What Writers Need to Make Danger Interesting

I'm a mom, so my spectrum of TV and movie pleasures range from Moana with my kiddo (and hey, even without my him) to The Handmaid's Tale (definitely without my kiddo). Both of these are full of danger appropriate for their target audience, but I noticed a big difference in my response to those dangers.

Let's talk about that Moana scene where Moanna and Maui fight the coconut pirates. (Don't worry, I won't spoil anything major in this post.) Moana is one of my favorite Disney movies, but I have to be honest with you...I barely know what happens in this scene. Every time this scene plays, my eyes glaze over and my mind wanders to anything else. That's because in my first time watching, I already knew they'd make it out of this jumble okay. Even though Moana and Maui were wildly outnumbered, the unfair fight didn't feel impossible. I didn't feel their fear, which is fair (tongue twister!) because this movie is for kids. But still, the writers could have upped Moana and Maui's disadvantage to increase the tension and conflict. Otherwise, an action scene can have as many explosions as it wants, but the danger still feels shallow.

Now let's shift gears and talk about The Handmaid's Tale. In the premier of season two, June faces a danger that had me completely enraptured. A fire in my own apartment couldn't have ripped me away from this scene. Like, I knew she would make it out okay because the rest of the show needs her, but I couldn't rationalize the fear and tension away because THERE WAS NO FREAKING WAY OUT. June didn't just have odds; she had impossible odds. I could feel that she knew there was no way out of this one, that this was the end for her because I was up close and could see the staunch fear in her eyes and the tremble in her lips.

Play appropriately to your audience, of course, but never give your characters a way out. Make us doubt our instinct that they'll make it. Get us up close and personal with the character's own fear. And then just when we think it's all over, throw a curve ball and wow us with a plot twist or a character that uses their mind, strength, and resourcefulness to overcome impossible odds.

Follow Jessie Mullins on Facebook and Twitter for more bookish things. 

Swoon-Worthy Characters of YAtopia

To wrap up our swoon-worthy month, a couple YAtopians so kindly gave us a peak into what makes their characters swoon-worthy.

Emily Moore's swoon-worthy character is named Vaku. Here's what she shared with us:

Vaku the desert elf rebel leader offers readers many opportunities to love him. Upon first meeting my main character Samana, he offers to help her rescue a friend against impossible odds, cleans her wounded hands, and feeds her before she disappears.

Two years later, they reunite. She accidently kills him with her unpracticed magic and revives him with the same magic. Despite this, Vaku offers a comedy relief to Samana’s serious and pessimistic character, often teasing her with passages from the Great Essence’s prayer when she is obviously not exemplifying them.

His fierce protective instincts for Samana reveal themselves in sacrificial ways: leaving the rebellion seat to go with her to the enemy’s cliff city, degrading himself to a servant of the household that he despises, giving Samana his beloved knife and teaching her self-defense, and shaving his unique red hair in an effort to blend in and stay close to Samana. Lastly, battle scars are sexy; Vaku’s amputated hand lends him a broken quality that makes his easy-going nature that much more endearing. I’d call Vaku incredibly swoon worthy!

An excerpt from my W.I.P. “Samana’s Flair”:

"Don't you dare try to get into the Holding Place. You will get yourself trapped inside," Vaku predicted, shaking his finger playfully at her.

"Don't tell me what I can't and can do!" Samana snapped, widening her nostrils. How dare he. Just like all the other wonderers she’d ever known besides Dimerez. Determined to tell her who she was and where she didn’t belong. She wasn’t a child.

"I'm just saying, me and the cart might not be there to hide you next time," Vaku jested with a snicker.

Samana jumped to her feet with a snarl.

"I don't need you or anyone else to tell me what to do. I will make it on my own. Thanks for the bread," she huffed, stomping further down the path toward the Chief’s Walk. The wide road wound out across the desert toward Benami’s farms and rock formations.

"Don't be like that," Vaku said, following her. "What are you so mad for?"

Samana paused to look back at him. The flickering of fire on the yucca window coverings of the surrounding pueblos only slightly illuminated Vaku's grin and raised eyebrow. She almost returned the smile, but instead let out an anger-diminishing breath. Shaking her head, she mumbled, "I have to go."

"May you walk gently!" Vaku called after her as the night's bitter-cold air singed her skin.

Thank you for sharing with us, Emily! If you want to connect with Emily Moore, you can find her here:
Email at emilygmoorewriter@yahoo.com
Facebook
Twitter
Blog/Website

Next we have Chris's swoon-worthy character named Stefan. Here's what he shared with us: 

My most swoon-worthy character is 18-year-old Stefan from my YA Fantasy novel IN THE NAME OF MAGIC, which is the first book in a trilogy, and is forthcoming from NineStar Press this June. Stefan is the main character's love interest.

17-year-old Maximillian must offer shelter to his non-magical best friend (Katherine) while balancing his budding relationship with the evil queen's estranged younger brother, Stefan, in the backdrop of a contemporary fantasy Earth-like country plagued by a totalitarian monarchy.

Stefan is swoon-worthy because of his mysterious personality when readers are first introduced to him in Chapter 1 upon him meeting the main character (Maximillian). Stefan is evasive, yet I was careful for him not to be one-dimensional. He doesn't use his past to justify bad decisions; he's just damaged because of his past toxic family dynamics. Stefan also wears a half-mask for a third of the book, which is a physical symbol of his vulnerability.

Furthermore, Stefan is swoon-worthy because of how he always gives his boyfriend, Maximillian, the benefit of the doubt--even when some people might not. Including when Maximillian fibs about the real reason he agrees to a weekend getaway with Stefan.

Thank you for sharing Stefan with us, Chris! Keep your eyes peeled for IN THE NAME OF MAGIC coming in June 2018. 

Have you written a swoon-worthy character? Tell us what makes them swoon-worthy in the comments!

Why My Writing Plans Are Top Secret

To wrap up January's theme of writing aspirations, here's what I'm going to tell you about my personal writing aspirations:

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Just to clarify, I do have writing aspirations for this year, but I won't tell you. I won't even tell my critique partner, my friends, my husband, my toddler, or even my private journal.

This year, I'm keeping secrets. My entire WIP is TOP SECRET. So classified I'm not even allowed to write notes about it. My timeline for this WIP is just as hush hush.

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Why? Because I've noticed in the past, whenever I tell people my ideas and plans, the project suddenly loses a little bit of the magic for me. Instead of enjoying my own creative freedom and exploration of the project, I start to worry that I'm not working quickly enough, and I'll disappoint the people cheering me on. I worry about whether they'll like what I'm writing. My mind skips over the messy discovery part of writing and goes straight into perfection mode. And then when things aren't perfect, I freeze.

But if no one knows my goals, plans, and ideas, I'm completely free. Free to discover. Free to fail. Free to make messes. Free to listen to what my characters want and what the story needs instead of what actual people want. The story is just for me. If it's a complete disaster, no one ever has to know. If I am driven by my passion, listen to my characters, and let creative freedom take this book to the finish line...and then I decide people can know about it, cool. But there's no pressure to get to that point.

I have a passion project, top secret, just for me. So don't ask me about it because I'll just blink at you and say, "What are you talking about?"

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How to Choose Character Fears

With everyone's favorite spooky day upon us, let's talk fear. Your protagonist needs a fear. But not just any fear. You can't toss in the fear of clowns because it's hot on American Horror story. You can't use spiders just because they make your skin crawl. You have to choose a fear that works specifically against your character.

Think goal.

Whatever your character's goal is, wouldn't it be interesting if she had to face her fear to get to that goal? So what is she working toward? Breakfast? Riveting goal! Your protagonist wants to make breakfast, but first...she has to do the dishes, and she's afraid to reach her hand into the murky water. She doesn't know if she'll grab the blade of a knife or worse--a slimy piece of food. Her stomach churns. And then it rumbles. But she has to do it to make breakfast.

Now let's build on goals and fear and focus on character flaws.

A character flaw will take the reader deeper into your character and world than a fear because not everyone will relate to the same fears, but we do all relate to feeling of inadequacy thanks to our weaknesses. Let's say your protagonist is afraid to ask for help. You can take that deeper by giving him the character flaw that he doesn't let himself appear vulnerable to anyone. So wouldn't it be juicy if his goal were to clean his entire apartment so he could make dinner for his girlfriend? But uh-oh! She's coming in two hours and he hasn't cleaned in two weeks. He's going to have to call a friend and ask for help. But this makes him vulnerable because 1) he's going to have to ask for help, and his friend could say no, 2) if his friend comes over, he's going to see the mess AKA what a mess he is, and 3) he's going to have to tell his friend why it's so important to him to get the apartment clean--for love, man--and love makes us vulnerable.

Deepen it even more with history.

Of course we all know not to dump backstory, but you need to know what part of your character's history caused her specific fear and character flaw. And then if you sprinkle a hint to your readers, they'll gain a deeper understanding and appreciate it even more when your character jumps that fear hurdle to get to the goal. So back to our first example. She wants breakfast--needs it. It's the most important meal of the day! But the thought of dishes make her blood pressure rise. Why?

Because when she was little, her older brother played a cruel prank on her. It was her turn to do the dishes. The bits of slimy food floating in the water always made her squeamish, but she sucked it up because it's just food, after all. She plunged both hands into the bubbly water, pulling our saucers and spoons. Her shoulders relaxed a little. She washed a knife--she hated not knowing if she'd grab a knife. Always afraid to get cut. She reached back into the water with both hands. Her right hand brushed the ridged edge of another knife. She grabbed it gently. She sucked in a breath as something slimy brushed her other hand. It's just food. Grab it out. She fished around and felt the thick slimy texture again. Her heart thud-thudded against her chest. She pulled and out came a snake. The beady eyes looked right at her. The tongue flicked in and out faster than her heartbeat. She screamed, her body tensing in panic, and the dishwater turned red with blood as she still held the knife in her other hand.

How and Why to Write an Anti Hero

To wrap up August's theme of heroes, I want to talk anti heroes.

Why should you write an anti hero?

Short answer: Anti heroes are fascinating. Their moral compass definitely doesn't point true North. But even though they break laws and leave destruction in their wake, these dark heroes are on a mission to do the right thing. Even villains are doing the right thing according to their own story, though, right? So what separates an anti hero from a villain? It's all in the way you write them.

My favorite anti hero is a popular one. Walter White from Breaking Bad. He's an excellent example for how to write an anti hero.

1. The anti hero starts off as a good person.

Walter White starts his story as a straight-and-narrow family man, high school chemistry teacher, and on top of that, he works another job at a car wash to provide for his family. There's nothing villainous about this guy. Even when we see him get irritated, he responds with compliance.

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2. The anti hero begrudgingly compromises his morals in response to an impossible situation.

Every protagonist should face an impossible situation. The hero will stand their moral ground and find some way through their mess. They'll stick to their morals even if it means losing because above all, they don't want to lose themselves.

The villain will manipulate, destroy, and do whatever they have to do to get what they want as quickly as they want. It doesn't matter to them who gets hurt in the process.

The anti hero will struggle with what to do to overcome the impossible, but in the end, he compromises his morals for the sake of the goal. Walter White finds out he has lung cancer, and that even with his two jobs, he can't come anywhere close to paying for medical treatment without leaving his family in horrible debt. So when he learns how much money meth dealers make, and he finds a former student in the business, he sees a solution to his problem. Make meth and go into business with his former student. Walter isn't happy about this at all, but he justifies his illegal actions by saying he'll only make enough money to pay for his treatment.

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3. Amp up the internal struggle. Make it juicy. Blur the lines.

Without giving anything away for those who somehow haven't watched Breaking Bad, there's a scene where Walter White really crosses the morality line, and I mean more than making meth. He crosses the line to right a wrong and make sure his illegal hard work isn't for nothing. And when he crosses that line? Ohhhh, he likes it. He's turned on by it. The dark side of this former straight-and-narrow is unleashed.

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4. The anti hero needs to be feared by the right people.

Villains and heroes need to be equally matched so that there's tension and excitement in a fair fight. You'll know you have an anti hero and not a villain when the anti hero opposes a villain and they both fear each other. Walter White went up against rival meth cooks and dealers, even opposing the Cartel. And when he crossed the line to the dark side, he became a force his rivals feared. And here's where things get muddied...there are heroes in the story too: the DA (Walt's brother-in-law). In the eyes of the DA, Walter White (they don't know his identity) is no different or less villainous than the other drug dealers. But remember, Walter sticks to a certain level of morality, and he does it for the sake of his family.

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The reason anti villains are so interesting is because no one person is completely good or completely bad. We've all wondered what it would be like to bend or break the law, haven't we? We've wondered what would push us to cross our moral line. Think of the classic scenario of stealing bread to feed your family. The anti hero satisfies that dark side we all have, no matter how tucked away we keep that part of ourselves.

***

Jessie Mullins is married to her highschool sweetheart, and together they have an awesome son. She's a mommy blogger and writes YA. You can find bookish things on her writer Facebook page.

Writer's Summer Checklist

To wrap up June's theme of Those Summer Nights, here's a writer's summer checklist to help inspire you to write throughout the summer. Save this page, Pin it, or print it out so you can keep track of what you've done, and then come back at the end of summer and share what you did.

Take a notebook with you, get creative, and let these prompts inspire your writing!

1. Have a bonfire.

2. Go to the beach.

3. Try a new food.

4. Hike a rugged trail in your bare feet.

5. Do a random act of kindness.

6. Go camping.

7. Catch a sunrise or sunset.

8. Grill.

9. Go on a road trip.

10. Have a picnic.

11. Have a conversation with a stranger.

12. Go kayaking.

13. Play in the rain.

14. Meditate.

15. Go for a mindfulness walk.

16. Go to a farmer's market.

17. Learn a new skill.

18. Ride your bike somewhere new.

19. Go to yard sales.

20. Tour a farm or garden.

21. People-watch in a crowded area.

22. Join a club.

23. Swing on a playground.

24. Go fish.

25. Rest in a hammock.

26. Find animal tracks.

27. Ride in a boat.

28. Ride a horse.

29. Climb.

30. Do something that scares you.

__________

Jessie Mullins is spending the summer with her husband and their adorable toddler. Her favorite summer activities are camping and eating too many s'mores. You can find bookish things on her author Facebook page or check out her mommy blog on Facebook.

How to be a Killer 101

If you've been following along with our theme of "killing your darlings" in the month of May, you've gotten lots of great advice. And one unrelated but super catchy Disney song, which, I mean, is a bright light amidst such a dark and twisted topic as killing. But back to the killing now.

Welcome to your new class. How to be a Killer 101. I've brought you four (well, technically five) fictional killers to give you quick killer tips based on their expertise.

[DISCLAIMER: I do not own these characters. All dialogue is purely fanfiction.]

Dexter Morgan, from Dexter

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Dexter: Keep your killing neat. Cleanup after yourself. Trim the parts no one will miss so no one will come looking. Leave the world a better place and no one will be motivated to look into a disappearance too much. Especially if you play the part of pleasant little writer so they don't suspect you.

Lesson: Don't hack away at your book like a madman. Step back and look at what won't be missed. What doesn't contribute to your story? Get rid of it, tidy up, and move on to the next.

Norman Bates, from Bates Motel

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Norman in his mother's dress: My son doesn't know what's good for him. That's why I look out for him. He's my baby. A little naive. But I know best. I'm a very capable woman, wouldn't you agree? And he spends time with such terrible influences...

Lesson: If you can't see what darlings you need to kill in your story, get a different perspective. Sometimes that means asking critique partners, and sometimes that means blacking out, putting on your mother's dress, and looking at things through her point of view.

Sylar from Heroes

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Sylar: Which is better? To have a few people with powers who don't appreciate the intricacy...the importance of their gifts? Or to have one worthy person wield all that power and not waste it?

Lesson: It's better to have one super badass character with depth and layers than to have multiple characters taking up space. You might need to kill a couple darlings to condense them into one character.

Huck and Quinn from Scandal

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Quinn: Okay, writers, you ready to kill? You better be because this is messy business. You think I'm kidding? Look me in the eyes and and tell me if I'm kidding. I_will_kill if I have to. I'm ready. Are you?

Huck: I think they get it.

Quinn: Oh they get it? They don't get it. They're not twisted enough. Not desperate enough. But I am. I need the answers, and I'll do whatever it takes to get them.

Huck: [dark, twisty gleam in his eyes] Like killing.

Quinn: Like killing.

Lesson: For some people, killing your darlings can be fun, but don't get all dark and twisty for no reason. If you have to, you have to. If your story isn't working, kill what needs to be killed. Get to the bottom of the problem at all costs. Your book depends on it.

...

Jessie Mullins is a mommy blogger who writes YA and shares bookish things on Facebook. She's married to her highschool sweetheart and has an adorable toddler son.

How to Use Facebook to Research a Setting When You Can't Travel

The best way to research a real setting for your novel is to travel there, experience the place for yourself, and dig in deep with the locals.

But what if you can't travel?

If you're on a tight budget like I am, the plane tickets alone are out of the question. Maybe you have a different reason you can't travel. Whatever your case may be, there are other ways to research a place for your setting. Here's how I'm using Facebook to research San Diego, which happens to be my setting and oh so different from my Michigan home.

Join Groups

I went to the search bar at the top of Facebook, searched "San Diego," and then narrowed my search to look through groups. Here, I looked through a long list of groups and requested to join as many as I could that had anything to do with my book or could give me insight into San Diego life. I joined a few groups about food because food tells us a lot about culture. I joined vague everything-San Diego type of groups, where I can watch the various topics and ask locals questions. I also joined  San Diego artist and photography groups to match character interests. Since some groups will deny you if they see you're not a local, join as many as you can to increase your chance of acceptance. (DISCLAIMER: Always be safe and use your best judgement when joining anything online.)

Follow Local News

Next, I liked/followed a couple local San Diego news pages so I can keep up on everything happening there from weather to crime to events. I read not only the news posts, but also the comments so I can gauge the people's reactions and views. 

I've been using Facebook as a research tool for a week now, and I've already added a few elements to my story I wouldn't have thought to incorporate otherwise. 

Now I'd love to hear from you! How do you research a place without actually visiting? What setting are you researching right now? If you try the Facebook method, let me know how it goes!

Jessie Mullins is wife to her middle/high school sweetheart. Together, they have a son who just so happens to be the sweetest boy in the world. Jessie blogs on YAtopia and her personal mommy blog, Her Arms Are Strong. She writes and adores YA. Visit her Facebook page for more bookish things.

Remember How it Feels to be a Teenager in Love

This one goes out to all the YA writers, the creators of teens, and especially the writers who aren't, well, teenagers anymore. If your teen character is going to fall in love, you need to remember what it's like to fall in love at that age. If you can't remember or never experienced it, my high school diary and I are here to help.

Disclaimer: I married my high school sweetheart, so I've never fallen into new love as an adult. I can't compare new teen love to new adult love. Buuuut, after you read my diary excerpt, you'll probably agree that new adult love wouldn't look the same.

A little background on my highschool love story:

In sixth grade, my family moved into a new house, where I met my future husband, who lived next door. At first, I thought he was a weird creep because he and his siblings stood on their side of the hedges and just watched us move in all our bags and boxes. Then, to my dismay, he started coming over to our house to hang out with my brother. Little did I know, he was only befriending my brother to spend time closer to me! I can't remember how or when it happened, but suddenly I started caring how my hair looked when he came over. I found out he thought Donna from That 70s Show looked cute in her school uniform, so I started keeping on my school uniform after school, but in a totally chill way, like, "Oh, I forgot to take off this outfit I'm forced to wear every day? Huh." I giggled over every little thing he said and couldn't wait to come home from school so we could play dodgeball together.

We both like liked each other, but we pretended not to until the summer before ninth grade. Everything changed the night of the Miss America Pageant. He was watching the pageant on TV with my family and me (I know, he REALLY liked me), but we were bored and passing notes. Because you don't just have a conversation right there with your parents and siblings listening. And we didn't have cell phones quite yet. I asked him if he liked anyone, he said yes. Someone I knew? Yes. How many letters in her name? Seven. (SEVEN! OH MY GOSH, THERE ARE SEVEN LETTERS IN JESSICA.) And then finally he sent a note back that said, "YOU." My face erupted with heat. I couldn't breathe, couldn't form a response, and definitely couldn't look at him. Because it was the only answer I wanted, but at the same time...when you're a teenager, falling in love for the first time feels like:

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You get the point. Lots of emotions backed by lots of hormones.

Okay, so I mentioned a diary excerpt. My old diaries should probably be burned, but instead, I'll share pieces of them with the internet because that's a good idea and not at all embarrassing.

The diary:

First of all, check out this cover.

I was obsessed with Hilary Duff. But not as obsessed as with Gary, my crush and now husband, as you can see from the inside cover.

I mean, when I was fifteen and he was fourteen, I actually thought that a marriage proposal was in the realm of possibility just because he said he had a surprise for me.

And then here are a couple just in case you don't understand how consumed I felt.

As an adult with normal amounts of hormones and some life experience, it's tempting to tell the teen who wrote these diary entries, "Whoa, calm down because you're kind of desperate and obsessed and there's more to life than this boy." But my feelings were real. Healthy? Ehh, probably not. But real. And that boy was the great love of my life. My forever. (And you know it's real love because he has since seen this diary and did not run away.) 

So when you're writing teen love, checking to see if you pass the Bechdel test, and writing independent young women, don't forget what love actually feels like to young people. It's HUGE. Love consumes. Love is wild, torturous, good, emotional, physical, and oh so real. Don't be afraid to go there because teens need to see themselves in books...even the parts of them that are desperate and obsessed.

New Beginnings Come with a Price

New beginnings are exciting because there's full potential and no mistakes have been made yet. That's why everyone loves a new year, a new manuscript, new new new. But I'm going to be that person who stirs the magic Beginnings Brew and warns, "It comes with a price, my dear..."

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But because I'm nice, I'll give you two choices for your price.

Price number one: All your new beginnings mixed with everything else on your plate will stretch you thin and leave you tired and overwhelmed.

Price number two: Some of your old darlings will die to make room for your new darlings. Circle of life.

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You know what? I'm feeling extra nice today, so I'll even tell you which option is better because it's not super obvious, right? Better to say goodbye to some old darlings, darling. I know, I know. It's hard because you love those things or have an obligation to them. So if you don't want to let go, I understand. Price number one for you. Let me know how that works.

But for me? I choose price number two. I hardly worked on any fiction in 2016 because I had a new baby to enjoy. But in 2017, I'm getting back to writing fiction. I'm working on a first draft and totally revising a book I've queried and revised since 2011 (because with time and space from the manuscript, I finally know what's wrong with it!). But here's the thing...I don't magically have more time for writing in 2017. So this past week, I said goodbye to some things I've loved being a part of. I just had to ask myself what I want most in life, and what it'll take to get me there. The things I let go of are great, but don't help me go where I want to go. The goodbyes are bittersweet, but it'll be worth it to move forward and not be stretched too thin.

Ask yourself what you need to let go of. Because that's the price you have to pay for a new beginning. That's the price every successful writer has to pay. What will you let go of for your new beginning?

Jessie Mullins is wife to her middle/high school sweetheart and has embarrassing, love-struck diaries from back in the day she can use for YA fuel. Together, they have a son who just so happens to be the sweetest boy in the world. During naps times, Jessie blogs on YAtopia and her personal mommy blog, Her Arms Are Strong. She writes and adores YA. Her husband makes fun of her for liking stuff that's made for teenagers, and if he doesn't stop the teasing, she's going to write in her diary about it. 

How to Work on Multiple Novels at Once

I've always balked at the kind of people who could read two or more books at the same time. I'd much rather be totally immersed in one world, start to finish. And isn't it kind of like cheating on one book with another?

That's what I thought when it came to writing multiple novels at the same time too. My main fear was that I would fall more in love with one WIP (work-in-progress) and the other would fall to the side, never to be seen again.

Until, without meaning to, I found myself in a wild love affair with three WIPs. Three. The scandal!

Since I've been balancing all three projects pretty well (or as well as I can with my attached baby) for a few weeks now, I'm an expert (of course). So if you're thinking of dipping your toes in the torrid world of multiple projects, here are three expert tips to help you stay faithful (ha!) to all of them.

1. Your WIPs should be at different stages.

All three of my WIPs require different kinds of creativity and thinking. One of them is a fresh idea, so I'm playing with world-building, plot, characters, everything. No actual writing is happening yet. Just daydreaming, notes, and Pinterest boards. Total freedom.

My second is in the first draft stage and is actually the sequel to my third WIP. So the world and characters have already been established. I know most of the plot, but I'm a bit of a pantser so there's a lot of room for exploration here too.

My third project is my oldest. This one has gone through revision after revision, edits after edits. Queries. Contests. And after Pitch Wars this year, we're saddling up and going through revisions yet again. (Never surrender!)

2. Establish Priorities.

With the different kinds of creativity and thinking, if I get stuck or bored with one kind, I can easily cozy up to another one for a while. But I also don't want to lose focus by switching things up too much. My goal is publication. So I want to move each project forward, but I want to move the revisions forward before the one that has no words, you know? So if I'm not stuck, first priority goes to revisions, then the sequel, and then the new idea.

3. Don't try this with more than a few books.

This can really only work if you're able to prioritize and give honest, good time and effort to what's most important. That won't happen if you're trying to juggle ten books. You have to commit at some point, player.

Have you tried working on multiple novels? What worked and didn't work for you?

Happy writing!
Jessie

@Je55ieMullin5

Why Your Story Needs Real Stakes

A couple weeks ago, my husband, Gary, and I settled in for a movie night. After browsing Netflix, we decided on a movie that sounded pretty interesting. After the Dark. 

Here's the synopsis from IMDB:

At an international school in Jakarta, a philosophy teacher challenges his class of twenty graduating seniors to choose which ten of them would take shelter underground and reboot the human race in the event of a nuclear apocalypse.

I love the premise. The beginning of the movie caught our attention right away with all the philosophy talk. But it was just that...talk. So we were even more excited when the professor announced that the students would have to decide which ten of them would continue on in the event of an apocalypse.

Except, unfortunately, it wasn't exciting at all. 

The students weren't actually deciding which ten of them would get to live. So there wasn't even the most basic stakes of, like, hurt feelings. They all drew a card with an identity or profession and decided based off those.

Every time they talked out a scenario, we saw it play out on screen. Each time they went through a scenario, ten of them were chosen and the rest died. Death is a pretty big stake, right? Half of the people dying is a pretty big deal? Nope. Because no one was actually in any danger whatsoever. They were really just sitting in a classroom. Still talking.  

That wouldn't have even mattered if the students' grades at least depended on how well they made decisions or if they got to live. But that wasn't the case either. At one point, the professor threatened to dock someone's grade, but he didn't say that until nearly the end of the film. And it wasn't a stake so much as him just being a jerk control freak.

I kept waiting for something redeeming, but when the credits rolled, Gary and I felt robbed. Where were the stakes!? A great idea is just an idea--not a story--if there are no real stakes. 

Your characters or their goals need to be in real danger in order to keep your readers captivated. If there's nothing actually at stake, the reader has no reason to invest their time. There's nothing keeping them glued to your pages to see how and if everything will be all right. Make your characters matter. Make their goals matter. Give such powerful stakes that the reader is personally invested, feeling that if the character fails, they're doomed too.  

Have you seen this movie? Do you agree or disagree? Share in the comments below!   

    

Why Writers Should be Honest with Publishers

I'm an introvert, and I used to work in retail. Back then, I was a shy introvert too. But because I needed the job, I lied on my application and during the interview when they asked, "Are you a people-person?" I gave them a big fat, "YES, I AM. I'm so friendly and outgoing and I love working with people! Woo!"

Which was all fine until I got the job. I faked the people-person thing for a couple days, until my batteries dropped to zero, I cried myself to sleep (not really...maybe), and dragged myself back into work as a zombie. It's exhausting trying to be someone you're not.

Eventually, my boss had to remind me to smile and say hi and ask the customers if they needed help. I'm sure by now they realized I wasn't the people-person I said I was, but they kept me because I was a hard working and, ironically, didn't waste time talking to my coworkers like everyone else. (They told me this.) So my personality wasn't everything they wanted, but it still benefited them.

Not me, though. I was dying inside. That sounds dramatic, doesn't it? But any introvert who has tried to fake an extrovert personality and lifestyle knows I'm not being dramatic. It's suffocation.

I learned from my lies, quit the job, and accepted that it's for my own good and for the good of those around me if I accept who I am.

That is until I got an email from a publisher I had queried, asking me what my expectations are from a publisher. My immediate thought was, "What answer are they looking for?" I mulled that over for a while before I realized I was making the same mistake I made with the retail job.

If I lied to a publisher just to get the offer, that wouldn't be a good deal for either one of us. So I sent an honest response, and I'm so glad I did. Maybe my response will show them I'm a good fit and maybe it won't. If it doesn't, that's okay. I can't be in such a rush to make my publishing dream come true that I actually spoil it.

 
So if you get that question, be honest with yourself and with the publisher. I mean, do your homework so you understand how the industry works. Your expectations need to be realistic. But be honest. Our time will come with the right publisher fit for us.

 

5 Reactions to Expect after Telling People You Write Books

It's always fun (or maybe not) when people ask what you do, and you reply with, "I write books." Because you never know which of these five reactions you'll get.

1. The Big Question

"What's your book about?"

And then, of course, you suddenly can't remember how to string together words. What's your plot? Who are your characters? Why didn't you work on your elevator pitch better??

2. The Tight-Lipped Smile of Judgement

"That's..." And there's a pause so brief, you're unsure whether it's real or in your head. "Nice. Are you published?" If you are, the judgement might stop, but if not, it could be better to do something like this:

And then walk away and let the haters hate. 

3. Unrealistic Expectations

"Cool, when it's published, I'll get a free, signed copy, right?"

Things don't quite work that way, but to avoid a boring explanation of the publishing industry, just smile and nod, smile and nod. And then later you can blame your publisher for not giving you a hundred free books to pass out to your close friends, family, and acquaintances. 

4. The Brush-off

"Oh, you write? Cute. I blah blah blah."

DO YOU NOT KNOW HOW MUCH WORK I PUT INTO THIS? It's not cute! I had to kill darlings and better my comma game and obsess over word choice. I'm a warrior. A WARRIOR.

5. Enthusiasm and Awe

"You are a god." 

Okay, so you probably won't hear that, but there are people out there who realize the hard work, dedication, and imagination it takes to write a book. Remember the feeling this reaction gives you when some of the less pleasant reactions inevitably happen.