You are a full-time TV writer, who has written for shows such as Neighbours and Shortland St (in New Zealand), as well as a fiction writer. What advantages or disadvantages does one form of writing have over the other?  Or do you consider the differences to be not that great in comparison to the shared storytelling capacity of TV writing and written fiction?

Many amateur fiction writers, don’t write in scenes but just write whatever comes to mind. Writing in scenes with a clearly articulated setting, main character(s), character goal, stakes, conflict and outcome which shifts the story towards the next scene can make a huge difference in a writer’s manuscript. For similar sentiments from novelist Ian Irvine, you can read his article What I’ve Learned on the Orbit website. The article How a Little Planning Can Help Focus Your Novel Manuscript deals with the story as a whole but scenes are the building blocks of larger stories.

The following is an annotated version of chapter one of The Survivor by bestselling novelist Gregg Hurwitz to shed some light on how a scene can be approached.

[The main character is situated in the story world]

From this height the cars looked like dominoes, the pedestrians like roving dots. The breeze blew crisp and constant, cooling Nate’s lungs on the inhale – none of that touted LA smog this close to the ocean. To the west, blocks of afternoon gridlock ended at the Santa Monica cliffs, a sheer drop to white sand and the eternal slate of the sea. The view would have been lovely.

-          In this passage the main character is physically situated – not philosophically or sociologically situated (which is not the same thing).

-          Details have been introduced about the character’s immediate physical environment, the time of day, the weather, etc, without drifting away from the immediate experience of the main character at the moment depicted.

[The stakes and the character’s goal are revealed]

Except he was here to kill himself.

-          This sentence establishes both the character’s goal in the scene (to kill himself) and the stakes (life and death). If he achieves his goal, he dies. If he doesn’t achieve his goal, he lives – which, for someone preparing to die, which is likely to give rise to major internal conflict for the character.

[The stakes are elaborated on and aspects of the character’s personality are revealed while the character is engaged in action toward his goal in the scene]

The eleventh story ledge gave him two spare inches past the tips of his sneakers. Balance was a challenge, but getting out here had been the hardest part. He’d shoehorned himself through the ancient bathroom window at First Union Bank of Southern California, wobbling for a solid minute on the ledge before daring to rise.

On the street below, people scurried about their business, no one squinting up into the late-morning glare to spot him. As he flattened against the wall, his sense lurched into overdrive – the smacking of his heart against his ribs, the sweat-damp shirt clinging to his shoulders, the salt tinge burning his nostrils. It felt a lot like panic, but somehow calmer, as if his brain was resigned to the circumstances but his body wasn’t getting the signals.

Because he was unwilling to risk landing on someone – with his luck he’d pile-drive a pension-check-cashing granny through the pavement – he continued slide-stepping to the end of the ledge. The corner of the building gave him less trouble than he’d anticipated as he elbow-clamped his way around, and then he was staring down at the empty alley and the target of the dumpster below. It was, if nothing else, a considerate plan. If he hit the bin squarely, the steel walls would contain the spatter, leaving him neatly packaged for delivery to the crematorium. He was sick of people cleaning up after him.

It had been less than ten minute since he’d laid open the dumpster lid, but it seemed like days. The chilly elevator ride up, the nod to the wizened black security guard, that final moment collecting his nerves by the row of urinals before muscling open the sash window – each had stretched out into a lifetime.

First Union of SoCal was one of the few West Coast banks located up off the ground floor – cheaper real estate, more space, better security. But only one high-rise perk held Nate’s interest currently. Gauging his position, he slid another half step to the right, stopping shy of a casement window that had been cranked several turns outward. From the gap issued a current of warm, coffee-scented air and the busy hum of tellers and customers. Business as usual.

He considered his own dwindling checking account within. His next step – literally – would void the million-dollar life-insurance policy to which he dutifully wrote a check every January, but even that wouldn’t matter. There was no one who wanted anything of him and nothing ahead but increments of misery.

He took a deep breath -his last? – and closed his eyes. Spreading his arms, he let the October wind rise through the thin cotton of his T-shirt and chill the sweat on his ribs. He waited for his life to flash before his eyes, the ethereal song and dance, but there was nothing. No wedding-day close-up of Janie’s lips parting to meet his, no image of Cielle dressed as a pumpkin for Halloween with her chocolate smudged hands and dimpled thighs, just the teeth of the wind and a thousand needle points of fear, skewering him like a pincushion. The longest journey, according to Taoism and Hallmark, begins with a single step.

And so does the shortest.

He took one foot and moved it out into the weightless open.

-          The writing stays close to the character’s actions and includes enough detail for a reader to attribute likely motivations for the character’s actions and to begin forming ideas about the character’s personality.

-          Meanwhile, the character’s actions are taking him closer to his goal.

[A twist provides the basis for a new goal for the character in the next scene]

That was when he heard the gunshots.

-          This sentence introduces a new complication and a major shift in the character’s goal (as a reader would find out at the beginning of the next chapter), while encouraging a reader to ask questions which remain unanswered unless they read on to the next chapter.

***

You can follow the writing journeys of a range of Australian first-time novelists at Writing Novels in Australia and gain some insight into how they each approach such issues in their novel manuscript.

The Australian Literature Review
www.auslit.net

Weekly topics

Story elements and structural editing

Character dynamics

Story and plot dynamics

Writing in scenes

Narrative voice

Before you begin

You must have completed the first draft of a novel or novella, or must have completed the first draft of at least two 2000-3000 word short stories, for use in the workshops.

Those who use a novel or novella manuscript must also have a one page draft plot summary.

The story and plot summary don’t have to be polished and free of problems; they just have to be complete, so you have a full story to work with.

Time and place

Fridays 9:30am-12:30pm, Level 2, Melbourne Central Executive Suites, 212-222 La Trobe St (across from Melbourne central shopping centre/train station in the CBD).

From Fri May 25^th to Fri June 22^nd (5 sessions).

Price

$300

Session Plan

Lesson 1 (with worked through examples) – 20 min

Practical exercise (with guidance available): Self-editing/rewriting (2000-3000 words) – 30-40 min

Group sharing and feedback – 15-25 min

*10 min break*

Lesson 2 (with worked through examples) – 20 min

Practical exercise (with guidance available): Editing another’s work (2000-3000 words) – 30-40 min

Group sharing and feedback – 15-25 min

General chat/Q&A – 20 min

***

Express your interest or ask any questions via auslit@hotmail.com.

***

ABN: 96 236 786 730

The Australian Literature Review
www.auslit.net

The dream of becoming a novelist is not limited to literary scholars. In fact, many of today’s successful fiction writers graduated from with a non-English degree. Within certain sub-genres of fiction—such as psychological thrillers, historical drama and science fiction, as well as non-fiction—those who study the topics discussed in their work tend to fare just as well as (if not better than) their English major counterparts. There is also that demographic of writer that may  have already obtained an undergraduate degree in English and embarked upon further graduate study in a non-English field as another means of acquiring a sub-genre specialisation.  With the ubiquity of online graduate programs from various higher-education institutions now all over the Web, this option of finding inspiration for further story ideation and a student community to help foster creativity is a lot more attainable than it was before.

When it comes to writing an entertaining novel, one’s level of creativity is more important than his or her major. If an individual wishes to write a novel in which the central protagonist is a criminal psychologist, for instance, then professional details related to that field (technical jargon, case histories, workplace environment, etc.) are just as important to the story as effective grammar and a wide vocabulary. Prior to its publication, several professional editors will meticulously examine the novel in order to improve upon its language. This means firsthand knowledge of the signature topic (criminal psychology, in this case) is the most important contribution the writer will make to that particular project—in addition to the initial creative spark.

Besides, an English degree does not typically translate into lucrative earnings. Journalism is a far better option for writing students, since the unemployment rates are lower and the starting wages are almost always higher for entry-level journalists. Though the major does not concentrate on narrative details to the extent that creative writing or literature courses do, its students learn the same nuts and bolts of English grammar required for successful writing projects. In addition, they learn a valuable skill for fiction writing: how to conduct extensive research on a specific topic.

Post-graduate employment is also crucial for aspiring novelists. It can take years for one to publish his or her first novel; meanwhile, bills and rent must be paid. Many experts agree that this early transition period presents the would-be novelist with a valuable opportunity to learn the trade they wish to someday chronicle on paper. If one hopes to write science fiction, then time spent working in a laboratory or research center can provide some much-needed inspiration. If historical fiction is the genre of choice, then the writer can learn much from working in a museum or library.

The most successful novels inspire readers to dig deeper into the subject at hand—and often, the writers of these works were experts in that particular field prior to their literary careers. Dan Brown studied art history in Spain as an undergraduate; to date, his best-known novel, The Da Vinci Code, has sold an estimated 65 million copies, according to Policymic. John Grisham was a successful lawyer for six years prior to the publication of his first legal thriller, A Time To Kill; today, he is one of most successful novelists of all time. Bestselling Australian writer Kathryn Fox attended medical school and practiced medicine for more than a decade prior to her first forensic crime novel, Death Mask. The reading public has historically shown appreciation toward writers who professionally understand their topics.

If one wishes to write for a living—but is unsure about pursuing a potentially limiting degree in writing or literature—he or she should not give up the dream. Bestseller lists are full of men and women with no formal training in professional writing, and readers do not seem to mind. For many, the key to a great novel is authenticity.

The Australian Literature Review
www.auslit.net

Many amateur fiction writers are uncertain how they should punctuate speech and thought in their writing. The following may clear up some of these uncertainties:

Punctuation when attributing speech in writing

Written speech tends to be marked by quotation marks (‘single’ or “double”) to indicate what is speech and what is general narration. For example:

“Wow. That’s excellent,” I said.

In this example it is clear what was said (Wow. That’s excellent.) and who said it (the character narrating that part of the story).

Alternatively, the following could be used to convey the same content:

I said, “Wow. That’s excellent.”

Note the comma which leads out of the speech in the first example and the comma which leads into the speech in the second example. The comma in each example serves no purpose in clarify what is speech and what is general narration, nor in clarifying who said that bit of speech, but the comma is so commonly included that some would deem it an error to leave it out. If you intend to submit to a major publisher, I would recommend including the comma.

The following example is something which confuses many amateur writers:

“Wow,” I said. “That’s excellent.”

Many writers are not sure whether to put a full stop or a comma after the word said. A full stop is appropriate in this example; a comma would suggest that the character said “Wow, that’s excellent.”  This is a plausible sentence too – but not the same as the previous examples. The importance of getting the decision of comma or full stop right is more evident in an example like: “That’s excellent,” I said. “What a great idea.” Putting a comma in this example would suggest the character said the grammatically incorrect: “That’s excellent, what a great idea.”

Punctuation when attributing thought in writing

Thought is expressed in writing much the same way speech is. Some writers put the words thought in italics to separate it from general narration. Others use underlining or single quotation marks (with double quotation marks for speech, to clearly differentiate the two). The important thing is that the writer uses these consistently, so a reader will know what is speech, what is thought and what is general narration.

In the following examples, it is clear what is the character’s thought and what is general narration:

Wow. That’s excellent, I thought.

Wow. That’s excellent.

Wow, I thought. That’s excellent.

I thought, Wow. That’s excellent.

In the following examples, it is not clear what is the character’s thought and what is general narration:

Wow. That’s excellent, I thought.

Wow. That’s excellent.

Wow, I thought. That’s excellent.

I thought, Wow. That’s excellent.

***

You can follow the writing journeys of a range of Australian first-time novelists at Writing Novels in Australia and gain some insight into how they each approach such issues in their novel manuscript.

The Australian Literature Review
www.auslit.net

Many writers take on the task of writing a novel with little forward planning – especially for their first attempt. This often results in major problems for the writer. One of the most common problems is: The manuscript is meandering or disjointed because it lacks focus.

Take the following scenario as an example:

An aspiring novelist writes 20,000 words of a novel manuscript and doesn’t know where the story is heading, so they go back through the manuscript and cut 10,000 words to refocus the story, then they write another 15,000 words, run into the same problem and put the manuscript aside or ignore the problems and keep writing to 80,000 words only to realise they still don’t know what their manuscript is about nor how to fix it without rewriting most of it.

The above scenario is about getting to a basic draft which is a cohesive novel-length story, so the writer has a story concept in place. Only then could the work of revising and moulding the writing to effectively convey that story and of polishing the fine detail properly begin.

Having a basic story concept in mind before writing can go a long way to avoiding a scenario like the one above. Some writers will prefer the freedom of having a general idea and developing much of the medium and small scale detail as they write, while other writers will prefer to plan a lot of detail before writing (as discussed in On ‘Losing the Plot: Plotting in advance VS writing as you go’).

The following pointers may help in developing direction for a novel manuscript:

Decide what makes your novel manuscript a single cohesive story

Just writing about various characters and events in the same fictional storyworld doesn’t necessarily make for a unified story. Below are a selection of story types which are unified by the goal of a main character:

Survival: a character strives to stay alive (The Hunger Games, The Night of the Living Dead, Behind Enemy Lines, 2012)

Road trip/physical journey: a character strives to get from one place to another (The Wizard of Oz, The Silver Sword, Little Miss Sunshine)

Redemption: a character proves their worth or makes up for a failure or misdeed (or a failure or misdeed the character believes they have commited) (Anchorman, Cliffhanger, Ace Ventura 2, The Lion King)

Justice: a character strives to protect the innocent from harm (Batman, My Sister’s Keeper, To Kill a Mocking Bird, Harry Potter, Lord of the Rings, Star Wars, True Grit)

Revenge: a character punishes someone for something they have done (Cape Fear, Sleepers, Kill Bill, The Brave One)

Love: characters strive to be happy together (Romeo and Juliet, Twilight)

Ambition: a character strives to achieve a difficult goal which they are under no outside coercion to pursue (Macbeth, Scarface, The Pillars of the Earth)

Once a writer has a general idea of the kind of story they want to write, they may benefit from examining a range of stories of that kind to get some ideas about what was done well or not so well in each of those stories, what has been done a lot and what has not been done so much, and how similar or different they want their story to be from various aspects of each of those stories.

What is the main conflict (or the main theme tying together the various conflicts of an ensemble of characters)?

-          The dramatic question

Some have described the beginning of the main conflict as coming about by raising the main dramatic question (Will the main character survive?, Will the main character make it to their destination (or will the main character successfully carry out their goal at their intended destination)?, Will the main character prove their worth to someone important to them (or will they realise that they don’t need to prove their worth to that character)?, etc) and the end of the resolution of the conflict as the answering of the main dramatic question.

In this sense, the bulk of a novel manuscript can be thought of as the process of answering a single question from when the question is first developed until the question is definitively answered (or abandoned in light of a more important question).

What are the major developments or stages the main conflict (or each main conflict) goes through before decisive action is taken to resolve it once and for all?

-          Sequences and chapters/scenes

Distinguishing a series of stages to how the dramatic question is tackled by the character(s) can help develop ideas for sequences (multiple consecutive chapters) and key chapters or scenes, while the writer also has a good idea of how they fit into the whole manuscript.

-          Rising tension/escalating stakes

Some suggest stories are best when the stakes get higher and higher for a character as the story progresses, so a reader’s emotional engagement gets stronger and stronger (because the reader cares what happens to the characters).

-          Main plot/sub plot

A sub plot can add variety to the content and pacing of a novel manuscript while the stakes keep getting higher in the main plot.

-          Multiple narrators

Using multiple narrators can add elements such as suspense and irony throughout a novel manuscript as a reader knows important things that some characters don’t know (including that some characters know important things that other characters don’t know) and some characters know important things that a reader doesn’t know.

How do you set up the main conflict for a reader?

Once a writer has a good idea of the main conflict and how it fits into a satisfying overall story experience, they will be well-equipped to make decisions about what they need to establish (or at least what they would like to establish) for a reader to understand and appreciate the main conflict.

How do you resolve the main conflict?

Resolutions tend to be most satisfying when they come about from the decisive action of the main character (or the decisive actions of the main characters in an ensemble).

A character’s motivation for choosing to resolve the main conflict the way they do can also be very important as it tends to have a major impact on what a reader thinks about the character. For most stories, an admirable motive which is indicative of some underlying personal growth for the character is well advised.

What loose ends are there to tie up so a reader’s main questions are answered and they feel satisfied? Are there any notable unresolved questions deliberately left unanswered? If so, what are you aiming to achieve by leaving them unresolved?

***

You can follow the writing journeys of a range of Australian first-time novelists at Writing Novels in Australia and gain some insight into how they each approach such issues in their novel manuscript.

The Australian Literature Review
www.auslit.net

A crime scene investigation is underway to investigate a death. This is not an average death, this is the death of creative thinking. You see while IQ levels have been rising owing to enriched environments (the Flynn effect), creativity scores have actually been falling over time. After analysing up to 300,000 Torrance scores from children and adults (the gold standard in creativity measurement), it has been discovered that although creativity scores rose along with IQ scores until 1990, creativity scores have since dropped significantly.

• Recognise areas in your life that may have become suppressed, and identify why this has happened and how this can be dealt with.
• Develop a mindset that is open to exploration.
• Ask open-ended questions to challenge established beliefs and assumptions without expecting specific outcomes or solutions.

• Have the courage to face fears of possible failure and uncertainty. Learn to see them as an important part of the creative process.
• Learn to accept and embrace apparently opposing ideas (ambiguity) to open up new possibilities.

• Identify your own typical responses to pressure.
• Stand up to pressure – recognise that you have the power to stay in control of the impact of external circumstances, and find specific ways to balance your time and energy more effectively.
• Be proactive in designing your life to control pressure: eg try drawing up a fresh schedule for yourself that gives you the time and space to do the things you would like to do as well as fitting in the things you need to do.
• Prepare a platform to unleash your imagination – trial ‘brain teaser’ exercises designed to stretch your mind into exploring a range of possibilities.

• Deliberately expose yourself to different people, different sources of information and different ideas. Be open and receptive to opinions and ideas that don’t match your own – ensure there is receptivity to apparently opposing perspectives.
• Learn how to master conscious awareness, so that you can access difference parts of your own mental capacity and not just that parts that you usually access (try brain training exercises that utilize different capabilities, eg to access both ‘left’ and ‘right’ brain functions.)

• Assess your own levels of engagement in what you do, and detect where there might be a lack of engagement. Recognise sarcasm or cynicism, and identify what the root cause of these might be.
• Challenge your old, conservative habits and behaviours with new approaches – even if they are initially uncomfortable. Draw up a chart to list in columns: ‘The way I usually approach what I do’, and  ‘A new approach’
• Find ways to connect with your passions and use these as a base for

• Embrace ‘creative innocence’ – try putting aside any notions of ‘expertise’, recognize any biases or prejudices you may have developed, and approach a situation as a child would instead.
• Practice divergent thinking through exercises that encourage this.
• Put yourself in others’ shoes to open up different ways of thinking. Eg, think of a problem that has to be solved, identify your usual action, then think about the different paths others in your situation might take. See if you can come up with several different possible ways the problem could have been solved.

• Take up a new hobby or sport, and don’t give up until you have mastered it.
• Learn the art of positive self-talk and optimistic thinking and language.
• Reword or rework limiting language and experiences into positive outcomes. Try keeping a diary of the things that happen each day – then track how many of these were framed in a positive way and how many in a negative way. Practice reframing the negative experiences.

***

Writing Novels in Australia is a group blog on which a range of Australian authors write a monthly post on their novel writing.

2012 is dedicated to first-time novelists.

You can read along, contribute your own comments and share interesting posts with others, as these first-time novelists chart their journey to completed novel manuscript and publication.

Some of the 2012 writers on Writing Novels in Australia may be next year’s debut novelists with major publishers, or the next big independent publishing or self-publishing success story.

Whatever the future holds, you can pick up some tips, follow the journeys of a diverse range of Australian first-time novelists, and participate in conversations through your comments.

www.writingnovelsinaustralia.com

***

Writing Teen Novels is a group blog in which a range of authors who write novels for teen readers each do a monthly post on writing teen novels.

The 2012 authors range from several first-time teen novelists, to authors with two or three novels with major publishers, to authors with five or six teen novels with major publishers in eight or nine countries, to authors with a career spanning multiple decades and dozens of novels with major publishers.

The specialties of the 2012 teen novelists include fantasy, action, mystery, historical, and more.

www.writingteennovels.com

***

The Australian Literature Review
www.auslit.net

There are two scholarships per city available for writers aged 15-19 for the 6 week suspense novella courses in Sydney, Melbourne and Brisbane, starting at the end of March. The short courses include ongoing online support, feedback from suspense novelists for top writers, networking opportunities, and publications opportunities. Click on the text link for further details on the suspense novella courses.

To apply, email the following to auslit@hotmail.com by midnight Sunday March 18:

-          A story idea for a suspense novella, in 100 words or less; and

-          The opening 300-500 words of that novella

-          Which city and class time you would like to attend

Before you apply, please read the details of the 6 week suspense novella courses and ensure you are available to attend the classes.

Scholarship recipients will be notified by Wednesday March 21.

The Australia Literature Review
www.auslit.net

The Australian Literature Review is running 6 week suspense novella writing courses in Brisbane, Sydney and Melbourne, starting at the end of March.

Two groups will run in each city.

Each course will comprise a 1hr45min session each week for six weeks and cost $295 (which can be split into two or three monthly payments). In addition to face-to-face classes, writers will receive ongoing online support to develop their suspense novella writing skills.

The 6 week course will help each writer build a solid foundation for writing suspense novellas, using suspense novellas from Stephen King (who needs no introduction), Cornell Woolrich (best known for his novella adapted as Alfred Hitchock’s renowned film Rear Window), and Leonardo Sciascia (whose novella Open Doors was adapted as the critically acclaimed and award winning Italian film of the same name). The course will also include a mix of novels and graphic novels as examples to help build suspense novella writing skills. These skills will be transferrable to a broader range of fiction writing.

EXTRAS:

Private blog on writing suspense novellas

A private blog will be available to workshop participants with articles on writing suspense novellas. Access to this blog will continue beyond the end of the workshops.

Private Facebook group

A private Facebook group will be available to workshop participants so writers from Sydney, Melbourne and Brisbane can network with each other. Access to this group will continue beyond the end of the workshops.

Double novelist feedback for two writers

Workshop participants will be invited to submit a one-page suspense novella outline and the first 1500 words of that novella at the end of the six weeks. The two judged most promising as a well-crafted and commercially viable novella will each receive 500+ words of feedback from both Michael White and JF Englert.

Two books of four suspense novellas to be published in 2013

Two books of four suspense novellas will be published in 2013 – one with contemporary realistic suspense and one open to suspense of all sorts – and workshop participants will be well placed to submit for these two books.

TIMES, DATES AND VENUES:

BRISBANE (Riparian Plaza, Eagle St)

Tue 9:15am – 11am. Begins Tuesday March 27

Tue 11:15am – 1pm. Begins Tuesday March 27

SYDNEY (World Tower, Liverpool St between George St and Pitt St)

Wed 4:15pm – 6pm. Begins Wednesday March 28

Thu 6:45am – 8:30am. Begins Thursday March 29

MELBOURNE (Melbourne Central Executve Suites, La Trobe St between Elizabeth St and Swanston St)

Fri 9:15am – 11am. Begins Friday March 30

Fri 11:15am – 1pm. Begins Friday March 30

To enrol, email auslit@hotmail.com with your desired location and timeslot and you will receive a response confirming availability and payment details.

ABN: 96 236 786 730

The Australian Literature Review
www.auslit.net