wouldn’t have worked with my story idea at all. Secondly, I do like characters who are real. Mary Sues and kick-ass females bore me because that’s a standard that is too high for female characters. They kind of make me feel bad myself in a way.

Did I do my best creating a realistic human character in Claire? Let’s check out Sophia McDougall’s checklist:

I want her to be free to express herself: Sometimes Claire does, especially in the early stages in her relationship with Daniel Bertrand. But she also wanted to impress him and his friends, because they were an older, sophisticated group, so she doesn’t really act like herself in a few short scenes. But hey, a lot of people have done that, especially in their young, insecure days.

I want her to have meaningful, emotional relationships with other women: Absolutely! Claire roommates with her two best friends from college, Samantha and Monica. They are all close and go through a lot, particularly trying to live on their own while struggling to find jobs in a difficult world. Here’s a great thing: at times, they do have conversations that do not revolve around guys!

I want her to be weak sometimes: Oh yeah. Being a little insecure makes Claire overlook the warning signs that Daniel isn’t the nicest guy. She also gets so upset when he tells her he wants her to join him for eternity, that she loses rationale. Hey, desperation and fear can make many people lose their minds.

I want her to be strong in a way that isn’t about physical dominance or power: Yep. There are times when Claire does confront and stands up to Daniel. She also does not go insane with what she is faced with, which some people can end up as.

I want her to cry if she feels like crying: Oh does she!

I want her to ask for help: She does, she really tries.

I want her to be who she is: Claire is herself, in a way that shows she is someone trying to find herself as an adult, which as many of us can remember, isn’t the easiest journey to take.

Well, what do you know? Claire McCormick passed the test! She has her moments of weakness and of strength, as all human beings, male or female, do.

How about you? What is your take on how male and female characters are portrayed? Are you more for realistic characters, and are against any criteria? Sound it off!

Learning as I Write #1 – Letting Your Characters Go

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authors, how to write a novel, learning how to write, novelists, novels, the writing process, work in progress, writers

I want to start this series on my blog because not only do I want to keep you updated on how my second book is coming along, but I also want to share what I’m learning as I grow as an author.

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Even though I self-published a book almost a year ago, I still feel like an apprentice. My first book may have an 3.36 rating on Goodreads (meaning 82% of those who rated it liked it), but I still feel like I know so little about telling a story. Maybe this my self-doubt as a writer coming in, which makes sense because I can demand far too much from myself.

As I write the sequel to The Dark Proposal, I am putting so much pressure on myself to make it better than it’s predecessor, and to improve on where I didn’t do so well the first time around. Unfortunately, I am trying too hard and I’m driving myself nuts along the way.

But I kind of had an epiphany last week when I read a blog by another author who talked about letting your characters do their thing. Reading that part made me realize that I was holding onto my characters – especially the main one – so tightly that they almost couldn’t breathe. As a result, they couldn’t develop well.

You have to let your characters be, that’s what I’m learning. Yeah, you may want them to do something or be a certain way, but you cannot force them. They may be fictitious people who only exist in your mind, but they do have their own lives. It’s about fear, and you have to let that fear go. Then your character may just surprise you.

So take it from me and don’t make yourself as upset as I have been getting: let your characters go. Let them breathe, let them fly. They will be OK and they will do well. And they will help you tell a great story too.

 

Insecure Writers’ Support Group: #2 – On Self-Doubt

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book series, book trilogies, how to write a novel, Insecure Writers Support Group, insecurities, stories, the writing process, Trilogy, writing

I am taking part in the monthly blog hop, Insecure Writers’ Support Group. Started by Alex J. Cavanaugh, it is meant to do the following:

To share and encourage. Writers can express doubts and concerns without fear of appearing foolish or weak. Those who have been through the fire can offer assistance and guidance. It’s a safe haven for insecure writers of all kinds!

I felt it was a good idea for me to do this. Not only does it give me an excuse to vent my fears the first Wednesday of every month, but it is nice that so many other authors are doing the same.

Entry #2

I really need to shut up and get a life. I keep having doubts over my trilogy and it is starting to get ridiculous. Sure, all writers deal with self doubt, but for me to analyze things to death is absurd.

Sometimes I wonder if I should contact consultants and beta readers, and ask if my story line for my trilogy The End of Eternity is intriguing enough and makes any sense. Of course, that would make me a whiny pain in the ass, and besides, some of those people charge money.

It’s just that while I was writing the first installment, I realize that not everything you think works for a story, will actually be well received. This is probably part of my maturity as an author. You learn to take your ideas and creations seriously and not be flippant about them. After all, they are a reflection of you. Yes, that is the brutal truth. Whether it is a reflection of you as a writer or as a human being in general is up to the individual who reads your work, but storytelling is a craft that cannot be taken casually.  Readers know when someone lazily crafted a novel and feel like they wasted their time with it. No self-respecting writer would want that.

So, how would I know if my idea for my trilogy would actually work? How would I know if I’ll be laughed and scorned by writers and readers alike? Would I ever be taken seriously again or be allowed to write a book again? (NOTE: by allowed, I don’t mean someone will stop me from publishing – what I mean is, would my name and work be so blacklisted as terrible that I could never recover?)

The most I can do is get my work critiqued as much as possible. I already take part in an online critique group that meets twice a month. I’ve joined a local writers group. I was part of a group that was the remnants of last year’s NaNoWriMo, but it conflicted with my schedule. I’m thinking about joining a website called Critique Circle for further help, but I’m a bit unsure of how that site works.

Thing is, I’ve learned the importance of getting as many eyes on your work as possible before you actually publish it. It is also good to find someone who understands what you hope to achieve and is a good beta reader or editor to help guide you. Once you find that relationship, never it let go! That has got to be a match made in heaven.

Anyway, I keep on writing, but I hope someone gives me the proper guidance if I want to continue growing as an author.

To Outline or Not to Outline? That is the Question!

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authors, how to write a book, how to write a novel, novelists, novels, the writing process

There seems to be two ways to write a novel: either you outline your story chapter by chapter, and once you’re satisfied enough, you put everything together. Saves a lot of time and it allows you think things over before you actually write the story.

Or, you could sit before your pad or computer and just write whatever comes to mind – better known as pantsing. You have a basic idea on what you want your novel to be, but you also know full well that anything could happen while putting your characters in a complex plot with emotional situations. It allows plenty of room for creativity and makes the writing process loads of fun, while outlining seems so rigid.

The problem is, you hit a lot of walls, get writer’s block often, and you may get lost. Completing your novel could also take much longer and your readers will soon become frustrated that your latest book isn’t out yet.

Either route has its ups and downs, their pros and cons. They are both frustrating and fun. But you have to figure out what works best for you as write your novel.

When I wrote my first book, The Dark Proposal, I was a total pantser. I had an idea in my head but I chose to basically wing it. There were some days where I barely did a paragraph, and some days I did half a chapter. It was unpredictable, but I enjoyed the ride. I learned so much about what it takes to write a novel, so I was practically doing on-the-job training.

That is not the case right now. Sure, I am still advancing my craft, but I am not really a beginner yet. I certainly wouldn’t say I am a veteran – oh hell no! But I have a follow-up to my book to write, and I can’t take forever to complete it. On top of that, I am working full time which eats up my chances of writing freely. I have solved that problem by setting a schedule for myself where I set aside three days a week to work on my WIP.

However, I am still mostly pantsing. I did make a list beforehand of what I wanted to happen in not just my second book, but my third so my trilogy would be set. I am still taking notes during my lunch break and I’m always analyzing about how to make my book intriguing. But once I go to Starbucks or Panera Bread, I write what comes to mind. I may write based what on my notes, but they aren’t about what happens scene by scene, so I really am winging it.

Maybe taking notes is a form of outlining, but its really not. I honestly feel rather disappointed in myself that I am not a bona fide outliner. I wish I was because it seems so much more disciplined. I don’t think of myself as undisciplined, but I do notice that I really enjoy jumping into new projects and finding what happens as I go. That may be a character flaw in me, but that just might be me.

Perhaps I just need to accept this part of myself. If I am a pantser, then so be it. But if I can evolve into an outliner, bring it on!

In other words, when you write, do what feels natural for you. Don’t force yourself to outline or take it as it comes. Do what is right for you. As long as you create a magnificent story and you are evolving as a writer, then why wish you were something else?

 

 

What It Takes to Write a Novel

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authors, how to write, how to write a novel, how to write a story, novelists, novels, storytelling, writers

So you’d like to write a novel. It’s been a lifelong dream or you have a story idea that’s been on your mind for months if not years. You have the time and energy to do it, and you think you can write well. You’re pretty sure you can pull off writing a good book.

But can you?

I’ve always wanted to be a novelist. As a small kid, I would go around telling everyone with an ear that I was going to be a writer when I grew up. By the time I was in my teens, I was reading a lot of books about writing styles, character development, and conflict. By the time I was in my mid-20s, I felt I was ready to actually take the story ideas out of my head and put it to paper (or computer screen), and fulfill my lifelong dream of becoming a published author. 

However, one thing I learned about writing a story is that you don’t actually learn how to do it until you set out to do it. Even though I read books and bookmarked websites on how to write a novel through the years, I wasn’t aware of the actual task until I got serious about writing one.

As I typed away the work that would become my first book, I realized there was a lot more to a novel than beautiful language, well rounded characters, and tension and surprises that would make the reader want to absorb more. Yes, those aspects count a great deal, but that’s only one layer of storytelling. There is more that makes a novel a novel.

The first thing I realized was that everything counts. Every scene, every character, and practically every word is meant to move the story forward. You can’t have a brief scene in your book if it really doesn’t play a role in it. You also can’t have a character who had little to say or do, and no word can be taken for granted. Every word – save for all the “its”, “ands” and “thes” – is supposed to reveal what the character, scene, setting and the entire story is about.

“Duh, I know that,” you say.

Well, even some of the most famous stories in the world have that slip-up. I read Frankenstein back in college, and even though I enjoyed it overall, I didn’t understand why Mary Shelley devoted an entire chapter to the background of the family Frankenstein’s monster spent time with. This one chapter tells the history of the family, even though it did not advance nor explain the novel in anyway. That whole chapter should have been edited out before Frankenstein was first published.

So please, remember that everything little thing in your work in progress has to matter.

Another thing I learned while writing this book was to be realistic about the story, the characters, or both. In your head, your tale might seem fun and believable, but would it to the masses? Would your main character be believable to anyone other than you? And could your readers tolerate someone the same way you do? For example, in my novel, The Dark Proposal, Samantha DiCarlo is one of the roommates and dear friend to the main character, Claire McCormick. Samantha is outspoken and doesn’t hold back when expressing her opinions. When I first wrote about her reactions to Claire’s relationship with Daniel Bertrand, I thought she was awesome and brought some fun to my story. But as I read over what I wrote, I decided that perhaps Samantha’s quick mouth would be too much for some readers. No, I didn’t eliminate her outspokenness altogether; I just toned it down so she wouldn’t be so annoying to anyone. Even I had to admit that reading Samantha’s opinions for just about everything would’ve overwhelmed some scenes.

In other words, you are not writing a novel for yourself.

You are writing for an audience.

Really, you can’t write a novel based on what you like and what you think works, and expect hundreds or thousands of strangers to love it the same way as you do. That is not how the world works, that is not reality, and that even reeks of self-absorbness.

No, you cannot predict what 500 or 5,000 people may think of your story. Some may like it, others will despise it. But you have to sum up what the average person would think about certain aspects of your book and whether they are realistic or not. If the majority of your readers believe a situation or a character is not believable, then you didn’t think those parts out very well.

That is why you need beta-readers, writing groups and an editor or two. You need as many eyes on your work as possible in order to gain perspective on what you want the masses to read. If you honestly think you don’t need any of that, well I honestly think you need a reality check.

Yes, that may be quite harsh, but its the truth. You may read how-to books and websites and attend writing workshops, but you do not know what you are getting into unless you actually do it. You must keep an open mind and be willing to learn if you sincerely want your work to do well. No one is born a wonderful author – and if they are, screw them! 🙂

But really, writing is a craft and you need to develop it and get better at it as time goes on. Now some of you might be thinking, “Fifty Shades of Grey has a lot of flaws in it, but it is a runaway bestseller! EL James is filthy rich now!”

True, but that book is literally one in a million. Thousands and thousands of books are published every year. It is very rare that a book that isn’t well written becomes a phenomenon, so please don’t count your work on doing the same.

I am simply sharing with you what I learned while writing my first novel. But remember that this my first book and I intend to write more. Therefore, I admit that I have lots to learn on novel writing. But I’m up for it, simply because I adore writing and storytelling, and can’t imagine doing anything else. Writing is a journey, and I will keep you posted as I go along.