Physical Traits Entry: Athletic Build

Physical description of a character can be difficult to convey—too much will slow the pace or feel 'list-like', while too little will not allow readers to form a clear mental image. If a reader cannot imagine what your character looks like, they may have trouble connecting with them on a personal level, or caring about their plight. 

One way to balance the showing and telling of physical description is to showcase a few details that really help 'tell the story' about who your character is and what they've been through up to this point. Think about what makes them different and interesting. Can a unique feature, clothing choice or way they carry themselves help to hint at their personality? Also, consider how they move their body. Using movement will naturally show a character's physical characteristics, keep the pace flowing and help to convey their emotions.

ATHLETIC BUILD

Descriptors: Broad shoulders and back, narrow waist, flat stomach, toned and enlarged muscles, lean frame, low body fat, well-proportioned, a ripped physique

People Likely to have an Athletic Build: professional and amateur athletes, health-conscious individuals, physical trainers, firefighters, police officers

Famous Examples:

• Bruce Lee
• Channing Tatum
• Usain Bolt
• Lolo Jones
• Michael Jordan
• Bo Jackson

Simile and Metaphor Help:                         

• Andy stuffed stack after stack of pancakes into his mouth, his muscles bulging in his perfectly-proportioned body like boulders being pushed to the surface by tectonic activity. It wasn't fair, the differences between guys and girls. I picked at my fruit salad and scowled.
• Muscular and scowling, she held the tennis racket like a club and hopped from foot to foot—a lion, scenting weaker prey and biding its time. I gripped my own racket to keep it from shaking and swallowed. Hard.

Clichés to Avoid: the athletic body being compared to a machine

Twists on the Stereotypical Athletic Build:

• Athletic builds are almost always tanned, dark-skinned, or some other enviable shade. How about an athletic body that's a little less desirable, like pale, veined, acned, or sickly?
• This body type is almost always well-proportioned according to society's standards. What about an extremely short person with an athlete's body?
• Athletic bodies usually take a lot of deliberate work to get into the desired condition. A character with a naturally athletic build who doesn't have to work at it can cause for some interesting conflict among jealous or petty friends—especially if the character doesn't have the typically disciplined mindset to accompany it.

HINT: When describing any part of the body, try to use cues that show the reader more than just a physical description. Make your descriptions do double duty. Example: The treadmill beeped and Jess slid off, trying not to fall over. The workout had been a killer, and then the run on top of that...She wiped her face and caught a glimpse of herself in the mirror. Her muscles stood out, nearly pulsing after what she'd put them through. And by the looks of it, she'd managed to work off that cookie from yesterday. But volleyball tryouts were tomorrow, and she wasn't the only one vying for a starting spot. She tossed the towel over her shoulder and headed for the pull-up bar.

Foreign Rights Agents: Everything You Need To Know (& Why You May Want One!)

Foreign Rights. Now more than ever, we're seeing translation rights buzz and increasing a book's global range. And why not? Authors work incredibly hard to create the best book they can, and language should not be a barrier to finding readers to share stories with.

Because of this, it is our pleasure to welcome Marleen Seegers, Foreign Rights Agent for 2Seas Literary (& our FR agent for The Emotion Thesaurus!) Marleen recently sold Korean rights for the ET, and I asked her if she could peel back the curtain on what a FR agent does, and the process of finding the right match. This is really valuable info, so please read on...

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Give Your Book a Second Life: Get It into Foreign Markets 

Tens of thousands of books are translated into another language each year. The most translated author is the Queen of Crime Agatha Christie, followed by Jules Verne and William Shakespeare who occupy respectively the second and third positions.

 Looking at the global market, roughly 60% of all translations around the world are books originally written in English. It comes as no surprise, then, that only 3% of the books that are published in the US are translations—in the UK, this is even a mere 2.5%! By comparison, in Poland a smashing 46% of books published are works in translation, in Germany over 12%, in Spain around 24%, and in France about 15%.

This leads us to conclude that, particularly as an English-language author, it can be lucrative to try selling your book into foreign markets. Besides the additional income, isn’t it wonderful to show your friends and family a copy of your book in French or Korean?

 Selling foreign rights is just one of the many possibilities to give your book a second life and create an extra revenue stream. Movie/theater/comic strip adaptations, audio books, and merchandising are other examples of the so-called “subsidiary” rights umbrella.

“Primary” book publishing rights include hardcover, trade paperback, mass market, and digital editions of your book in its original language.

As a foreign rights agent, I work with authors, publishers, and literary agents from all over the world to help them get their books published in foreign languages.

So what does the work of a foreign rights agent consist of? 

 First of all, I read—a lot. Yes, a good foreign rights seller has to LOVE reading! Even though Pierre Bayard wrote an entire book on how to talk about books you haven’t read, it’s virtually impossible to pitch a title to foreign publishers without having read (at least part of) it—which can be frustrating, as I have so many titles to read that sometimes I don’t even have the time to finish books that I’m really enjoying!

That brings us to the second stage of foreign rights sales: pitching titles! As soon as I’ve decided a title has enough potential abroad, we include it in our online catalog. We then send out a newsletter to present the title to our network of foreign publishers, literary scouts and co-agents.

You might think foreign rights sellers are rather invisible actors of the publishing scene, but let me introduce you to an even more obscure job: literary scouts. They try to discover possible bestsellers as early as possible and alert the foreign publishers they work for. This enables the latter to acquire the translation rights before everyone else knows about these titles, usually for a relatively low advance. You can find more information on scouts here. They are very important contacts for foreign rights sellers, as they can make or break a deal.

Additionally, we work with co-agents in territories other than our “specialty markets,” which are Holland, Scandinavia, Germany, France, and the English language. They are often locally based, know their specific market through and through, and handle submissions, rights inquiries, and negotiations on our behalf.

After our initial newsletter, we take the initiative to send the book and further information to those publishers who are likely to be interested in the title in question—because they have published (one of) the author’s previous titles, or the title is a great match with their catalog, or we know they are personally interested in the subject, or all of the above.

How do we know what foreign publishers like/dislike? 

We’ve built relationships with them for many years, meeting with them in person during international book fairs, talking to them on the phone and via Skype. Interpersonal skills are extremely important in foreign rights sales, as personal relationships can (will!) make a real difference. Speaking another language besides English is also very helpful, as you connect more easily with the publishers of that specific language territory.

Attending international book fairs is truly indispensable, since that’s where most of the action happens! I visit two not-to-be-missed book fairs each year: the Frankfurt Book Fair which always takes place in October, and the London Book Fair in April. While I’m in Europe for these two fairs, I also like to visit publishers in Amsterdam and Paris, two of our “specialty markets.” Furthermore, I attend at least one other, more “local” book fair such as this year’s Rio de Janeiro and Gothenburg Book Fairs.

The Frankfurt and London Book Fairs can be compared to massive speed dating events: every 30 minutes I have meetings with different foreign publishers to whom I show our print catalogs and pitch specific titles. These meetings start at 9 am (sometimes even at breakfast) and last till 6 or 7 pm. In the evening I attend dinners and cocktail parties, which are great networking opportunities in a more relaxed atmosphere.

While these two fairs are the highlights of the international publishing calendar, we receive requests for titles and offers throughout the year.

When a Publisher Offers

If a foreign publisher offers for one of our titles, the first thing we do is check which other publishers in that specific country are also considering this title. Foreign rights agreements are always signed on an exclusive basis, which means we can only sign one contract with, say, a French publisher for the French translation rights in a specific title. This French publisher then owns the exclusive French rights for the duration of the agreement (between 5 and 10 years).

So it’s important to give the other French publishers who are also considering this title a chance to offer as well. We give them a deadline, usually one week to 10 days, to make a decision. If no one else offers, we start negotiating with the offering publisher.

If we receive one or several other offers, we organize an auction—that’s very exciting! We ask all offering publishers to send us their best offer, usually three or four days later. Note that “best offer” doesn’t always mean “highest offer.” Of course we take the advance they propose into account, but we also look at the other conditions like the proposed royalties, other titles and authors in their list, the publisher’s reputation, our previous experiences with them, etc. We submit the information about all the best offers to the rights holder of the book (our client), who will have the final say in which offer to accept. We do of course give our opinion!

After the Deal

Our involvement doesn’t end once a contract is signed: further activities include closely following the publication process, making sure due payments are made and complimentary copies are sent (so you can show off that French or Korean edition of your book!), and receiving and checking annual sales reports.

 You get it, being a foreign rights agent is an incredibly varied job! Every day is filled with different activities and challenges, and that’s what I love about it. You make books travel and authors happy, get to travel yourself, meet interesting people from all over the world, and get to read some of the most inspiring books around!

If you want to know more about my activities, please check www.2seasagency.com and join our international community of authors and publishing professionals at http://www.facebook.com/2seasagency.

WOW, great to see how it all works! Thank you very much, Marleen. This is such great information to have on hand, and demystifies the process for all of us. 

Your Turn: Do you have a Foreign Rights Agent? Have you looked into getting one? Which language would you love to see your future book translated into? Tell us in the comments! 

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For more writing resources, craft tips, giveaways and news, you can sign up for our newsletter HERE. Also, don't forget to grab a free copy of the Emotion Amplifiers PDF in the sidebar, which is filled with body language ideas on how to show conditions like Pain, Stress, Addiction, Illness, Attraction, Hunger, Distraction, Inebriation etc. to make your characters more emotionally reactive! 

Physical Attribute Entry: HIPS

Physical description of a character can be difficult to convey—too much will slow the pace or feel 'list-like', while too little will not allow readers to form a clear mental image. If a reader cannot imagine what your character looks like, they may have trouble connecting with them on a personal level, or caring about their plight. 

photo credit: Alex Dram via photopin cc

One way to balance the showing and telling of physical description is to showcase a few details that really help 'tell the story' about who your character is and what they've been through up to this point. 

Think about what makes them different and interesting. Can a unique feature, clothing choice or way they carry themselves help to hint at their personality? 

Also, consider how they move their body. Using movement will naturally show a character's physical characteristics, keep the pace flowing and help to convey their emotions.

HIPS

Descriptors: narrow, bony, full, straight, curvy, slim, thin, rounded, thick, broad, hidden, wide, small, well-rounded, generous, slender, straight, curvaceous, ample, tapered, scant, chunky, stocky, sharp, shapely, solid

Things HIPS do:

• Bump: bonk, push, shove, poke, kiss, butt, slam, smack, hit, slam, check
• Brush: nudge, graze, sweep, rub, caress, glance, press, stroke, touch, slide, goose
• Buck: rise, lift, climb, boost, heft, hike, hoist, heave, thrust, shift, pump, tilt

Key Emotions and Related HIP Gestures: 

• Confidence: A cocked hip is often a sign of confidence or dominance. Thrusting the pelvis forward, or using one's hands to frame the hips by tucking one's thumbs into belt loops draws attention to one's virility and sense of command within the situation.
• Contempt:  A single hand on the hip with the body slightly curved around it is a strong message of contempt
  
• Impatience: A hand on the hip (one or both) with shoulders rolling forward slightly makes the body seem bigger and more menacing, and is a stiff message of impatience.

Simile and Metaphor Help:     

•  Tonya was as curvy as they come, the slope of her hips winding like a switchback through the mountains.               

• Tom pulled off his shirt and Deanne's breath caught. His body, hard and lean, begged to be touched, but it was the dual ridge lines jutting above low slung jeans that she anchored her hands to.

Clichés to Avoid:

• hand on the hips--this very common gesture requires fresh writing to use it, and only if it must be used. Challenge yourself to see if there's another way to show the emotion you're going for. 
• shoot from the hip--an idiom for thinking on one's feet or making an educated guess

HINT: When describing any part of the body, try to use cues that show the reader more than just a physical description. Make your descriptions do double duty. Example: 

Grandma might be short, but when she got riled up, her hips were wild things. You learned to get outta her way when she stomped across the room, sideswiping stools and toddlers alike.

BONUS TIP: The Colors, Textures & Shapes Thesaurus in our sidebar might help you find a fresh take on some of the descriptors listed above!

Stepping Out & 7 DEADLY WRITING SINS

Hi guys! Becca and I are taking a wee blogging break while we play catch up in our lives. As some of you know, I'm moving, so every day is filled with packing and unpacking, accepting delivery for X while coordinating a pick up for Y, not to mention meeting technicians for internet, satellite, phone, security system, etc. Oh the FUN I am having. Um, yeah right. Then of course there's furniture to sell, the kids needing to finish school & study for exams, kid # 2's birthday, having a surprise house guest for a week and a friend's wedding. *pants* Oh and teaching my son to drive (he's very good, so you are all safe, I promise!)

 The day we almost broke Magic Kingdom

Becca's world is packed full of crazy too, because that's just how she rolls. I am happy to report that she (barely) survived the gauntlet of school ending & the last week recitals, plays, soccer games, end of year grad ceremonies and her daughter's birthday (our oldest kids have birthdays a day apart--how cool is that? WE TOTALLY PLANNED IT THAT WAY. Okay, maybe not, but I just love that it happened anyhow.) Now she's getting ready for a trip to see family and to get her Mountain Dew addiction under control.

And of course, we are also diligently working on 2 NEW thesaurus books for you: The Trait Thesaurus: A Writer's Guide To Character Flaws & The Trait Thesaurus: A Writer's Guide To Positive Character Attributes. It is so enjoyable working on these because we think they are shaping up into great resources for character creation. We have not set a date yet (and we want to release both books together), but it will likely be August or September. Many people have contacted us, asking to be kept in the loop once these books are out, so we have a mailing list set up. If you would like to be added to it, just let us know. OR, we recommend signing up for our popular Writing Resource Newsletter, where we add status updates in each issue, along with other writerly goodies including free books. You can do that by CLICKING HERE!

Scaring small children at a Phoenix mall

Oh and a bit of news...THE EMOTION THESAURUS is being translated into KOREAN. That's right, our wonderbar Foreign Rights agent Marlene Seegers sold Korean rights for the ET.  We are so excited!

All righty, so, in lieu of some jazz hands and tap dancing style entertainment while we're away from the blog, I'm leaving you some of our past posts that would sure love some LUV. (Really, they get insecure when they drop off the blog's front page. I had to talk one off the ledge just last week!)

You guys are the very best supporters and we thank you all for being so incredibly generous with your time by visiting us here.

Have a terrific week!

The 7 Deadly Sins of Novel Writing: 

SIN #1: Low Stakes

SIN # 2: Counterfeit Characters

SIN # 3: Missing the Mark on Voice & POV

SIN #4: Plot Snafus

SIN #5: Flat Wordsmithing

SIN #6: Dialogue Disaster

SIN #7: Too Much Information

BONUS SIN: Disappointing The Reader

So...what's your cardinal sin? Or are you an equal-opportunity sinner? Let us know in the comments!

5 Tips To Landing That Interview

I'm handing over the keys today to good friend Lisa Hall-Wilson, an award-winning journalist, passionate writer and blogger who knows the benefit of forging relationships and conducting interviews!  Some of you probably know Lisa from  her blog and friendly chatter online. If she's new to you, I highly recommend getting to know her on Facebook, Twitter and WANATribe!

Lisa's offering us tips on how to ask for an interview, and believe me, knowing how to approach people is important. Last year for The Emotion Thesaurus book release, I approached Industry sponsors for our Random Acts Of Kindness Blitz and managed to secure over $1500 worth of prize donations. It didn't happen because I 'knew' people, or because I was some mega celebrity *snort* or anything else. I simply knew how to ask.

So here's Lisa! Welcome, welcome!  

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Thanks so much for having me here!

Stephen King, in his book On Writing, talks about a writer’s toolbox. Being able to ask for and conduct a great interview is one of the most useful research tools a writer can develop. A good interview can lend veracity and authenticity to any story – non-fiction, fiction, blogs, articles, etc.

 But how? How do you get the interview? 

Ask!

Sounds overly simple doesn’t it? It’s really that easy. Before you ask though, know what you’re asking them to speak to, and never waste their time. Don’t ask questions they can’t speak to or you could find the answers to on Google. You need a source to give you the details, the insight, the experience, their opinions you can’t find out on your own. Please do your research. Read their website or blog if they have one, read old news clippings, watch their videos on Youtube – whatever is available. All the time I get people asking me – how do I get published? Ummm - look it up! That’s too broad a topic. You’re more likely to get a positive response by asking me to speak to a specific something I know about.

With a cold query – meaning you have no prior connection to this person, you may contact them directly through a website or email. If this person has a busy schedule, or is fairly successful in their field/art, you may need to be approved by a gatekeeper like a personal or administrative assistant, a publicist or personal manager. People with this level of success get a lot of queries and so have built in extra layers to cut down on the “noise” so they can continue to do what they do. Doesn’t mean they’re inaccessible, but it can mean extra work for you. For one celebrity interview I had to go through three publicists *head to desk* Was the interview worth it? *smiles and nods* Oh yeah. Only the most pertinent, interesting, relevant queries will make it through though so know that going in.

5 Tips To Landing That Interview 

• Don’t disparage yourself. “I would love to interview you for my blog, but my blog isn’t that big. I don’t really have a lot of traffic so I would understand why you wouldn’t want to do it. But I figured there’s no harm in asking.” Stop whining. You’re not being humble, you’re making yourself easy to dismiss. You’re a writer – chin up, pen out!

• Do tell them how you can help them. Being specific about who your audience is can help. People are always looking for new opportunities to get in front of and grow their audience. Getting mentioned anywhere by an objective third party (that’s you) is publicity gold. They can’t buy that kind of public endorsement with a full-page ad. They’re aware that you have something valuable to offer, this is in your favor. If this is for a fiction novel, most professionals LOVE to talk about their work. Most professionals love the idea of helping a novelist with a story because they all hate it when a writer gets the details wrong.

• Be polite. Using threats, ultimatums, or just plain being rude will not get you very far. An interview source wants assurances that you’re going to do this with integrity. They’re not interested in being miss-quoted, or disparaged publicly. Put your best professional foot forward.

• Be persistent. Be Creative. Aim high, but be realistic. I’m much more likely to get an interview from a local cop than I am the chief of police. I once did a tour of the local fire hall for a novel I was working on. It was the only way I could think of to talk to a firefighter. So, I spent an hour following this guy around, slipping in questions about specific scenes from my novel. Then the Chief walks out. “You still on that tour?” He comes over and the next thing I know every firefighter on duty is standing in the truck bay swapping war stories so the writer ‘can get it right.’ That was pure chance, but writer gold!

• Ask them to recommend another source. On a cold query, I often include a line something to the effect – If you’re unable to help me on this (note – I’m not disparaging myself) can you suggest someone, or would you forward this email to someone who may be able to help. I had an interview request make it all the way to Parliament Hill (that’s Ottawa for those outside of Canada). It’s the whole idea of six degrees of separation. Everyone knows someone further up the chain. People are often very willing to help if you’re polite and professional.

Have you asked for an interview? What’s the hardest part about doing an interview? Do you have a funny interview story?

Lisa Hall-Wilson is an award-winning freelance writer for the faith-based market specializing in interviews, profiles, social justice initiatives, Facebook administration, press releases, print and web marketing copy. She writes dark fantasy novels, blogs Through The Fire, and is a social media instructor for WANA International. She's interviewed best-selling authors, JUNO-winning musicians, comedians, drug addicts, former prostitutes, police officers, firefighters, pastors, and people with a great story to tell.

Lisa’s latest online course for writers How To Get Them Talking: Learn To Interview Like A Journalist through WANA Intl is on June 20. Just click the link to find out more! 

Physical Attributes Entry: Back

Physical description of a character can be difficult to convey—too much will slow the pace or feel 'list-like', while too little will not allow readers to form a clear mental image. If a reader cannot imagine what your character looks like, they may have trouble connecting with them on a personal level, or caring about their plight. 


One way to balance the showing and telling of physical description is to showcase a few details that really help 'tell the story' about who your character is and what they've been through up to this point. Think about what makes them different and interesting. Can a unique feature, clothing choice or way they carry themselves help to hint at their personality? Also, consider how they move their body. Using movement will naturally show a character's physical characteristics, keep the pace flowing and help to convey their emotions.

BACK

Flickr: Creative Commons, Yuliya Libkina

Descriptors: wide, broad, muscular, bony, athletic, angular, stooped, slumped, curved, crooked, straight, hairy, strong, humped, tattooed

Key Emotions and How the Back is Involved: 

• Backs aren't noticed very much because they're always...well, in the back. But as a key part of the body, the back/spine is involved in many emotional responses. It will slump when a person feels sad, disappointed, or embarrassed. Alternatively, it straightens to show pride, confidence, defensiveness, or anger. Surprise or fear can cause the back to stiffen or freeze.

Simile and Metaphor Help:                         

• She had a swimmer's back, broad enough to carry her own troubles and a few other's besides.
• I hugged him tight and tried not to gasp. His back felt like a topographical map, the vertebrae a mountain range I could scale with my fingers.

Clichés to Avoid: a shiver running up the spine; a crooked spine that curves like an "s"; a ramrod straight spine


HINT: When describing any part of the body, try to use cues that show the reader more than just a physical description. Make your descriptions do double duty. Example: Miriam was stooped over almost double, eyes on the ground, her slippered feet feeling their way along the driveway. Getting from the front door to the mailbox was a real journey these days, and it made her back ache something awful. The new mailgirl had offered to bring Miriam's things to the porch, but...She smacked her lips and jabbed the concrete with her walking stick. If she couldn't make it to the mailbox and get her own bills, she might as well start picking out coffins.

BONUS TIP: The Colors, Textures & Shapes Thesaurus in our sidebar might help you find a fresh take on some of the descriptors listed above! 

*****

AND...A NEWSFLASH!

Angela and I are THRILLED to announce that we've signed with a foreign rights agent! Marleen Seegers of 2 Seas Agency will be representing The Emotion Thesaurus internationally. We're super-excited to be working with Marleen, who has many years of international publishing experience and has been a joy to work with. Since we signed with her on Monday, Marleen has already received some interest from Korea, so we couldn't be happier!

Turning Story Opening Don'ts Into Do's

Today I'm super happy to have author & friend Lisa Gail Green in for a visit. Lisa is the author of  The Binding Stone (The Djinn Series). She's looking at problem story openings and offering ideas on how to make these work, so please read on!

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We’ve all heard the tips on what NOT to do in an opening. But I can boil it down to one key word for what you DO want.

Balance. 

That’s right. Let’s take a closer look so I can explain.

What NOT to do: 

• Start in the middle of a huge action sequence. Why not? Two questions:
Where do you go from there? And why should I care?

• Start with paragraphs of lovely description. ZZZZZZZZZ. I want to meet your character and know what their problem is!

• Start with waking up or a dream. I don’t know why – maybe because that seems like a natural place to start if we don’t know the real start – but everyone does it.

 • Exposition. Back story is a tool you’re using as an author to get your head on straight. But you have to find a way to tell the story that’s happening in your book, not the one that happened to get there. Again, I want to know who your character is and what their problem is.

Now. Insert some balance and let’s see what happens. 

ACTION: If you want to start with action, you’re probably a plot type person. Go ahead! You do need to SHOW your MC in an interesting situation (notice I didn’t say dangerous, just interesting) where their own personality shines through. Thus the balance. Pick something that showcases their unique voice. Show them doing something that’s different than what most others would do in the same situation.

DESCRIPTION: If you like description, chances are you are a world builder. That’s awesome! But make sure to show your world through your MC’s eyes and use it to highlight whatever is going on. Again, deliver description by filtering it through the character's eyes, showing the world as they see it, not how others might.

WAKING & DREAMING:  If you start with waking up, ask: must I? The truth is I HAVE. In my short story, BLACKOUT, for example I DO start with my MC waking up (naked in the backyard with ravens circling above and a creepy neighbor next door.) In other words, it’s okay to break rules, but only if you understand why they’re there in the first place and have a good reason. My reason? I wanted to show that her actions set her apart from what other people might do the same scenario. 

 EXPOSITION:  Now that’s tough. You have know whether it’s absolutely necessary. It certainly doesn’t belong in the beginning though. The start should indicate who your character is and at least hint at what issue they will face. Right now. In THIS story. Whatever they are doing or thinking, it should be unique and relevant to the here and now. 

Balance is the key to a great book and a great beginning. World, plot, and character should combine to immerse the reader right away and make them care. What’s one way to do that? Say it with me… Show the MC doing something or thinking something that’s different than what most people would do in the same situation! 

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And now I get to show off Lisa's wonderful book cover and blurb:

Tricked into slavery by the man she loved, the Djinni Leela has an eternity to regret her choices. 

 Awakened in the prison of her adolescent body, she finds a new master in possession of the opal that binds her. But seventeen-year-old Jered is unlike any she’s seen. His kindness makes Leela yearn to trust again, to allow herself a glimmer of hope. 

Could Jered be strong enough to free her from the curse of the Binding Stone? 

Sounds pretty awesome, doesn't it? I love the gender swap on the traditional Genie story. If you like, you can add this book to your Goodreads List, of find out more on this series by visiting Lisa on Facebook, Twitter or her home stomping grounds, Paranormal Point Of View! Oh, AND I just grabbed this book myself. It's on sale today: .99 cents at Amazon.

Death by Comparison

I’m kind of a classic rock geek aficionado, so one of my favorite shows is VH1’s Behind The Music. I think I’ve seen every episode. I remember one a long time ago about Dokken—which may prompt many of you to say Who? I love Dokken. They figure largely into my playlist. Musically, I think they had more to offer than the typical hair band, but they failed to capitalize on that strength. Lead singer Don Dokken claims it’s because they were always comparing themselves to the bigger bands and trying to recreate those successes. Case in point: if Mötley Crüe went through two boxes of Aqua Net a week, then Dokken clearly couldn’t be successful with only one. (Personally, if I was trying to compete with Crüe, I’d be less concerned with hair spray and more worried about Tommy Lee’s revolving drum set. But that’s just me.)

Dokken was so focused on emulating the successful bands that they lost sight of their own individuality and the strengths that could have set them apart. As a result, when I say Dokken you say Who? They actually did pretty well in the 80s but fell short of what they potentially could have become.

And this made me wonder: how many writers also fall short of their dreams because they’re stuck in the comparison trap?

Personally, I struggle with this. I see that Nora Roberts is releasing FIVE new novels in 2013 and, after retrieving my jaw from the floor, I get a little bummed because I know I’ll never be that prolific. When Kristen Lamb’s blog posts pop into my inbox five days a week, I find myself wishing I could come up with such practical content day after day. Closer to home, there’s my über-talented co-blogger and co-author, Angela Ackerman—the Obi Wan to my Luke. I’m constantly blown away by the marketing plans she comes up with. Her brain is like Hermione’s magically-expanding purse, popping out one brilliant idea after another.

Studying our writing mentors and learning from them is healthy and smart and generally a good idea. But that’s not what’s happening with the wistful comparisons mentioned above. Thoughts like these are based in negativity, focusing on what we can’t do rather than on what we can. They make us feel badly about ourselves, which decreases creativity and efficiency and actually increases our chances of failure.

So how do we admire the greats without getting sucked into the comparison trap?

Know your strengths. My husband is one of those people whose positive traits are kind of glaring. They’re just very obvious. I’m not like that; my strengths are quieter. After a number of years of
marriage, I kind of lost track of what I contributed, what I was good at. So I made a list. I wrote down all of my strengths—as a mom, a writer, a person, everything. Then I asked people who knew me to add to it. The list has changed somewhat over the years, with the move from teaching to writing, and now that I’m a mom. But I refer to my list often. Not only does it make me feel good about myself, but it reminds me of who I am. As a writer, it keeps me focused on the positive instead of the negative.

Capitalize on your strengths. Once you know where you’re strong, focus your time and energy on those areas. This sounds counterintuitive, I know. I mean, shouldn’t we focus on our areas of weakness, since this is where we need to improve? I don’t think so. Yes, we absolutely need to work on our weaknesses, but we should spend as much time, if not more, focusing on our strengths. Why? Because we’re passionate about them. We’re most productive when doing them. We excel because of them. Here’s a personal example: I’m not so great at social networking. While I have plans to improve in this area, I’m not going to focus the majority of my time there because I’m never going to be great at it. Instead, I’m focusing on writing. When it comes to craft, I’m pretty solid, but my storytelling needs work. Since this is part of writing well, I’m excited to learn and grow in this area. As I improve, I’ll become more proficient, more efficient, more prolific. And it won’t be this huge struggle that comes from focusing on something I hate to do and I’m not any good at.

Be realistic. I can’t churn out a flawless novel every six months. I can’t put in the hour-a-day social networking effort it would take to crank up my online presence. Some authors can easily achieve these goals, but not me. That’s why we call them personal goals. Don’t look at what other people are doing and assume that success must be achieved by following the same formula. Make goals that work for you, according to your daily schedule, your time constraints, your strengths and desires. Set reasonable goals for yourself and when you reach them, be proud of your accomplishments, knowing you’ve done as much as you can with the time and the talents you’ve been given.


Comparisons can be helpful as a means of seeing new possibilities, but very quickly they become counter-productive. Don’t chase the Crües of the writing world. Acknowledge your weaknesses and embrace your strengths. Utilize your unique combination of talents to achieve your own brand of success, and you’ll get there eventually.

HEADS UP! If you liked Angela's post on Cultivating Reader Interest through Unexpected Emotion from her recent Donald Maass Workshop, she's sharing another lesson learned over at Rebekah Grow's blog. This one's on Introspection & The Character's Black Moment. Just follow the link!

Physical Attribute Entry: Chest

Physical description of a character can be difficult to convey—too much will slow the pace or feel 'list-like', while too little will not allow readers to form a clear mental image. If a reader cannot imagine what your character looks like, they may have trouble connecting with them on a personal level, or caring about their plight. 

One way to balance the showing and telling of physical description is to showcase a few details that really help 'tell the story' about who your character is and what they've been through up to this point. Think about what makes them different and interesting. Can a unique feature, clothing choice or way they carry themselves help to hint at their personality? Also, consider how they move their body. Using movement will naturally show a character's physical characteristics, keep the pace flowing and help to convey their emotions.

CHEST AREA

photo credit: lta362 via photopin cc

Descriptors: 

MEN (CHEST): brawny, smooth, hairy, firm, curly, broad, narrow, warm, sculpted, hard, strong, well-defined, chiseled, toned, pecs, pectorals, heavy, sagging, deep, flabby, bumpy, thick, skinny, bony, concave, sweaty, gleaming, solid, muscular, lean, tanned, tattooed, scrawny, athletic, spindly, thin, bulging, scarred, nipples, nips, narrow, defined, pale, taut, hardened

WOMEN (BREASTS): busty, big-chested, full, flat, sagging, well-endowed, buxom, busty, stacked, built, curvy or curvaceous, heavy, slopes, rounded, shapely, petite, cleavage, tanned,  voluptuous, bouncing, jiggling, small-breasted, peaks, mountains, mounds, valley cleavage, soft, silky, smooth, alabaster, tanned, bronzed, droopy, low, high, perky, pillows, overflowing, straining, ample, thin, boobs, ta-tas

Things Breasts/Chests Do:

• Thrust: chests and breasts are a sexual area that is closely tied into a person's self esteem and instinctive, primal response. Baring a chest or thrusting it out is either a sexual display, an action to show strength and confidence, and (especially in males) a way to show aggression if feeling threatened.
• Feed: This one's just for the ladies of course, but breast feeding is the function of breasts.

Key Emotions: 

• Desire:  Touching and caressing the chest or breasts between compatible, romantic pairs is a way to show affection and amp up sexual desire. Women and men find this attribute an attractive feature in others that match their sexual preferences, and even if one is in a committed relationship with someone else, looking (without being creepy or pervy about it) and appreciating this attribute is healthy and normal.
• Surprise/Shock: If a person is surprised, it is normal for their hand to fly to their chest in automatic response.
• Confidence/Pride: Both women and men thrust their chests out slightly when feeling energized by confidence or pride.
• Anger/Rage/Hatred: These negative emotions bring out the 'Fight' in fight or flight, and the instinctive response is to make oneself look bigger and more imposing. Both men and women will thrust out their chests when threatened. 

Simile and Metaphor Help:         

• Linda gasped, her breasts lifting up in her tube top like oranges ready to spill from a fruit basket.

• Alex's chest was hard and lean, muscular without being overdone. I ran my hands over the plains of his skin, my light touch a wind brushing the Sahara.               

Clichés to Avoid:

• describing a woman's breasts as beach balls, balloons, etc. 
• breasts that 'heave'
• A chest that is 'as hard as a rock'

BONUS TIP: The Colors, Textures & Shapes Thesaurus in our sidebar might help you find a fresh take on some of the descriptors listed above!

Donald Maass Wisdom: Cultivate Reader Interest Through Unexpected Emotions

Recently I was at a workshop with Donald Maass and the topic of Emotional Writing came up. As you can imagine, I immediately perked up and my fingers became cyclones over the keyboard of my iPad, taking notes.

photo credit: Send me adrift. via photopin cc

The gist of it was this: the most powerful stories have emotional writing, the kind where we dig deep into our own feelings and then put them on the page. Donald encouraged us to move past ‘expected’ character emotions and try for something deeper, more primal. Something unexpected.

We were to take a scene from our book, list the primary emotion our character was feeling, and then change it to something they would never dare to voice or show, but felt none-the-less.

I chose a scene from my Upper MG WIP, Wrath of a God. The Egyptian God Osiris, newly resurrected and clothed as a simple human storekeeper, shows up at the protagonist’s house as a surprise dinner guest. The goal is to intimidate my hero, Brett, and convince him to stop fighting Osiris as he attempts to gain control over everyone in the town. The two of them are speaking outside, away from Brett’s mother who doesn’t know who Osiris really is. Brett is full of anger and frustration because deep down, he knows he’s powerless to stop the God.

 But a deeper emotion, something unexpected? What might he also feel? I decided to try DESIRE.

Donald then told us to then duct tape our protagonist, and show that emotion non-verbally (talk about right up my alley!) Want to see what I came up with? (WARNING: It’s not exceptionally written--just a two minute free write!) 

A glow came off of Osiris, a hue that had nothing to do with the sun setting. It was something that came from inside the god...a sureness, a confidence. He was powerful, close to having it all. Brett imagined that for a moment, imagined the feeling of control, the ability to wipe the slate clean. To heal his mother, to heal the town. 

His chest expanded and he straightened with the need to have what Osiris had, to shape the world with power. But as he stared at the god, the shadows clutching the sharp angles of his face stood out in dark contrast. Power corrupted. Power consumed. If Brett had it, would he do good? Or would he become like Osiris, and only want more? A deep pain spread in his chest and he reached up, kneading it with his palm. This was wrong. How could he feel this, want this? 

I love what I came up with, because it’s so much deeper than the original emotions of anger and frustration. By honing in on Brett’s desire, I show how he craves what he doesn’t have (power & control), and then the shame he feels at wanting to be like the antagonist.

Donald then challenged us to find 20 more scenes and do this very same thing. And you know what? I plan to. (Oh and that little book on the right? Click on it. You want to own it, trust me--it's fabulous!)

How about you? Have you ever used an unexpected emotional reaction to deepen your character to readers? Let me know in the comments!