In the real world, people don't exist inside a bubble; there are events, actions, and storylines happening around them. In a book, it should be the same scenario. Whatever is happening to the main character, whatever journey he/she is embarking upon, should be complimented or challenged by external forces. Very often, this will mean a subplot.
I think Tracy said it well yesterday when she commented that subplots and secondary characters--a book's supporting cast, if you will--often go hand-in-hand. For me, it's because the secondary characters are often the ones who are acting out and involved in those subplots.
In a Bump in the Road, Clare's best friend Reese is going through a difficult marriage and a surprise pregnancy. This allows Clare to realize that life has many curveballs, and while she herself is unexpectedly pregnant, her marriage is stable and happy. Seeing her friend's challenges reminds her to be grateful for her blessings.
On the other hand, Clare's friend Julie is a party girl and still going out and having fun every night of the week. She meets a new man throughout the book and endures the challenges of a new relationship. Hearing about Julie's late-night escapades and adventures, reminds Clare that she's entered a totally new stage in her life, and will have to grow into her new role as a mother.
What worked about these subplots is that they both stood on their own. As in, they had their own narrative. However, they directly connected back to the main storyline by either mirroring the main character's emotional journey, or conflicting with it. That's truly the key in an effective subplot: it needs to be relevant to the story, either emotionally or externally.
Tuesday, March 16, 2010
Monday, March 15, 2010
Secondary Characters & Subplots
While the official topic this week is subplots, for me, that often goes hand-in-hand with the secondary characters in my books. So, I'm going to talk a little bit about both and my take on how secondary characters and subplots can add another level to a story that is being told.
First of all, my experience is 100 percent with novel-length fiction, as I have yet to attempt writing a short story. I would imagine that the shorter word count would make it difficult to incorporate extra elements to any degree of depth, but hey--I could be wrong.
SECONDARY CHARACTERS
I rarely begin a new story thinking about secondary characters, so often I'm taken by surprise when someone new shows up in my novels. Obviously, when I wrote A STROKE OF MAGIC, I knew Elizabeth (the heroine from A TASTE OF MAGIC) would be in the book, and when I wrote A BREATH OF MAGIC, I knew that both Elizabeth and Alice (the heroine from A STROKE OF MAGIC) would be on scene and somewhat active. And, for anyone who has read my stories, then they know that Grandma Verda is a must-have secondary character in the entire series.
However, I sporadically have other characters pop up when I'm really not planning on it. When this happens, I tend to trust my instincts and go with the flow, so I can find out what this character is going to bring to the table. Do they have information about the story, or is their presence a catalyst for new conflict, or for asking or answering a question that is important to the journey my heroine is embarking on? Usually, thankfully, this is the case. Usually, and again--thankfully, my instinct/muse/whatever-you-want-to-call-it brings characters in that move the story forward.
Because guess what? If they don't move the story forward in one way or another, then it's very likely that they shouldn't be there. When this happens, I try to figure out why I *thought* I needed that character, and once I find the answer, it's easy for me to incorporate that element, whatever it is, without the use of an unnecessary character. Luckily, this hasn't happened to me very often.
Sometimes, though, a secondary character will breeze in to a scene who stands out. Maybe they're especially quirky and funny, or maybe they have a powerful, charismatic personality that steals the show. Whatever the case, when this happens, it can be really difficult to prune them out of the book once you realize they have no real reason to be there. This has only happened to me once, and I definitely pruned him from that story. But guess what? He's now a character, a very important character, in A BREATH OF MAGIC.
So, my final word on secondary characters is that they should have a purpose that moves beyond being funny, quirky, or charismatic. They MUST be in the story for a reason, otherwise, they're taking up valuable space that is needed by characters who will move the story forward.
SUBPLOTS
Subplots are a method used for a variety of reasons. They can enhance the main plotline, set up a future story (in the case of a series, as an example), or shed light on motivation, conflict, or other areas of the story that is being told, but might not have any seemingly obvious connection to the main plot, at least not at first.
Basically, think of subplots the same way as secondary characters: they must be there for a purpose, and usually--okay, almost always--that purpose has something to do with the main storyline.
Sometimes the protagonist is the character who is up to her/his eyeballs in the subplot, but it doesn't have to be. It can be the antagonist, the protagonist's best friend/sister/lover/etc, or another character the protagonist hasn't even met yet. But somehow, in one way or another, the subplot is an integral portion of the story, or--as I already said--is leading to the next story if the book is within a series. Some subplots are hefty, taking up significant space on the page, and other subplots are tiny, but still important.
Like secondary characters, the subplot needs to have a connection to something that is happening in the story being told, even if that something is to introduce characters that are going to be taking a major role in another book. In this case, though, when the subplot doesn't have anything else to do with the current story, it should be relatively small UNLESS it also enhances the current plot.
Subplots are a fantastic way to add depth to your characters, to move a story into directions that the reader might not anticipate, and to ask/answer questions that are necessary to hold tension throughout the story.
Whew. Hopefully, all of that made sense. And remember, as always, every person writes a story differently. My way, my rules, might not work for you.
First of all, my experience is 100 percent with novel-length fiction, as I have yet to attempt writing a short story. I would imagine that the shorter word count would make it difficult to incorporate extra elements to any degree of depth, but hey--I could be wrong.
SECONDARY CHARACTERS
I rarely begin a new story thinking about secondary characters, so often I'm taken by surprise when someone new shows up in my novels. Obviously, when I wrote A STROKE OF MAGIC, I knew Elizabeth (the heroine from A TASTE OF MAGIC) would be in the book, and when I wrote A BREATH OF MAGIC, I knew that both Elizabeth and Alice (the heroine from A STROKE OF MAGIC) would be on scene and somewhat active. And, for anyone who has read my stories, then they know that Grandma Verda is a must-have secondary character in the entire series.
However, I sporadically have other characters pop up when I'm really not planning on it. When this happens, I tend to trust my instincts and go with the flow, so I can find out what this character is going to bring to the table. Do they have information about the story, or is their presence a catalyst for new conflict, or for asking or answering a question that is important to the journey my heroine is embarking on? Usually, thankfully, this is the case. Usually, and again--thankfully, my instinct/muse/whatever-you-want-to-call-it brings characters in that move the story forward.
Because guess what? If they don't move the story forward in one way or another, then it's very likely that they shouldn't be there. When this happens, I try to figure out why I *thought* I needed that character, and once I find the answer, it's easy for me to incorporate that element, whatever it is, without the use of an unnecessary character. Luckily, this hasn't happened to me very often.
Sometimes, though, a secondary character will breeze in to a scene who stands out. Maybe they're especially quirky and funny, or maybe they have a powerful, charismatic personality that steals the show. Whatever the case, when this happens, it can be really difficult to prune them out of the book once you realize they have no real reason to be there. This has only happened to me once, and I definitely pruned him from that story. But guess what? He's now a character, a very important character, in A BREATH OF MAGIC.
So, my final word on secondary characters is that they should have a purpose that moves beyond being funny, quirky, or charismatic. They MUST be in the story for a reason, otherwise, they're taking up valuable space that is needed by characters who will move the story forward.
SUBPLOTS
Subplots are a method used for a variety of reasons. They can enhance the main plotline, set up a future story (in the case of a series, as an example), or shed light on motivation, conflict, or other areas of the story that is being told, but might not have any seemingly obvious connection to the main plot, at least not at first.
Basically, think of subplots the same way as secondary characters: they must be there for a purpose, and usually--okay, almost always--that purpose has something to do with the main storyline.
Sometimes the protagonist is the character who is up to her/his eyeballs in the subplot, but it doesn't have to be. It can be the antagonist, the protagonist's best friend/sister/lover/etc, or another character the protagonist hasn't even met yet. But somehow, in one way or another, the subplot is an integral portion of the story, or--as I already said--is leading to the next story if the book is within a series. Some subplots are hefty, taking up significant space on the page, and other subplots are tiny, but still important.
Like secondary characters, the subplot needs to have a connection to something that is happening in the story being told, even if that something is to introduce characters that are going to be taking a major role in another book. In this case, though, when the subplot doesn't have anything else to do with the current story, it should be relatively small UNLESS it also enhances the current plot.
Subplots are a fantastic way to add depth to your characters, to move a story into directions that the reader might not anticipate, and to ask/answer questions that are necessary to hold tension throughout the story.
Whew. Hopefully, all of that made sense. And remember, as always, every person writes a story differently. My way, my rules, might not work for you.
Friday, March 12, 2010
Enlightened by that which has gone before...
Looking back over this week of TNG posts, it strikes me that the conversation has gone a little like this:
Hopes...
Dreams...
Reality...
Perspective...
all leading up to my small contribution to the dialogue. I call it enlightenment, but not in a grandiose way. Small 'e' enlightenment - but enlightenment nonetheless.
I personally think every entry from the Girls this week should be considered required reading. Individually, they are each moving in their own way. Taken as a whole, they offer up a kind of truth. This is what we do, as humans. We hope and plan and daydream about the future. Then reality sometimes smacks us upside the head. And that makes us reevaluate the present.
I honestly struggled with what I would write about this week. I've always been the kind of person who lives pretty 'in the moment'. If I think too far ahead, I tend to run madly off in all directions. At the same time, I also tend to dwell on present problems and magnify them way out of proportion - I get stuck down the well-hole of my mind. Now I just think my duty to the topic is to point readers in the direction of my fellow Girl's posts.
Because here are the things I have taken away from this week's words: Tracey and Maureen's posts remind us that it's important to have dreams and aspirations. Lisa's post reminds us that it's important to recognize life may have other ideas. And Jillian reminds us, in that light, that maybe it's most important of all to not ignore the present for yearning of what may come.
I don't know where I'll be in ten years. You know what? I'm not even going to speculate. Ten years ago, if you'd asked me the same question, I would have answered. And I would have been wrong on just about every last thing I would have said.
Now it's more like: "Second star to the right, straight on 'til morning."
I don't know where I'll be in ten years.
But I am determined to try and have fun and appreciate the journey while I'm getting there.
Hopes...
Dreams...
Reality...
Perspective...
all leading up to my small contribution to the dialogue. I call it enlightenment, but not in a grandiose way. Small 'e' enlightenment - but enlightenment nonetheless.
I personally think every entry from the Girls this week should be considered required reading. Individually, they are each moving in their own way. Taken as a whole, they offer up a kind of truth. This is what we do, as humans. We hope and plan and daydream about the future. Then reality sometimes smacks us upside the head. And that makes us reevaluate the present.
I honestly struggled with what I would write about this week. I've always been the kind of person who lives pretty 'in the moment'. If I think too far ahead, I tend to run madly off in all directions. At the same time, I also tend to dwell on present problems and magnify them way out of proportion - I get stuck down the well-hole of my mind. Now I just think my duty to the topic is to point readers in the direction of my fellow Girl's posts.
Because here are the things I have taken away from this week's words: Tracey and Maureen's posts remind us that it's important to have dreams and aspirations. Lisa's post reminds us that it's important to recognize life may have other ideas. And Jillian reminds us, in that light, that maybe it's most important of all to not ignore the present for yearning of what may come.
I don't know where I'll be in ten years. You know what? I'm not even going to speculate. Ten years ago, if you'd asked me the same question, I would have answered. And I would have been wrong on just about every last thing I would have said.
Now it's more like: "Second star to the right, straight on 'til morning."
I don't know where I'll be in ten years.
But I am determined to try and have fun and appreciate the journey while I'm getting there.
Thursday, March 11, 2010
Today
Lisa’s post yesterday reminded me how precarious and fleeting life can be sometimes, and I feel so deeply for her and her family, not just because Lisa is one of the sweetest women I know (because she is) but also because I’ve been a little self-absorbed as of late. It’s surprisingly easy to do, when you’re promoting a book, when it feels like everything in the world suddenly revolves around you eating/drinking/sleeping/talking about/tweeting about/blogging about said book. And lately, in the midst of promoting THE LIFE OF GLASS, I’ve also been having what feels like some bad luck with some of my new projects, and I’ve found myself obsessing over my writing career, where it’s going, what I should be doing next, what’s going to happen to the books I’ve written but haven’t yet sold. But then you step back, or you read a post like the one Lisa posted yesterday, and you remember that there is writing and there is life. Lately, I’ve been forgetting somewhat about the life part.
And so it almost feels odd to blog today about what I want ten years from now. I had a list of goals in my mind all week, things I would write about here that had to do with my writing career, my family, where I’ll be living. In ten years from now, I’ll be in my early 40s, my kids will be teenagers, and I will hopefully be an established writer. I hope I’m writing full-time, that I’ve been able to move to a city that’s not so achingly hot in the summer and where my kids can actually get a good public education. I hope that all these things will be true.
But today it feels more appropriate to talk about what I want to be doing now, what I should be doing now. Lately, I’ve been paralyzed by fear, unable to really genuinely start work on a book I want to write because I’m afraid I can’t do it or that it might not sell or that maybe it’s a project to put off for the future. I’ve been doing everything I can to keep from starting it, all the while letting it and other book-related things consume my thoughts.
Today, I’m going to start that book. I’m going to remember to write because I love writing, but also, that writing does not equal life. Today I’m going to take a deep breath and stop worrying/thinking about/obsessing over the future.
What will you be doing today?
And so it almost feels odd to blog today about what I want ten years from now. I had a list of goals in my mind all week, things I would write about here that had to do with my writing career, my family, where I’ll be living. In ten years from now, I’ll be in my early 40s, my kids will be teenagers, and I will hopefully be an established writer. I hope I’m writing full-time, that I’ve been able to move to a city that’s not so achingly hot in the summer and where my kids can actually get a good public education. I hope that all these things will be true.
But today it feels more appropriate to talk about what I want to be doing now, what I should be doing now. Lately, I’ve been paralyzed by fear, unable to really genuinely start work on a book I want to write because I’m afraid I can’t do it or that it might not sell or that maybe it’s a project to put off for the future. I’ve been doing everything I can to keep from starting it, all the while letting it and other book-related things consume my thoughts.
Today, I’m going to start that book. I’m going to remember to write because I love writing, but also, that writing does not equal life. Today I’m going to take a deep breath and stop worrying/thinking about/obsessing over the future.
What will you be doing today?
Wednesday, March 10, 2010
Needing Prayers
To my fellow Novel Girls and all of our devoted followers,
I'm unable to post on topic today. Tragedy struck my family on Saturday. My youngest sister, Melanie, is in a deep coma after suffering a heart attack and brain injuries. She is only 39-years-old. My family and I would so appreciate your prayers.
With much thanks and love,
Lisa
I'm unable to post on topic today. Tragedy struck my family on Saturday. My youngest sister, Melanie, is in a deep coma after suffering a heart attack and brain injuries. She is only 39-years-old. My family and I would so appreciate your prayers.
With much thanks and love,
Lisa
Tuesday, March 9, 2010
My Ten Year To-Do List
The topic for this week is 10 Years From Now, I... as a kind of response to the post we did a few weeks back, 10 Years Ago, I... I had the best time reading about how far we've all come in the past decade, so I thought it would be fun to break out our crystal balls (as Tracy said!) and predict the future!
So, here we go:
So, here we go:
- Continued writing success. Over the next ten years, I hope to have launched around a book a year. I hope that my writing continues to improve and reaches a larger audience each year.
- Travel. As Tracy put it, I'd love to have a few more stamps in my passport. My husband and I visited Australia for our honeymoon, and I'd love to go back sometime. Hopefully, our toddler will be slightly more well behaved in ten years! I'd also love to go back to Hawaii and take a cruise around the Mediterranean. My craziest travel goal (although I really don't foresee this happening in ten years) is to someday visit the Galapagos Islands.
- Own a car with mileage that is not in six digits. My husband and I bought our cars soon after we graduated college, with the assumption that we'd upgrade in five years or so. The darn things have held on so well, that they each hit the 100,000 mile mark with little signs of slowing down. ( I do realize that I may have jinxed myself by putting this in writing...)
- Own four bedrooms. Right now, my husband and I live in a three-bedroom townhouse that is quickly becoming WAY too small for all of the various pets/toddler toys strewn around. We'd love to move into a house, with a real backyard. Hopefully, soon. Or else I'm moving into the garage.
Of course, there are many other goals, like to hit the New York Times list with one of my books, to own a fabulous vacation home in South Carolina, and a whole closet full of Prada, but those are more dreams than concrete goals. Oh, and a pony. I'd like a pony.
Monday, March 8, 2010
Dusting off my crystal ball...
So, I've pulled my crystal ball out of storage and have dusted it until it shines. I've lit candles and asked the mystical ball to show me what my life will be like in 10 years. I see...
- A spanky office for me to write in that has shelves filled with books, a honking-huge monitor on my really up-to-date computer, and my own professional-grade cappuccino maker. Ah...what's that? Ohh, it's a massaging desk chair. YES!
- Pictures of grandchildren (wow, this really is possible, as in ten-years, my daughter will be 29 and my oldest son will be 27). Um. Yeah. Grandchildren. Freaky thought, that.
- A stable writing career where I am able to continue to write the stories I love and find an audience for them.
- A passport that shows I've done some traveling. To Ireland, Italy, and who knows where else.
- My twin boys, now almost 8, are getting ready to graduate from high school.
And um, that's about all I'm willing to speculate. I hope we're living in the Pacific Northwest, and it would be even better if I could hear the waves crashing outside of my home. I hope I'm happy and content with life and whatever progress I've made personally and professionally in the past ten years. And most of all, I hope my family and friends are still healthy and doing well.
I have other hopes and other dreams that I'd love to see come to fruition, but I think the most important things I hope for, I already have: family and friends I love who love me, a career that pushes me to be the best I can that I adore doing, and yes, good health.
What about you? Where do you see yourself in ten years?
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