The Tail or the Dog
The relationship between characters and plot in any novel is pivotal and tricky. A story is often plot driven but what I remember most when I finish a satisfying read are the characters. Of course, good plots make characters memorable—how they get in and out of jams, express or repress their emotions, and make sacrifices—but down deep I just like who they are above and beyond what they do. They may start out as the “tail” but they end up as the “dog". My own characters sometimes become friends. At least conversationally. “Hey ———— — should I return my latest, ridiculous Amazon purchase?” Or, “What wine should I bring to this dinner party because my expertise is wine labels?" If they’re going to be my friends, this begs the question about what kind of characters do I like to draw from in real life. Someone different from me, as much as possible, and who strikes me as interesting in conflicted ways. Someone challenged by the limits of both their strengths and their weaknesses. In the end, I hope they are sympathetic to most readers. Even unsympathetic characters require a lot of attention and exploration before they go on the written page. Minor characters, too, require serious thought because their place in the narrative can enhance or diminish the total effect. Every blemish—and all novels have them, if a reader looks closely enough—shows. In Ghost With Two Hearts, there are two main characters, and I like both, but creating one, a computer coder, was easier than fabricating the other—a ghost serving an eternity in Shinto Hell. Making a realistic (at least plausible) ghost, about whom an author can’t do much research, worked out in the end. A lot of drafts were written and discarded over 18 months. I got to invent a ghost who is quite human. She is being tortured by gods (i.e., society) by denying her the right to sleep/dream, controlling her memories, and shutting her off completely from loved ones she inadvertently damaged but longs to be forgiven by and united with. How does anyone escape a fate like that? We know the need to be loved is universal. In Ghost With Two Hearts, I began to wonder if that includes the dead.
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The Awkward Art of Asking for ReviewsDear Fellow Author,
If you’re thinking of asking for reviews from friends and acquaintances you respect and trust, and who know a few things about writing and storytelling, here are ten points you might consider: 1. If friends give you an enthusiastic "yes, of course I'll review your book," best they know the length of your book. If possible, set a soft time goal that's both comfortable for author and reviewer. . 2. Sometimes the best thing a would-be reviewer can do is be straight with the author. An upfront "I wish it were otherwise, but I can't help you" is far better than an endless protraction of good intentions, 3, Take the time to explain to someone that writing is your passion, perhaps even a career, and you would greatly appreciate their feedback. It's okay to mention another obvious thing: What writer or artist doesn't need some kudos or validation, especially in a profession where one can labor largely alone and in silence for a year or two. Once published, you find yourself in survival-of-the-fittest waters, as two or three million other authors are scrambling for reviews just like you. 4. Ask the friend you're soliciting if he or she can possibly read just ten pages. If they like the story, you hope they continue, If not, it’s all okay. 5. If the moment feels right, remind your friend a book is your investment in yourself and your talents. You want to. be taken seriously, without being considered pushy or begging. 6. Tell friends they don't need impeccable writing or grammar skills to complete a review, Two or three sentences should make you happy, as long as they're honest words. 7. You might offer your friends a topic or two that other reviews haven't covered. Suggest they share their opinions about your main character, for example, or how your surprise ending worked or didn’t work for them. 8. If you do receive a review on Amazon, Goodreads, or wherever, thank them. He or she took time out of their busy lives for you. 9. Be reluctant to ask anyone in your immediate family to review your book. Unless your relationship is exceeding strong and open, it can backfire. 10. I know writers who make the mistake of 'nudging" potential reviewers who haven’t had time to digest the book. Your friends usually don't need a reminder. There could be many reasons for a delay, and they may not have anything to do with your book. Making Risk-Taking Real
During the Covid-19 pandemic, a private zoo in Brussels closed its doors to the public for a time. A family of orangutans, accustomed to throngs of admiring humans, lapsed into serious depression. Their behavior grew more worrisome by the day, The quandary of how to save a species from permanent disability, the longer the zoo remained closed, brought on serious discussions. Finally, staff made an opening in the fence of the adjoining enclosure, inspiring a dozen river otters to swim into the primates’ living area. After initial wariness of their neighbors, the orang became happy show-offs again, and the otters were a fascinated audience that returned every day. Quite quickly, other zoos successfully tried coupling the two species. I checked out some videos (see “orangutans and river otters are BFFs —YouTube”) which fortified my simple conclusion: It’s impossible to know what’s possible until you open your mind about everything. ReplyReply allForward Seeing yourself as a writer, objectively, can be tough. There are periods when everything flows and you experience euphoria. Other times, I get trapped in my memories, or on a spectrum of emotions ranging from positive to “is this really happening to me?” I always pray that on any given day I can find time to write, and that my imagination is working. A defiant, uncooperative, or half-aslep muse can take a week or two off your life, if not longer.
Before tackling these challenges, every so often I ask myself why I write. Over a fifty year career of publishing fiction and non-fiction, writing screenplays, and making films, the why can vary significantly. Creativity has many motivations. If you want to focus on one particular genre, or are fixated by characters that must appear in every book you write, great. If you want to explore multiple genres, terrific. When you are engrossed by different subjects as the world—and your world, too—changes, readers want to read what you have to say. If you chase fame and money and Instagram followers, you will likely comprise the integrity of the majority of novelists today. I wrote my first short story at fifteen or sixteen, to escape the standard adolescent turmoil. Reading, music, and sports were helpful but only scratched the surface of discovery. Creating characters who could be my friends, who pulled me into their world to teach me things, brought me happiness that I found nowhere else. I had no ambition to show my writing to anyone. My work space in my bedroom was off limits. I taped a “no trespassing” sign to my typewriter. In college, my why changed again. I wanted to read and learn from every great writer, including some peers in my creative writing classes. Arthur Miller, Joseph Conrad and William Burroughs were my favorites (a generational thing). When I compared my own writing with the super talented, I developed an anxiety that wouldn’t let me look in a mirror more than once a day. Time passed. Married, with two wonderful kids, my wife and I took jobs as real estate agents, yet my muse was like a termite that kept burrowing deeper, looking for something. I wanted to give myself another chance at writing. By age 32, stealing time whenever possible, I managed to write and publish three novels. Two were reviewed in The New York Times, and one was made into a TV series. I thought of quitting my real estate job. ReplyForward |
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