Dissecting a Bestselling Novelist's First Chapter

Readers suffer from instant gratification. Don't they? I know I do as a reader. But as a writer, how do I curb the appetites of my readers without giving away too much or gooping up my openings with backstory and exposition?

In Meg Cabot's ABANDON, there is a small chapter to open the story. Seeing how this story is based off the Greek myth of Hades and Persephone, Cabot uses this page to give some facts about that story through her MC’s eyes. I decided to use this story as an outline because a lot of authors will use this technique. But for this exercise, we’ll skip it and start where Cabot’s story truly begins.

~CHAPTER ONE~

Cabot introduces the main character to her readers by telling one significant fact that the entire story will hinge upon, which has to do with the MC. Then the reader is thrust into the here and now of the character’s current world.

**For instance: Let's say you have a boy who has a fear of heights. You could open the story anywhere with him doing anything, but somewhere in there SHOW, don't tell, that fear. Later...at the story's climax, the reader is gripping his/her pillow fearful the boy won't be able to save the long, lost dog from the edge of the cliff because the reader is already aware of the boy's fear. The reader also knows the boy must save this dog because there is a secret hidden in the dog's collar which can help him save the universe.

{Lame, but you get my point. Don't over do it. Just SHOW by a brief mention.}

Moving on - Cabot chooses to use a conversation next. She lets her MC sprinkle information about the where and why of what’s going on around her. In this case, it’s a family gathering. As the conversation progresses, the MC sprinkles more thoughts about her family, friends, observations of her world, and what brought her to this place and time. It’s a mix of showing (through the conversation) and subtle telling which always seems to be twined within the MC’s pain/thoughts/emotions. The reader also gets a solid feel for who the MC is: her disposition, likes & dislikes, even hopes and dreams.

Cabot is able to share her MC’s feelings about family members through subtle glances or gestures (shifting in chairs etc…) during the conversation. The MC doesn't have to be obvious or come right out and tell the reader. It's there through her subtle actions and reactions to her world around her.

Finally, the MC has one major reactions to her surroundings, changing the scene, it's mood, and purpose. This setup gives just enough and moves the reader to chapter two, where action will take place and some of the questions left unanswered by chapter one are then answered.

So what did we learn?

Whoseywhatsit Thursday: TAGLINES

Taglines are another alleyway authors utilize to attract the interest of agents, editors, publishers, and readers to their stories. They give a glimpse into storyworld and character, but just enough to tug at the heartstrings of intrigue and curiosity.

Here are a few examples from books and movies I'm sure you'll recognize:

• A 17th Century tale of adventure on the Caribbean Sea where the roguish yet charming Captain Jack Sparrow joins forces with a young blacksmith in a gallant attempt to rescue the Governor of England's daughter and reclaim his ship. (Pirates of the Caribbean)
• When seventeen-year-old Bella leaves Phoenix to live with her father in Forks, Washington, she meets an exquisitely handsome boy at school for whom she feels an overwhelming attraction and who she comes to realize is not human. (Twilight)
• Having fallen for a human boy, a beautiful teenage werewolf must battle both her packmates and the fear of the townspeople to decide where she belongs and with whom. (Of Blood and Chocolate)

Find these little puppies difficult to create? Need some insight into one of your taglines, or want help starting? Then mark your calendars for our next Whoseywhatsit Thursday, December 6th, where you can simply leave your tagline of one or two sentences in the comments and we'll give you a critique as a response. 

So, how does one condense an 80,000 word work into one to two sentences? I won't tell you it's easy. But if you adopted a simple view of the process, you will find success. Find the skeleton of your story:

• Who is the main character?
• What does he/she want? What is the goal?
• What are the inner and outer obstacles blocking their way?
• What makes this unique? 

There, that should at least give you a headstart. And don't forget to tell your friends about next Thursday!! 

The Art of Conflict

For the most part, when I begin writing a new story of any kind or length I keep in mind what draws me into a tale. I think about characters, natural effects, inner workings, motivations/purpose, misunderstandings, settings/world building, and the physical.

So what enhances the elements I listed about?  Tension. Suspense. Mystery. Questioning. 

Basically CONFLICT. The intensity or subtlety of conflict surely varies from scene to scene, chapter to chapter, story to story. But what's most important is that you use it.

So how do we thread conflict throughout our stories without being too obvious about it?

Let's break it down into seven parts, because I like the number seven. I can halve it perfectly, placing three on one side and three on the other.

1. COC or Characteristics of Character - develop personality traits of characters that differ from each other. Put them in opposition. Use one character's demeanor against another's. Character changes due to past experiences can butt heads with the current reality, making for great tension and suspense.

2. Natural Effects - differences in gender are always useful and can be fun to play with. The weather or a specific plight in your world building can work, too. Family dynamics such as parents, other siblings, and extended family or friends can also be used to deepen a story line, which can take on a new life if used in subplots.

3. Inner Workings - this is where a story can really take off, drawing the reader inside the character and making them care. That is so important. Make them care. (Exercise to do while writing: think of your own life & experiences. What emotional conflicts have you or someone close to you experienced? What about mental struggles. For instance, the kid in school who just can't grasp the concept of mathematics or despises gym class. Other interesting areas in our inner realm could be self-doubt, guilt, pompousness, no-drive, depression, fear...we could go on and on.)

Middle/Balance Conflict 

7. Motivation/Purpose - you might think this could be listed under Inner and it could. But I wanted to separate it because of its importance. A character and a story plot must have a reason for existing in the first place or once again...who cares? And who decides on said motivation? The writer. So ask yourself question like:

• what are my motivations for writing this story? Do I have a purpose, a lesson to teach? Am I sending a greater message?

3. Misunderstandings - Does it frustrate you when a writer sets up subplots to simply confuse or muddle the main plot, motivations, and purpose of the story? It sure does me, but it is extremely effective to keep me reading or watching. NOTE: but it must have a purpose and move the story forward.

2. Settings/World Building - Setting and world building can give imbalance to a story when need be, creating a sense of urgency, heightening the tension, and adding to the suspense. Taking two characters, who are already at odds with each other because of any of the above, and transplanting them in an unfamiliar environment can show character weaknesses and flaws.

1. The Physical - it could be a knockdown fist fight or a heated argument. You might use a group of people rioting or kids at a school pep rally or event gone wrong. Conflict can also be physically found on the romantic front, especially when it appears one half of the couple is playing hard to get or genially doesn't like the other. Mix in some physical meddling from another character, and you could have one heck of a conflict.

When developing conflict, remember it's a gradual succession of building blocks to keep the reader engaged. You have an infinite number of blocks to play with. Use them.

LITERARY TERMS II: Setting the Scene

**  The winner of The Fourth Stall ARC is booktoo.  Congrats! **

The elements available to formulate an ingenious story are endless, as are the roadways to get there. Sure, there are formats we can use. Some use bullet outlining to draw the highway they intend to take the reader on, while others use index cards or a storyboard. A character sketch can be helpful for some storytellers. And still others would rather cut pictures out of magazines, giving more visual insight into their characters as they write.

A while back, we began a journey exploring the differences between Syntax and Diction in our stories. In simple terms, we established that Diction is word choice and Syntax is the arrangement of those words. But that is just the tip of the iceberg.

Tone and Mood are two constructions within text that are contingent upon choices a writer makes, affecting intimacy with characters, establish an invisible curtain of setting, and even pace, at times. In each literary term discussed in these segments, choice is the ruler.

I'm going to gear this toward young adult literature.

Mood is the heart or spirit of a piece of literature. Some refer to it as ambiance or atmosphere. It's the feeling or emotional flow the reader subconsciously absorbs while reading. We all can recognize a passage, let's say of dialog between a teen and his/her parents. Why? How? Mood is a construct embedded within our sentences, paragraphs, and chapters through Diction and Syntax as well as grammatical tense and basic building of said sentences, paragraphs, and chapters. When we write a scene between a parent and a child we implant mood through those choices. The degree or shift of the mood sways heavily on those choices.

credit for photo

This picture illustrates this idea. Look at the colors. Same items, flat surface, coffee cups, spoons, and even the same swirly design. Here, the mood is impacted by the mere choice of color.

When I cover up the photo, leaving only the green exposed, I get a sense of lightness, hope, and cleanliness. Maybe even a fresh breeze as my character is standing in an open field. I sense relaxation or calm anticipation. That subtle difference in color influenced my perception, my state of mind. The same applies to our choices in writing to establish mood for our audience.

Tone is the alleyway or avenue used to convey attitude or Mood. See how similar the relationship between tone and mood is to diction and syntax? While reading a scene, pay close attention to those choices I was mentioning and gauge their interaction with characters, setting, incidents, and primary plight of the story. In due time, an observant reader can sight the overall tone given off by certain characters and the underlining sense which is intended to enhance and move the story forward.

When thinking about tone, imagine words like playful or silly, formal or everyday, alluring or distant, optimistic or pessimistic.

Take a meet and greet scene at a local high school. One writer creates a story about a naive brown-haired girl, who grew up on a farm, recently lost both her parents in an accident, moves in with an aunt she barely knows and has to attend a new high school where she meets a boy and decides to share her hopes and dreams with him, opening herself up to healing and a hopeful future. A second writer creates a story about a snarky, blonde prom queen, who's normal educational arrangements at an upscaled prep school, just plummeted to the average high school downtown after her father was thrown in jail for money laundering and her mother ran off with the trainer, leaving her to trudge through her new albeit lower-class high school blaming everyone except herself for her misfortune and raunchy attitude.

The main plot line is similar, but the difference here is tone which was created using some of the elements we've discussed. One girl's story expresses hope and thankfulness, while the other gives off a selfish air that is difficult to empathize with. Sometimes we call this Voice. (Yup, that's for another post.)

LITERARY TERMS: A Writer's Choice

For the last few Wednesdays, my fellow team bloggers—Jessie and AE—have explored some of the different terminology associated with the writing world. We’ve discovered the true meaning of genres such as Steampunk, Edgy, and Rom-Com. We’ve also learned there is a difference between beta reader and critique partner. For those who missed them, you can explore them on our new INDUSTRY TERMS PAGE. I’ve decided to jump on their bandwagon and explore LITERARY TERMS in writing.

(image borrowed from deviantART)

We all write. It’s what we do. But how? To be a successful writer, one must know the nuts and bolts, and literary tools available and then gain understanding of their usage. Let’s explore the difference between Syntax and Diction. Next time I’m up for Wednesday, we’ll move onto Mood and Tone.

Diction is the choice of using a particular word over another to communicate ideas, feelings, and settings. It also contributes to a writer’s style and tone. Using the subject book, for instance, in a passage could elicit a range of reactions from the reader depending on the word chosen to represent book. Paperback, magazine, tome, edition, and even literary archival (yes, that’s extreme yet possible) could be used. The reader is now faced with questions. Why that word? What is it saying about the story, character, or setting that I’m reading? The writer must choose the correct word to covey his/her meaning and contribute to the overall story.

This plays into what is called concrete and abstract diction, which has also been referred to as high/formal and low/informal diction. As you might have already surmised from the latter terms, high/formal diction lends great detail to sophisticated or technical vocabulary and proper grammar. Low/informal diction concentrates on slang or everyday usage. It allows for a more relaxed and conversational feel, and for grammatical slip-ups. All this conveys meaning, setting mood and tone and exercising style.

Syntax is the arrangement of words in a sentence to communicate ideas, feelings, and settings. Basically, it’s the management of words to create a sentence. We all know sentences can be simple and complex. Syntax is a writer’s ability to arrange simple words into phrases and clauses, and then mix and match those in a sequential unit. This leaves a writer a minion of choices and sometimes a dilemma. Poor ordering of phrases and clauses can change the intended meaning and confuse the reader.

Just as with diction, syntax is important to mood, tone, and flow. (Flow – the rhythm of words and Content – the actual meaning of words is for another discussion.) Standard English teaches us to order sentences in a Subject-Verb agreement, and mostly with a latched on Object. This, however, can be tweaked within some genres—poetry, for instance—for the writer to achieve Flow or to exercise his/her creative license.

Simply put: Diction is word choice and Syntax is the arrangement of those words.