Laughing Triggers

I am flypaper in a world of buzz words and spiffy sayings. No, it's true! If you have the great misfortune to be anywhere near me when you utter some fabulously original and witty phrase, you will undoubtedly see it fly from your mouth and stick to the side of my laughing head (where it will be absorbed and cataloged for reference). But most of these quirky words and phrases don’t come from others. I have enough outspoken nutcase characters within myself to keep me entertained. (No, I am not the “Sybil” of the new millennium.) An example of my madness comes to mind.

Doodads. That’s right, doodads. I hadn’t heard that term in years. Probably would have never uttered it again, except for the fact that my young protagonist needed something to describe a certain part of the male anatomy. So, I threw it in…

…and read it out loud.

I didn’t expect to laugh, much less fall out of my office chair. (Probably a result of too much revising?) I crawled from the floor and sat down again, glancing at my screen. Why did I read it again? I don’t know, but I didn’t wait around to fall again. I literally ran from my office, tears streaming down my cheeks. I passed my wife at the top of the stairs. I ran through the den and out the side door, searching for copious amounts of fresh air to inhale. The result? It stayed in my manuscript, and my wife hasn’t divorced me…yet. I even reference “balloon hat” along with it. (You would have to read it to understand…or maybe not.) It will never win any Sexy Prose awards, but maybe, just maybe another person will get the same enjoyment from it that I got. Just maybe…

Addendum: *idea before I published*

Backstory: It’s dry here. Very dry. You spend 355 days a year moisturizing your skin. The other 10? Standing in the rain.

So…catchy phrase for my WIP is already down.

Ready?

**** The Itchy Nipple Tavern *scratch* *scratch*

Do you have a humorous saying or word that makes you grin instantly?

No? Well, go find something to laugh about. It’s a great stress reliever.

The Storyteller Within Your Story

Finding "voice" as a writer can be tough for some of us. It can be found in any number of POVs, but first person is usually the most obvious. Here's a question I have for you: while your "voice" as an author can be strong, especially in your MC, can you find a strong, compelling "voice" with your supporting characters? Can you create that kind of magic within your story? Can you hold the reader entranced with this character's voice? Can you create a powerful "storyteller" aside from yourself, or your MC? You'll know it when you do. And your readers will know it as well. It can be a powerful layer of depth for a writer to achieve.

IMHO #1

“Personally, as a writer, I’m not ready to surrender my work exclusively to cyberspace. I’m not ready for my work to be just a digital imprint in the ether. There’s no realness to that.
I want my books to be tangible, something to slip in a backpack, set your coffee cup on, something that you can rabbit-ear the pages of, pass on to a friend, find comfort in amidst chaos, and finally, something that will collect dust on a shelf as it awaits inheritance.” Byron Suggs

Writing and the "Junker"

I started on my next book a month ago. Or maybe it was two weeks ago...or last week. I don't remember.

Idea #1 started well enough. The plot fell at my feet. Ingenious, twisty and full of life. I cranked out the first chapter, thrilled at the possibilities. Then realization sunk in. This would be in the 200-300k word range if I pursued it. And some of the plot points would take a monumental effort to pull off. And then I would have to revise like a madman. I put it aside. It needed more thought.

Idea #2 struck around midnight. I rushed to capture the opening scene and I caught it well. But where was the plot? I'll never know. It was in a thousand places and there seemed no way to make it coherent. I put it aside. Maybe I would re-visit, maybe not.

Idea #3 slapped me like a ton of bricks. It came welling up from me like a tide. At that point I came to a realization that should have been evident the moment I started Idea #1. I've told you why the first two didn't work, but the excuses were all wrong. They didn't work because they had no real voice. Not like the third one.

Idea #3 will be my next book. The voice of my MC is strong and has a story to tell. And two chapters into it, the bond between writer and character has been forged and honed for the journey.

What about the Junker? Sometimes writing is like owning a "junker" car. It takes a few attempts to get it started but once the motor catches, you know it will take you where you want to go.