Star Wars, Dad Jokes, and Writing Tips by Jim Hill

May 25, 1977. Jimmy Carter was in his first term, Sir Duke was the number one hit, and Han shot first.

Star Wars is about to hit its fortieth anniversary. I should feel old, but we live in a renaissance of Lucasian lore, a veritable fountain of youth for geeks like me. Whenever the opening crawl starts on the latest chapter, I feel like that long ago eleven-year-old who thought he was walking into a movie theater but who landed in a galaxy far, far away.

I didn’t see it on opening weekend; movies were a luxury for my single Mom and me. I saw it during summer vacation with my pre-teen squad (not that we used that term). Imagine a group of kids somewhere between the cast of Goonies and Stand By Me, and you’ve got it about right. We’d been playing sandlot baseball in the morning. Someone (Andy? Sean?) had the brilliant idea to see “that new space movie,” and I convinced my grandfather to drive us. Bumpy’s goldenrod Dodge Dart was more “bucket of bolts” than Imperial Cruiser, but we made it to the mall without a hitch.

I left home a child. I returned a fanboy.

Dad Joke #1

Q: What do you call a droid with a cold?
A: Achoo-D2

Three Tips That Work For Me

1. Set a timer. Write for 25 minutes. Take a short break. Repeat.

1. Print your work, so you have a tangible object from your effort. We all pretty much write on a computer, and it’s all ghosts, pixels, and make-believe until you can hold it in your hand.

1. Try to remove the outcome from the process. This is the hardest thing to do.

Dad Joke #2

A: Martini
Q: Their favorite pasta?
Q: Magician?

Thanks to Facebook’s “On This Day” feature, I finally replied to a friend’s question about the daily trauma of trying to write. It took a year for me to answer this (an attention span says what?), but I think it’s worth sharing. Hey, we’ve all been there. 

My Life: Procrastination and panic interrupted by occasional bouts of daily discipline. I dread sitting down to write (fear) but enjoy the act of writing. And I *really* love having written. Mastering the fear/anxiety/insecurity is the key. Remembering that that mental/emotional stuff is generally all in my head and has nothing to do with the actual results of the work. Which is, ironically, making up other things in my head. Hmmm.

Q: What’s a Jawas’ favorite drink?
A: Linguini
A: David Copperfield. Jawas have no taste.

It works on a couple of levels. It winks at the audience – Star Wars fans who know Jawas say “Untini!” – by saying, “you’re clever enough to get this, we’re in the same club,” thus stroking their ego and inviting them in. It then works through a pair of rhyming, pun-like calls, and responses to set up the third question. After the first two, the audience nods with the “I see what you did there” awareness, maybe a groan, perhaps a grin. The third shifts the pattern in the classic joke format - the triple. The audience, in on it at this point, expects to hear “Houdini,” but the joke darts away from expectation and slaps them with a deadpan “David Copperfield.” 

Set up.

Set up.

Twist.

If you love the Beatles and Star Wars, this is the video parody you’ve been waiting for your entire life. May the Force be with you.

What Is Voice–And How Do I Get It? - #Writing Advice from Chris Eboch

Voice may be the number one thing editors want to see in a manuscript. But what exactly is voice? Linda Pratt, Literary Agent, Wernick & Pratt Agency, explains, “Voice is the personality and really whole life history of a character that when done effectively emanates from the page through that character’s word choices, points of reference, context, and actions.” 

Agent Jill Corcoran of the Herman Agency says, “Voice transforms a manuscript from an ‘author speaking to a reader’ to an ‘author immersing a reader in a story’.” She identifies three types of voice in every manuscript: 

1.                  “The Author’s Voice – We each look at life differently so when we write, we write from our own individual style, abilities, personalities, experiences, reactions, world-view, etc. Voice should be natural and unique, just like each one of us when we are not over-thinking but are living in the moment.” 

2.                  “The Manuscript Voice – the voice of this particular manuscript be it first or third, slapstick or sarcastic, literary or commercial, etc. Authors will not choose the same manuscript voice in every book they write but if they are writing authentically and naturally, they hopefully will have a recognizable author voice.”

3.                  “The Characters’ Voices – dialog, ticks, actions, and most importantly, reactions, etc.”

Perhaps this is why voice is so hard to define and teach: it comes in many forms. So how do we know if we have a good voice? And if not, what can we do about it? Often the novels held up as examples of great voice have a literary, poetic voice: The Book Thief, by Markus Zusak, Because of Winn-Dixie, by Kate DiCamillo. Does that mean we all need to be more poetic?

We All Have Voice

Let’s start with two basic truths:

Voice develops over time

First, all writing has voice. It may be a slow, boring voice; a clunky, confusing voice; a straightforward, fast-paced voice; or a beautiful, poetic voice. “Literary” novels have voice, but so do “commercial” novels, genre novels, picture books, easy readers, and nonfiction.

Second, different readers like different voices. Few people would like boring or confusing voices, but many people prefer a straightforward, fast-paced voice, others like a poetic voice, and some readers enjoy both. Your personal taste as a reader should be what you strive for as a writer. Why try to write something that you wouldn’t enjoy reading?

Voice is often seen as a matter of style, but clearly it’s broader and deeper than simply using interesting language. Your voice is reflected in:

·   The kinds of characters you create – awkward loners, fun-loving tomboys, silly adults.

·   Your plot and pacing techniques – action plots, quieter stories, use of cliffhangers, paragraph/sentence lengths.

·   Themes you revisit – finding oneself, what makes a family, important life events such as the first day of school and first romance.

·   Types of settings – urban, suburban, rural; familiar or exotic; at school, at home, journeys.

·   Proportion of all the above – character driven, plot heavy, lots of setting details.

Adventure is part of my voice

Finding Your Voice

Identifying and developing your voice may take experimentation. Read a lot and pay attention to what you most enjoy. Eavesdrop on conversations and think about what dialogue, actions, and gestures tell you about people. Try interviewing your characters or writing diary entries in their voices. Write a scene from one character's viewpoint, and then from another person in the same scene. How do the characters’ age, sex, and other elements affect how they perceive and react to what's happening?

Small Improvements Add up

Many basic writing techniques can also contribute to your voice. These techniques alone won’t make a strong and fresh voice, but polishing your skills can ensure that your voice isn’t clunky or slow.

For example, you should be comfortable with first-person versus third-person point of view. But POV is also about the character’s experiences and how they see the world. Is your character a city girl, farm girl, or suburbanite? Rich, middle-class, or poor? An athlete, musician, or artist? Each of these elements affects the way someone interacts with the world around her – where she’s comfortable, what she notices, what she cares about. For example, a musician may be tuned into sounds and rhythms and use metaphors relating to music. Getting inside your character’s head with a close point of view helps readers connect better with that character. (See my posts on POV.)

Editing can improve voice.

To avoid having a slow, boring voice, learn to eliminate wordiness. Several sources offer lists of words and phrases to eliminate, such as very, really, just, kind of, sort of, a little. That doesn’t mean you can never use those words, but every manuscript will improve by getting rid of unnecessary words.

Tips on writing tactics abound. Show, don’t tell. Minimize your use of adverbs. Use active verbs. Make sure your character names don’t all start with the same letter, to avoid reader confusion. The list seems endless, with some quick fixes and some skills requiring months of practice. If you study each technique in turn, eventually most will be second nature, if not during your first draft then at least during editing.

For some writers, technical rules may seem too practical, too pedestrian, for something as mysterious as voice. But the first step in building a strong voice is to get rid of the weakest elements of your writing. Then you can explore subtleties that are appropriate for the age range, genre, and topic of each manuscript.

Your writing voice is like your appearance, where part is what you are given (gender, height, coloring) and part comes from your choices (clothing, hairstyle, attitude). Voice is made up of your natural expression – the way you see the world, based on all your experiences – plus technical skills you can develop. Practice the external elements that  make for generally strong writing, while tapping into your heart and soul. Over time, your unique voice will develop naturally and shine through.

To Find Your Voice

Nothing wrong with a silly voice!

What are your favorite books – not necessarily the ones you think are the best-written or that you most admire, but the ones you most enjoy?

What do you like about the style? Humor, pace, great characters, language?

Try typing out scenes from your favorite authors to get a feel for their rhythm and word choice. Study what they do, but don’t try to copy their voice. Understand their techniques so you can be yourself.

What is your natural style? When you tell a story to friends, is it funny, tragic, suspenseful? What elements can you see in your manuscripts?

What do you love about your writing or have critique partners praised? What weaknesses do you see in your work or have others mentioned?

What would you be proud to produce?

Additional Resources:

Self-Editing for Fiction Writers, by Renni Browne and Dave King

Style, Pacing & Voice: An Editor’s Guide to Writing Powerful Fiction, by Jodie Renner

Finding Your Voice, by Les Edgerton

Rivet Your Readers with Deep POV, by Jill Elizabeth Nelson

Advanced Plotting, by Chris Eboch

Online:

The Voice, by Anna Elliott

Series on Voice, by Chris Eboch

Jordan McCollum offers downloadable free writing guides, including one on Deep POV

Janice Hardy’s Fiction University blog has a lot on these topics. Check the listing for “Show vs. Tell," "Trimming Words," or "Point of View," or simply browse.

Jodie Renner often covers POV, pacing, and more.

Chris Eboch’s novels for ages nine and up include The Eyes of Pharaoh, a mystery in ancient Egypt; The Well of Sacrifice, a Mayan adventure; and the Haunted series, about kids who travel with a ghost hunter TV show. Her writing craft books include You Can Write for Children: How to Write Great Stories, Articles, and Books for Kids and Teenagers, and Advanced Plotting.

Learn more at www.chriseboch.com or her Amazon page, or check out her writing tips at her Write Like a Pro! blog.

6 Ways Unicycling Is Like Writing by Jim Hill

My family gave me a unicycle for Father's Day. They might be trying to kill me. Thirty days later, I'm still alive – Ha! – and covered in wisdom. Or maybe those are bruises. Whatever. The point is, I've discovered that learning to ride my one-wheeled-antagonist is a lot like writing a novel. Strap on your helmet and wrist guards, and I'll explain.

Baby. Some assembly required.

A photo posted by @heyjimhill on Jul 6, 2016 at 11:25am PDT

1. It Seems Like a Good Idea at First
Unbridled optimism might be the first sign you could be a writer or a unicyclist. You're sure in your heart-of-hearts that this new undertaking is a great idea, and you can definitely get it done if you work hard enough. This feeling is followed by the realization that...

2. You Have No Idea What You're Doing
Whether saddling up for the first time or staring at the blank screen while the cursor pulses in silent judgment, you quickly realize you're clueless about how to begin. Congratulations! You're on your way! To the emergency room. Or maybe the Newbery Award. I'm just saying prepare yourself for anything at this point, is all.

Gonna need some ice.

A video posted by @heyjimhill on Jul 19, 2016 at 9:07am PDT

3. Research is Key
Write what you know is a cute aphorism, but maybe a bit of a lie. Unicycle what you know is straight-up crazy talk. Research is your friend, the Tom to your Huck, the Martin to your Lewis. I wouldn't even have been able to get on that cyclopean-death-steed if I hadn't googled and YouTubed beforehand. The same can be said about writing. Do I know which fork to use first at a State Dinner, or the melting point of human flesh? No, no I don't. But the internet does. If that fails, your friendly, neighborhood librarian is just an email away. (Raise your hand if you think the NSA has you flagged for some "necessary" search topics. Yup, me too.)

4. It's Hard to Tell Where You're Headed
Plotter or pantser, sometimes you wander off the main road and end up in the garden. Ask yourself, "Is that poison ivy?" and "is anything happening in this scene that moves the plot forward?"

Atop the mono hoop-of-shame, you have to activate your core to stay on course. So, what is the core of your writing? The characters. What do the characters want, what do they need, and what's in their way? When you're face down in the hydrangea, take a moment to check in with your characters, and they'll pull you out of the weeds. (I may have sprained my metaphorical ankle with this one.)

5. Sometimes You Fall on Your [REDACTED]

I'm fine. Really.

A video posted by @heyjimhill on Jul 11, 2016 at 4:44pm PDT

This is the part of Hero's Journey when the hero faces abject failure and almost quits, but then somehow beats the odds to return with the elixir. The elixir, in this instance, being a large bottle of Advil.

Writing has similar, less (physically) painful pitfalls. You will hit them. Good crit partners will be there to ask if you're okay and get you back up and pedaling toward a resolution in no time.

6. Butt In Chair (or Seat)
Yolen's Law gets the job done on the page and on the road. You're not going to get better thinking about writing or riding. You're going to get better by doing them. A novel is a big, intimidating goal. Mastering the single-wheeled-conveyance-of-clowns-and-doom is too. I'm nowhere near joining the circus, but I am better than I was yesterday. So don't sit down to write a novel, sit down to write the next sentence, the next paragraph, and the next scene. You can get a lot accomplished with just two pages a day. Keep track. Celebrate your progress. Jump for joy.

Meanwhile, if you need a unicyclist that's good for about eight to ten feet at a time, I'm available.

Avenger's Assembled! Guess I just named the unicycle.

A video posted by @heyjimhill on Jul 7, 2016 at 3:16pm PDT

Plot-Driven or Character-Driven? Why Not Both! by Chris Eboch

Author Chris Eboch

This post is adapted from You Can Write for Children: How to Write Great Stories, Articles, and Books for Kids and Teenagers, from Chapter 5: Characters.

Some authors prefer to start with a plot idea, while others start with an interesting character. Either can work, but ultimately the plot and character must work together. Let’s start with a look at character development, as it intersects with plot.

A strong story needs conflict. Without conflict, you have one of those “slice of life” episodes that isn’t a real story. But conflict doesn’t just come from dramatic things happening. It comes from the character – what he or she needs and wants, and why he or she can’t get it easily. Conflict comes from a character with a problem or a goal.

Let’s start with a premise: a kid has a math test on Monday. Exciting? Hardly. But ask two simple questions, and you can add conflict.

·     Why is it important to the character? The stakes should be high. The longer the story or novel, the higher stakes you need to sustain it. A short story character might want to win a contest; a novel character might need to save the world.

·     Why is it difficult for the character? Difficulties can be divided into three general categories, traditionally called man versus man, man versus nature, and man versus himself. You can even have a combination of these. For example, someone may be trying to spy on some bank robbers (man versus man) during a dangerous storm (man versus nature) when he is afraid of lightning (man versus himself).

For our kid with the math test, here’s one example: It’s important because if he doesn’t pass, he’ll fail the class, have to go to summer school, and not get to go to football camp, when football is what he loves most. Assuming we create a character readers like, they’ll care about the outcome of this test and root for him to succeed.

Our football lover could have lots of challenges – he forgot his study book, he’s expected to baby-sit a sibling, a storm knocked out the power, he has ADHD, or he suffers test anxiety. But ideally we’ll relate the difficulty to the reason it’s important. So let’s say he has a game Sunday afternoon and is getting pressure from his coach and teammates to practice rather than study. Plus he’d rather play football anyway.

We now have a situation full of potential tension. Let the character struggle enough before he succeeds (or fails and learns a lesson), and you’ll have a story. And if these two questions can pump up a dull premise, just think what they can do with an exciting one!

Fears and Desires

As that example shows, conflict comes from the interaction between character and plot. You can create conflict by setting up situations that force a person to confront their fears. If someone is afraid of heights, make them go someplace high. If they’re afraid of taking responsibility, force them to be in charge.

For example, my middle grade fantasy The Genie’s Gift is set in the fifteenth-century Middle East and draws on the mythology of 1001 Arabian Nights. It could have been simply a magical adventure tale, but the main character gives the story depth. She is anything but the typical swashbuckling hero:

“Thirteen-year-old Anise, shy and timid, dreads marrying the man her father chooses for her. Her aunt tells her about the Genie Shakayak, the giver of the Gift of Sweet Speech, which allows one to charm everyone. Anise is determined to find the genie and ask for the gift, so she can control her own future. But the way is barred by a series of challenges, both ordinary and magical. How will Anise get past a vicious she-ghoul, a sorceress who turns people to stone, and mysterious sea monsters, when she can’t even speak in front of strangers?”

Because Anise is so desperate to reach her goal, she tackles challenges far beyond her comfort zone. This makes the dramatic action even more dramatic, while providing a sympathetic character and a theme about not letting your fears stop you from achieving your dreams.

You can also create conflict by setting up situations that oppose a person’s desires. Sometimes these desires are for practical things. In my middle grade mystery set in ancient Egypt, The Eyes of Pharaoh, the main character is a young temple dancer whose one goal is to win an upcoming contest. When her friend disappears, she has to decide if winning the contest is really more important than helping a friend.

Perhaps your character simply wants an ordinary life. In my Mayan historical novel, The Well of Sacrifice, Eveningstar never dreams of being a leader or a rebel. But when her family, the government, and even the gods fail to stop the evil high priest who is trying to take over the city, she’s forced to act. The reluctant hero is a staple of books and movies because it’s fun to watch someone forced into a heroic role when they don’t want it. (Think of Han Solo in Star Wars.)

To build conflict:

·     Start with the character’s goal. Create conflict by setting up situations which oppose a person’s needs and desires.

·     What does your main character want? What does he need? Make these things different, and you’ll add tension. It can be as simple as our football player who wants to practice football, but needs to study. Or it could be more subtle, like someone who wants to be protected but needs to learn independence. (Or the reverse, someone who wants independence but still needs to be protected. Those two characters could even be in the same story. Life is complex, with many shades of gray, and books can explore that.)

·     Even if your main problem is external (man versus man or man versus nature), consider giving the character an internal flaw (man versus himself) that contributes to the difficulty. Perhaps your character has a temper, is lazy, or refuses to ever admit she’s wrong. This helps set up your complications and as a bonus makes your character seem more real.

·     Your character may change or grow as a person during the story. This is called a character arc. A character who changes is usually more interesting than one who does not. However, growth does not always mean a reversal of attitude. The growth can come from reaffirming what the character already knew. For example, a child could know what is right but struggle to do it. In the end he does what is right, growing by following and reinforcing his beliefs.

·     A character’s growth can reflect your theme, by showing what the character learns.

·     Before you start, test the idea by considering different options. Change the character’s age, gender, or looks. Change the point of view. Change the setting. Change the internal conflict. What happens? Choose the combination that has the most dramatic potential.

·     The conflict must be important enough to sustain the story, and it must not be too easy to solve. This will vary by story length and readership age group.

·     It should take more than one attempt to solve the problem – three tries works well for shorter fiction. For longer fiction, add more attempts, or have each attempt made up of several parts.

·     To build original plots, brainstorm 10 possible things that could happen next. Pick the least likely, so long as it makes sense for the story.

Some writers start with plot ideas and then develop the character who’ll face those challenges, while others start with a great character and then figure out what he or she does. Regardless, remember to work back and forth between plot and character, tying them together with conflict.

You Can Write for Children: How to Write Great Stories, Articles, and Books for Kids and Teenagers offers an overview on writing for young people. Learn how to find ideas and develop those ideas into stories, articles, and books. Understand the basics of character development, plot, setting, and theme – and some advanced elements, along with how to use point of view, dialogue, and thoughts. Finally, learn about editing your work and getting critiques.

You Can Write for Children: How to Write Great Stories, Articles, and Books for Kids and Teenagers is available for the Kindle, in paperback, or in Large Print paperback.

Note: If you order the print or large print version from Amazon, you can get the Kindle version as a free add-on. You Can Write for Children includes many links to additional resources; in the Kindle version you can click to go directly to the websites or blogs listed. If you don't have a Kindle, download a free Kindle app for your computer.

The Santa Approved 2015 Ultimate Writer’s Gift Guide by Jim Hill (really)

Dear Santa,

I need a blog topic. Help.

Yours,

Jim Hill

Dear Jim Hill (if that’s your real name),

Are you kidding me? Eleven days until Christmas. Four days until Episode VII opens. How do you expect me to come up with your blog topic? I’m up to my jingle bells in elfs cosplaying jawas and ewoks. 

C’mon, man.

Kringle.

Dear Santa,

Well, to be honest, I have a topic, the 2015 Ultimate Writer’s Gift Guide, but need some gift ideas. And let’s face it, when it comes to gifts, you’re the man.

Please.

p.s. Jim Hill really is my name. Aren’t you omniscient?

Jim,

Sucking up will put you solidly on the naughty list.

And, no, I’m not omniscient. I know when you’ve been naughty, and when you’ve been nice. I see you when you’re sleeping, and I know when you’re awake. Nowhere in there does it say anything about remembering names. Why do you think I keep a list? I call my wife Mrs. Claus, for crying out loud. She thinks it’s cute. It's desperation. Sheila? Minerva? Mulva?

Kringle

Dear Santa,

That wasn’t sucking up. It was a statement of fact. Would you rather I turned to some sketchy internet list or go big with the ultimate authority?

Jim

p.s. Am I sleeping enough?

FFS,

Just because the Paris Agreement won’t let me hand out coal anymore doesn’t mean I don’t have a whole sack full of gluten free cookies with your name on them. Not even the reindeer will eat them. Not since that whole “vomit-Comet” incident. #SorryToledo

Santa

p.s. No. Clearly not.
p.p.s. You can do this. Santa believes in you, too.

Dear Jolly Old Elf,

I think I’ve got it. I asked my friend, Mary Cronin, for help. While bantering about literary-themed presents she said, 

“It sounds like such common advice, but ‘write to the end’ has helped me tremendously in terms of focus and productivity. In the past five years, I've been focusing solely on middle-grade fiction, and when I'm writing, I don't stop mid-draft to return to the beginning. It's tempting to do that-- to tinker, polish the beginning, and make it shine. But if I did that, I would never get to say, ‘I'm finished with my draft!’ I keep notes about what I will go back and address in the next draft, but I keep trudging on like Brave Irene in William Steig's iconic picture book. Following this simple advice has boosted my productivity and helped me to deepen my writing.”

Good advice, right? And that led to my gift-giving-aha-moment!

Whereas chocolate, coffee, and t-shirts are all great all a writer really needs is a stack of yellow writing pads and a big box of pens. BOOM. Merry Christmas, you wonderful old Building and Loan! 

Jim

Dear Jim,

You’re back on the nice list. Now let me finish this Jedi Workout. Mrs. Claus (Dolores, BTW), told me if I want to wear Jedi robes on opening day I’d better have a six-pack like Yoda.

I blame Fashion Santa. And my love of cookies. 

Happy Holidays! 

Santa

A-HA! NOW I GET IT! by Hilary Wagner

What is the best piece of writing advice you ever received? It can be something exclusively concerning the craft of writing itself, something that motivated you to keep moving forward with your writing or the road to publication, or something that changed everything in relation to you as a writer. It can be from a famous author, a critique partner, your spouse, your dog (my dog gives great advice)! What was YOUR "A-HA Moment" and how did it help you improve as a writer?

My A-HA moment: Never buying into trends and sticking to my gut. After I wrote my first book and began the long journey of getting published, I had no idea how competitive the markets were for certain types of books. I believed we should write what moves us--as that will be our best writing. I got nervous about that for a while, thinking maybe I should think more about the market, but then I realized if I'm not fully invested in what I'm writing, my readers won't be either. When I finally landed my agent, I was so happy she agreed on this. Write about what you're passionate about and you can't go wrong!

What was you’re A-HA moment??