Lizard is Writing

Book-loving Lizard discusses her writing process and craft. 

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“I’m a Writer, Should I Start a Journal?”

Let’s talk about journaling as a writer. Some writers swear by keeping a journal, others have never felt the need for one and that’s fine too. But, for the sake of this post, imagine you are interested in starting one and have been asking yourself this question for a while. Should I start a journal? I’m going to talk about my own journaling practices and how that ties into my fiction writing.

First question: How do I begin?

There is no right or wrong answers when it comes to journaling. I’ve known writers who keep a journal and write in it, sure, but also fill it up with pictures and stickers and sketches. If you’re looking for direction, I like to start with an intention.

Set out with an intention that is writing-related. If I just started a new journal, I might start by describing some of the projects I’m working on. I’ll try to think through them and kind of try to understand what I’m aspiring to do with them.

Later, I might try to plan out a story or play with ideas for a scene. I talk through it on the page. It becomes a kind of sounding board for myself before I sit down to start writing. If I like how it’s sounding, I might start drafting the scene or story by hand.

Next question: How do I keep it up?

I think of my journal as a space for me to think through something privately. Journaling is an effective tool for thinking through emotions in your personal life, but it also can be used effectively in your writing life. For instance, if I read something I’m really excited about or had a strong reaction to, I might go back to my English-major mindset and start picking it apart. I’ll analyze the element of craft that’s being utilized and try to figure out why I was so drawn to it.

Those are notes better left for myself than in a blog post. The book I’ve been over-analyzing lately is Bunny by Mona Awad. It’s a book that is set in a stylized, but realistic world that somehow manages to bring in a lot of fairy tale elements. It left me mesmerized and a little obsessed. So, naturally, I’ve been spending way, way too much time picking apart scenes just to try to figure out how Awad pulled it off.

I’m still obsessed with this book and maybe what I’ve learned from her technique I will eventually try in my own writing. Why not?

What else do I write about?

There’s nothing you need to write about, but I like to jot down things that might inspire a story or a scene, for example:

A vivid dream. I often will even try to decrypt it in some way so that I can make sense of it or find a narrative within the dream which could lead to a story.

An awkward interaction or uncanny moment. Someone once waved for me to pull my car over while driving in rush hour traffic. He’d thought I’d rear-ended him. I hadn’t. I generally don’t drive close enough for it to even be a question, so I was really confused. He got out of his car and inspected by his bumper and then mine. Both were just fine. It’ll go in a story of mine one day, I’m sure of it.

An interesting fact or true story that inspires you. I am always jotting down random things I learn while listening to podcasts. It can serve as a great place to do research for writing projects, especially when you’re relatively new to the topic.

Originally published on Lizardiswriting.com

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The 2019 Summer Reading List: Have You Read These Books Yet?

So I know I’ve been hiding under a rock for months now, but I’ve emerged with SO MANY BOOKS and there are a few I have been dying to talk about. The selection I’ll be talking about today are specifically SUMMER READS – they all just belong in your hands on a beach somewhere. So, whether you’re planning an end-of-summer getaway or like me, just planning on sitting in a park and imagining you’re on a beach somewhere else, these books should put you in the right frame of mind.

1. Bunny by Mona Awad

When I think of summer, I think of fun and that is why Bunny by Mona Awad tops this list. This is probably the most fun I’ve had reading a book in months. It’s a playful mix of satire, MFA humor, and drama, described as “The Vegetarian meets Heathers” or once I heard someone call it “a light-hearted Secret History.” It’s marked as literary fiction and I’m obsessed with the prose, though it definitely blurs all kinds of genre lines.

The novel is set in at a fictional, prestigious, New England MFA program where protagonist, Samantha Mackey encounters a clique who all call each other “Bunny.” It’s a little bit spooky, and beautiful, and also hilarious.

2. Social Creature by Tara Isabella Burton

Okay, so this one is a little more winter than summer, but in all the winter scenes I was so glad I was sitting on a very sunny bench. Wild thriller Social Creature sits pretty at #2 on this list because for me, I love summer vacations and this novel transports you to the epic parties of New York City. This book is full of real places in New York that actually exist – it’s New York as I know it and it’s a lot of fun.

So, Social Creature is a book in the spirit of The Talented Mr. Ripley, set in the social media age. It’s a compelling thriller about a chance encounter where a struggling writer meets a charming socialite.

3. My Sister, The Serial Killer by Oyinkan Braithwaite

So, I want to preface this with the statement, there are horror stories on this list, but despite the title, I wouldn’t consider My Sister, The Serial Killer to be one of them. There’s murder and lots of it, but it’s so darkly funny it feels about as frightening as Showtime’s Dexter. This is a book too that needs to be made into a TV series. It’s full of plot-twists, sister-drama, and romance.

In My Sister, The Serial Killer, protagonist Korede gets a call to help her sister Ayoola hide a body. What else are sisters for? But there’s tensions bubbling up that have been there for years. Ayoola was always the favorite sister. It’s only natural that she’s getting away with murder.

4. The Cabin at the End of the World by Paul Tremblay

Now for something really scary, but also summery? I don’t know. The Shining was always one of my favorite vacation getaway reads, so now I’ve got to recommend The Cabin at the End of the World by horror-master Paul Tremblay. I love horror and this book is terrifying. It’s got an ending I didn’t see coming and a plot that kept me reading late into the night.

I don’t want to ruin one piece of this book so just imagine you’re in a remote, scenic cabin in the woods for a well-deserved vacation and then, that four cryptic strangers are trying to break in.

5. Mostly Dead Things by Kristen Arnett

Mostly Dead Things finishes this list because, I confess, I haven’t actually read it yet! But it’s one I’ve been dying to get my hands on since it first came out. It’s gotten some rave reviews from my writer friends, the Moon-birds and that’s good enough for me. From what I hear, it’s a humorous and eccentric novel about love, loss, and family that includes quite a bit of taxidermy.

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Turning a Scene into a Novel

“Hey Lizard! So I have an idea for a story, but it’s only one scene. I have no idea where to go with it or how to flesh it out into a longer idea. Can you help please?”

Frankenstein by Mary Shelley started out as one very spooky scene that Shelley first imagined on a surprisingly chilly summer’s evening to scare her literary friends. Though getting from just one cool scene to an entire book is not without its challenges.

First: Save that cool scene in a folder and don’t touch it. Make a copy of it that you can work with. Even if you change it, it’s not gone. You can always go back.

Next: Play with it. Come up with different stories that this scene could fit into. Be wild. It might help to journal about it. Come up with ideas that this scene spurred you to imagine. This is always the trickiest part. You can’t be too attached to the thing you initially wrote if you’re trying to expand beyond it. Remind yourself, there are no stupid solutions. You’re trying something out.

Mary Shelley’s first version of her novel came from a dream. It was about a scientist who created life and was horrified by what he had made. That’s it. The novel is so much more than that.

Imagine “what if this happened next?” or try to keep writing, and write the scene that happens next. Is this scene the beginning? What scenes need to happen for us to get there? Like I said, it helps to journal about it. I like to think through possibilities on paper. That way I don’t lose track of them.

At this point it’s helpful to start thinking about different themes that inspired the initial scene. That’s usually the best direction to start branching out towards. What is the thing that you love most about it? Where does suggest the story should go? This is most likely really the thing you want to write about, so try to go there. See where it leads.

After: Decide how you plan your novels. Do you write an outline? Do you have a point in the story you’re writing towards? Do you take it just one scene at a time. This is going to be a personal decision. What you do next goes back to how you write. I personally am not a huge planner. I might know what information should be conveyed where, but that’s about it. Some people make charts and maps and outlines, some people just start writing.

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“How Do I Improve My Writing?”

I’ve gotten so many questions that essentially come down to this: “how do I improve my writing?” Trust me, I’m asking this myself all the time. And from talking to authors I know, this is a question that never really goes away. It’s not a bad thing. Let it be this question that helps better your craft.

So, what is better?

I want to start this conversation by saying there is no objective “better” writing. There is “invisible prose,” or prose that while reading is so immersive that the text seems to fall away. Or there’s stories that successfully do just the opposite – stories that make you aware that this is a story being told that it perhaps leaves room for an “unreliable narrator.” Some writers favor overly lush and purple prose. Others strive for sparseness and clarity. Regardless, there isn’t just one way to “better” your prose.

So, figure out what “better” looks like for you. What kind of prose do you get really excited about? Pick out a few of your favorite books. How do those authors write? In my stack of favorites, I discovered I love books with a clear storyteller. Most are in first person, a few are in third, but generally the story is less in the moment, a little less immersive, and leans a little more toward introspection. I take time to deconstruct a scene or two – if I’ve read the whole book, I’ll take time to think on how this scene works within the whole of the story.

Read outside of your genre.

Another way to improve your writing is to read more and read critically. Read poetry and also read very short fiction. Seek out pieces that are concerned with sound. Read the classics. Read experimental fiction. Read the stuff that’s outside of your comfort zone.

I’ve gotten this question a few times from writers who do not like to read – which baffles me a bit. I love paperbacks, ebooks, and audiobooks. There are a lot of ways to “read.” And when it comes to reading outside of your preferred genre to some extent my word of advice is “just suck it up and read it,” because a lot of the time, even if I don’t love the book initially, I’m glad I tried something new. More often, especially if it was recommended to me, I’ll actually end up really like the book anyway.

Also, while reading outside of your comfort zone, try writing something in the style of what you’re reading. Treat it like an exercise. Try on a new style of language. No one has to read it. Someone told me to write one sentence at a time and let it lead to the next. I wasn’t to think about the piece as a whole, just let it grow and develop on the level of the sentence.

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Writing with Research

So I love a well-researched story. If I’m well versed in the topic, I get excited because the author is clearly as big of a nerd as I am, and if I’m not, I’m learning something new. (This is not to say fiction is the best way to learn about a topic, because, as much as I love it, I acknowledge liberties have been taken and things have been embellished.) So, how do you write a well-researched story? Honestly, it’s a lot harder than it looks.

The Research Rabbit Hole

Research can be a great way to avoid your writing. If you’re like me at all, you could decide you’re going to write a story about Vlad the Impaler (a.k.a. Vlad Dracula), read a lot about him, and then keep reading about him, digging through the history of Wallachia and the rest of his family tree because what’s the harm in knowing more? The problem was that I probably knew enough to write the story three books ago and I still just kept researching.

In truth, sometimes less research can work in your favor. There have been times when I’ll write something, guessing and assuming the things I’d later research to find out I was right about. And because I was not getting caught up on the details, I was able just to write the thing, prioritizing entertainment and pace and double checking the smaller things later. That tends to be a more successful story.

Write what you know.

As someone who likes to write about more fantastical things, “write what you know” always seemed like pretty bland advice, but I want to talk about it. You might surprise yourself with what you know.

There are topics that I’ve learned way too much about and I keep thinking, “why is it that I’ve never written about that?” Like for example, I’m obsessed with local history and wherever I’m at, I’ll learn the local history. I lived in the UK for a year and naturally I learned a lot of the history of my town. As an exercise once, someone asked me to tell them a fictional story set during The Black Death. I told him a story, and he’d stop me at different points and ask, “why would they do that?” and I could tell him why. I never set out to know all these things for the purpose of a story, I just happened to know them.

While this is not so helpful if you already have a story in mind, there will be topics that you happen to know a lot about within the scope of your own interests.

Read it and forget it.

So to avoid the research rabbit hole, there is one method I’ve found some success with. Do the research. Read some books. Know the topic sufficiently, and then put it out of your mind when you sit down to write.

Write the story as though you haven’t just read all these books in preparation. Don’t have the books near you while you write. Shut off your WiFi connection so you can’t search the internet to fact-check. Write it and focus on the story. Try to forget the research as much as you can. Only let things enter the story if they come into it naturally.

Only after your first draft, when editing, do you pull out your books again and double check. Then you turn on your WiFi again and do your necessary fact-finding.

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Crafting Your Own Canon

So last week, I wrote a post on what writers should be reading, which in short, says writers should be reading a little bit of everything. This week, I want to talk a bit about the Western canon, or the canon of English literature or whatever you want to call it.

What is the canon? It’s the classics. It’s the “essential texts” that are noted for their influence and significance. They’re often the books studied in school. In recent years, it’s been pretty well noticed that the canonical authors are predominantly white men and there have been efforts to expand it to be more inclusive. I’m not going to tell you that writers have to read the canon. There are some texts I love and some I don’t – just as there are some contemporary books I love and some I don’t.

I prefer to look at the canon as more of a reference to help find books that are going to be useful to you and your craft. When I think of a useful book, I think of the quote from Toni Morrison, “If there’s a book that you want to read, but it hasn’t been written yet, then you must write it.” A useful book is going to be thought-provoking or something that you love, it will be something that inspires writing.

For that reason alone, I love it when writers go out and build their own literary canon. It then becomes a conscious effort to compile your influences, both historic and modern, and recognize the tradition you’re writing in. It becomes in a way kind of an exercise. You can ask yourself, what kinds of things do you love about these books? What things exist in this tradition that you don’t want carried on into the stories you write?

I think I first noticed this in Stephen King’s books – King is always mentioning the writers who’ve influenced him, like Edgar Allen Poe and Richard Matheson. I think across all the Stephen King books I’ve read, I’ve come across the name of just about every horror writer I love – which is a lot of fun and really exciting.

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What Writers Should Be Reading

This is yet another super requested post and though I love to talk about the books I’ve read, I generally don’t tell anyone what they should or shouldn’t be reading. Mostly, that’s because reading taste is a personal preference. For instance, my fiancé won’t pick up anything that falls under fiction. He reads all the time – though it’s incredibly rare to see us ever reading the same book.

With that said, writers should always strive to read beyond their comfort zone. Read experimental works. Read novels in verse. Read the books your grandmother can’t stop talking about. Or books about the history of a country you know nothing about. Books by authors you were supposed to read in high school. Books you bought for your kid brother. Read the stuff you wouldn’t normally pick out on your own. But why?

Ugh. I get this question a lot and the answer I’ve heard from a dozen different writers in a dozen different ways. The short answer: the more you read, the more influences you’ll have when you sit down to write, and the less likely you’ll be recirculating thoughts that already previously existed within your own genre.

Often the books today that are called incredibly unique or original often have roots in very old traditions. I love to use The Hunger Games in my examples, so I’ll do it yet again – the book’s author Suzanne Collins sites the Greek myth of “Theseus” (or “Theseus and the Minotaur”) as one of the inspirations of her book. Or for another example, director Guillermo del Toro’s The Shape of Water was inspired by a reimagining of the horror movie The Creature from the Black Lagoon.

So, what should writers be reading? The answer I’ve come up with – everything you can. I don’t have anything against someone who starts a book but doesn’t finish it. It’s all about putting in the effort of trying something new and exploring something you previously knew nothing about. Start with recommendations from friends or family, or books that are getting a lot of praise and attention. Start with books you already own or can borrow. Some things you might decide are just “not for you” but that doesn’t mean there won’t be books that still surprise you.

In my experience, if my fiancé can’t put it down, I probably can. He and my grandfather read the same books and it’s great. Those books usually center around the lives of long dead presidents or oral histories from the World Wars. Those will never be what I turn to for a “fun read” but even among those books, every now and then I’ll find something I genuinely want to read and I’ll enjoy it.

So then, what do I read? On average, I read over 50 books a year, which is kind of a lot. Most writers I know also read a lot, though 50 books a year is very excessive. Most Americans read about 12 books a year. Some writers I know read 15 or 20, which is still a lot of reading. It’s an expensive habit, so I borrow books, I take suggestions, I go to the library. I rarely read two books in the same genre back to back. I like to alternate between classics and contemporary fiction, which is something I recommend to all writers. I listen to audiobooks.

When I write, no matter what genre I believe I’m writing in, it is almost always called “gothic,” whether it skews more literary or more horror or even young adult. So, I’m generally drawn to books like Shirley Jackson’s Haunting of Hill House or Angela Carter’s The Bloody Chamber or Carmen Maria Machado’s Her Body and Other Parties but that doesn’t mean I won’t drop everything to read the latest book by Rainbow Rowell. There isn’t just one kind of book a writer should be reading, and the more I read, the truer that becomes.

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On Finding Plots: “I’ve Got Characters, But No Plot”

I’ve always gotten a lot of questions that look a little like this: “I love my characters, but I don’t have a plot or even a setting. What do I do?” It makes a plot sound like this strange elusive thing. I talked about plot in a post a few weeks ago so, I’m going to follow up on that. Let’s find some plots!

The Lists of Plots

So, this isn’t something I do regularly, but I’ve found that when you’re stuck, it can get you unstuck. Look at a list of plots and pick one. It’s that easy. A few lists I like in particular are the 29 Plot Templates on Darcy Pattison’s blog or The Seven Basic Plots from the book by Christopher Booker.

Well, it’s not that easy. But that’s how you start. Pick a plot and then throw your characters into the mix. Try to see how that story would go. Journal about it. Try to construct an outline – or rather, an idea of an outline. Is it looking more like the story you’d hoped for? This method isn’t fool-proof, but it might be the idea-generating tip you need to keep writing.

Pick on a Character.

Plot relies so much on character. If you already have characters that you love, you may feel better about working with their personalities and behaviors to generate a plot.

In my last post on plot, I talked about Cinderella and the titular character’s actions and reactions. Plot can come from the character’s desires – ie: Cinderella hoped to change her situation – which initially is something we learn in her hopes to attend a royal ball. So, one method for finding a plot is to figure out what your character wants and follow that story to seeing them go out and get it.

Alternatively, if what they want isn’t exactly interesting or helping you get anywhere, think about the things they don’t want. That can be just as useful. For instance, in one of my favorite books, The Haunting of Hill House by Shirley Jackson, the protagonist Eleanor is looking for a new start after her mother’s passing. She gets this new start in the form of an invitation to participate in a summer-long paranormal study. She takes it. Though quickly, this new start is not what she’d hoped for and her past traumas start resurface unexpectedly during the study.

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Everyone’s a Critic

Notes on Taking Criticism in Stride & Gleaning What’s Useful

Lately, I’ve gotten a lot of questions and requests to talk about the rejection and criticism. As a writer, you’re bound to come up against it eventually. Whether you’re showing your stories to your next door neighbor or sending it off to the editor of your favorite magazine, you’re going to eventually come face to face with someone else’s thoughts about your work.

That can be a frightening thing. Your writing might be personal or share some very intimate details about your life. It can be hard to hear that it’s is less than perfect. For that reason alone, I’ve always chosen to adopt the mindset that “nothing’s perfect.” There’s always room for improvement. Anything I write can be made better.

Notes on giving and getting criticism.

Everyone’s a critic. But there’s a big difference between someone who insults your writing and someone who provides helpful constructive criticism. 

Constructive criticism comes from actively engaging with the work. There are no sweeping generalizations – or at least if there are, they should be thoughtfully backed up with instances in the text.

Constructive criticism when done right should be a mix of positives and negative thoughts. The positive notes are not just polite, but should also be noted for recognizing where the story is most effective and interesting. I always say for revision, “Don’t throw the baby out with the bathwater.” The positive notes in constructive criticism are meant to help you sort the good from the bad.

The last note I want to end on is never write something in criticism you wouldn’t say to someone’s face. Most constructive criticism I get, whether it be from friends or mentors, comes in the form of written word and tone can be difficult to gauge. You can give negative feedback and tips for improvement without attacking the writer or their writing. Be thoughtful with your words and be specific. If there was a scene that you don’t think is really working, let them know that, but also try to figure out what specific part of that scene felt off to you. If you are giving someone feedback, make sure that it is the kind of feedback you would appreciate receiving yourself.

I got a bad critique. Am I a bad writer?

Uh, NO! When you put your work out there enough and meet enough people, you’re bound to come across someone who doesn’t like your writing. Guess what? It’s just ONE opinion.

Writing is an art and sometimes you’ll meet people who just “don’t get it.” You might meet people who think your work is boring, or weird, or just straight up bad. Those are opinions.

Real talk: My favorite book is Absalom, Absalom! by William Faulkner. A lot of readers might pick up that book, see the length of that first sentence and say not today! And that happens. It’s their loss. But it’s just an opinion. I read the first chapter, couldn’t put it down, and have read it half a dozen times since. Even the best books are not for everyone.

Finding a critique partner.

There are so many ways to find a critique partner. I recommend seeking out other writers because you can critique each other’s work and you’re more likely to understand each other’s goals. Even if you are talking with another writer about your work, it can take a little while to find someone who understands your writing style and influences. Talk with possible critique partners about what they like to read. That’s usually a good litmus test – if you like the same kind of books, it’s more likely that you’ll be writing the same kinds of stories.

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On Writing & Health Habits: Watch Your Form

Health is one thing I don’t think I’ve ever really talked about. I mentioned it briefly in a recent post, but I think I only just scratched the surface. I’ve been writing this blog for what feels like now a very, very long time – has it been four years? Maybe.

And I’ve also had carpal tunnel for about four years. Now, I know carpal tunnel isn’t such a big deal. For that reason alone, I don’t talk about it much. The reason I’m bringing it up now – I have carpal tunnel entirely because of some bad writing habits.

So what did I do to give myself carpal tunnel? (Hint, hint: it wasn’t just from typing.) For years, I assumed it was from typing. I talked to doctors. I was recommended to wear all kinds of hand contraptions to help improve how I held my hands and to take regular breaks. But the carpal tunnel’s pretty much never gone away.

Though one day, I went to get a massage (and I NEVER get massages) from a massage therapist. She took one look at me and asked, “Do you have scoliosis?” I don’t. But apparently, my spine was crooked!

The massage therapist spent the next hour trying to get it back into alignment and I walked out of there with a list of treatments and exercises. I later looked up what exactly was wrong with my back and apparently it’s  a lot more common than I thought. Remember: I’ve talked to multiple doctors about my carpal tunnel. I’ve even had both arms shocked multiple times for one specialist to check nerve health. I was told I type too much. Really though, my problem is bad posture.

Bad posture? That sounds ridiculous! Honestly, I laughed when I heard it, my posture isn’t great, but it’s not particularly bad. Not like back pain bad. And actually, I’ve never had especially bad back pain in my life, or at least I didn’t think I did. What I noticed instead was carpal tunnel – or really the result of poor circulation from a bad back.

I started stretching and doing different exercises for spine health and I noticed an immediate difference. The carpal tunnel mitts I had to wear day and night I suddenly could take off for the first time in years. I still have bad posture when I write, but I’m a lot more cognisant of it and try to correct it as much as I can.

What is good writing posture?

Sit upright in a sturdy chair with your feet flat on the floor. I always crossed my legs, which is not good – and a big contributor to my messed up spine.

Have your computer or laptop at a height an angle that you can see without tilting your head too much. Many writers hunch over their screens and that will amount to back pain eventually.

Wrists should be above the key board and not leaning on anything when resting, that also cuts off circulation.

I also love to write in bed – just like my idol Edith Wharton. But it’s not especially great for good posture. I try to do most of my writing at a desk now if I can help it. This isn't the only way to have good posture, but it's a few things I've heard a million times and I know that it helps.

This is not a glamorous post, but I wouldn’t be talking about it if I didn’t think it was important. I’ve met multiple writers with the same issue and it’s completely preventable. Now, I’m constantly stretching, I take breaks often, and I’m better for it.

So, this is just one facet of writing-related health, I know. It’s the first one I wanted to cover because it’s something I’m actively dealing with. If there’s a topic I haven’t mentioned that you want to see a post about, don’t hesitate to reach out!

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Let’s Talk About Plot

So this has been a highly requested post as of late, so I thought I’d spend a little extra time talking about plot. What is it? How does it work? What constitutes plot? I get these questions a lot and the more I think about it the more insanely philosophic the conversation starts to get, but I’m too pragmatic to get into that here. Let’s get to the root of it.

A plot is a conflict.

I think most of us already knew that, but sometimes a reminder can be helpful. Plots are problems. There aren’t a ton of incredibly happy stories –or at least they tend not to be happy all the way through– because stories are about the stuff that’s more difficult. We read on to know if Red Riding Hood is going to escape the wolf or if poor, abused Cinderella is actually going to catch a break and marry the prince. Plots are full of bad things.

There are varying degrees of badness.

Now this might seem like common sense, but the reminder is sometimes nice. The bad thing in your story does not have to be that the world is in peril and your protagonist is the only one who could possibly save it. I think in general it’s every new writer’s first instinct to make the awful thing as bad as it could possibly be. A more tempered perspective might be that once you have an idea of the world of the story and who the characters are, think about what problems exist within that particular realm.

So, let’s look at some YA-novels-turned-films, The Hunger Games vs. To All The Boys I Loved Before. The plots are super different. The kinds of problems Katniss encounters in The Hunger Games are completely different from the ones Lara Jean faces in To All The Boys I Loved Before. In both, you could say the problem is kind of thrust upon them. Katniss volunteers to participate the Hunger Games in her sister’s place. Lara Jean’s little sister Kitty sends out a box of written love letters that Lara Jean wrote but never wanted sent. Katniss might be facing a challenge that will most likely kill her, but Lara Jean’s situation instills a similar kind of horror even as none of the characters are at risk of losing their lives.

Sustaining the problem.

Moving right along. So, plots are problems, but a good plot is not going to be resolved so quickly. It gets complicated along the way, or something like that.

In “Cinderella,” Cinderella isn’t allowed to go to the ball, even though she really, really wants to. She finishes her chores early and her fairy godmother steps in to give her a dress and a ride to make it happen, but that’s not where the story ends. Maybe it could have been the ending, except her fairy godmother’s magic comes with conditions: Cinderella has a curfew.

So she meets Prince Charming and things are almost going a little too well for her, but because she has to race home early, she clearly didn’t get to talk to the Prince very much because he has no identifying information to use to possibly meet her again. Though this clever Prince remembered her shoes of all things and when he sees a dropped glass slipper, he has a way to find her again. And we all know the rest.

But see? The initial conflict might have been that Cinderella wants to go to a party, but once that happens, there’s suddenly more to it. If we’re following Cinderella’s problems, when she finally gets what she wanted and the party is even more worthwhile because she met Prince Charming, BUT then, she has to leave before she even apparently tells him her name. The new conflict then becomes “will Cinderella and Prince Charming find each other again?” It’s the twists and turns that help sustain the plot.

Plot vs. Problem

So what is the plot of Cinderella? (Hint: It’s not that she just wants to go to a party.) Cinderella is a classic “rags-to-riches” story. We see the poor, soot-covered orphan. In her hopes to attend a royal ball, we can see her desire to change her situation.

While she’s good and virtuous, Cinderella doesn’t really want to spend her all life serving her wicked stepmother and stepsisters. When she finally can attend the royal ball, the story isn’t over because the enchantment that allows her to look like a princess isn’t permanent. It expires at midnight, and so she’s really only getting a small taste of the life she desires. When she runs home from the ball, her situation hasn’t really changed. That’s why the story isn’t over. When Prince Charming finds her glass slipper and goes out looking for her, there’s suddenly a new hope that he will find her and marry her so that her situation is more permanently changed.

While Cinderella’s desires, wants, and problems change, the problem of the plot remains the same. The story doesn’t feel scattered or all over the place because with each twist and turn in the story, Cinderella is still trying to achieve the same thing.

Now there’s a million more things to be said about plot but this feels like a good breaking point. I read every comment and question, if there’s ever something writing related you want further discussed, be sure to reach out.

[lizard-is-writing]

Writing is Rewriting: How Rewriting Can Better Your Craft

Revision has got to be, at least for me, the most cringeworthy part of writing just about anything. I get to the end of a first draft and I look back over the great, wide mess of the thing I just wrote and I don’t want to do it. I think well, maybe the next new story will be better from the beginning, but that’s not logic. That’s not really how writing works.

“I have rewritten — often several times — every word I have ever published. My pencils outlast their erasers.”  ― Vladimir Nabokov

For me, at least, even when I’m a roll and writing something that is just amazing and coming out so incredibly clean that I can picture it in print already, usually on second glance, I realize, it’s not quite there yet. I’ll have to revise. And usually, I’ll also rewrite it.

Rewriting your own work.

Often when I’m revising something, I’ll start with a new document or a fresh page and retype the entire story over. Doesn’t matter how long it is. I have to retype every word of it. Which actually, among writers I know, is not all that uncommon.

Why do this? Because if you don’t allow yourself to use Copy+Paste, you are writing out every sentence again. It means every sentence has to be worth rewriting. If it’s a bad sentence, you don’t write it, you change it. If the scene you’re rewriting seems like it’s tonally going in the wrong direction, you’re going to change it.

Often in my stories, I’ll get to a piece of dialogue and realize, that’s not what this character would say in this scene, given how the last five scenes went, clearly she’d say this other thing instead – and then the story changes. It’s in these moments during revision that I can see the story suddenly begin to reveal to me what it’s actually about. I might have a loose concept of this when I first get started, but at some point in the writing, things get warped and altered. During revision, you get a chance to look through what actually made it onto the page and hone it in.

Rewriting someone else’s work.

So now I want to talk a little bit about something that is specifically not revision. Rewriting something that you did not write. There is one method, made famous by Hunter S. Thompson, where you rewrite a great American classic – Thompson famously typed out The Great Gatsby by F. Scott Fitzgerald and A Farewell to Arms by Ernest Hemingway word-for-word. Clearly you’re not going to be attempting to pass these off as your own, but it’s a practice that still teaches something valuable.

It’s like when you’re learning how to draw. You might trace or copy a sketch or a drawing you admire. It’s the same kind of practice. It builds up a similar kind of muscle memory. It was something I thought was initially insane until I tried it out. I didn’t transcribe a whole book, but a few paragraphs, part of a scene.

So that’s one exercise, but here’s another shorter exercise. Keep in mind, it’s an exercise. We’re using flagrant plagiarism for educational purposes only. Instead of taking a few scenes from a published novel and rewriting them word for word, see if you can rewrite the scene but transplant in your own characters and setting.

Start by finding a paragraph that you want to emulate. I struggle with really “visualizing” a scene, so I like to find a really descriptive paragraph. It might be a scene that introduces a new character or a new space, or both. Whatever you choose, it should just be something that you really want to learn how to do more effectively.

Next, you write your own version of every sentence, so maybe this sentence describes how a character is waiting to meet someone, for the sake of the exercise, I would imagine one of my own characters doing the same thing, but in their own way. If the scene I’m emulating has a nervous and fidgety character, my own character might be more curious or bored. If the author I’m emulating has a sentence describing the floor, I describe the floor in my own setting and so on.

Only do the exercise for so long as it’s useful. I usually stop after a paragraph or two, because by then I’ve usually written enough to have gotten what I wanted out of it.

[lizard-is-writing]

Refocus on Writing Now: Overcoming Creative Burnouts

As artists, sometimes we just burn out. Think writer’s block, but it’s more than just writer’s block. Like not a block, but an enormous brick wall. An exhausting creative rut. I’ve heard someone refer to it as an “Art School Hangover.” It’s a sudden crash that often comes after an intensely heightened period of creativity.  But now, I want to talk about getting past it.

One of the problems with a block like this is that it’s usually not going to be solved by a quick fix. I tend to get over my writer’s block by forcing myself just to keep writing until it becomes easier again. For most writers, that’s a pretty effective strategy. Write for 20 minutes with a prompt and let it flow, even if it is the worst writing you could ever do. You write until you find your way back into your craft. For a block like this though, that’s not going to work. I end up staring at a blank screen for a long time until I have to go run errands or get called away by something else.

So, why is that? In my case, this time around, the creative burnout ran a lot deeper than just writer’s block. I was out of focus. I couldn’t make myself read a book even when I had the time to. In short, I was scattered and exhausted all the time. No wonder I couldn’t get any writing done.

If you don’t have energy for your day to day tasks, you’re not going to have creative energy to spend for writing.

So I had to make some changes. Life changes. Even though this was a problem that started with what looked to me like a case of extra-annoying writer’s block, it really was so much more than that. This was about finding more energy when I already felt like I was running on empty.

Establish a routine.

I started by establishing a routine. While I couldn’t control everything I had to do in my day to day, I could consistently decide when I went to bed and when I woke up in the morning. I set alarms. I was on a schedule. Even on weekends, when I had time to sleep in a little bit later, I really tried never to sleep in too late so that I could really stick to a more regimented routine.

In addition to waking up before 8 am on the weekends, I should note that I also took up running and yoga. I didn’t do this because of my creative block, but because I’d been having some trouble with my back, which in all likelihood probably did contribute to my lack of energy.  An exercise regimen isn’t necessary for overcoming a creative block, but it’s something that I did to help combat some of the bigger reasons I was feeling drained in the first place.

I also made an effort to pay more attention to my health. Again, just getting to the root of why I was so drained in the first place. I was drinking 2 or 3 cups of coffee a day (I mean, what writer doesn’t?), skipping breakfast, and I seemed to always have a migraine. So, now I’ve switched from coffee to tea, I always eat breakfast even if it’s just a piece of fruit, and try to remind myself to drink more water. My migraines are hereditary, so I won’t be rid of those, but even still, there’s a big difference in my overall physical health and I can feel it.

Buy a planner.

I say “buy” for a reason. While I love bullet journalling and all of these other trends around making your own planner, all of these things take time and energy. I tried getting into bullet journalling, but I ended up just doodling all over my journal. And sure, it looked lovely, but it didn’t mean I got writing done and wasn’t that the whole point?

If you’re getting over a creative burnout, indulging in other kinds of creative projects is not going to help you get back to writing. Save that for a later date. You might have energy again, but it’s not being spent the way you want it to. Buy a planner if only because it’s functional and not distracting.

Make to-do lists you can actually finish.

Now that you have a planner, let’s use it. When I was feeling blocked, my to-do lists were usually very long and I’d never finish them in a day. I’ve found that it’s helpful to set smaller goals and fewer of them. If writing is on my list, it’s to write 250 words. That’s one double-spaced page, give or take. If I write more than that, good for me. But I don’t have to write more than that. It’s a goal I know that I can meet and it’s an amount that can be done in maybe 20 minutes or less.

Set aside time for writing.

Once you feel like you have a handle on your routine, the next challenge is finding time to write. Carve it out of your schedule. If you’re like me and don’t have a very consistent schedule, it might not be possible to just decide you’re going to write during the same hour-period every day.

Instead, it’s the first thing I plan in the morning. I can’t write fiction first thing in the morning, so I take a minute to look at my plans for the day and see when I might have time to squeeze in a quick writing session.

This solution isn’t really a quick-fix and takes a lot of maintenance. I’m still trying to keep up with these habits as best I can, and for the most part, I’ve found that I’ve been able to. Because the habits I’ve tried to include are not especially time consuming or tedious, I’ve found that I’ve been able to stick with it. The exercise regimen is probably the least “fun” thing I brought into my routine, but like I said before, it’s there in part out of necessity and I can feel it immediately when I’ve been slacking off there.

In short, this is my experience for getting out of this creative rut and it’s incredibly personal and personalized. There isn’t a one-size fits all solution and so instead, have it be about finding your own healthy habits that will bring up your energy levels and get you back to writing.

[lizard-is-writing]

I Don’t Think We’re In Middle-Earth Anymore: Exploring New Worlds in Fantasy

Hello Lizard! I am currently in the process of writing a modern-royal-fantasy-type story, inspired by the history of Spain, Portugal, France, and England along with some of the ancient African kingdoms. How can I make it modern but still have that fantasy flare to it?

There’s nothing wrong with writing a fantasy novel set in a pseudo-medieval Europe and I’ve got nothing against Middle-Earth, but we are starting to see some exciting new worlds emerging in new fiction today that I can’t wait to talk about.  

The lines between genres today is blurrier than ever and it’s really exciting. A fantasy novel might be tinged with horror, or science fiction, or any mix of genre elements. We’re starting to see fantasy worlds that set not just in a faux-historical context, but set in the future. Now, you find Game of Thrones-level fantasy court dramas set in space! Really, the possibilities for a new modern twist are endless.

Let’s look at The Diabolic by S. J. Kincaid. This YA novel is caught somewhere right between science fiction and fantasy – though I’d say it leans more towards fantasy. It’s a high-tech fantasy world set a long, long way into the future. It involves royal families and court dramas, gorgeous balls and parties, princesses in disguise – all those great trimmings of a fantasy novel, next to elements that are distinctly science fiction. The main character is a manufactured creation named Nemesis, raised to serve as a royal bodyguard. This novel is cool. Highly recommended.

The sequel Empress was recently released as well, though I haven’t yet had the chance to get check it out. This isn’t the only fantasy book out set in the future though, it’s up there with The Lunar Chronicles and The Red Queen Series to name a few.

So while blending genres might be one way to give your fantasy world a modern flare, it’s not the only solution – not by a long shot. Another thing I’ve seen a bit more of lately is setting fantasy novels in either real historical settings that are not medieval or alternative historical settings inspired by a place other than medieval Europe.

A few examples I remember now include The Bone Witch series by Run Chupeco which centers around some Geisha-esque girl fighters or Amberlough by Lara Elena Donnelly which is set in an alternative early 1930’s Europe. There are so many more than this though and I am not going to make a list.  

Lastly, a modern flare doesn’t necessarily need to be brought about by setting. You can be writing a story set in your own version of Middle-earth and have it still read as a refreshingly new piece of fiction if you are writing about issues and topics that matter to you today. It’s about writing that book on the fantasy shelf that you feel in your bones has not been written yet and is so needed that you yourself have had to write it.

[lizard-is-writing]

13 Haunting Books Written by Women to Get You Prepped for Halloween

We might only be a week into September, but let’s be honest – it’s never too early to begin embracing the Halloween spirit. And one of my resolutions for the new season: read more horror by women.

While my list of favorites is still ever expanding, here are a few spine-tinglingly spooky reads to get started. All synopses are borrowed from Amazon.

1. The Haunting of Hill House by Shirley Jackson

Shirley Jackson is perhaps the queen of horror and The Haunting of Hill House is arguably one of her spookiest novels. Her novels We Have Always Lived in the Castleand Hangsaman are also notable mentions, but this classic haunted house story takes the cake.

The Haunting of Hill House  is the story of four seekers who arrive at a notoriously unfriendly pile called Hill House: Dr. Montague, an occult scholar looking for solid evidence of a “haunting”; Theodora, his lighthearted assistant; Eleanor, a friendless, fragile young woman well acquainted with poltergeists; and Luke, the future heir of Hill House. At first, their stay seems destined to be merely a spooky encounter with inexplicable phenomena. But Hill House is gathering its powers—and soon it will choose one of them to make its own.

2. The Bloody Chamber by Angela Carter

Okay, so it’s not a novel, but this book of tales is delightfully chilling and incredibly gorgeous. Which is why it’s earned a spot on this list! This book puts new twists on old tales to make them much more frightening than I’d ever remembered them, reinventing “Beauty and the Beast,” “Little Red Riding Hood,” and “Blue Beard” to name a few and inventing some new ones along the way. First published in 1979, this literary gem has inspired countless writer that have come since.

Another notable mention – if you liked The Bloody Chamber, check out Little Black Book of Stories by A.S. Byatt! Angela Carter is also the author of another one of our favorite’s The Infernal Desire Machines of Doctor Hoffman.

3. What Should Be Wild by Julia Fine

This book might not be the spookiest on the list, but I can’t recommend it enough. Debut novel by Julia Fine, What Should Be Wild is easily a new favorite of mine and while it’s not strictly scary, it’s a whimsical story that embraces all kinds of horror.

The synopsis, courtesy of Amazon: It’s the story of a highly unusual young woman who must venture into the woods at the edge of her home to remove a curse that has plagued the women in her family for millennia.

Additional books we love include The Lovely Bones  by Alice Sebold, St. Lucy’s Home for Girls Raised By Wolves by Karen Russell and Swamplandia! also by Karen Russell.

4. Woman in Black by Susan Hill

Before it was the movie starring Daniel Radcliffe, Woman in Black was a book by Susan Hill, and just one of her many notable ghost stories.

Arthur Kipps is an up-and-coming London solicitor who is sent to Crythin Gifford—a faraway town in the windswept salt marshes beyond Nine Lives Causeway—to attend the funeral and settle the affairs of a client, Mrs. Alice Drablow of Eel Marsh House. Mrs. Drablow’s house stands at the end of the causeway, wreathed in fog and mystery, but Kipps is unaware of the tragic secrets that lie hidden behind its sheltered windows. The routine business trip he anticipated quickly takes a horrifying turn when he finds himself haunted by a series of mysterious sounds and images—a rocking chair in a deserted nursery, the eerie sound of a pony and trap, a child’s scream in the fog, and, most terrifying of all, a ghostly woman dressed all in black.

5. Her Body and Other Parties by Carmen Maria Machado

This one is a favorite at the moment, and kind of a hot book since it was a Finalist for a National Book Award last year. And what’s more exciting, it’s currently in-development to become an anthology TV series!

In Her Body and Other Parties, Carmen Maria Machado blithely demolishes the arbitrary borders between psychological realism and science fiction, comedy and horror, fantasy and fabulism. While her work has earned her comparisons to Karen Russell and Kelly Link, she has a voice that is all her own. In this electric and provocative debut, Machado bends genre to shape startling narratives that map the realities of women’s lives and the violence visited upon their bodies.

6. Bellefleur by Joyce Carol Oates

Joyce Carol Oates is incredibly prolific and while not every book of hers is steeped in horror, she actually has a collection of novels that are referred to as “The Gothic Saga” – the first of which is Bellefleur which is incredibly gothic and eerie! It’s sure to get any reader in the mood for halloween.

A wealthy and notorious clan, the Bellefleurs live in a region not unlike the Adirondacks, in an enormous mansion on the shores of mythic Lake Noir. They own vast lands and profitable businesses, they employ their neighbors, and they influence the government. A prolific and eccentric group, they include several millionaires, a mass murderer, a spiritual seeker who climbs into the mountains looking for God, a wealthy noctambulist who dies of a chicken scratch.

7. The Phantom Lover by Vernon Lee (Violet Paget)

So this one’s not exactly new… quite the opposite, but it was new to me when I set out to find more horror written by women and it’s a delightfully quick and spooky read.

A Phantom Lover is a supernatural novella by Vernon Lee (pseudonym of Violet Paget) first published in 1886. Set in a Kentish manor house, the story concerns a portrait painter commissioned by a squire, William Oke, to produce portraits of him and his wife, the eccentric Mrs. Alice Oke, who bears a striking resemblance to a woman in a mysterious, seventeenth century painting.

Additional Moon Bird favorites for gothic fiction include the novels of Ann Radcliffe.

8. Wild Seed by Octavia Butler

Octavia Butler may be “The Grand Dame of Science Fiction” but like another one of the greats on our list, Mary Shelley, her work sometimes transcends just the one genre. Wild Seed ranks as one of the current favorite haunting novels among my friends over at Moon-birds. We also like Blood Child and Other Stories.

Doro is an entity who changes bodies like clothes, killing his hosts by reflex or design. He fears no one until he meets Anyanwu. Anyanwu is a shapeshifter who can absorb bullets and heal with a kiss and savage anyone who threatens her. She fears no one until she meets Doro. Together they weave a pattern of destiny (from Africa to the New World) unimaginable to mortals.

9. Broken Monsters by Lauren Beukes

Broken Monsters is very, very twisted and incredibly spooky. While it’s marketed more as a thriller than an outright horror novel, it’s not really a whodunnit, but a book where you hope and pray your favorite characters make it out alive. It’s gruesome to the point where the cover’s been made overly vague after a few more revealing covers were pointed rejected prior to publication.

Detective Gabriella Versado has seen a lot of bodies. But this one is unique even by Detroit’s standards: half boy, half deer, somehow fused together. As stranger and more disturbing bodies are discovered, how can the city hold on to a reality that is already tearing at its seams?

If you’re Detective Versado’s geeky teenage daughter, Layla, you commence a dangerous flirtation with a potential predator online. If you’re desperate freelance journalist Jonno, you do whatever it takes to get the exclusive on a horrific story. If you’re Thomas Keen, known on the street as TK, you’ll do what you can to keep your homeless family safe–and find the monster who is possessed by the dream of violently remaking the world.

Other twisted thrillers we love lately include Sharp Objects by Gillian Flynn and The Woman in the Window by A.J. Finn.

10. Frankenstein by Mary Shelley

Where would horror be without Frankenstein? This is a timeless classic and beloved favorite for me and probably also for most women who aspire to write horror. For super-fans out there Penguin released Frankenstein: The 1818 Text – which includes the unedited voice of the author herself.

Few creatures of horror have seized readers’ imaginations and held them for so long as the anguished monster of Mary Shelley’s Frankenstein. The story of Victor Frankenstein’s terrible creation and the havoc it caused has enthralled generations of readers and inspired countless writers of horror and suspense.

While there’s nothing quite like Frankenstein, fans may also enjoy the novels of Elizabeth Gaskell.

11. Thus Were Their Faces by Silvina Ocampo

This collection by Argentinean author, Silvina Ocampo, is haunting. It’s loaded with eerie tales that twist the everyday into full-blown horror.

Thus Were Their Faces offers a comprehensive selection of the short fiction of Silvina Ocampo, undoubtedly one of the twentieth century’s great masters of the story and the novella. Here are tales of doubles and impostors, angels and demons, a marble statue of a winged horse that speaks, a beautiful seer who writes the autobiography of her own death, a lapdog who records the dreams of an old woman, a suicidal romance, and much else that is incredible, mad, sublime, and delicious.

If you enjoy Thus Were Their Faces, be sure to check out The Complete Stories of Leonora Carrington and The Children by Carolina Sanín.

12. Rebecca by Daphne Du Maurier

Rebecca, first published in 1938, is a classic that is haunting to say the least. It’s a must-read, for Halloween or any other time of the year.

The novel begins in Monte Carlo, where our heroine is swept off her feet by the dashing widower Maxim de Winter and his sudden proposal of marriage. Orphaned and working as a lady’s maid, she can barely believe her luck. It is only when they arrive at his massive country estate that she realizes how large a shadow his late wife will cast over their lives–presenting her with a lingering evil that threatens to destroy their marriage from beyond the grave.

For more Daphne du Maurier, check out her collection of stories Don’t Look Now – which includes a short piece that inspired Hitchcock’s The Birds.

13. The Graveyard Apartment by Mariko Koike

Finishing off this list with one final haunting tale – The Graveyard Apartment!

Originally published in Japan in 1986, Koike’s novel is the suspenseful tale of a young family that believes it has found the perfect home to grow into, only to realize that the apartment’s idyllic setting harbors the specter of evil and that longer they stay, the more trapped they become.

This tale of a young married couple who harbor a dark secret is packed with dread and terror, as they and their daughter move into a brand new apartment building built next to a graveyard. As strange and terrifying occurrences begin to pile up, people in the building start to move out one by one, until the young family is left alone with someone… or something… lurking in the basement. The psychological horror builds moment after moment, scene after scene, culminating with a conclusion that will make you think twice before ever going into a basement again.

Our additional honorable mentions include Now You’re One of Usand Body both by Asa Nonami.

That wraps up our list of 13 haunting reads for now. This article was originally written by me, but first published on Moon-Birds, a haven for spooky ladies who write.

[lizard-is-writing]

Beyond the Spark: Theme, Parallel Plotlines, & Character Motivations

This is the first post in what is going to be a series of posts titled "Beyond the Spark."  Every few days, I will be answering a question that explores the writing process from the first spark of an idea, to how to hold onto these ideas, and to how to flesh it out into a story. 

I have never been someone who enjoys planning out every detail before I start writing, so this is not about that, but how to gain a sense of your characters, their motivations, and the trajectory of the story as you first begin to write.

"Hi, Lizard. I’m trying to find motivations for my characters, but I want them to fit in with parallels which I haven’t even conceived of yet. I can’t continue writing what I have so far if I don’t have motivations for my characters, and I can’t write without aiming for parallels, but I need motivations for parallels. What do I do?"

I'm not really sure what you mean by parallels, but I'm moved by your plight. Let's talk through this.

Parallels & Theme

Parallels sound to me like a concept reminiscent of theme. I honestly don't care much to talk too much about theme, since I think it's something discovered and honed in revision stages if touched upon at all, so I'll make this quick. If your story centers around a theme like "loss of innocence" there might be a few instances where that theme applies to different characters, or the same character, in different ways. You don't have to force a theme upon your story. Usually it's just there. Someone asks you what your story is about, and you say, it's about "X" - that's the theme.

Parallel Plotlines

Parallels, when I think of them, are parallel plot lines. A character might be telling a story that happened a long time ago, but it has parallels to something in their life in the present. In this case, it's usually a story that has a similar emotional core, though it might otherwise be very different. For instance, the short story by Alice Munro, "The Albanian Virgin." I won't give too much away, but this short story follows not only the titular "Albanian Virgin" but also, the storyteller, divulging two narratives the author braids together.

The art of parallel plot lines though can be very tricky. The stories should support each other in some way, so they don't read as two separate stories that have been crammed into the same book. This means that one should not distract from the other, and if it does, it should have a good reason.

Character Motivations

I always like to start with the question: "What does this character want?" It doesn't have to be a big want. They might only want something petty in that scene, but every character should want something. The protagonist's wants are what drives the plot. What does this character want? In The Hunger Games by Suzanne Collins, Katniss wants to win the games. It's clear to the reader pretty much immediately. Though I wouldn't say that's the case with every book. Some books are a little more subtle, they invite questions early on and the character's wants might lead to answers.

Like in We Have Always Lived in the Castle by Shirley Jackson. Merricat is not going to tell the reader outright about how her family was poisoned. Instead, we find out that most of her family is dead, that her sister was accused of murder but now lives with Merricat in their family home. We learn that their uncle, the third surviving member of the family, has been trying to write down what happened the night everyone was poisoned. Merricat doesn't give away what happened though, because she believes that she and her sister are in danger, their estranged cousin has come for a visit. The reader is given enough clues and information to begin to piece together more of the family history that leads up to the mass poisoning. We know that the questions around what really happened to Merricat's family will eventually be answered.

Merricat's wants give us a window into her home life, her personal history, and without us knowing all of her motivations, we have a clear idea of what she wants from scene to scene. That's another thing - it's not actually essential that the reader know why the character wants something, just what the character wants. If a character is keeping a secret from the reader, then the reader isn't necessarily going to know their motivations. That would give the secret away. What helps is if the reader understands clearly what they want, and this instead becomes a clue to the why, their secret.

Check out more at LizardisWriting.com.

[lizard-is-writing]

Coming up with Titles and Names for Characters and Places

"My biggest weakness is coming up with names for characters and places in my story. Naming is usually the last step for me while creating a character or story world and yet I keep going back and forth with them. How can I overcome this block? Titles are the worst. Any advice?"

You're certainly not alone in this issue. So many of the writers I know dread naming pretty much anything - whether it's coming up with a name for a character, or the name of the restaurant the characters have come to, or the title of the work. It's not necessarily an easy thing. With that said, there are some things I've learned over the years to make things go a little more smoothly.

First, keep a list.

Some writers are adamant about not doing things like this, but I've always found this strategy helpful. If character names don't come naturally to you, make a list. Don't tie this list into any current on-going project, just make it a list for all names that could go with any future potential character you write.

It's best to come in with no ideas for characters in mind. Pick names liberally. Go through name lists and write down all the names you like. You don't have to look up their meaning or anything like that. They don't have to be incredibly unique. I've got "John," "Susan," and "Mary Jane" on my list. All good names. It's any name you might want to use.

I made my list pretty long, but I've never felt the need to make a new one. If a name for a character doesn't come to me, I'll pull out the list and read through until a name catches my eye. It's a long enough list that there's usually one on there that will work. If that name still doesn't seem to fit, a lot of the time, it's because there's already another name I have in mind instead.

One thing I can't say enough is try not to overthink it. Naming things in your writing project can be a kind of procrastination if you let it be.

I'm not above using name generators.

There are name generators online for just about everything. Need a name for a restaurant, there's a generator for it. If I'm stuck and that seems like a quick-fix idea, why not? Often I'll come up with a name on my own while clicking through things on a generator, but it's a good way to actively start trying out names instead of spending hours staring at a page and not writing because you feel stumped.

There is nothing wrong with using a generator. If the name fits, it fits.

To change his name or not to?

One thing I've seen a lot of new writers do is change a character's name halfway through writing something. It doesn't actually matter to the reader if his name is "Steve" or "Joe" but for some reason it matters to the writer. Sure, there are valid reasons for changing a name in a manuscript and I won't discount those, but most of the time when it happens it's not actually necessary.

With that said, if I'm stumped early on in a project, the first things to go are the names of the characters. I know changing their names is not actually going to change the story all that much, but I have a reason for doing it. If I'm having trouble imagining a character or writing about them, often it is because the character in my head is not matching up to the character on the page. I need to get to know the character who is actually in my writing instead of the one I've imagined. They're surprisingly pretty different, but that's okay. Generally the one on the page is a lot more real.

When I change their name, I can let go of the character in my head and have a genuine first impression of them in my writing. I can get to know them the way a reader would. I might have some ideas about who they are, but I don't really know that yet and changing their name sometimes is a good way to remind myself that I don't know them yet.

What about titles?

I do not love titling things. The best titles seem to present themselves to me while I'm writing. I write something and I know what it's called. That's a great feeling. But most of the time, I write something and have no clue what to call it.

Good titles can be simple. Some writers I know prefer titles with few words, so they come up with  one concept or a word that can speak to the piece as a whole. It usually encapsulates some key element of the story that works as an effective title. Some short title examples include: 1Q84 by Haruki Murakami, The Changeling by Victor LaValle, The Historian by Elizabeth Kostova, Sweetbitter by Stephanie Danler, or The Goldfinch by Donna Tartt.

A lot of titles I love are adjective + noun combinations. Similar to the super short titles, but often the adjective gives is a little more pizzazz. Like The Night Circus by Erin Morgenstern, Pale Fire by Vladimir Nabokov, The Secret History by Donna Tartt, The Bloody Chamber by Angela Carter, The Blind Assassin by Margaret Atwood, or The Blazing World by Siri Hustvedt.

Some titles are quotes or phrases, like The Things They Carried by Tim O'Brien, And Then There Were None by Agatha Christie, The Sound and the Fury by William Faulkner, Never Let Me Go by Kazuo Ishiguro, or A Farewell to Arms by Ernest Hemingway.

Lastly, some great titles announce an event that prompts the story, which sounds like a strange idea but some of the title examples are fantastic. We've got The Haunting of Hill House by Shirley Jackson, Lincoln in the Bardo by George Saunders, The Death of Ivan Ilyich by Leo Tolstoy, The Curious Incident of the Dog in the Night-Time by Mark Haddon, or Murder on the Orient Express by Agatha Christie.