by How to Tell A Story- The Secrets of Writing Captivating Tale (mobi)
Chapter Thirteen
Fourteen Steps to Writing Your Story
Gary was never one for formulas, and neither am I, so it's important to bear in mind that what we have been talking about in this book is just a way of writing narrative, not the way.
I presume you're reading this book because you're having problems with "this novel-writing business" or a nonfiction idea is obsessing you in some way.
The point is, you'd like to write a book, either fiction or narrative nonfiction, but you just can't figure out how best to get started. Gary and I hope we have given you some clues and managed to switch on some lights and open some doors to reveal things you might not have noticed before.
Writers are an idiosyncratic bunch—probably all a little nuts when push comes to shove. Who else would shut themselves away in a little room, when everyone else is having a great time in the summer sun, and stay cut off from the rest of the world just so they could re-create visions of that world on paper?
Once those visions come into focus, writers try to capture them, to grasp the ideas behind the visions and wrestle with whatever angels or devils appear to impede the progress of creativity or seduce the writers into going somewhere else and distract them from their visions. Writers persevere. They try to massage those ideas into stories, and then try and use words— those notoriously slippery eel-like things—to commit those stories to paper. Surely sane people would not do all that.
"NO" WILL ONE DAY BECOME "YES"
For that reason, writers are not likely to all do things the same way. Successful writers, artists, musicians, athletes, whatever are all, somewhere in their makeups, obsessive, dogged, won't-take-no-for-an-answer types—and no is a word you will hear a lot when you first start out as a writer. But it isn't a no about you, it's a no about that particular piece of writing. So learn from it. Keep trying and experimenting until you start hearing yes. Work at your craft long enough and with enough diligence, and you will hear that wonderful little word one day.
A lot of times when you're starting out, it's useful to have someone say, "Do it this way," if only so you can reject that way in favor of a better one you've figured out for yourself. That's absolutely OK. Whatever works for you is what you should be doing.
Writing is not a religion. There are no real rules, there is no catechism. We all learned what we do by doing it, over and over again until we got it right. What does that mean? It means we kept writing and submitting and listening to what those who were published bothered to say about our work until we started to get published. Until you're published, you're not always the best of judge of your own work.
If you find a way that works for you (and I mean that get's you published, and published regularly), ignore everything we've said in this book. The funny thing is, though, if you do get to that enviable position, chances are, you'll probably find what you're doing is a variation on the principles we've outlined in this book. But that's all they are—principles. Here then, in a nutshell, are fourteen important steps that should help keep you on track with your manuscript.
Note that steps one and two are interchangeable. You can do either one first.
THE FOURTEEN STEPS
1. Write a synopsis of your story detailing in some fashion its beginning, middle, and end. It should be at least two pages long single-spaced.
2. Write a master plot list for your main character, including inciting incident, goal, opposition, and so forth.
3. Do the same thing for all your other important characters. A character should be in your story because he has a reason to be there. They must have a reason of their own for being in your story, not reasons you want them to have. Characters have a terrible habit of taking over sometimes, so be aware, be wary, be alert, be flexible, listen to what they say to you. They may be trying to tell you something that will improve your story, but they may also be asking for bigger roles in your story than they really deserve.
4. Write a backstory for each major character. Construct a biography filling in some of what you've discovered from step two. It doesn't have to be long, perhaps only a page or two, but you should know something about where these people came from, both literally as well as figuratively. That way, you know where they intend to go and you have a good idea how to put obstacles in their way with clues as to how they will overcome these obstacles.
5. Get some 3X5 index cards (or whatever size you like). Each of these cards will represent a scene in your book, and on it you will write the name of the scene or whatever key word you can think of that will help you fix and remember this scene; the inciting incident for the scene; the goal of the scene; the strategy for the scene; and the opposition and movement in the scene. Is the main character closer or further away from his ultimate goal in the story as a result of this scene? Remember, this is just a shorthand for yourself. You might want to color code your cards. Use different colors for dream sequences, different characters' viewpoints, subplots, etc. This will result in a kind of random access overview of your plot and the movement of your story. If you think of another scene in your story, write it up and stick it in the pack of cards wherever you think it will work best. Not happy with the sequence of events? Shuffle the cards until they make sense, then reorder your book accordingly.
6. Get another set of cards in a different color, and fill in any necessary exposition or "other stuff" on them. For example, if your character gets a job working in a bakery for part of the novel, use this card to outline or fill in the information you may need to convince readers they are in a bakery and in the company of bakers. Readers don't need to attend a seminar on the subject. All you need to do is convince them these are real bakers working in a real bakery. Come up with two or three really telling observations about bakers and their world. That should do it.
7. Before you start writing, think carefully about scene one. Try to see it in your mind's eye; visualize it and conceptualize it before you sit down to write. In fact, try to do that with all your writing. Try to develop the habit of going to the word processor when you've got something to say, rather than sitting there staring at a blank screen suffering from some sort of creative constipation. Imagine the scenes of your book in your mind's eye first, then go to the word processor with a purpose. Who is going to do what to whom? What's the force of the scene? The thrust of the scene? Have you started it as close to the action as you can? Have you ended it as soon as the action in the scene is over? Writing is about thinking. Good writing is about clarity of thought and interesting ideas written so simply a teenager can quickly grasp them.
8. Got that scene bubbling nicely in your imagination? Then rush to the word processor and write the first draft of scene one. Write it in a blazing heat of creativity. Do whatever it takes to get it down. It doesn't matter if it's good, bad, or indifferent, it just has to exist on the page in some form. You can shape it and polish it later.
9. Now, in more calm reflection, print scene one and start working on it with a pencil or pen in preparation for creating draft two of scene one. Go through the scene for flaws in logic. Have you made assumptions the reader won't understand? Do events lead logically from cause to effect; have you had a quick look at the literal sense of what you've written? Is it obvious and clear what is happening, who is talking to whom and so forth? Now, take a break and pat yourself on the back. The worst is over, your journey has begun. The trick now is to try and not think about your imaginary world (this is also true in a narrative nonfiction piece) even when you're doing laundry and shopping in the supermarket.
10. When you're ready, start work on a draft of scene two. Think about it, get the image clear in your mind, then head for the word processor. When you've printed that scene, work on editing it on the page. When you've finished with that, go back to the word processor and input all the changes you've made on paper to scene one and scene two. Start seeing the flow of scene to scene, of the construction and movement of the story. Your imaginary world is now becoming stronger in your mind, and
you are ready to start work on scene three. Keep going this way until you reach the last scene in your narrative. This could take you months to do, but getting a manuscript written is a terrific achievement and one well worth celebrating.
11. Celebration over, start troubleshooting your first draft. This is where the real writing starts. Is there plenty of opposition? Does the story progress well? (Check out chapter twelve for more specific hints as to what to do here.)
12. Now, you think you're ready don't you? You've done a first draft, checked it and virtually done a second draft. Just where is that list of agents and editors you met at all those writers conferences and workshops? Sorry, there's more work to do yet. What you have to do now is rewrite the book! You never really know, until you reach the last page, exactly how things will fit together. You need to go back to the beginning of your narrative, now that you've reached the end, and revisit all the changes and ideas that came to you as you wrote, things that deviated from your original synopsis. What you have to do now is try to incorporate all this creativity so it fits seamlessly from start to finish. Take this opportunity to change past events, foreshadow incidents more pointedly, make the end and the beginning meld together in terms of cause and effect.
13. Polish the draft and start reviewing it for style, voice,
grammar, spelling and so forth. (Read and reread Strunk and White's The Elements of Style!)
14. Take this wonderful piece of work you've poured your blood sweat and tears into, add the synopsis, which you have polished and adjusted for creative changes as the book has grown and developed, and mail them out. Keep mailing them out until someone says yes.
APPENDIX WRITING A BOOK PROPOSAL
A book proposal is a description and sample of the structure of a proposed book. Primarily, it's a sales tool. Usually, it's done for a nonfiction book, though there are circumstances where an agent can represent the work of a published novelist in proposal form. However, it's highly unlikely an unpublished, first-time writer will sell a piece of fiction on the strength of a proposal.
That's because nonfiction is essentially about the appeal and marketability of an idea, while fiction also needs some flair and style to its narrative and is much more idiosyncratic in its appeal.
WRITING THE PROPOSAL
The basic philosophy behind writing a book proposal is twofold. First, it describes to the editor the book you want to write. Second, it provides the editor with sufficient facts and figures to use as ammunition at an editorial board meeting to convince colleagues in both editorial and sales and marketing that this proposed book is not only a quality piece of work, it will make money for the publishing company.
Two of the things writing the proposal can do are help a writer focus and organize a book idea and help a writer become what is expected, from the editor's perspective—that is, an expert in his proposed field.
The Proposal Structure
Accepted structure for a nonfiction book proposal broadly follows this outline:
• A cover letter.
• Title page.
• A one-paragraph, in-a-nutshell description of the project or idea, that is, the project in a hook format.
• A one- to two-page overview of the project in a dynamic narrative style.
• A market analysis of perhaps half a page, explaining who the audience is for the book and why the book will appeal to them.
• A brief description of competing books, with emphasis on recent commercially successful books in the field (if there are any) and why your book fills a need not currently filled in this field.
• A half-page biography of the writer(s), emphasizing writing experience and any expertise in terms of the proposed subject.
• A table of contents (TOC) that is quite literally a list of chapters and their subheadings (in other words, an at-a-glance description of the book).
• A maximum one-page narrative description of each chapter listed in the TOC.
• A sample chapter or two from the book.
The whole proposal should be twenty to forty pages. Make sure every page of the proposal is bylined in some fashion and, except for the first page, marked with continuous numbering. Always include a self-addressed, stamped envelope (SASE).
UNIVERSAL APPEAL
To be successful, a proposal should be about an idea that has a universal appeal and could sell ten thousand or more copies. Anything narrower in appeal and subject matter and you are in the realm of small-press books. It's worth remembering that on average it can take perhaps two years from a nonfiction book contract being signed to the book appearing on the shelves, so your book idea must be appealing enough that in two or three years' time, people will still be excited about it.
When submitting to small presses, your proposal should follow the same structure as outlined here, but you need to be certain you have targeted your proposal to the right house and its interests, just as you would if proposing an article to a magazine. You wouldn't send an article suitable for Playboy to Reader's Digest, for example. Find out what the small press house publishes before you submit to it. Ideally, get an editor's name and target a specific editor who will be interested in your project. Probably the best way is to call a publisher and talk to an editorial assistant.
Your proposal should be tightly written, but with a style that has flair and verve. It should offer just enough information in an accessible and hopefully entertaining manner to convince the reader you know your subject and can write well about it. It should also be well organized in a logical progression of ideas and facts and, ideally, reflect the tone and style of the final book.
It's a good idea to do research about competing books as soon as possible, because what you discover may save you a lot of work, disappointment and aggravation if there is no viable market for the book for one reason or another (for instance, someone has just published a book exactly like the one you propose).
Now, another book recently published on your subject may not necessarily be a fatal blow to your book idea, because you may find once you've read the published book that the author treats the subject differently from the way you intend to treat it. It is useful, however, to apprise editors and agents of the fact that you know this other book is in the marketplace and why it won't be a problem for your book idea. If an editor, in ignorance of this other book because you failed to mention it in your proposal, puts forward your idea in an editorial meeting and someone around the table says, "But so-and-so just published a book exactly like this," that editor will have been made to look foolish and ill prepared. Guess whose book she is more than likely not going to buy and which author she may not want to work with in the future?
Another good idea is to work on the TOC early on. As you develop the proposal, you'll find you'll continually revise this, but it will provide an excellent overall map to the project while you're working, as well as a guide to its final form when completed.
THE NONFICTION PROPOSAL
Obviously, you need to pick and choose from the suggestions below because they are inevitably generic. However, following them broadly will give you the kind of information you should be concentrating on putting into your proposal.
As with all sales tools, a book proposal can be broken down into two broad categories: features and benefits.
For example, editors are interested in not only seeing the equivalent of, "This is a high-quality red, four-wheel drive, independent-suspension sport pickup truck," which is a descriptive set of features included in the proposal, but also the benefits of this truck, for example, "This truck will allow you to not only look good when you take your family to church on Sundays, but will haul all you need to transfer to and from the back pastures the rest of the week."
The Benefits Section
• Title Page. Center your title and the subtitle of the book proposal. Under that add your name and an address and telephone number, voice and fax if you have both (perhaps even an E-mail address). Make yourself easy to reach. Does you
r answering machine work? Is there a professional message on the machine when an editor or agent does get through? All these things count.
• The Hook Overview. The first overview is the hook— a one-sentence or one-paragraph in-a-nutshell description of the book that helps the editor sell the book to colleagues in thirty seconds or less.
• The Larger Overview. The second overview is a development of the first. If colleagues say, "This sounds interesting, tell us more," this section provides the editor with broad facts and figures (if applicable) and a general overview of the project. This overview is a much stronger sales tool than your manuscript because it allows you to state not only what the book is about (features), but also why it's important (benefits). How will your book appeal to and help readers? Why does the world need another book on this topic? Answer these questions and you establish your book's identity and commercial worth. Make sure your passion for and interest in your topic shine through. Try to avoid pictures and graphics unless they are extremely well done and relate directly to the proposal's subject.
In general, think about an overview in these terms, although obviously they don't all apply to the same proposal:
1. Why is there a need for this book? What's the problem? What's the hole that needs to be filled? What suffering can you help alleviate in your readers' lives? What information do they lack? What predicament exists in society, or what vacuum needs to be filled? In what new ways can your readers be entertained? State your case as dramatically as you can without being overly sensational. Startle editors and agents from the outset, and make them consider your topic with fresh eyes.
2. How will your book meet this need, fill this hole? Don't answer these questions with hype or rhetoric. Nobody's interested in your opinion of how great this book idea is. Convince potential publishers with solid content summed up in a paragraph or two.
3. How is your book different from others in the field?
4. Why are you the best person to write this book?
5. How long will the manuscript be, and how long will it take you to write it?
