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aaronlcarter

Monthly Archives: April 2015

Character Voices

27 Monday Apr 2015

Posted by aaronlcarter in Creative Process

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One of the trickiest things about creative writing is assuring that each character has a voice separate and distinct from others. My writing style, in Boyhood Adventures, makes me the omniscient story-teller, sharing a story about three eight-year-old boys seeking adventure in Texarkana, Arkansas, in 1953. Writing dialog between the three boys is a bit like walking through a swamp littered with patches of quicksand: one misstep, and I’m sunk up to my ears. With all three boys the same age, the challenge is amplified.

Such is the nature of my writing style. I chose it. I have to live with it. And I have to make my character voices work for my readers. It’s one thing to write, “he said – she said.” But if “he” and “she” use precisely the same grammar, exactly the same wordage, or all-too-similar clichés, well … that’s asking my reader to work a little too hard to accept the characters as being distinct individuals.

The University of Endless Study

25 Saturday Apr 2015

Posted by aaronlcarter in Creative Process

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Most every day is the same for me. I spend the first fifteen minutes in scripture study. Then I read something from the book of the day. This morning, that book was The Kick-Ass Writer by Chuck Wendig.

I suppose it fair to expect my more educated colleagues to disapprove of my idea of an educational textbook. I fully realize that Chuck’s book probably wasn’t included in the textbooks recommended at better universities. But I can’t afford to study at Stanford or BYU, so I get my text books from Amazon. And I have to say, for this humble story-teller, Chuckey hit the nail on the head. I felt as though he had me in mind as he offered advice to “aspiring writers.” Every morsel seemed like manna from heaven. Well, maybe not from heaven, as his vocabulary is less than reverent. But his advice is sound and timely.

I suppose education is a matter of accepting the fact that study is endless. While universities must pick and choose textbooks that sustain their syllabus, my personal educational process is, “…cram as much learning in my cerebral cortex as humanly possible.” I may not agree with every point of doctrine I read as I study, but I must sample it, consider it, and decide whether or not to incorporate it in my professional paradigm. Today, my time with Chuck Wendig was well spent. Irreverent, but well spent.

The Beat Goes On

19 Sunday Apr 2015

Posted by aaronlcarter in Works in Progress

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I’m in the process of formatting my manuscript for submission. This can be a daunting task. The publisher provides submission guidelines but they can be woefully deceptive or somewhat lacking in a few details. The good news, I have found, is that publishers are very willing to respond to questions about things I’m uncertain about. So, it’s working out okay.

Formatting is FUN. Okay, I’m being a bit sarcastic. But with practice, practice, practice, I find the task getting easier. Once again, paying close attention to publisher guidelines is a must. It’s amazing what publishers will do to help your work along.

Finishing the Book

14 Tuesday Apr 2015

Posted by aaronlcarter in Works in Progress

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Manuscript editing is a tough job. I really can’t trust myself to the task because I’m not as objective as others who’ve volunteered to do the job for me. My wife, Gail; my Sister-in-Law, Leanne; and my son, Brian are all chipping in as watchdogs on the project. I must admit to being surprised at the errors they’re finding: simple things I passed over without a discerning glance.

Manuscript submission closely follows the editor’s green flag of approval. This will be a moment long awaited. For me, being published by a “vanity” agency is nothing compared to being published by a legitimate publishing house. It’s a right of passage. It’s the difference between purchasing a BS degree based on a lifetime of acquired knowledge and a degree earned from an accredited university like BYU. One might like to believe one is as credible as the other, but it just ain’t so!

So, the month of April – May 2015 will be an apex in my writing career. I hope the experience turns out to be everything I’ve worked for.

Overcoming Anxiety is Fun

13 Monday Apr 2015

Posted by aaronlcarter in Creative Process

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Lessons learned as a Marine remain usable as I advance in years. One of those lessons involves embracing anxiety and attacking things that frighten. Working on a synopsis for my latest book has been intimidating. Moving forward – despite feelings of apprehension – has been a rewarding exercise. Coining lyrics sung by the great Frank Sinatra, “I did it my way.”

A Simple Synopsis – Not So Simple

08 Wednesday Apr 2015

Posted by aaronlcarter in Works in Progress

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I’m preparing a synopsis as part of my manuscript submission package for my publisher. As simple as it sounds, preparing a book synopsis is as perilous as walking a high wire without a net. What makes it all the more perilous is that this is my first interaction with this publisher. It raises certain questions: Does he prefer brevity over detail? Does he anticipate a single page synopsis or a three pager? Does he like plot curve more than character curve or is he an equal opportunity critic? There are so many facets to the complex world of book synopses, sallying forth is an unsettling prospect. Maybe some prayer and fasting is in order.

The Perpetual Learning Curve

07 Tuesday Apr 2015

Posted by aaronlcarter in Perpetual Learning

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These days, my life as a creative writer is a “learn-as-you-earn” experience. Some part of every day is spent reading books like, Strunk & White’s, “The Elements of Style.” Susan Thurman’s, “The Only Grammar Book You’ll Ever Need.” And, “Webster’s New World English Grammar Handbook” There are many other books o’ learnin’ on my educational / reference book shelf, but I don’t want to bore you with an endless list.

Below my educational / reference book shelf is my literary book shelf. Now there’s a heavily-laden plank of wood! I consider every one of those literary works an important facet of my education. So, even at the age of 68, I’m still pumpin’ those cerebral neurons over the mental exercise yard. I guess you could say that I subscribe to the concept of “learnin’ is earnin’.”

My good friend, Courtney Alameda, buckled up and piloted through the task of earning a degree in the field of English Literature at BYU. My path of agony is less formal, but – I believe – just as arduous. It involves study of endless books written by folks having more expertise in the art of creative writing than I. Either way, I believe, the only pathway to success as an author / writer is by way of perpetual learning; whether home taught or at BYU. Having said that, can you guess what my next education pursuit will entail? Yep. BYU or bust. But I have to do the work at home and not on campus. We old folks require more naps between bouts of learning.

Rules & Guidelines

06 Monday Apr 2015

Posted by aaronlcarter in Getting Published

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I’m discovering that publishing houses can be sticklers for their own brand of requirements for manuscript submissions. One hardline publisher states the following: “…we take guidelines seriously. Every submission that fails to adhere to our guidelines will be followed up with a ‘we threw yours in the trash’ email, to inform you that you have failed our test. We also desire to amplify our concern for your apparent inability to follow the most fundamental of instructions.”

Wow: talk about fanatical dogma. It’s like suffering through high school English Grammar all over again. I mean, for crying out loud, even prison guards affect discipline with more compassion.

Getting published is tough. Knowing the rules and guidelines for a particular publisher is essential. I believe that’s why so many writers are doing the indie thing these days. Rules and guidelines remain, but at least you’re somewhat assured that your book will soon be available on Amazon without undue hindrance. That’s how I got Boyhood Adventures published. I used my own rules and guidelines – up to a point. But – in the end – I did get snagged by a few Xlibris rules and guidelines I had overlooked. Oh well, live ‘n’ learn, I guess.

For me, I’m done with indie publishing. The problem for me is my lack of skill when it comes to marketing. By the time you pay an indie publisher a marketing service charge, you’ve pretty much assured yourself that you will be paying for the privilege of being a published writer. At least, a traditional publication house has a vested interest in getting my work out there. I’m not greedy. They make money, and I make money, and I don’t have to concern myself with the complexities of marketing. Working with indie publishers, they make money, and they make money. When I published with Xlibris, I lost over $1,000.00. So, lesson learned. Traditional publishing or nothing. At least, that way, marketing is in the hands of folks who know how best to get my work out there and selling. I can’t seem to get people to show interest in my blog, much less my books. So, I’m very much reliant on folks with marketing skills that far exceed my own.

I’ve come to realize that there is a hard and fast distinction between the two worlds of Rules, and Guidelines. An error here can prove discomfiting. Failing to understand the difference between A-B-C Publishing House rules, as opposed to their guidelines, can be surprisingly perilous. It’s even more difficult to discern the difference when a rule is so buried within stated guidelines, that the rule itself is almost imperceptible.

So, what I’ve learned to do, the hard way, is to take things one step at a time. I work along the path slowly, deliberately, and cautiously. I study submission rules and guidelines like I’m preparing for a college exam. Only then, being satisfied that I have complied with every facet of the agent / publisher’s requirements, I take a deep breath, and ship the manuscript. At least, following that painstaking protocol, if my manuscript is refused, it will be based on the merit of my work and not a misstep in the mine field of rules and guidelines.

It’s a Mad, Mad, Mad, Mad World

04 Saturday Apr 2015

Posted by aaronlcarter in Creative Process

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I’m loving the craziness comprising my world of creative writing these days. Despite being known as “Mister one-thing-at-a-time,” I can’t seem to avoid the temptation to go helter-skelter in my writing regimen.

Yesterday I devoted five hours to working on Haunted Haunts. I had a great time adding humor, reinforcing plot, and refining character development. As I entered the late afternoon hours, I ventured into research for The Troubleshooter. This was a good news / bad news experience. There are significant challenges inherent to writing believable fiction about the LAPD in 1949. LAPD history is wonderful but surprisingly limited; not classified, just limited. Using Los Angeles as a location is not without snares and pitfalls. Plot and dialog are effected by seemingly insignificant things like streets and highways that have changed significantly since 1941. Using post-war Venezuela as a location poses its own set of challenges. Moving the story forward will be like maneuvering across a mine field. As far as Los Angeles geography is concerned, Harvard street may well exist today, but did it exist in 1949? Describing activity on a street that didn’t exist at the time represented can result in a high casualty rate among would-be fans of my work. And I haven’t even begun the task of researching venues in war-time Germany. What have I gotten myself in to? And why am I classifying this as FUN? The world of creative writing can truly be a mad, mad, world, but it is most certainly a fun ride.

A Rooster Throws Down

03 Friday Apr 2015

Posted by aaronlcarter in Works in Progress

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Character voice is critical to projects like Boyhood Adventures. But sustaining voices of young boys living in Texarkana, Arkansas in 1953, has drawbacks. After hours, days and weeks of writing dialog, I find my mind thinking in character voice and even speaking in character voice. It drives my wife crazy. But – to me – it’s all part of the process of creative writing. Here’s an example of character voice in my book, Haunted Haunts:

“Last summer, we was up at Nashville,” said Lee, “at Max Market. There’s this big place to park, all covered with gravel. Daddy and I was fillin’ boxes with stuff to take inside, and here come this Holsum truck, highballin’ right on up to where we was workin’. That ol’ boy hit his brakes an’ went slidin’ up by where we was. A bunch o’ gravel went all over the place an’ some of it hit Daddy’s pants an’ shoes. Burt got out of his truck lookin’ real mad, but Daddy faced him, lookin’ all calm like. Burt slammed his door and came right on up to Daddy. Then Daddy said somethin’ like, Howdy, cowboy?

“Cowboy?” said Frank.

“Yeah,” said Lee. “Daddy always called bad truck drivers cowboys, ‘specially if he seen ‘em drive real crazy like Burt done. Anyways, Burt started yelling, ‘bout how his bread got all smashed and shoved ‘round.  Daddy never said nothin’. He just took off his glasses and set ‘em on the step of his cab. I was standin’ by the back of Daddy’s bread truck, so I could see his face real good. I never seed Daddy look mad or nothin’. He just stood there with his left foot a little ahead o’ t’other. I seed him make a fist with his right hand but he had it hid from Burt, behind his leg. He never said nothin’ but I could tell he was fixin’ to get ready to throw down on that ol’ boy. It was kinda like when two cats square off on each other. When, like, ya can tell one o’ them cats is fixin’ to scrap an’ that other cat just wants to get the heck on outta there. I guess Burt saw Dad was set to fight ‘cause all of a sudden like, his voice got real quiet.  I couldn’t hear what he said after that.  Then Burt got back in his truck and just drove off, real slow like.”

“Dang!” said Dennis. “Was he short, like Jimmy?”

“No sir!” said Lee. “Burt’s a big ol’ boy, from Amarillo, Texas. An’ that’s another reason Daddy don’t like him so much. He always says Texans is full of hot air an’ … well … I can’t say the rest o’ what Daddy says ’bout them fellers.”

Dennis was impressed. “So, Jimmy stood up to that big ol’ Texan?”

“Yessiree Bob,” said Lee.  “I asked Daddy why he never said nothin’ an’ he tol’ me somethin’ like, Some fellers talk a hell of a fight. Chickens cackle ‘n’ cluck, but a rooster throws down. I ain’t no chicken.”

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