Monthly Archives: March 2016

The Noble Pen for March 31, 2016

Next Noble Pen Meeting

March 31, 2016 at 7 pm

Scott’s Family Restaurant

1906 Blairs Ferry Rd NE, Cedar Rapids

News

If you didn’t get a ticket to the June talk by Stephen King in Iowa City, forget about it.  They sold out the Englert right away.

John Grisham is giving away his latest book because he thinks it covers an important topic.

Victories

Ciuin was admitted to grad school.  She has been doing rewrites on Pawn and Petty Theft.

Dylan finished a commission.

Stacie got 120 copies of her book and has now sold or given away all of them.

Education

A story needs enough plot that the reader doesn’t have it all figured out right away. Here are some ideas about plot.  Chuck Wendig offers a lot more ideas (foul language warning).

Some people plan meticulously.  The snowflake method is one planning tool, where you make a very short summary, and revise on successive passes to add finer and finer detail like the branches on a snowflake.  Others recommend just letting the creativity flow and seeing where it ends up.

If you want to see some scholarly study of plot in an abstract sense, try this link.  What I took away was that frequent alternations of positive and negative events and descriptions make for a page-turner.

But all good things in moderation; this article says you could have too much plot.

Upcoming Schedule

March 31
Stacie
Cassie

April 7
Nick
Ciuin

April 14
Randy
Aime W.

April 21
Open slots

April 28
Bill H.
Open slot

Keep Writing,
Bill

The Noble Pen for March 24, 2016

Next Noble Pen Meeting

March 24, 2016 at 7 pm

Scott’s Family Restaurant

1906 Blairs Ferry Rd NE, Cedar Rapids

News

We’ve heard that Iowa Public Television will be conducting mass interviews with published Iowa authors on March 26 from 10 to 6 at the Artisan’s Sanctuary for use in a future program.  You may want to contact them or kevinbrubaker (at) mchsi (period) com for details.

Victories

Cassie did beta reading for three others and got ideas about restructuring her own story.  She got cover designs for her next three books.  She realized what Dreams in Red needed and has mapped the changes.

Bill got comments from his reader.

Randy has reached 80 k words in his novel.

Education

It ain’t over until it’s over. ~Yogi Berra.  Make sure your story has a good ending, so the reader won’t decide it was over before the end.   The reader should be satisfied that it is a logical (though unexpected) wrap up of the conflict.  A cliffhanger or obvious lead into a sequel is only acceptable if you have a multi-book contract in hand. While much of the advice out there pertains to novels, even a short story needs an ending.

The backstory should have been explained before the later part of the book.  Anything there should at least been foreshadowed, or the reader may feel you’ve cheated them by not setting it up properly.

It is best if the protagonist is deeply involved in the resolution, as the catalyst for the resolution, and/or by being changed by the events.  It is not good for them to just watch the resolution or to be rescued; it is better if they are the rescuer but must overcome some personal obstacles to perform the rescue.

Try to have some unexpected (but foreshadowed) turns.  Don’t just have it wrap up like a column of falling dominoes.  Make the reader feel they need to know the outcome, but can’t predict it.  These are the books they will remember and recommend.  Make the ending a dash to the finish line, perhaps a zig-zag one, but no more complicated than necessary.  Emphasize conflict, not description.  Don’t complicate it with explanations or philosophizing.  Try not to need a lot of wrap-up after the climax.  This sentiment is echoed here.

The story can come full-circle, so the ending resembles the beginning except for the characters’ growth and solving a problem.  Or it can have a linear ending where the characters have moved on in place, maturity, etc.

The ending of a story is the payoff, and the reader wants the payoff to be worth having read it all.  Larry Brooks talks about structuring the story for a killer ending.  Vicki Hinze discusses how to wrap it up.  Here’s Laura Miller’s take on what makes a great ending.  It’s up to you, should it have a happy ending?

Writer’s Digest gives some advice on the ending of your novel.

It’s important to get it right.  Remember, Hemingway wrote 39 endings to Farewell to Arms.

Nobody reads a (novel) to get to the middle.  They read it to get to the end.  If it’s a let down, they won’t buy anymore.  The first page sells that book.. The last page sells your next book. ~ Mickey Spillane

If you do not change direction, you may end up where you are heading. ~Lao Tzu

Upcoming Schedule

March 24
Aime W.
Bill H.

March 31
Stacie
Cassie

April 7
Nick
Ciuin

April 14
Randy
Aime W.

April 21
Open slots

Keep Writing,
Bill

The Noble Pen for Mar 17, 2016

Next Noble Pen Meeting

March 17, 2016 at 7 pm

Scott’s Family Restaurant

1906 Blairs Ferry Rd NE, Cedar Rapids

News

You may want to mark your calendars for a June 13 visit by Stephen King at Prairie Lights in Iowa City.

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Barnes and Noble has decided to discontinue Nook service in the UK, and is transferring those Nook users to another service that will allow them to continue using content already purchased, and perhaps to add from that service, but no longer download purchases from B&N.

Victories

Cassie learned that her book in being sold at B&N at Coral Ridge Mall and will be carried in an all-romance store in California.  She completed a war memory scene for the current book.

Dylan got a new commission, so now has four to complete.

Education

Most writers would like to get a book deal with a publishing house.  There is a lot that goes on in such a transaction, and a new author should study up before signing.  Here’s a detailed discussion.  And some more advice.  Joe Konrath discusses some traps for the unwary.

Jessica Strawser has some observations on the process after getting the deal that surprised her. (Part 1 and Part 2)

Upcoming Schedule

March 17
Randy
Ciuin

March 24
Aime W.
Bill H.

March 31
Stacie
Cassie

April 7
Nick
Open slot

April 14
Open slots

Keep Writing,
Bill

The Noble Pen for March 10, 2016

Next Noble Pen Meeting

March 10, 2016 at 7 pm

Scott’s Family Restaurant

1906 Blairs Ferry Rd NE, Cedar Rapids

News

The author of The Martian, a movie that won many awards, discusses how it started out as a self-published book.

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Contrary to the trend for Americans to become Islamophobic, Simon and Schuster launches a series of books for and about Muslim children that could help bridge cultural differences.

Victories

Dylan finished a commission at 40,000 words and received a new one.  He put out the first newsletter for Broken Typewriter Press.

Aime W. started a new short story.

Nick found the first story he ever wrote, a short novel, and is revising it.

A Facebook blog that rates books selected Cassie’s as one of their top picks.

Stacie sold lots of books in the last month and needs to reorder.

Education

Frustration is good.  No, not yours,  but your characters’ frustrations.  Not getting what they want is what makes a plot.  It leads to other emotional reactions, wise or foolish courses of action, and later events in your story.

Readers will get bored with a main character who can do no wrong and has wonderful luck.  The character needs to overcome obstacles.  K.M. Weiland notes the types of desires a character may have trouble obtaining, and ways to be sure they don’t achieve them too soon.  Laura Backes discusses the kinds of obstacles that may frustrate your characters.

Failing to achieve a goal may not be a big deal if there aren’t big consequences.  What is at stake if your character doesn’t get around the obstacle?

Expectation is the mother of all frustration. ~Antonio Banderas

Upcoming Schedule

March 10
Cassie
Aime W.

March 17
Randy
Ciuin

March 24
Aime W.
Bill H.

March 31
Stacie
Cassie

April 7
Open slots

Keep Writing,
Bill