BayCon was a few weeks ago and I've been trying to get this post done since then but alas and alack it didn't happen in a timely manner - apologies. I'm going to break this into two blog posts because there is a lot of information. Please enjoy part one.
During BayCon, I was able to go to a few writing panels and readings and meet up with some of the wonderful members of the Outer Alliance. I had a wonderful time. BayCon is held on the same weekend as WisCon, which is unfortunate for those who would like to go to both.
My first panel was Jay Hartlove's "So You Want to Write a Novel" panel on Saturday. Jay discussed getting publishing and gave a bunch of useful info in regards to getting a book written. He discussed getting his most recent book out, including some of the hoops he jumped through and choices he made regarding publishing before he went with Damnation Press (who he has been very happy with). You should go check out his book, it looks like a fun read - I'm always up for a good paranormal/horror. I've added it to my "to-read" list. Go check it out: "The Chosen" by Jay Hartlove
Jay gave us a handout with some words of wisdom on writing - the following bullets are from Jay Hartlove (http://jaywrites.com/) except those in italics, which are mine.
"Jay's Hartlove's Rules for Getting Things Done"
- You don't need passion to express yourself. For that you need skill. You need passion to get excited enough about a project to sacrifice doing anything else with your time.
- If an idea doesn't get you excited enough to see it through to fruit, then it probably isn't a good enough idea to spend your time on.
- Until real inspiration strikes, do exercises to keep your skill honed & to keep yourself in the habit of being creative. Collect ideas that can be used to develop an actual project once one takes shape.
- Some projects aren't supposed to get finished. Many half-finished projects are better viewed as prototypes and exercises in skill building. Don't fret that they didn't get done, be glad they helped you prepare for when real inspiration hits.
- Something is better than nothing. A blank page is daunting. Don't be afraid that you are going to start in the wrong place. Even if you later decide your start is garbage, you will have started. Which is better than not having started.
- A nearly finished work can be as frightening as an un-started one. In both cases you are paralyzed by the fear that you are going to do the wrong thing next. You get over the finish-it fear the same as you do the start-it fear: you just do what next comes to mind, knowing that it is better to put down something you know you are going to change than to put down nothing at all. Because...
- They are just words on paper that can always be changed. What matters is the story you are telling and the effect you are having on your reader, not the words you choose. Words are the tools and the medium, not the message. Focus on getting the message right. Yes, good prose matters. Dialogue that sounds appropriate to each different character matters. But these are all just words on paper and you can go back and change them later if you want to.
- You know you're done writing when each time you go back to rethink a passage, you find you like the way you have it already written.
- You know you've done your job when your critics no longer comment on whether you have successfully communicated your message. They may love or hate your message, but if you have made it clear, then you've done your job. You can now move on to the next project.
Other points that Jay made during his talk were:
- Have a clear mission statement - a one line synopsis of your story. The synopsis is not the moral of the story, it's an explanation of what happens.
- This one happens to me routinely: Don't put too many stories in your story. Pick which story you are telling and stick with it. Jay isn't saying that you can't have multiple story lines, however they should converge to tell one main story.
- This is one I hadn't heard before: Write down every decision that you make for your story. If you decide that character A has an antagonistic relationship with his aunt and uncle - write it down along with your reasons for making this decision, so that you can stay on track or back track if you need to. I think I prefer to have character biographies and notes on plot, conflict, and setting instead of this. For me, comprehensive notes take care of the need to back track/stay on track around particular decisions but everyone has their way of doing things; maybe this is because I'm a pantser. Perhaps, I'll change my mind when I finally force myself to start outlining.
- The end - refer to your mission statement to figure out the ending. Have you fulfilled your mission statement?
- The hook - this means 'why this book'. A hook is what sets it apart from all the other books in the world and you need to know exactly what your hook is if you try to sell it to a publisher or get an agent.
- Agents - write and practice a thirty second elevator pitch for your book. An elevator pitch is a 'what would you say if you had 30 seconds to get an agent interested in your book' speech. Jay suggests that you refine this speech until it's a diamond that an agent can't resist.
- Jay discussed a blog post by Kristine Kathryn Rusch, in which she discusses how traditional publishing works, the effect self-publishing has had on the book industry and how all of this affects authors: The scarcity and abundance model. I highly recommend this article. It made a lot of things clear to me that I hadn't understood before about the publishing industry.
