Daydreaming

Are you a random daydreamer? Or do you plan a few minutes each day to let your mind roam?

I do a bit of both. And my favorite daydreams, especially those that pertain to the "Wilfair" books, unfurl when I'm up to something else, like watering the garden. Meaning that when I sit down to a blank screen everything I'm going to write, whether it be a page or a scene or an exchange, is already, for the most part, written.

Thank you, daydreaming.

Things will change, yes, as I'm typing, but I've never been one to plunk down with my hands hovering over the keyboard as I decide where to start. Those who can? Amazing people. I just end up typing "I love cheese" over and over. And "I love cheese," for all of its finer qualities, does not a story make.

Where is your best daydreaming done?

Subverting the Big Reveal

The Big Reveal in a story or film has always charmed me. Two potential sweethearts spend much of a film looking slovenly or at least very casual. Then, in the final act, they suddenly appear at the dance or the ball or the wedding and, wow, are they suddenly fancy and gorgeous.

The girl often swans down a grand staircase into the guy's arms:

"Wow," says the guy. "You clean up nice."
"So do you," says the girl, nearly losing her balance in her new high heels. 
He catches her elbow and their eyes meet.

One of the freedoms of going the self-publishing route with the WILFAIR books is being able to try what I want to try and toy with the standards. This isn't to say traditionally published writers aren't given awesome freedoms to stretch and subvert and experiment; I'm quite sure they are. And, as I've said before, I'm sweet on the traditional route. I'll never harsh on anyone's mellow regarding self-pub vs. traditional. To each her own and high fives all around.

WILFAIR's first two potential sweethearts (oh yes, there are more to come -- hi, Carly) are Fair Finley and Gomery Overbove. The hotel heiress and motel employee deserve their Big Reveal, too, but because Fair is usually in vintage movie gowns and Gomery's in his tie and button-up, their Big Reveal naturally has to go in the opposite direction.

In short: Can two characters go from dressy to dressed-down and still wow each other? Would it be kind of exciting to see your crush, a person who is typically gussied up, appear in your doorway clad in a t-shirt, denim skirt, and clogs?

Nope, it isn't a major subversion of a tried-and-true theme and I'm not saying I'm rewriting any rules. Goodness no. But I am gaining plenty of pleasure from lining up a bunch of tiny subversions, one after the other, in these books, and seeing how they stack up. Because the tiny and quieter subversions, I find, ultimately pack more punch.

I hope you're enjoying them, too.

How Long Is a Book?

A few weeks ago I wrote that I wanted to keep all the books around the same length-ish.

Yeah.

That's probably not happening with STAY AWHILE. And that's okay, because I hope, down the road, to write some shorter -- 20,000 words? -- stories set in this world.

It's just sticky, for me personally, because I'm the sort of person who likes to spoon out the same amount of macaroni to everyone's bowl come dinnertime. Even stevens. But sometimes some bowls will have more, and I have to deal with that. It's no biggie.

If you have thoughts on the lengths of WILFAIR and REDWOODIAN, and what would be satisfying for you in future books, please ping me. :)

Gah Be Gone

Letting go of my gah has been one of the best side effects of writing the Wilfair stories.

I'm so grateful that I've been able to write for a living. I'm also grateful that I get to say exactly what is on my mind in what I write. And hoo boy, do I. I rarely hold back while trying to present my viewpoint in a professional and positive (I hope) manner. Sometimes I get a little too voice-y. Let's be honest. I go there, for better or worse.

But put me, personally, under the spotlight on certain topics, and I go mum, preferring to let what I write speak for itself. Meaning that sometimes I'm a bit "gah" when opening myself up.

This is not charming. I know that.

So there comes a time when the gah has got to go.

Because I want to talk about what's beneath the surface in Wilfair. The books are pretty light at first glance, yes, but there's other stuff inside. Like? How it feels to end your teens when you feel you never actually began them. Making a friend out of a foe. Working with your parents, in every sense. Owning your power. Staying kind while not ceding ground. And, of course, I like to think about love and heat and mystery and magic, too. We all do.

That's my very long prelude to a post about an interesting discussion in the comments section of a recent Forever Young Adult book review.

The topic: To wait or not wait?

If you've waded into Wilfair or its follow-up Redwoodian, you probably sensed some of my feelings about what is, no doubt, a very complex topic for almost everyone at some point. (At least regarding these particular characters and their journeys.)

So. That said: Do you like the pace that's being set for Fair and Gomery in Wilfair? Do you feel some of their natural shyness and caution is realistic to their age, or at least some people in their age group? Is it okay to be an old child?

I'm curious and I love feedback.

When I set out to tell these stories I assumed I'd write them and then share related photos and links on my blog and that would be that. But using this blog to occasionally discuss the larger and deeper threads of the stories feels much more satisfying and true. So let's do that, too, k? I'm grateful for the great readers who have weighed in and I've been taking what you say to heart and mind.

Goodbye, gah. I'm so over you.

Reading Dialogue Aloud

Years ago I was the happy assistant to two TV writers known for their elaborate, punchy dialogue. Let's give it up for them: Ron Osborn and Jeff Reno! Nicest guys. Definitely check out Ron's awesome screenwriting site.

(And can I brag? They wrote for "Moonlighting." Talk about zippy guy-girl flirt talk. LOVE.)

I saw the importance of flow when two or three characters chatted. Jeff and Ron never permitted a wasted word to sneak its way in, and I try to follow their example in my own writing.

So, with Ron and Jeff as my inspiration, I read every bit of Wilfair dialogue aloud. I choose every "like" and "um" with care. (Yep, Fair Finley, Wilfair's leading lady, relies on both of those words a bit too much; she's working on that habit, swear.)

Every exchange should aim to be crisp and snappy and, more than anything, alive.

Thank you, Reno and Osborn! You guys are swell.

My Personal Storytelling Policy

1. People, their relationships, and what is important to them first
2. Weird stuff second
3. Gratuitous descriptions of creamy cheese dips third

Best. Writing. Advice. Ever!

Roger Ebert: "The Muse visits during the act of creation, not before. Don't wait for her. Start alone.”

True x 100. I never put off writing when I'm stuck. Being in the story always helps me through the stuckness. The muse does indeed, as the critic has said before, visit while you're writing, not before.

But, really, doesn't this apply to everything in life? Gamely enter anything, whether it is a problem to solve or a complicated recipe or a much-desired date, if you want to find your way through. Don't hem and haw at entrances for too long, is my policy.

If you've made it to the entrance you can make it inside. And once inside everything looks better and easier. The ridiculous phantoms you created at the door are gone. Poof.