I am surprised how often writing feels more like maths or a game of logic than anything free, creative and expansive.
I say this as one who avoid all sums if at all possible,though i am not proud of that fact.
Recently, I have begun wrangling with the Tome again.
Note: My use of “Tome” is not a comment on the to-be-book’s quality or importance. Tome is my name for how the heaviness and unwieldiness of the project feels. The Tome lurks there, on my mind’s shelf, weighed so heavily with all the hope, fear, faults, characters and complicated plot-lines that, if it slipped, it could probably crush me. It did, combined with other factors, certainly halt me in my tracks for a good while.
However, the Tome is now out of hiding, and into the daylight of the real world. All the existing short and tricksy chapters are spread across a pasting table in my workroom, so I can observe the flow of the novel, and see what still needs to be done.
Planners, you are now totally welcome to roll about laughing on the floor, fling your stashes of post-it notes in the air, or aim paper arrows at your detailed wall charts here. Ha. Ha. And Ha.
Although I could write on – and how happy I am now to see how the ending could actually be done! - this particular plot is at a stage where I need the structure to be very secure indeed. So, as well as dreaming and noting and playing with the ending and all that creative stuff, I am toiling away, almost at SUMS!
Or, in other words, I am REVISING. Slowly. Bit by bit. Analysing the details. As well as listening to the sounds of and flow of the words and voices, I am constantly thinking “Does this bit make sense? Of itself, and within the story? Does this bit fit? Or is it a diversion? Does it come too late or too early? Is this bit even needed? ”
Today I have been working on a small “aside” scene. The scene has a double purpose. First, to let readers know that practical preparations for a major scene and plot moment are advancing. Secondly, the scene also increases the menace of the setting, the place where the two young heroes will be soon arriving.
I’d originally written the scene some months ago, and though it read quite well. Then I looked properly, and - "hides head in stupidity and shame" - saw that I needed to re-structure the conversation. All this tiny scene contains are three very minor characters, brought in partly because of the historical context: a scullion, a servant and a cook. They are shown gossiping around the fire, caught between the attraction of their master’s suspicious activities and the need to keep quiet about what’s going on.
Yet, when I truly studied the scene, the “sum” did not really work out. The logic I had presented was all over the place. The dialogue flowed between the three, but it was too much like real life chat and I don’t mean those “er” or “um” or “like” utterances, or similar.
In ordinary conversations – in my experience – people often suggest one fairly random viewpoint, meander to another angle, suggest another and so on until eventually the conversation shifts on to something more practical like “Do you want a chocolate biscuit with that?” or “Are we nearly there yet?”
However, in the much tighter conversation of fiction, each character’s words represent a point of view and a step in the story.
Which “argument” won at the end, status-wise if not morally?
Which character was dominant within the interactions, even if not by the number of their interactions?
In other words, by the end of even a small scene, the reader needs to know the “sum” of the talk and where the writer is taking them, and this is especially important for the young reader.
So I re-thought and re-allocated the lines, and on the way, developed the small character relationships. The scullion is the troublemaker, the fool that won't stop asking why.
The servant is the one easily lured into speculation and unwise suggestions.
What about the cook, sitting in his chair? In the new version of the scene, he is no longer the main, expansive conversationalist.
Now he sits almost silently, murmuring an occasional brief response. Then, at the end, he dominates the scene:
The cook suddenly leaned forward, his smile spread with menace.
“Which means that my advice is that we all keep our noses out of it, right? I’m telling you now that the Master don’t act kindly-like when he’s been crossed, and the river’s often tricky round here. Understand?”
The servants nodded, eyes full of fear.
The cook eased himself back into his chair, folded both arms over his wide stomach and dozed.
They tried not to notice what was going on, they really did.
I’m happier. I feel as if there is - now - an inner logic behind the total run of lines. The “story maths”are working perfectly. For the moment, I’m giving this scene a mental tick and moving on to revise another. Or do I mean check my next calculation?
As Oliver Postgate once wrote:
“Writing a story is not simply a matter of writing lines of words, but calls on the writer to assemble sentences in such a way that the reader receives them in the right order for stacking in the mind.”
Even so, whether you’re thinking “writing” or “sums” when you are revising, getting those small details right can be very slow work indeed. Good luck.
Especially in a Tome . . .
Penny Dolan.
Different kinds of books for different kinds of mood. Are you like me, do you vary a lot in what you want to read? I find it often depends on the mood I am in. Sometimes it is fantasy, sometimes I am reading adult novels, Young Adult, Younger books or picture books, but in the end it is all about whether the book is a good read, and also in the case of books for younger readers, whether it works for the intended audience.
Here are a few of the books I have enjoyed this year- not actual reviews but there are plenty reviews of all of these, some in the ABBA review pages, I wanted to share some books I have enjoyed and I hope you might suggest some books that have been on your list this year, in the comments.
I particularly enjoy epic fantasy where there are several books in a series. I love it when I have been reading a series and I get the latest volume about a place or time or other world where I know the characters, care what happens to them. It is like slipping on a comfortable coat but in the hands of a skilled storyteller you know you will be entertained, and sometimes frightened or upset for the characters, perhaps fall in love with them and laugh or cry with them, experience their loss, their discomfort and decisions; exploring their values and their lives . It is all part of the experience.
I have read some of A Song of Ice and Fire series , but I am beginning to read it again starting once more with
A GAME OF THRONES so that I can get back into it before I read the two books in the series I have not read yet.
I love the way George RR Martin is not afraid to kill off characters you care for, so that you are never sure. So many books I read (particularly in a series)I know the main characters will always find a way out of any situation and that sense of reality and real life danger is lost.
I loved getting lost in the world created by Gillian Phillip in the Rebel Angels series. This is another engrossing fantasy series and Book3,
WOLFSBANE, came out this summer. Gillian is not afraid to give her characters a really bad time of it, but their difficulties and their loves and fight for survival, make them all the more real.
I am a huge fan of Guy Gavriel Kay and could not miss out
UNDER HEAVEN,
A stand alone fantasy. I think it is one of his best.
'The world could bring you poison in a jeweled cup, or surprising gifts. Sometimes you didn't know which of them it was...' You gave a man one of the famed Sardian horses to reward him greatly. You gave him four or five to exalt him above his fellows, propel him towards rank, and earn him jealousy, possibly mortal jealousy. Two hundred and fifty is an unthinkable gift, a gift to overwhelm an emperor.'Under Heaven...takes place in a world inspired by the glory and power of Tang Dynasty China in the 8th century, a world in which history and the fantastic meld into something both memorable and emotionally compelling.
I loved Mary Hooper's
FALLEN GRACE it is describled as..
'A stunning evocation of life in Victorian London, with vivid and accurate depictions, ranging from the deprivation that the truly poor suffered to the unthinking luxuries enjoyed by the rich: all bound up with a pacy and thrilling plot, as Grace races to unravel the fraud about to be perpetrated against her and her sister.'
and
THE FOOL'S GIRL by Celia Rees
'In an adventure that stretches from the shores of Illyria to the Forest of Arden, romance and danger go hand in hand.'
You can read an excellent account of how this book came about and see a video clip of her talking about the book on Celia's website
www.celiarees.com/fools_girl/index
and also Penny Dolan's
A Boy Called Mouse“‘Penny Dolan unfolds a story that will have her audience captivated from the intriguing cast list that precedes Chapter One to the bittersweet epilogue . . . This is a true page-turner - clearly influenced by the timeless storytelling of Charles Dickens and Charlotte Bronte, but still very much an original in its own right'” –
Primary TimesThree great historical novels.
I don't really do vampires but this year I did dip into a couple in that genre and I enjoyed them so here they are. They always seem to have such amazing covers, too!
I met Amy Plum this year at the Edinburgh Book Festival and
DIE FOR ME is the first of her series, the second is out now and the third in 2013. It is set in Paris which gives it a little extra style, and is very readable, with credible characters.
'Kate discovers that Vincent is s a revenant—an undead being whose fate forces him to sacrifice himself over and over again to save the lives of others. Vincent and those like him are bound in a centuries-old war against a group of evil revenants who exist only to murder and betray.'
'In the City of Lights, two star-crossed lovers battle a fate that is destined to tear them apart again and again for eternity.'
A new series Sarah Midnight starts with DREAMS. It is by Daniela Sacerdoti. You can read a review of it on the
Abba review ' Ever since her thirteenth birthday, seventeen-year-old Sarah Midnight's dreams have been plagued by demons - but unlike most people's nightmares, Sarah's come true.
Sheltered from the true horrors of the Midnight legacy She is cruelly thrust into a secret world of unimaginable danger after the murder of her parents, as she is forced to take up their mission. Alone and unprepared for the fight that lies before her, Sarah must learn how to use the powers'
If you are looking for something slightly younger Emma Barnes' wonderful new book
WOLFIE is a delightful tale for younger readers that is attracting a lot of well deserved praise.
'Sometimes a girl's best friend is...A WOLF.
Lucie has always longed for a dog.
But not one this big.
Or with such sharp teeth.
Or with such a hungry look in its eyes...
Lucie realises that her new pet is not a dog, but a wolf. Not only that, but a wolf with magical powers.'
For little ones a couple of great picture books I enjoyed...I love picture books where the pictures tell a quite different story to the one in the text. Both of these are a lot of fun.
'There always seems to be something wrong with his tractor. But Arthur is concentrating so hard on his tractor that he doesn't notice a very exciting magical story that is happening all around him!'
Three little trolls, Oink Moink and Boink, go out to find a baby for the baby pie they want to make...but they are in for a surprise!
Can you sniff it?
Can you whiff it?
Lick lips, pat belly, my oh my.
What books have your had on your reading list this year? 
www.lindastrachan.com
Linda Strachan is the award winning author of over 60 books for all ages from picture books to teenage/ YA novels and a writing handbook Writing For Children
Her latest novel is Don't Judge Me- published by Strident November 2012
The blurb is so simple that Year 1 children – the five to six year olds – can recognise the thing. They point to the patch of text on the back of book cover, proudly telling you “It’s the bit that tells you about the book.”
Is that truly what a blurb does? Does it tell you too much? Or not enough? I’ve been thinking about this because I’ve had examples of both.
In books I’ve written for an early reader series, the standard blurb format sometimes gives the twist of the plot away.
Eight enormous elephants turn a little boy’s house upside down.
It seems nothing can stop them . . . until a little mouse appears.
Or
When Ed dropped his gum on as stormy day, little did he know what would happen. Can Granny save him from the Big Bad Blob?
Why? I wanted both the mouse and the Granny to be a surprise.
Does it help the young reader’s reading and enjoyment to know what the surprise is? Would it help readers of Christie’s “The Murder of Roger Ackroyd” if the blurb contained the words But the narrator did it all along?
The writer doesn’t usually write the blurb, in my experience. The words comes from someone at the publishing house. The copy editor? The editor? Are the words agreed with marketing who must surely know what aspects of the book might make it sell? It’s all a mystery to me.
However, for my long novel for upper junior readers, A BOY CALLED M.O.U.S.E, there was some information missing.
The book blurb emphasizes Mouse’s earlier life and his time in a dreadful school. Here’s an extract:
Mouse cannot know there are people who want to kep him hidden away . . . or worse. Frightened and alone, what Mouse does know is that he must get away from Murkstone Hall – and fast.The blurb is gripping and compelling stuff, but nowhere does it mention that the final third of the book takes part in the busy backstage world of the Victorian theatre, nor that the play that involves Mouse is
A Midsummer Night’s Dream.Originally I had decided this had been missed out because someone at my new publishers felt that any hint of “the theatre” might put readers off. Maybe it would have attracted readers? I’m not sure. Or perhaps it just was that, with a long and complex story, there just wasn’t enough space for everything? Ah well.
I looked at quite a few book blurbs before writing this post and must admit that one stood out:
Once I escaped from an orphanage to find Mum and Dad.
Once I saved a girl called Zelda from a burning house.
Once I made a Nazi with toothache laugh.
My name is Felix.
This is my story.I can’t help wondering whether it was Morris Gleitzman or his publisher who wrote that blurb for "Once".
Can any of you explain the mysteries of blurb writing? Or do you have your own favourite “blurb” blurbs?
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Lovely to see my "Wolfie" on your list!
I've really enjoyed Gill Vickery's Emerald Quest, which is for a similar age-group, and features a resourceful girl called Tia who has been brought up by dragons and who decides to win back their magic jewels. It's a cracker - a real fantasy adventure in the tradition of Narnia, the Hobbit etc but punchier and less descriptive, and so more accessible for a younger audience.
Like you, I've also read and enjoyed Game of Thrones. And at the moment I'm really enjoying Creation by Gore Vidal, set in the Ancient World.
Must try A Game of Thrones - it's passed me by so far. Am reading lots of detective fiction set in Italy - it's almost like going there! Have started John Irving's latest book, but though I love his writing, I don't think I'm quite in the right place for it at the moment (literally!) Have just read Terry Pratchett's Snuff; continue to be in awe of his inventiveness and the way he ties it into social commentary - though this is not my favourite of his books: think the witches ones are my best.
Thanks for the Arthur and the Tractor recommendation: sounds perfect for small grandsons!
My bed is a sort of book nest. Just been up and scooped up a handful. Here they are in no particular order, all bought this year, mostly all ready: 'Writing from Experience - Louisa M. Alcott to Virginia Woolf', by Brian H Taylor. 'Jawbreakers - A collection of flash fiction' edited Calum Kerr & Valerie O'Riordan, 'Travels with Charley' - John Steinbeck, 'Under the Storyteller's Spell - Tales from the Caribbean' - edited Faustin Charles, 'Outposts of Occupation - How the Channel Islands Survived Nazi Rule' - Barry Turner, 'The Gift' - Lewis Hyde *** [really interesting for anyone working creatively in writing, painting or whatever], 'Defiant Spirits - Tom Thomson and the Group of Seven', Ross King, 'Into the Wild', Jon Krakauer [the story of Chris McCandless], 'Lost in the Jungle' Yossi Ghinsberg, 'Braking Distance ' - Calum Kerr [more flash fiction]. I could go on but won't. We're so lucky to have such riches of books to choose from. This is without starting on my massive Kindle list. And all the books mentioned above sound really interesting too. Where is the time to write, I ask? But what a privilege, when we do, to occasionally add one of our own to all those books out there.
Thank you for the mention of my "Mouse" Linda! And good luck with your new book!
I was having a stressful time recently and found myself wallowing - via kindle - through the entire Donna Leon Brunetti series, set in Venice. Plus "Inkheart" and the first "Hunger Games". Then , while travelling alone in hotels, I ameliorated "Mrs Palfrey at the Claremont" by Elizabeth Taylor with the kindle Mapp & Lucia collection. Such spikiness!
Just home from India, I've enjoyed Tarquin Hall's "The Case of The Missing Servant" - a crime novel set in Delhi with a Punjabi private 'tec as the main character. Have Pratchetts "Dodger" standing by too, as well as a couple of teen novels by Paro Anand. Books definitely need their own space and time for the best reading experience. "Game of Thrones" is creeping closer to me.
Loved the nest of books, Pauline, and agree about the wealth of treasures.