Getting Out of a Writing Slump

For the past few days I had been sinking into the longest and deepest writing slump of my life. At the start of October, I had decided to do NaNo. It would have been my first NaNo and I was tremendously excited. I decided to plan a rough outline of the MG novel I would be re-writing as well as outlining books 2 and 3.

But, someone up there had different plans for me. Every time I started rewriting or planning the outline, it was dismissed by my inner editor as being too mediocre, too clichéd, too  stereotypical. My inner editor constantly shouted, “Try something different. Go for the unusual. ”

I think being on submission too did its bit. Querying is a nerve twisting process, especially for writers like us (being in  India we are too far away from the hub of the publishing world) who have no access to  conferences or cannot get a referral. Most agents I wanted to query were closed to submissions. They either wanted to work with a writer they had met at a conference or a writer who was referred to them by one of their clients.

My writing  (crit) partners rallied around me, but every writer’s advice clashed with the other writer’s.  I was driving myself crazy.

My best friends during that 14 day long slump were all the writing craft books I had bought. At any moment you could see these books lying on my bed. I would be frantically making notes on how to hook the readers from page one, how to move the conflict  up to the first page, make the story question apparent as soon as was possible.

I had  done very little writing in the last few days, though I brainstormed a lot. To get away from all this, I plunged into reading. Reading is very theraupetic. I read two books from the Kane Chronicle Series, I enjoyed Hunger Games, I read Animal Farm. I also went out a lot; caught up with my non-existent social life and stopped thinking of both the query business and writing that perfect book.

Slowly the sun shone out from among the dark and stormy clouds. I think it was my faith in God that provided the ultimate break through. The break through finally happened, though I didn’t feel the effects immediately, I know the cobwebs covering my creative cells are falling away and the writer’s block is melting.

This was literally the worst phase of my writing life. I definitely don’t want to go through this again. Has something like this happened to you? Have you been in prolonged writing slumps? How many days has the slump lasted and how did you manage to get out of it? Please share your stories, we all can benefit a lot from it.  

Help for the Beginnings, Middles and Endings

As I am rewriting Book 1 of my MG Paranormal Trilogy and also planning book 2 and 3, I find myself turning more and more to one of my favourite writing craft books: Plot and Structure by James Scott Bell.

I am sharing a few things Bell suggests.

Beginnings

The first task of your beginning is to hook the reader.

 Use great opening lines, teasers, attitude, story frames or prologues to grab the reader.

 Watch out for dull exposition at the beginning. Act first; explain later.  

 Middles

 The strongest plots have a sense of death hovering over the head. This can be physical death, psychological death or professional death.

Adhesive holds the lead and opposition together. If the lead can solve the problem simply by resigning from the action, the reader will wonder why he doesn’t do so.

Duty is often the adhesive. A professional duty ( as in a cop solving a case) or a moral duty ( as in a mother fighting to save her child). Physical location can be an adhesive, where it is impossible for a character to leave a place.

The fundamental rhythm of a novel is action, reaction, more action (ARM). You can control the pace by how you control the beats.

Raise the stakes throughout the middle portion of the novel. Stakes can relate to plot, character and society.

Endings

There are three basic types of endings: the lead gets his objective; the lead loses his objective; or we don’t know if the lead gets it.

The lead can gain his objective, but with a negative result attached;or he can lose his objective with some positive result.

Sacrifice is a powerful element in many endings.

Some endings focus on the final battle the Lead must fight. Others focus on the final choice the lead must make.

Keeping all these pointers in mind sure does help in plot points. Do you all have any favourite writing craft book that you frequently refer to? How do you all plot your books? Any pointers for me to help me plot better?

Lessons I Learnt from Rick Riordan

Last week I read the first two books of the Kane Chronicles written by Rick Riordan: The Red Pyramid and The Throne of Fire. I must admit that the books were a very racy read. I could barely put them down.

 I have read practically all the Percy Jackson books and am a huge fan. I liked the dual point of view of storytelling adopted by the author for the Kane Chronicles Series. The story is told in the form of recordings by the siblings. The brother and sister take turns to narrate the story.

Every alternate chapter is told from the point of view of either the brother Carter or the sister Sadie. To avoid confusion, beside the chapter headline is the name of whoever is telling that part of the story.

Rick has completely dispensed with not just a long winded introduction, but with any introduction. He plunges his readers into the heart of the problem where the siblings’ father, the brilliant Epyptologist Dr Julius Kane blows up the British Musuem.

What the author has given the readers is a ticket to a roller coaster ride. The readers get to know the siblings as the story progresses; just bits and pieces about their life.

Another master stroke adopted by the author is the number of ancient Egyptian Gods who make their entry throughout the books.  The author has added oodles of appeal to all the Gods. What I liked a lot was the author’s complete hatred for long winded explanations about the myths and legends surrounding each and every God. Its literally a case of , “Hi I am Bast, Goddess of  cats and I am here to help you two.”

The author has blended Egyptian myths and history seamlessly into the story, facts have been woven and what has emerged is a tapestry of fiction. Boredom has been denied entry.

 There is action on every page. Every page sees the two siblings fighting fierce monsters. These monsters have been sent by Set; a God of Ancient Egypt. Dollops of humour urge the story along.

Improvisation is the name of the game where the author is concerned. A god who drives an RV and  travels by plane. A blood thirsty monster (as the legend says)  is given several pints of Salsa sauce, a basketball loving baboon and a Dwarf who wears a blue Speedo and has trouble in his love life all make for an amusing and great read.

 What do you all think of Rick Riordan’s unique way of story telling and his take on the Egyptian Gods and myth. Is there anything in particular you all have learnt from Rick Riordan? Please share with us?