I was reading and scribbling away in Donald Maass’s Writing the Breakout Novel Workbook as I wrestled with a shiny women’s fiction new idea. Although some of the exercises require you to reference what for me is a non-existent manuscript, some of the beginning exercises are akin to brainstorming. Perfect.
As you can tell, I’m not usually a fan of writing books…
Yes, there are coffee stains on the Flip Dictionary. I'm pretty sure that makes me a real writer.
But, this workbook is working for me. The only writing book I’ve read cover-to-cover is Stephen King’s On Writing. With writing books I keep, skip around, read some more and then usually — GASP — go and actually write something. I’m sure there are some missing from the stack, as these are the books I carry around – to the kitchen, the living room and they are books that make for mighty nice tub reading, if you’re not the dropping kind.
I revealed much to myself about my newest characters — and thought about the characters in THE GLASS WIVES as well. Particularly I was thinking about one of the MC’s best friends, Laney. She says what we wish we could say. She says what she thinks – no matter what it is – and although that’s not always the best quality, it’s one that endears this character to me. It’s also something Donald Maass says we look for when we read — someone who is doing or thinking what we would never do — but wish we would; someone who’s saying something we’ve stopped ourselves from saying. He calls these characters larger than life — and I agree — although I’m not sure Laney, my character, would appreciate the “larger” moniker. But I digress.
What this also made me think of was that of all the characters I’ve written in long and short form, Laney is one of my favorites. She’s not my main characters, but she’s critical because she makes the other characters gasp and shake their heads. She makes them laugh. She’s the devil on the MC’s shoulder, while the other BFF is the apparent angel. Both of these characters are extreme — in my opinion. Not unbelievable, not caricatures — but far from ordinary.
When writing women’s fiction the problem arises because it’s about real people dealing with real life, BUT if you write it as ordinary — you’re letting the publishing train pass by without stopping. I know probably all good writing books impart this wisdom in one way or another, but this workbook is what made it jump off the page for me. I realized that it must be deliberate that characters and situations and reactions and emotions are way down low or way up top. Readers can relate to either — but it’s better if there are both.
One of the exercises in the workbook is to name your hero. I tweaked this to just name some regular people and then what is extraordinary about them. Then I transferred it to the new characters I’m writing. Then I thought about the characters I’ve written before. What makes them work? I’ve published short stories. Why do those characters capture an editor’s attention? I know short fiction is different from long fiction, but when thinking specifically about characters, it’s a good place for me to start.
So this is what I know. Something must be extraordinary for the writing to work. If the character is humdrum — the situation or setting or problem must be remarkable. The way the character handles it must defy the odds. This will also defy the humdrum-ness. The disparity will create conflict for the character and tension for the reader. This DOES NOT lessen the impact of writing women’s fiction and making it realistic – it takes the reader’s best and worst thoughts and rolls them into your story. Can characters have a mundane moment? Yes, but moments don’t last long and it must be the calm before the storm, the appetizer before the dessert. Sometimes that even gives your reader a second to breathe. A literary respite.
I’ve made the mistake in the past of wanting my women’s fiction — or any fiction — to be so realistic that its pulse was weak. I was wrong. Adding BIGNESS takes nothing away from the reality based fiction most of us are aiming for in women’s fiction. It’s just the opposite — the way the moth flies to a flame is the way readers flock to books that resonate with the best and worst of themselves and people they know; situations they worry about or dream about, things they abhor and things that they love and even what that they know nothing about and are learning through your writing.
And none of that, my friends, is ordinary or boring.
Share something about one of your women’s fiction characters that’s extraordinary. Something that makes her (or him) stand out, be larger than life. If you don’t have something like that – tell us how you can change one of your characters to embody an extraordinary — but real life — characteristic.
Amy, wonderfully said. I have a writer crush on Donald Maass and have two quotes from his books taped to my monitor. I haven’t read his latest, “The Breakout Novelist,” but it’s on my list. One of the quotes is “Push your characters where they will hate to go.” That simple sentence prompted me to make several changes to my WIP. He seems to be able to distill the secret to a great novel without getting too “writery.” Of course, knowledge is vastly different from execution. But execution is impossible without the knowledge, right?
My favorite word is from Donald Maass is TENSION! 🙂
What I’ve learned through the writing and revising process is that the lower and higher the character can go, the more rewarding the subsequent ups and downs and resolutions can be. That was years of trial and error (and some great agent editing and consultations) — I probably should have just read this book a long time ago. But I think that someone has to go through it, write it (well and not so well) to fully understand.
At least that is how it worked for me!
Amy 🙂
Definitely…also picked up the concept of “micro-tension” from him, which is oh-so important and often not dealt with.
Because of Maass, I have the words ‘tension’ and ‘fireworks’ on post-it notes on my desk. I’m headed into (yet another) rewrite, and I think it’d be wise for me to review the workbook, go through each character’s fondest hope, greatest goal, biggest fear, etc. Then twist each one to the extreme as you say, pushing them in every scene. Or, as WU’s Cathy Yardley recently advised me, take each scene to eleven (ala Spinal Tap :-)). Nice post, Amy, and good reminder that realistic can be tepid, and is not the same thing as believable.
You nailed it, Vaughn. 🙂 Good luck with the rest of your revisions.
🙂
Amy
Great post, Amy. I struggle with this all the time–the problem with being realistic and believable yet worthy of A STORY. Not every realistic scenario is worthy of an entire novel, scene, or character.
Nina,
When working with writers who want to write — or have a draft — of their memoir, it’s the same thing. Just because it happened to them doesn’t make it a story. Hard to tell someone that their disease or divorce or dash across the finish line isn’t a good enough story for a book, but often, it’s not.
It’s a tough call with fiction – indeed – but at least with fiction we get to make stuff up. That’s the best part!!
🙂
Amy
You’re raising excellent points here.
I’m another huge Maass fan. All the great agents can tell you when a piece of writing isn’t working, but I haven’t seen anybody who is as good as Donald Maass is at A) identifying exactly WHAT isn’t working, and B) offering concrete ideas for how to improve or fix those parts. His one-day workshop is just mind-blowingly good. If you ever have a chance to see the guy speak, take it!
Some other things to consider are pacing and intensity. I’m currently reading The Help, and am really loving it. In analyzing it, I’m noticing how the pace of the book keeps increasing, and the intensity of the many different conflicts in the book keep going up as well. The result is an ever-increasing tension that has kept me turning pages into the wee hours for three nights in a row. I don’t know if Kathryn Stockett has studied Maass’s teachings, but her book is a great example of constantly pushing the characters into problems that just keep getting bigger.
Keith,
The balance I struggle with is keeping the conflicts growing yet believable — not soap opera-ish. I can come up with the absurd — and I like reading the absurd — it just has to fit into the rest of the story. The fun part for me is that in the beginning stages, the particulars don’t matter much. I just write it and see what works and what doesn’t. It’s time for experimenting and taking risks. Some stick. Some don’t. It’s the best part about fiction!
Thanks for chiming in…I love reading about writing when I’m steeped in a new draft and still finding my way.
Amy 🙂
“Adding BIGNESS” takes nothing away from reality based fiction — I like that way of putting it! Reading that advice helps me realize that sometimes what I write IS too realistic (and potentially boring), and that I need to strive more to find a good balance between realistic and the potentially outlandish.
Julia,
As your critique partner or a writer-friend to read a bit and see what he or she thinks. Using your own work as an example can really help see how you can bump it all up to the next level!!!
Good luck!!!
🙂
Amy
Hi Amy and the group!
Thanks for the info on Donald Maass’ workbook. My one devastating rejection says “not compelling enough… even the ghost is too soft.” Now that I’ve licked my wounds and rejuvenated my ego, this book sounds perfect to help me pump up the boring parts to extraordinary.
Mim, the post menopausal earthy artist of my novel, Broad Street Goddesses, paints naked, much to the chagrin of her children. When the power surges of creativity escalate her temperature, Mim shrugs off her clothing and delights in the sensation of nipples in the breeze. She refers to this period in her artistic evolution as “The nekkid years”.
I’ve known so many outragious characters in my life… time to take those quirks and tweak them into my writing.
Loving your blog,
DeAnna Williams
Thanks DeAnna, and OMG – Mim cracks me up!!! I think she’s great but hope she closes the shades. I have a feeling she doesn’t!
🙂
Amy
What a great post, Amy.
As I read over it, I immediately thought of my 80-year-old Beatrice, a quantum physicist that quotes Walt Whitman and carries a pistol in her purse–just to be on the safe side. Her daughter, Vera, often tries to get her to give up her guns. “Your daddy bought me these guns and taught me how to use them. When I die, you can bury me with a gun in one hand and Leaves of Grass in the other.”
Mollie!! What a great quote!! Beatrice rocks!!
🙂
Amy
Thanks, Amy! As for myself, I don’t own any guns and neither does my husband. But Beatrice asserted herself. What can I say? 😉
Hi Amy,
I really enjoyed this post. I’m a big fan of Donald Maass’ and had the good fortune of meeting him at an RWA luncheon back in June. He was the keynote speaker and, like his books, kept his audience captive. I’m reading The Breakout Novelist now, but his workbook has been on my desk for months, pushed aside as I work through deadlines and edits. You’ve inspired me to pick it up and get started! Thanks for the push!
Somebody else said it’s about “leaving out the boring stuff.” I think your average woman IS extraordinary and larger than life – if not many times in a day, then many times in the course of the year. A character can be “average,” but what I want to read about are the big moments, the transformations, the epiphanies. I don’t care about her brushing her teeth or paying her bills, UNLESS something important is going on in her head at the same time.