Writing Character: The Lies that You Believe

I've spent a lot of time reading in the past few months. I've gotten back into the Game of Thrones Series, and I re-read Agatha Christie's "And Then There Were None". Between them and watching Downton Abbey, I wound up thinking a lot about character in writing.

Building believable characters means they have to be more than just props to fuel a plot, even side characters have to be more than a two dimensional trope filling space around the hero. I'm not saying they have to be perfect, but quite the opposite, they have to be imperfect in a way that sets them apart from a casually contrived paper doll. They have to have motivations that fuel their actions, and believable reactions to their situations.

One thought that I've been focused on a lot in the past few weeks as I look at the characters I want to write, and characters others have written, is that deep down, almost everyone lies to themselves. It's a perfectly human coping mechanism.

Some lies are altruistic, "I know I can save the princess!" He cannot possibly KNOW that, and if your reading something like Game of Thrones he'll more likely die, horribly, than succeed. He's lying to himself to build confidence and faith in himself and his mission.

Other lies are more destructive, "I had to kill him! There was no other way! I'm not a cold blooded murderer!" This clearly paints a character desperate to reconcile their actions with their own guilt, or the judgment they know they'll face from another. Even the character himself doesn't really believe his words, and that insecurity and desperation can easily creep into their actions causing them to be reckless or unnecessarily judgmental.

As a reader, we have the unique perspective to look at a characters entire path, from beginning to end. Even as the character chooses not to believe a gristly truth, or they convince themselves of a more optimistic future, we as the reader can see. Sometimes the imminent danger is so obvious to us, from our view, that we can't help be shout, "Can't you see he's lying to you!" or "Don't! It's a trap!". Yet within the narrative, the character instead embraces those comfortable lies and falls headlong into peril.

A truly good book keeps you reading even if you've become furious at the character for what they've chosen. Even if you hate the character for becoming the opposite of what you hoped or expected, you may still find yourself reading, turning the page, and going even further. Ultimately we find it hard to walk away from characters that are real, characters who believe in certain truths, and believe in certain lies because we want to know how they evolve from what they are.

The worst thing you can do is create a character that is flat, boring and without depth. That character might not anger anyone with their choices, but they won't win any devotion either. Two dimensional characters are not real, so we don't care if they get thrown away. If you want anyone to care about your characters plight, they need to have a depth that is relatable. They have to think, they have to feel, they have to lie.

So what lies does your favorite character believe?

An Open Letter to Barnes and Noble: Changes to improve a struggling book business

I wrote this up, this morning after having spent several weeks thinking about it. I've talked about this with a lot of people who buy books, and most people share the same complaints.
See, the thing is, I don't like monopolies. I've never been published by Amazon, and I have heard some great things about their e-publishing services, as well as their audiobook department. Be that as it may, I worry about getting too bound to one business to sell books. I don't believe any ONE company should run the market, and I don't feel I can trust a company that seems determined to own the market and crush any competition.
That said, Barnes and Noble doesn't 'own' me either. Frankly if I'm buying an e-book I prefer to download it directly from the writer as a .pdf when available so I can avoid a host of DRM problems. I shop indie bookstores when I can. Yet because they are geographically closest to me, Barnes and Noble gets a lot of my business. (To be honest, I'd probably like Amazon a whole lot more if they had an actual STORE I could go to, where I could walk in and touch the books. I'm a tactile person, physical presence with a product is important to me.)

In any event, regardless of my loyalties, when I see an easy solution to a problem I like to offer it up, so today I wrote to Barnes and Noble customer Service. Below is exactly what I sent, and I'd be interested to hear feedback from other shoppers/readers if I got it right or if I missed anything obvious.

"Dear Barnes and Noble,

As a frequent customer, I'd like to see your business continue to exist. The thought of physical bookstores not existing is something that would be a terrible loss to my community. Having made use of your services, I have a few suggestions.

First, your site to store ordering system is a brilliant tool, that is in your case, fundamentally flawed. Comparing your system to say, Walmart, with Walmart I can add ANY item and pick it up in a physical store, prepaid. With your system it relies on the stores existing inventory. MOST of the time when I go to your site to find a book, it's because I'm already having trouble finding it in store. I don't WANT to have it shipped to me in bad weather, I want to go pick it up.
Additionally, ANY feature that gets people to physically visit your store makes you money. If I walk into the store for ONE book, I will often leave with two or three. Especially if I have kids, friends, or family with me. Updating this feature in your system will make you money by getting people to the store.

Secondly, shipping. Your store relies solely on UPS from your distribution Warehouse. Believe it or not, MANY people do not like UPS. Their delivery times are slower than average, and in many areas they don't even deliver the package themselves. If you provide a secondary option of USPS or even FedEx, and LIST IT as that company, many people will pay MORE to get it shipped through a company they trust. Especially when you're competing with Amazon, that has millions of individual sellers with flexible options, you need to be flexible to stay ahead in the changing marketplace.

Paper books still sell, contrary to sale projection analysts, I know I will continue to buy 95% of my books in PRINT, and the e-books I read are either free, or not available in print. Don't focus solely on the e-book market when there are plenty of ways to increase the sales potential of your existing physical locations.
I hope this suggestion helps.

Liz"

So readers, what do you think about it?

News from the Book World! And Don't Pirate books!

       Apparently writing a blog is not something you can easily fake. It requires, you know, actual writing. Planning and editing and all that stuff. So while I'm mired between family birthdays, random school holidays for my child, and the occasional spontaneous illness, I'm just going to pass along more exciting news from other authors in case you missed it.
       
       First up is a BIG announcement I'm REALLY excited about. The fantastic Seanan McGuire has a NEW book coming out in 2014. This is in addition to the Toby and the InCryptid books. Seanan writes awesome urban fantasy with strong female protagonists who are completely real and still utterly bad-ass. This new book she's announced follows that theme, and it's my absolute favorite: Sparrow Hill Road.
       I read the first 'version' of this novel when it was published online, Seanan says it's been edited and improved with new content and I cannot wait to get my hands on it. It's the story of a hitchhiking ghost who lures truckers to their death... At least, that's one story they tell about her. The real story of Rose Marshall is much more complex, and tragic than those poor truckers could imagine.
      It's a fantastic tale of the open highways and of the ghosts who ride the roads. It has a haunting feel of a classic fifties ghost story. Even as Rose travels the roads of the modern day, the strains of the jukebox and the smell of the malt shop seem to cling to her. It's ethereal and real all at the same time. I love it, and I cannot wait to buy my copy.
For more details get the facts straight from Seanan at her blog here. Rose Owls and Pumpkin Girls

      Keeping with the 'books coming sometime down the line' my buddy Chuck Wendig has announced that his previously indie-published (And Kick Starter-ed) books in the Atlanta Burns series, "Shotgun Gravy" and   "Bait Dog". I confess I've not (yet) read them, but I'm always excited to see good authors come to print. Atlanta Burns is a teenager, and these books are going into the Young Adult market, so if you've read Blackbirds and are expecting more of the same here... No, they aren't the same. Chuck's also been contracted to write a third Atlanta novel to add to the set, loosely titled 'Frack You', and I can't wait to see what he comes up with. More details are readily available on Chuck's blog, Terrible Minds.

   Now, February 6th, is the new Official "Don't Pirate My Book" day for authors.

    I periodically rant about the writing/publishing business. It's my dream to someday be shouting out "Hey! Buy MY book!" but it's a dream I approach realistically. I had my eyes opened some years ago to the not so glamorous truth about writing. Writing, even writing successfully, does not make you rich. Yes, there are always exceptions to this rule, but it's a fools errand to believe "I'm going to be the next JK Rowling!".
      No, you probably won't be. Not that you should give up on writing, because daddy always said you should go to business school and get a real job. It just means that realistically, especially in genre fiction, you are going to have to work much harder and longer to become lucrative.
     So don't look at writing as a 'gold mine', or an 'easy job'. Writing has a lot more in common with running your own business. You become your own boss, which can be great, but means you are personally liable for your success or failure. No one else will make you work. No one else can make you improve. If you don't work, and work hard, and work often, your writers cart will sit mired in the mud of obscurity and no one will notice you.
      Yes, I'm probably being very dour about the whole thing, and it may sound like I'm just trying to rain on your dreams. That's not it. I'm trying to dispel a myth. The myth that writers are worshiped as gods, gold flows from their fingers and once you get published all the money will rain down on you. No. Not happening.
     The reason I wish I could stand on my soapbox and shout this to the world, is because so few people grasp the reality of a writers living wage and a writers lifestyle, so they think it's fine to pirate ebooks. IF they even give a thought to the author it's along the lines of "they're so rich, who cares?" This lie makes starving writers cry.
    Now internet file-sharing, copyright infringement, DRM licensing  and the notion of copying and sharing all sorts of 'files' for free is a muddy water. I can understand the frustrations and desires that fuel piracy, really I CAN. I don't even have CABLE. Do you know how LONG it takes to see the next season in a current series on Netflix? But that's a different rant. Basically, I'm not going to wade in and make a bunch of dogmatic statements... I'll just link you to everyone ELSE's authors blog and let you read what THEY have to say on the matter.
     Suffice to say, my choice, for me, is ALWAYS acquiring books legally. I enter giveaways (and I've won a few), I go to the library, I wait until books are in paperback and then buy them, and I use coupons. But I always get them legally. For me, it's not about me getting something, it's about me funding the author. If I steal a book, it's like I'm stealing from a guy I admire. That's my logic. I wouldn't break into an authors house and copy a manuscript off his computer, likewise, I'm not going to copy someone's file of an e-book. They need the sales, the need the sales NUMBERS, and thwarting the tracking system of book sales with shady deals makes kittens sad.

That bizarre rant concluded, I now direct you to some of our friendly neighborhood authors (they might not be that friendly, in fact, some may bite.) and what THEY have to say about internet piracy.

Chuck Wendig kicked the movement off, so we'll start with his post here at Terrible Minds. http://terribleminds.com/ramble/2013/02/06/why-i-hope-you-dont-pirate-my-book/ 

Seanan Mcguire wrote her take, so we should go back to her Blog too. http://seanan-mcguire.livejournal.com/493792.html

Dan O'Shea wrote a profanity flecked piece on his anti-piracy stance here. http://danielboshea.wordpress.com/2013/02/07/you-arent-a-pirate-youre-a-thief-asshole/

Those are the links I have now, I'll edit to add if I'm lucky to find more.

Finally, our moment of zen for the end of post. John Scalzi did something that I find in parts equally hilarious and inspiring, and if I had his means I'd totally do it too. In response to an internet troll using his name, he's now going to donate money, on behalf of the troll, to charities the homophobic, misogynistic, racist troll finds unappealing. Namely, Civil Rights, Gay Rights, and women's rights.
But don't take my word for it, read the whole awesome recap here at Scalzi's blog Whatever.
Tons of people offered to contribute as well, and it's now up to 60,000 dollars. Pretty cool right?

That's the news from my corner of the internet! Hope you enjoyed it.

This is How I do It: Book Reviews

Just a quick note before I launch my first real Book Review here on site. Basically I've done reviews where I just spew a squeegasm onto paper and tell you all how awesome the thing is.
However now I plan to do things a little differently. I'm trying to focus on providing a review with good presentation that gives you a snapshot of the book without spoilers, that highlights my experience of the book, while still allowing for your own interpretation. I refuse to put spoilers in my reviews, because I hate tripping over them when I troll the web for new material.

At the top and bottom of each book I'll give a "Grade" this is my personal subjective opinion on where the book ranks in a 10 out of 10 scale. This hinges on a lot of things, an authors past works, my expectations of the novel, writing craft, and whether the overall story grabbed and held my attention.
There will glowing reviews, I wouldn't be doing this if I didn't love reading and want to share my passion, but in fairness there will be critical reviews and yes, even the dreaded Bad Book Review.

I'm also toying with the idea of a semi-frequent post titled 'Calling to the Carpet', a chance where I will tackle with blistering honesty a particular book failing. I'm reserving this for sections where the writing just didn't stand up, when the craft fumbled. I don't like to focus on the negative, but I think we can all remember at least one time as a reader when  a book failed so dramatically that we actually felt betrayed. (This happens much more often to me at the movies!) These moments deserve at least an accounting, and even if nothing ever comes of it, at the very least there will be those of you who empathize and appreciate the vicarious venting.

That said, let's move on to our first Book Review in the new system, a book I've reviewed before, but I liked it so much I wanted to kick off the new review section with a real winner.
Head on to the next post for "Blackbirds"!

Sharing what's in my Brain...

I've recently had a lot of 'don't wanna edit'-itis and coupled with a neurotic little voice that says "Don't post that blog post! It's not been revised!" Things are sort of stalling on my end. At some point I will either embrace the editing process, or I will just flat out post what I've written first draft and call it good.

Confession: I never learned to edit in school. Never. Being labeled 'gifted in English' plus having a keen eye to which courses would require the least amount of effort, I found myself skating through writing assignments by just writing a draft, doing a copy edit for spelling, and turning it in. My school ethos was in a word, lazy. I even wrote an entire persuasive essay on the topic of nature v nurture completely from my own conjecture, I lost points for not having a bibliography, but the meat of the article was deemed wholly sound.

Thus, I am a spoiled brat who left school convinced of my writing skills, and now that I am facing the 'real world' of writing, I realize how very, very wrong I was. Rewriting is vital, editing is essential, and embracing the truth of "No first draft is perfect" is something that is profoundly improving my writing.
Sadly, I'm still lazy. Overcoming my inclination to take shortcuts, especially on a blog of 'unofficial' writing, is warring with my perfectionist's desire to present really well written, smooth flowing, impressive writing.

This is my conundrum, and I managed to write most of a blog post about it. (This is also a first draft, forgive my ramble.) Yet, rather than letting my blog sit vacant and dull, leaving you all to question my absence, here are some of the things I've gotten involved in recently, and I'm delighted to share.

First off, I kicked in my own meager donation to the massively successful charity crowdfund event for Jay Lake. Even though the original small goals were met right away, the event is still ongoing and every bit of your help goes to help a fellow writer.
http://www.youcaring.com/medical-fundraiser/sequence-a-science-fiction-writer/38705

Additionally, even if you don't donate, the link includes a list and links to all the silly whimsical rewards performed by other writers including Seanan Mcguire, John Scalzi, Pat Rothfuss, and Neil Gaiman. Plus many more! These are all fantastic, (esp Scalzi's Bob Dylan impression.). They also give you the impression of a group of people who care a great deal about each other, willing to embarrass themselves, and have a good time doing it for the sake of a friend.

Other things I've been doing is reading some more very excellent books. Despite the fact that I read very quickly, it's not always easy for me to sit down and just read, so I've only read two new books this month.

"Discount Armageddon"  by Seanan McGuire was a truly amazing delightful read. I bought it on release day and had it perched in my "To Be Read" pile for far too long.
This is the first in Seanan's new Incryptid series, and reading it means diving headlong into a fantastic spin on reality where all the monsters are real, but much more likely to be your eccentric neighbor than something out to maul you in the woods. Sure, some monsters are just plain deadly, and some monsters don't have enough intelligence to try to adapt to a modern world, they'd rather keep stinging, biting, and eating any human that stumbles into them.
I'll have a more in depth review to come, but I highly recommend it. My favorite part was the best choreographed fight scene set to music I've ever read. Utter GOLD.

"Dead to Me" by Anton Strout is the first book in the Simon Canderous series, and while I'm still a few chapters from the end I'm really enjoying the ride. I picked up this book mostly because I've been so impressed by Anton on a personal level. He's a fun guy who isn't afraid to tweet about the crazy that goes into the writing process, and he's very connected to his readers. Plus, he's let me give him a hard time. He and his wife are expecting TWINS this summer, so if ever there was a man who could use your book sales Anton is worthy.
More than just the author, I'm enjoying the book itself. Simon is a guy trying to improve himself and find a good standing in a strange and dangerous career where stopping a zombie uprising has it's own set of forms that must be filled out in triplicate and signed before you can even think of going home to wash off the gore. It's the weird and wild as controlled by a government bureaucracy. The tightly controlled filing and organization is a little similar to Myke Cole's Shadow Ops, and the adventures in dark New York City alleys is a perfect complement to "Discount Armageddon".  I can almost imagine Simon meeting up with Verity one night. Hopefully without someone getting shot or punched!

That's what I've been up to, and with all this talk about "Dead to Me" I want to go finish reading! Stay warm this winter!
Liz