May News and Announcements
It is with heavy hearts that we say goodbye to April and National Poetry Month. Remember though, that poems should be celebrated all year long, so please keep reading and writing poetry.
May is a month in which we have much to celebrate – summer is just around the corner. Here in the U.S., we honor Mother’s Day and Cinco de Mayo, and for those who adhere to the old ways (or who simply appreciate a little pole dancing), May Day (or Midsummer) is a good reason to throw a soirée.
This month, we’re going to turn our focus toward fiction writing. In upcoming articles, we’ll look at some common problems that fiction writers face and talk about techniques that can be applied to produce better fiction. You can still expect regular articles on creative writing, grammar, and other writing tips and exercises throughout the month, so if fiction writing is not your thing, stay tuned.
The Fire in Fiction Writing
In his new book, The Fire in Fiction
In the following excerpt from The Fire in Fiction, Maass discusses the importance of voice in fiction writing,.
A Singular Voice
Do you have style?
Some authors have a plain prose style. That is said often of John Grisham, James Patterson and Nicholas Sparks. They are strong storytellers and best sellers so I dare say they are not much bothered about it.
Other writers are known almost entirely for their way with words. Reviewers swoon over their “lapidary” prose (I had to look it up) and their “closely observed” take on their subjects, which I sometimes think is code for not much happens. Prose stylists can sell well too which, for me, implies that fiction’s punch and appeal is achieved in part by writing with force.
Now by that I do not mean just words as bullets; I mean that impact can be felt from the many ways in which the author’s outlook comes across. Having something to say, a theme, is important as how you say it, or how your characters do.
What’s your narrative style? I don’t care about your choice particularly, but I do care whether or not you have a distinctive way of telling your tale. That is part of your power.
Author bio: A literary agent in New York, Donald Maass’s agency sells more than 150 novels every year to major publishers in the U.S. and overseas. He is the author of The Career Novelist
Reading is Fundamental
Founded in 1966, Reading is Fundamental (RIF) is the oldest and largest children’s and family nonprofit literacy organization in the United States. RIF’s highest priority is reaching underserved children from birth to age 8. Through community volunteers in every state and U.S. territory, RIF provides 4.5 million children with 16 million new, free books and literacy resources each year.
RIF’s 2009 Read with Kids Challenge is aimed at bringing attention to the importance of adults reading with children. This year, RIF raised our goal to 5 million minutes spent reading with kids from April through June. You can learn more by visiting the Read with Kids Challenge homepage.
Make sure to visit the “Happy Passengers” section and find out which chidren’s books bring back happy memories. The “Fun for Kids” area has activity pages, online stories, and games. Our honorary team captains include children’s authors such as Mo Willems and Sandra Boynton. We also have TV personalities on board: Al Roker, Jerry Seinfeld, and others.
Please support Reading is Funadmental and the 2009 Read with Kids Challenge by visiting the website and by reading with the kids in your life.
AravisGirls last blog post..Story Artwork
I love the music and food of Cinco De Mayo
Veggie burritos, nachos, and a cold Corona with lime. That’s what I should have had this weekend!
I would say my narrative style is more about my word choice than storytelling. This isn’t always best. Sometimes I need to just GET TO THE POINT. I’m working on it though.
Writer Dads last blog post..7 Steps to Squeaky Clean Copy
You should read Elements of Style – it talks extensively about getting to the point and using concise language. It’s less than 100 pages, a quick read, and it has tons of useful grammar and style tips too. Amazing how they packed so much into that little book.
Style? I guess it would be brute force. sometimes I just have to knock it out and hope it sorts itself out later.
I miss hanging out here. Hopefully I will find some kind of new normal life eventually.
I do that a lot – just knock it out and sort of hope that my voice comes through. I miss you hanging out here too!
It’s such a reminder that it’s what we say and how we say it.
The people with sticky messages always have a way with words. Some are punchy and precise. Others fake left, then go right and then land an “ah-ha” when you least expect it. Yet others do the tango along the way, tickling and teasing your senses into another way to see the world.
J.D. Meiers last blog post..Outsource Your 80 Percent
The other day I took a literary quiz and one of the questions presented a couple of lines of poetry, and I had to guess who the poet was. Now, I haven’t read much Robert Frost, but I knew it was him immediately. That’s voice. Imagine writing in a way that recognizable. Wow.
Thank you for mentioning the Read with Kids Challenge!
My pleasure!
I haven’t written any fictional pieces in a while, at least not that I can remember, but I generally like to have the narrator speak as casual as possible with asides and tangents that may or may not be relevant to what’s really going on in the story. This is how I tell stories to my friends, unless they tell me they don’t really have time for my “usual” storytelling. I’ve only read “The Hitchhiker’s Guide to the Galaxy” by Douglas Adams and I loved his style. Judy Blume is still an early influence and always had been. But I usually enjoy writing as the main character.
And shame on me, I didn’t write a single lick of poetry all throughout April. I know I’ve gone through enough events and emotions that I could’ve had a poem for each day of the month… something I still want to challenge myself to do at some point.
t.sterlings last blog post..“x-men origins: wolverine” review
If you liked Hitchhiker’s, then you’d probably like Snow Crash by Neal Stephenson. I read all the Judy Blume books when I was a kid. They were so racy!
I took a look on Amazon, reading the description… looks awesome. And the main character’s name is Hiro? Oh yeah, I’ll definitely check it out soon. Thanks for the recommendation. There are few people I will just buy a book from because they say so.
Oh yes, the main character is Hiro. It’s an excellent book and an easy read with plenty of humor. Definitely something you’ll enjoy if you liked Hitchhiker’s Guide to the Galaxy. Enjoy!
Hi Melissa: I stopped reading fiction for a long time because I was so busy reading nonfiction books. I just started reading novels again and now I can’t stop. I read “The Other Boleyn Girl” over the weekend and it was fantastic! I can’t believe I had forgotten how much I love reading fiction
Hi Marelisa, I actually stopped reading fiction for several months myself. It sure felt good to come back to it! I have to say, fiction is my favorite for reading
It’s Cindo de Mayo. Shouldn’t we be celebrating writing in Spanish? I did have Mexican food for lunch. On another thought, maybe we should celebrate this month by eating food with mayo in it.
As demonstrated above, I believe my style is that in the middle of a paragraph I would find myself suddenly distracted by a stupid pun and go on to talk about that instead… if that counts. =D
Kelvin Kaos last blog post..Voiceover Gig
I wish I could write in Spanish, but I’m afraid it would come out as a twisted version of Spanglish. I love puns, and your mayo pun is clever
Hey Melissa,
Though John Grisham and James Patterson have simplistic easy to read styles, I have enjoyed several novels from both of them. I suppose that’s their appeal: nothing too complicated and an easy to follow plot. Mysteries are notorious for being too complicated, so I prefer it and similar genres to be simple like those guys. I like the idea of having multiple styles and mix them up. I may write 40 pages in flat prose then erupt like a bizarre flower to give certain scenes more power and make my really sick or weird stuff pop without stepping on the story. I say be yourself, but have dozens of split writing personalities:)
Bobby Revells last blog post..Writing Fiction: Using Literary Theory
I have read exactly one James Patterson novel. As for John Grisham, I’ve seen the movies and once I know the story and the outcome, I lose the desire to read the book, at least with those types of (suspense) stories. They both have mass appeal. However, if you want a really gripping thriller, check out novels by Thomas Harris (author of Silence of the Lambs). He’s an absolute master at every aspect of fiction.
I’ve always loved the way Joan Didion puts words together (though I mostly read her nonfiction) and Edith Wharton to a certain extent too, but it’s hard to put into words exactly why or what it is precisely. And this is something I have only recently started seriously thinking about in terms of my own writing… a very timely post for me
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Thank you, as always!
Greers last blog post..The Contrast Podcast – Sirens
I believe that once a writer has discovered authors whose voices resonate, that writer has found her mentors. That is not to say we should mimic the voices of the authors we admire, but study them to better understand how they present a distinct voice. I do think that developing a voice comes later in the process of one’s development as a writer, but it’s something worth thinking about at any point.
Hi Melissa! I am really looking forward to this month’s theme. I need a fiction fire! My manuscript is screaming for my attention and May feels like a good month for fiction. Style? Not sure, still trying to figure it out!
Karen Swims last blog post..Life, Death and Dreams
I think that voice is the single biggest challenge for most writers. Many successful writers don’t even have a distinct voice. In fact, I associate a strong writing voice with literary fiction. In any case, let’s all get our manuscripts out and tighten them up! I’m so ready.