The World of Dragonfly

So now it’s time. You’ve gotten the idea in your mind and created the conflict. You’ve also figured out your main characters and completed profiles on each of them. And you’ve also outline your plot and created the time line to go along with it. And you’re about the scream because you have yet to start putting pen to paper–or fingers to keyboard, to draft the novel.

Well, your wait is over! It’s time to do that. Look at it this way. The work listed above is like the preparation work (spackling, sanding, etc.) that goes into preparing walls for painting. By that point, applying the color is almost sheer enjoyment because you can see the fruits of your labor. Drafting is the same way. You’ve completed all of this work, and now it’s time to see the fruits of your labors.

Go for it! And as you do, keep these pointers in mind:

1. Just write. Don’t worry about editing right now. Sure, if you create a typo, correct it, but don’t start over-editing. You’ll have plenty of time for that later.

2. Try to get blocks of time to write. While you do hear people say, and it’s true, that if you can write a page a day, you’ll have a decent-sized novel within a year. Well, if you’re like me, you’re not that patient. Try to find blocks of time, even if it’s an hour or so, to write. Aim for four pages or more each time. If you can manage it, two to three hours is perfect. One of the ways I try to do this is to disappear to my local Starbucks once a week for an hour to an hour and a half. That way, I’m not sitting there looking at all that needs to be done around the house. Instead, I can focus on my writing.

3. Re-read previously written work. If you have a writing session and come back to it later, go back and re-read previously written work to see if it makes sense to you and to give you a reference to continuing the plot.

4. It’s okay to re-write. In many cases, what you put down may not be exactly what you’d intended. When this happens, it’s okay to erase that and move on. The key is not to get so caught up in this that you wind up getting stuck in one place.

5. No major editing. I know I said this above in #1, but I want to reinforce it here. Don’t do major edits right now. Otherwise, you can waste an inordinate amount of time on one section of the novel, get discouraged, and never complete it. Instead, focus on pushing through because, again, you’ll have plenty of time to edit later.

6. Be persistent. This is my last major point. You have to persist. There may be times when you’re so busy that the only time you draft is when you’re sitting in front of the television. Sometimes, you may have enough stuff going on that even that doesn’t happen. If that’s the case, then accept it and carve out time to write later. Aim to complete your draft within three or so months.

7. Have fun. Finally, finally, you’re off and writing. This should be the fun part. The part where your right brain goes to town and you can simply just enjoy letting your ideas spill onto paper or the computer screen. So enjoy it. Let the story you want to tell take you away for a bit and into the dream that author John Gardner talks about so much.

So there you are. Seven tips to help you get going with writing a novel. Truly soak up this experience. I promise you’ll be all the richer for it.

Next up: Editing.

Plotting and determining time lines are two other essentials when preparing to write a novel. The plot lays out how the story will develop and progress, and the time line helps you determine when that will occur.

I’m not going to get into the nuts and bolts of how to plot such as rising action, climax, and falling action. I leave those up to the experts and strongly suggest that you read a couple of good books on developing fiction. But I do want to share some items that I’ve learned over the years.

1. Think about the entire course of the story you want to tell, from beginning to end. It’s okay to know how things will progress.
2. Don’t worry about thinking linearly. Some scenes may come up early in your thought process that would be more suitable toward the end of your novel than the beginning. Plotting the whole novel allows you to plug in the scenes where you think they go.
3. Jot everything down, either on a notepad or on the computer when they come up. Everything. Even if you think it’s too detailed. And if you’re getting ready for bed or out somewhere when these ideas arrive, write them down somewhere lest you forget them.
4. Be open to change. Plotting is definitely not a done deal. If things change after you draft your plot, that’s okay. Work it into the novel.

On to the time line. This too was a concept that was drilled into my head when I took my writing course. Additionally, I’ve come to see that it is an essential part of planning out a novel. Time lines help you figure out how the plot will unfold. A good time line will also keep you from making errors that knock the reader out of the reality of the book and into their reality. For example, a character may be adopting a child where there is a waiting period of six months. If you’re not careful with the plot, then only four months might pass.

So how is the best way to avoid this? I actually use a calendar. I go to my Outlook and print out blank calendars for the months when my plot will occur. Then I literally pencil in when dates will occur for all aspects of the plot and sub plots. A suggestion I have, especially when sub plots are involved, is to group them on common days to save yourself confusion. That’s hard to explain, and if you have questions, I’ll be glad to entertain them. Just comment on my post, and I’ll respond.

Like the plot, time lines should be subject to change. If something comes up and you need to adjust it, do so. Nothing is set in stone.

One last bit of advice that I have, which was passed to me by someone years ago, was to not stretch the plot/time line over many years to turn your novel into the epic novel. Instead, as a beginning novelist, keep it relatively compact. I try to keep mine to within a year. That being said, if you view placing something in the distant past to set the stage, or into the distant future, to end the novel, then do so. A good way to do that is to use headers at the beginning of the chapters (e.g., 2008 for the past and Present Day when the present action starts). And if you have something at the very end of the novel that is way in the future, you can use an Epilogue and again denote the same thing (e.g., 2017). Just don’t stretch the entire plot over, say, ten years or so.

So that’s plot and time line from my point of view. Next up: Free write!

To me, profiling characters is one of the most important parts of writing. And I’m not talking about profiling in terms of that controversial practice that has received media attention. No, I’m talking about drafting a profile of the characters that go into a novel. If this type of profiling isn’t done, then the novel as a whole will suffer.

I learned all about profiling when I was taking a writing course several years ago. One of my assignments was to pick a character from a novel I’d written and just free write about every single thing I could think of about her. And I mean everything. What she looked like. What she liked to eat. What drove her to a particular point. Her strengths and weaknesses.

The reason this should be done? Taking the time to discover these things about the characters in a novel adds depth that cannot be addressed simply through plot. And readers like depth. Remember that conflicts can come from characters, and the only way to set up this conflict is to know the character.

Okay. So this may seem daunting. Quite frankly, I found the same thing to be true when I did that exercise. My first thought was, “I can come up with enough stuff to fill three pages?” It turns out I did that and more. So here is what I recommend to do:

1. Pick your main characters. Profiling doesn’t have to be done for every single character in a novel. If that were the case, then I’d spend all of my time writing about characters and none drafting the novel itself. Instead, pick the top three or four main characters. Definitely do the protagonist and antagonist at a minimum.

2. Set up a template. Determine what you want to look at for all of your characters. Here are some ideas I’ve come up with: Looks, personality, daily schedule, likes/dislikes, strengths, weaknesses, childhood (up through age 18), adulthood, faith walk, romantic history… The list can go on and on, as much as you wish. I like to use a profile because that way I’m consistent in what I examine for each character.

3. Draft the character profile: For each of the main characters discussed in Step 1, complete the profile. Take the time to really think about each of the topics in the template. Pages should be written about each. After completing the profiles, I think you’ll find that your characters take on a depth that will add richness to the novel.

Do keep some things in mind.

First, all characters have both good and bad traits. Just as all characters have strengths and weaknesses, all characters have good and bad traits, including the antagonists. I know. I know. It’s easy to think that antagonists are all bad. But they’re not. They may have some redeeming traits in them, even if they’re very faint. For example, one of my antagonists (actually, one of my favorite characters), is definitely someone I wouldn’t want to tangle with. He’s dangerous, for lack of a better term. Yet he also has a bizarre compassion that shows itself at strange times.

Second, characters can change. Just because you have a profile of a character doesn’t mean that their personality will be the same as you initially anticipated. Instead, as you write the novel, you may find that they seem to take a personality that you haven’t expected. That’s okay. Let it happen, as these changes may be minor. If they become major, then be sure to update your profile. For example, in a novel that I’ve written and rewritten, I discovered that my leading man had a dramatically different faith history than I anticipated. So I took the time to go back and redraft as necessary his profile. I found that it’s immensely helped me in picturing how he’d react.

Okay. So I’ve provided you with some good ideas on how to do a character profile. I think that if you take the time to do this step, your novel will be all the more richer for it.

Next up: Plotting and Timelines

Okay.  So after a four-month hiatus thanks to craziness at work, I’m back at the blogging and ready to do a series about writing a novel.  Now, I’m not a writing professor or published novelist yet, but I’ve written my share of novels (about 5 or so and probably 500,000+ words) that I would let see the light of day, so I feel comfortable saying that I’ve learned a thing or two over the years about how to develop a novel.  So, that being said, keep in mind that this is my opinion and mine alone.

The first thing I always do is come up with an idea.  For me, those ideas usually spring from two sources that have to work together.  The character and the conflict.  A lot of times, the character and conflict ideas come from entirely unexpected sources.

So here’s some examples.  In one of my novels that I’ve submitted for publication, the idea came when I saw the movie The Kingdom in 2007.  I thought it was a great movie, especially since the writer and director sought not to villainize Saudi Arabians but to make one of the heroes a Saudi Arabian police officer.  That got me thinking about the cultural differences between Saudi Arabia and the American South, the Low Country around Charleston (yes, I was vacationing near Charleston at the time).  Then I began wondering and asking myself the following: “What would happen if a Saudi Arabian man was yanked out of his native culture and placed in the American South, where he comes face to face with the strong-willed steel magnolia of a southern woman?”  So up sprang the leading man and leading lady of one of my novels.

Most recently, I had another idea come to me.  It happened in April when I was working with my husband and a friend to paint the den and kitchen of our house.  Now keep in mind that this was no small undertaking and required about 16 hours of straight painting.  Which, of course, meant a lot of time listening to the radio.  We had it tuned to a station where (I kid you not), they play anything.  One of the songs that they played was Duran Duran’s “A View to a Kill,” which came from the James Bond movie of the same name.  The thought that sprang to my head was a female sniper assassin who has many kills under her belt yet finds herself coming face to face with the lifestyle she’s chosen over the past few years.  And yes, that rapidly formed into a novel that I’ve drafted.

So my point is that ideas can come from many places and can take the form of a character, a conflict, or a plot.  So if searching for ideas, keep your eyes open and observe.

Next up?  Profiling

After who knows how long, I’ve finally taken the great leap that all serious novelists must take at some point in their writing careers.  I’ve begun sending out query letters.  Yes, for those who aren’t writers, or who aren’t novelists, this may seem like no real big deal, but believe me, for novelists, this is a huge deal.  Why?  I’ve thought about that a lot over these past few days as I’ve begun the process.  Here’s what I’ve determined:

• It’s a time investment. I see submitting to agents and publishers as a “job search” for novelists.  Each one has different requirements, be it what they want to see from authors.  So far, I’ve submitted two query letters and one complete manuscript.  Other publishers I’m looking at for this particular novel also want a proposal package.
• It’s an emotional investment. I Novelists view their product as a work of art, and believe me when I say that I’m no exception to that.  I’ve poured countless hours into not only the creation of the novel I’m submitting but also the refining of the novel through editing.  So it’s no wonder that I’m emotionally invested in my work.
• It’s a scary step. Once again, those who aren’t writers may scoff at this, but really, think about it.  When we job hunt and spend hours creating resumes and honing our interview skills, it can actually be kind of intimidating.  That’s even more so with writers.  You see, writers invest a deep part of them in their work.  So when we send queries and proposals to publishing houses or agents, we’re letting a stranger judge how good we are based on the work we submit.  To be honest, that’s really scary.
• It’s a pride thing. It’s good to take pride in our work–at least until we start treating our work like an idol.  That keeps us going and allows us to hone our skills as writers or whatever our trade may be.  However, we novelists and writers in general also need to keep grounded and remind ourselves that we need to remain teachable.  There’s a fine line between remaining teachable through editing from an agent or publisher and allowing someone to step all over us.  It’s a constant balance between a tough exterior and a tender heart.  Also, it’s important to realize that it’s easy to allow our work to take higher precedence than it should in our lives.
• Getting work on the street means putting off new work. We as writers need to remember that it’s okay to delay work because no one else will put out the queries, at least not without requiring compensation, most likely.  Besides, sending out queries and proposals forces us to edit, edit, edit, and that’s a good skill to keep honing.  The time will come for new work.

So as I start this process, I need to constantly remind myself that:

• God gave me the talent to write.  I’m good at it.  If someone doesn’t like it, that’s fine.  It’s an opinion.
• If God wants my work to get published, He’ll clear the way as He sees fit.
• Writing allows me the chance to use my God-given gifts, and I need to honor that.
• I need to remain persistent no matter what happens

So will I get published?  That remains to be seen.  My hope is that I will keep everyone informed.  In the meantime, I’ll do my part and then sit back and watch as God does His.

It’s a New Year again.  And this year, I had one resolution – to not have any resolutions.  The reason?  I never keep them.  Instead, I wound up getting frustrated about not keeping them and instead rebelled against the reason why I made them.  Take eating healthier.  Very vague.  A nice, vague resolution.  And easy to break.  Which I did so quite nicely and instead went the other direction.

So this year, I have some goals.  Not too many because I don’t want to get overwhelmed.  One?  Get the three novels I have ready to go out on the street by writing query letters for them.  Another, run the Patriots Olympic Distance Triathlon in Williamsburg.  Big goals, I know.  A home run.  And impossible to achieve by just stating that goal.

The key to reaching those two is to develop a series of smaller goals.  So, with a lot of thought and more to come, I’ve done that.  For the writing goals, the steps are baby steps.  Tonight, I drafted a query letter for one of my novels.  Tomorrow night, I’ll revise it, and this weekend, I’ll revise it again with the hope of sending it out to one agent on Monday.  And after that?  I’ll send it to other agents.  Regarding the triathlon, I’m planning on entering at least two sprint triathlons, maybe three, with one of those being in a tidal river.  I’m still working on the smaller goals to reach the sprint triathlons.  All of these?  Base hits.

Maybe, after 38 years of living on this earth, I’ve realized that God works in our lives more by base hits than home runs.  So I’m hoping that these are base hits that will help me reach my goals.

It happened again last night.  I had the whole night free to work on editing, and it didn’t happen.  Why?  That dreaded thing that writers hate.  Writer’s Block.  Better known as The Block.  Okay.  So having the Internet right there and handy didn’t help.  And yes, the evening was mostly a lost cause because of having it, but once I finally, finally started writing, the words began to come quickly.  At least until I had to go to bed.  O for a day when I don’t have to get up early!

So how does one beat The Block?  Here’s what I’ve learned.

• Don’t fight it.  Fighting The Block only makes it worse because it gets me totally frustrated.  And the more frustrated I get, the more I get my emotions bound up in that frustration.
• Do something else.  Turn your mind away from writing.  For me, that meant playing around on the Internet a little.  I checked e-mail.  Looked up the music video for Toby Keith’s “American Ride” and Jason Michael Carroll’s “Hurry Home.”  Both are great videos, by the way.  That and getting the video player up and running since I recently reformatted ate up most of my evening.
• Completely walk away and come back later.  This has always helped when I’ve gotten frustrated.  In college, it was when I was trying to solve physics problems.  Now it can pop up with something at work or during writing.  So The Block is nothing new.  What do I do?  A change of scenery helps.  Or just setting it aside until several hours go by.  I set my mind other things, and ideas for writing pop into my head.  Sometimes, these ideas even come in the shower.

So don’t let The Block block you from writing.  Instead of fighting it, embrace it by filling those frustrated moments with other things.

I know it’s been a long time since I’ve posted something.  I could say that life got into the way, and that’s partly true.  But it also seems like too wimpy of an excuse as well.  I’ve committed to a blog, and now I need to to it.

The Tag Line on this Blog is “Learn More about this writer’s life.”  I’ve covered the life part pretty well, but I realized that I haven’t talked any at all about my writing.  So from now on, I’ll try to occasionally bring up a writing topic.  So for my first one?  Characters.

My principal genre is Christian fiction, also known as inspirational fiction.  I tend to go into two sub-genres, romance (no, sorry, not the bodice ripper types) and suspense.  So what, exactly, does this mean?  It means that I write from the worldview created by my faith.  Some folks may say that writing from that worldview results in boring characters.  I disagree.  We’re all imperfect.  It doesn’t matter who we are or what are faiths are.  We all have strengths.  We all have weaknesses.  We all are human.  That’s what makes creating characters so fascinating.

Why are they fascinating? Creating characters lets me explore human nature.  One thing that I do before writing a novel is to sit down and create why I call a character profile.  In this profile, I use an outline to draft up everything that I can think of about the character.  What do they look like?  What is their personality like?  What are their interests?  What food and music tastes do they have?  What are their strengths and weaknesses?  What types of books would I find on their shelves?  What do they keep in the trunks of their cars?  (Yep, this can reveal a lot about a character.)  What is their past romantic history like?  What is their faith history?  This may seem like a lot of work, and it is.  But it pays off in creating characters that can come alive.  If you’re an aspiring fiction writer, I highly recommend this exercise.  After you complete your profiles, you’ll be very surprised at how your characters come alive.

My current favorite male character is an antagonist.  He’s brilliant.  Devious.  He takes no prisoners and lets nothing get in the way of completing the missions set before him.  Yet though he’s on the wrong side of the law, he’s got a compassionate side that can pop up at the most unusual times.  I’ve enjoyed writing about him so much that I plan to have him in four novels, three part of a trilogy.

And then there’s my favorite female character, a heroine.  Though she’s a heroine, she’s got her own set of weaknesses.  She yearns for her father, who was never part of her life.  This yearning is a huge weakness that is exploited by the antagonist mentioned above.  Yet she’s got a strong, gritty side to her as well.  She doesn’t mind locking horns with the antagonist.  Before she becomes a Christian, she’s well-versed in the less polite forms of the English language and had a lifestyle that isn’t the best.  And becoming a Christian doesn’t mean that she drops all of these characteristics at once.  No, gradually, she relinquishes some of them, but other traits like her grittiness and strength remain behind to be refined.

Okay.  So I’ve talked about how I create characters.  It’s no secret of mine, and I hope that aspiring writers will endeavor to make their characters come alive.  For my next writing post, I’ll discuss ideas.

This weekend is the big weekend. My Web site has been unofficially up and running since last week or so. But this weekend is when I officially introduce it. Am I excited? You bet. This has been a long time in coming. Nervous? A little. Putting myself out into the e-world like this is an interesting experience. But I’m eager as well. If you take a look at the Web site, let me know what you think. For those of you who might not access this blog via the Web site, the address is www.jenniferhaynie.com. Have a wonderful weekend.

Okay.  This is my first blog post ever.  I’ve decided that since I’m in the process of preparing a Web page, that a blog would be an interesting feature.  I do have to thank my Uncle Gene for his research into the world of Blog as well as WordPress for making such a venture easy to do.  So bear with me over these next few weeks as I get the blog up and running completely and the Web site going.  When that happens, I’ll gladly share the site link with you.