The Spaces Between - Great Stories Are More Than Words

Ever notice how many of the most important things in life are often the things left unstated? How communication is more about the things you do before and after words than what you actually say? Sure, saying I love you is a big deal, but it's a lot bigger deal if it's followed by a kiss. You can tell someone you're angry or you can say you're angry and throw something at them. Which one do you think gets the point across more effectively?


I think good storytelling is a lot like that. 


It really struck me this weekend while talking books with some friends. The conversation consistently turned to a discussion of things implied by the actions of characters in the story rather than what was actually written on the pages. Don't get me wrong the words are important; without them there'd be nothing to infer from or to fuel the debate. However, I think I've underestimated just how much a reader likes to put themselves--and conversely, their own reasoning--into a story. 


I'll confess, the idea that what readers really get into is being able to fill in the gaps of a story rather than simply enjoying what is ACTUALLY written has probably been a tad complex for my mind to truly wrap around. I guess I've kind of had a rather simple, neanderthal-esque writing mindset of, "ME WRITE WORDS. YOU READ WORDS." 


Moreover, the concept of people intellectualizing beyond the words has always seemed a little highbrow or lit snobby to me. The stuff for writers, graduate programs, term papers and History Chanel specials to discuss. After all, the reader in me always really enjoyed the reading, appreciating what the author was communicating over implications. 


So it's not surprising that I reasoned that Twilight fan just consumed the story and could care less about deeper meanings and character intentions, right? 


W.R.O.N.G. You're everyday Joe or Susan reader loves to take stories to places beyond the margins. They constantly scrutinize Bella Swan's love choices and wonder what might have happened if Harry Potter had joined Slytherin instead of Gryffindor. Furthermore, the average reader loves to draw parallels between the lives of fictional characters and their own lives. 


As a writer here's the scary part; that's stuff that no author could contrive no matter how carefully they plot. J.K. Rowling could have had no idea that I'd be able to see my own family in the Weasley's. Nor could she have known that so many kids would feel Harry's pain and joy on such an intensely personal level to the point they write stories about his grandchildren in the form of fan fiction. 


I guess I'm saying that great stories are more than what they are on paper. It's those spaces between the words that hold the real power of a story. In the end, words are really just coal to fuel the fires of the imagination. Perhaps the real challenge in writing is learning how to create the spark to set it all off. 


~EJW~   

Beta Reading = Better Writing

So it ends.  I'm officially calling a halt to my summer blog slowdown.  The heat and drought is making me crazy so I'm mentally ending my summer in an attempt to trick the world into forgetting it's August.  Plus, I kind of miss all of you and your blogs!

I really appreciate those of you who've stuck around during my sporadic and infrequent postings the last couple of months.  Promise you'll see more of me here and on your own blogs in the coming weeks.

Some of the tiny bit of writing work I've gotten done this summer has been in the form of beta reading.  If you're a writer you're probably very familiar with the concept of beta reading.  For the uninitiated, it's basically the process of finding your first (or early) readers for a story.  The idea is to get feedback on the things that work--and the things that don't--and take it all back to the editing room.

It's also a means of creating a sort of 'idea trust' with a group of people who are interested in reading your work critically with the aim of making it the best it can possibly be.  In that way, it really isn't (or shouldn't be in my estimation) strictly an evaluation of the writing quality or mechanics so much as a broad conceptualization of where/what the story is and what the story COULD be.

That isn't to say that writing quality doesn't or shouldn't play a part in the beta process.  Sometimes bad writing gets in the way of a good story, plain and simple.  As a reader if you can't get beyond errors in punctuation, funky sentence structure, etc. you'll likely never stick around long enough to find out if the story actually works.

In the end, it's probably best to think of the beta process as if the story were a newborn foal trying to find its legs.  It can see from the other horses around it what it wants to be, which is a colt or filly running, eating, playing and doing what horses do.  Still, there is a gap between becoming the goal or vision and where the foal currently is (lying in a wet heap in the grass).  It'll need some help to get to that point--probably in the form of an encouraging nuzzle or nudge from momma and the need to stand if it wants to eat.   Just as learning to stand and walk is a fundamental part of a foal growing into a horse, getting feedback from early readers is crucial if you want the words and ideas you've slapped onto the screen to grow into a story.

Fortunately, there are lots of writers out there who've shared that essential little secret to writing success.  In fact, you'll find people asking for and extolling the virtues of beta readers all over the WWW.   What you won't find, however, are tons of people encouraging you to BE a beta reader.  Well, people that aren't looking for beta readers that is.  :-)

There are a few really good reasons why you'll find more people seeking beta readers than offering to be one, and they're things to seriously consider before you jump on board the Reading Railroad's Beta Express.

1) Beta reading is a time commitment--sometimes a big one:  Granted, you're not generally going to be making line edits and going all 8th grade English teacher as a beta reader.  However, you're going to have to read the story start to finish, and most likely twice to do it properly.  I tend to be a slow-ish reader, especially when I'm reading critically, so I usually have to factor that in.

Then there is the matter of actually giving your feedback.  Your style will largely dictate the time investment here.  Some betas write it all up in a big summary e-mail covering major points, and not really going into great detail or specifics.  That takes less time, but might not be the level of feedback desired or needed by the author.  Other betas like to comment on every paragraph and go into considerable detail, going as far as to offer re-writing suggestions and story ideas (me).  That takes much more time but can yield a more profitable experience for all of the parties involved, which I'll talk more about in a moment.

If time is an issue, you can always offer to read a few chapters at a time from a novel.  Most people are willing to take any and all help they can get.

2) Beta reading takes skill: Anyone can read a story and tell you if they like it or not.  It takes a certain level of skill and understanding of the craft to be able to articulate WHY you like it or not, especially in a way that someone else can apply.  Like any skill, it takes practice to become a good beta reader, and it isn't necessarily easy to master.

3) You risk ticking people off: Getting and giving feedback on writing is a delicate business.  Regardless of how well you gird yourself, hearing that your story isn't perfect (or maybe even good *cringe*) stings.  Chances are if you've been asked to be a beta reader you've already formed some kind of relationship with the author, probably a good one, and there is a measure of risk involved if you have to share your honest bad news.  Shoot, the news doesn't have to be THAT bad to ruffle feathers.  This factors into the skill acquisition point in #2, but even if you've mastered the art of the gentle critical analysis, you still might not be asked to help out the next time if your thoughts aren't well received.

4) It's a fine line between under and overqualified: If you beta read enough, no matter your skill as a reader or writer, you'll run into a story so awesome and well-written that you'll instantly feel you can't offer anything of substance to the author other than 'great! great! great!'  We all know that's not what the author wants to hear, because no story is perfect and they wouldn't have come to you just to get fluffy pink feedback--otherwise they'd have just had their moms read it.  Similarly, you'll read stories you'll barely be able to make it through.  The author didn't come to you be told to give up on writing, they came to you for help and growth.  Navigating the different levels of the various authors is tricky and never gets easier.

SO WHY BETA READ WHEN IT SOUNDS LIKE SO MUCH WORK AND HASSLE?

Beta reading is unquestionably demanding, but there are some big time reasons why you (the writer) should be lining up to do it outside of simply helping out a friend or cohort in need.

1) Developing a critical and understanding eye: I believe you learn how to write by reading.  Technically, every book you read for fun is going to help you become a better writer.  Even still, beta reading will allow to go to new levels of understanding.  As a beta, you try to catch all of the good and the bad.  You break a story apart instead of devouring it.  Kind of like taking a watch apart, once you see all of the pieces spread out before you you'll have a much better idea of why it works or why it doesn't.  It's a forest for the trees thing, and nothing is better at helping you develop an eye for it than being a beta.

2) Learn new tricks:  There are a lot of doggone good writers out there, and you can steal learn from every single one of them.  Some of the biggest leaps I've made in my own writing have come via critiquing others and seeing how they approach things in different ways.  From plot to characterization, I add something new to my toolbox almost every time I beta read.

3) By learning to give feedback, you also learn how apply it:  Nothing prepares you for the beta process as an author like participating as a reader.  I mentioned above that feedback stings.  As you work as a beta reader you learn to consider how feedback will be taken, and in turn how it might be applied.  At some point in the writing process you have to get feedback.  I'd suggest learning how to give it first, and THEN learning how to take it.

So what are you waiting for?  Offer to beta read for someone, and I promise you'll see positive results in your own writing.  Plus you'll get some seriously good writing karma when it comes time for you to fish for your own betas.

~EJW~
            

    

Don't Fear the Reaper - The Book Business is Fine

Howdy, folks! Hope the weekend was good to you, and that the new week is off to a roaring start. A few odds and ins before I get down to business …

First, I'd like to welcome all of the new followers, especially the Blog Crusader folks. I've had so much fun reading all of your blogs, and we're only 1 week into the actual event! Only great things to come, I'm sure. I'll also say 'hey' to the followers who've joined me via Twitter. A couple of weeks into the Twitter experiment, and I'm already glad I did it.

Second, in response to my previous post (Crusade Challenge #1), I'll now reveal my “secret” or lie. E.J. Wesley is a pen name. I can't actually say it isn't my REAL name, because it kind of is—just rearranged a bit. At any rate, I'll say congrats to Jess for guessing it. I hear Sir Holmes is looking for a new Watson, Jess, so you might want to put in your application! :0) Now to the post.

Don't fear the reaper - The book business is fine

Publishing industry news hits fast and hard nowadays. It seems there are daily declarations of drastic sweeping changes to the book business, and I'm not even talking about the prognosticating going on with regards to eBooks. No, most of the news isn't simply bombastic “wolf!” crying. There are hard indications that trouble isn't just a'brewing, it's spilled over onto the stove top and is now making a hell of a mess. Bookstores closing, publishers downsizing, authors struggling with escalating expectations and diminishing support—we've read and heard it all.

Interestingly enough, the latest addition to the bad news pot seems to be the one causing the most stir. The blogs and FaceTweet were alive with outrage and despair over the announcement that mega-bookstore chain, Borders, was declaring bankruptcy. Frankly, I think it jostled so many people because it was the first really tangible indication that change was no longer something to prepare for, but something that would have to be endured. Borders closed enough stores in the initial cut that many people lost their neighborhood bookstore. People they knew lost their jobs. Book clubs lost their hangout spot. Authors lost some longtime supporters of their work. Simply put, it gave a face to the problem.

What's to blame? Lots of things, some of them self-inflicted, some not. As much as anything, I think publishing is a victim of the times. The merciless hunter, also known as the struggling world economy, is taking down the vulnerable businesses in the herd. Only the extremely fit are surviving the culling, and sadly the publishing industry has been limping along for quite some time. It hasn't aged gracefully, and the years of navigating a harsh landscape have left it struggling to keep up with the times. Now it looks like the book business has been singled out from the group, primed for an easy kill.

Before you change the channel to avoid the kiddos seeing the brutality, you should know there might be hope for the 'old buffalo' yet. She's still got some fight in her, if she can only find her focus. 

For writers and readers the news has been bleak; however, I have a theory that may assuage our fears. My theory is simple: At its core, the publishing industry is about reading and writing. All the other 'stuff' that comes along with it—like paper, coffee, electronic gadgets, big dollar advances, and a comfy chair—are extraneous.  If I believe that (which I do, with all of my nerd heart), I can safely say the book business is in great, if a little unsettled, shape.

Books, or more specifically the written words they contain, readers, and authors aren't going anywhere. Ever. It's a form of creative expression, and it's a part of our DNA. Cavemen (and women) doodled on--well, caves--and musical instruments have been found with the earliest civilizations. The human need to communicate, create and express is perhaps only a step below food and shelter on the life scale. We're not losing language (although texting and the Twitter may have something to say about that), so writing and reading are safe.

How we produce and consume the writing, however, is changing. Paper books, no matter how fondly we may perceive them, are a medium. A vehicle, if you will.  First and foremost, they serve a function, and that function is to disseminate an idea or story with words. They used to write on stone tablets. The medium evolved. It's evolving again, simple as that.   

Hey Barnes & Noble, I think we're going to need more cowbell ...

Are bookstores doomed? Possibly. If they can't figure out a way to facilitate reading and writing by offering something other than paper books, sadly they may have to go away. (Incidentally, publishers are at a similar crossroads.) Businesses involved with the industry must examine how they can support readers and authors. That's it. If you can add to the experience, fine, but make damn sure you're handling the prime directive as best as it can be handled. 

Again, strip it all down to reading and writing and I believe the problem will self-correct. In the end, authors will write and readers will read. If you can let go of the other 'stuff', I think you'll sleep well tonight.

~EJW~