cj Sez: My latest novel, Choosing
Carter, received a wonderful 4.5-star review from “InD’tale Magazine” that reads
in part: “The slow buildup of tension
and the many twists and turns will have one racing through the pages . . . well-crafted
and believable characters … If the reader is searching for an unputdownable
read that will keep one up at night, look no further!” (Isn’t
that a great word…unputdownable?)
Today, I’m privileged to be able to reprint an article
written by Carolyn Haines, a fantastic author- friend of mine. I think you’ll
find this blog a worthwhile read (just like her stories).
***
Publishing is a crazy business these days, and the “rules”
of what publishers like vary from country to country and publisher to
publisher. I teach my students at the University of South Alabama that
publishing rules are sort of like fashion trends. They come and go. I think I’m
accurate when I say that, but remember, my ideas are based on my experience. So
what’s true for me may not be true for every writer. So here’s what I know:
In America today in almost all genre fiction, stories are
told in immediate scene. This wasn’t always the case, and it certainly isn’t
the case in the rest of the world.
Most—and this is a big generalization—mysteries, thrillers,
romances, fantasy stories move like a train. Immediate scenes are hooked
together by a strong coupling of narrative summary. The brilliant Sol Stein
says that writers have three writing ways to tell a story: immediate scene, narrative
summary, and description.
Description is self-evident, and I have added another
category called exposition, which is just description to the 10th power.
It’s description with thematic elements, description that works twice or three
times as hard as just painting a picture. Often, this includes the writer’s
individual style. But what of the other two?
What is immediate scene? It is merely showing what
is happening rather than telling. Here’s an example. The ball crossed the
plate at ninety-five miles an hour, and Johnny swung with all his might.
“Crack!” Wood met leather and the ball pulled hard to third base. Johnny shot
toward first base, cleats digging into sod. His hip ground into the dirt as he
slid to safety. The reader lives the moment with Johnny.
In narrative summary, that same little incident could be
summed up more quickly, but it would be told rather than shown.
For example: Johnny swung hard at the ball and hit it squarely. He ran to
first and slid to safety. There is a distance here between the reader and
the action.
Both ways of writing a scene are useful to an author, and it
is knowing when to give the full scene and when to use the summary that is
important. Not every scene deserves the “full” treatment. But key scenes must
be shown, not told.
Many of my students read a lot of 19th Century writers.
These books were written when narrative summary and head hopping were in style.
The author essentially narrates a great portion of the story. This famous
opening—“It was the best of times, it was the worst of times, it was the age of
wisdom, it was the age of foolishness…” is the narrator of the story telling us
these things. Much 19th Century fiction is narrative summary. It is
not incorrect, but it is out of fashion now. Will it return? Maybe. But now
reading audiences, for the most part, prefer immediate scene so that they can
live the action. They want to draw their conclusions and not be told what or
how to think.
There are exceptions to every rule. You can go in any
bookstore and find newly published novels that have vast sections of narrative
summary. Many are by authors who have long established careers. For writers
hoping to crack the door of traditional publishing, it’s always best to
understand what publishers are interested in buying.
I’m a firm believer that the author serves the story, which
means that the demands of each story have to be met. If the story dictates
narrative summary, author narration, intrusive narrator or any other technique,
then the writer has no option except to serve the story. I do believe that all
“rules” of publishing are meant to be broken. As long as they are broken with
such expertise that the reader/editors sees immediately that the story could be
told no other way.
Writing is a joy and a privilege. I view each idea that I’m
given as a gift. I try not to let my ego get in the way of the telling of the
story. I listen to the story, and then I do my very best for it. But it is
helpful to understand the techniques that catch an editor’s eye or interest. You
have to know the rules to break them.
Carolyn Haines is the author of eighteen novels, including the acclaimed
Sarah Booth Delaney Mississippi Delta mystery series. Haines is the author of more
than 70 books in a number of genres. She has been honored with the Harper Lee
Award for Distinguished Writing and the Richard Wright Award for Literary
Excellence. She also writes gothic chillers as R.B. Chesterton. Haines teaches
the graduate and undergraduate fiction writing classes at the University of
South Alabama, where she is an assistant professor and Fiction Coordinator.
Thanks, Carolyn, for allowing Lyrical Pens to reprint your
article. ‘Preciate it. To check out Carolyn’s website and sign up for her
newsletter, zip on over to http://www.carolynhaines.com
Okay, that’s all for today. You-all guys keep on keeping on,
and I’ll try to do the same.
cj
cjpetterson@gmail.com
Deadly Star -- Kindle / Nook
/ Kobo
