Putting Nonfiction Tools into Fiction Practice

When the Carny Comes to Town, the third book in the Jolie Gentil cozy mystery series, will be out at the end of February as an e-book and paperback.  As I revised (and revised) it struck me that I was using the techniques discussed in my book Words to Write By: Getting Your Thoughts on Paper.  

I started with an idea for the opening scene and a sense of where I wanted to go and then made lists.  Lists of characters, places, good guys, bad guys, and whatever else I could think of.  As I developed the plot I would return to those lists and think about how the characters would handle the various situations.  A lot of things on the lists were crossed off, others were added.

Words to Write By is geared to nonfiction, but a reviewer noted it could apply to stories, and added, "The [writer's] words come out in a jumble, ideas are repeated or lost... you just can't seem to figure out how to even organize what you want to say. The author breaks down the writing process into simple steps, from gathering ideas and information to giving your writing its final polish on the way out to the Real World."

I always appreciate a positive review, but they're even more fun to read when you think the reviewer "gets" what you wanted to say.  When you put your ideas on paper, you start to see common themes.  Those themes can coalesce into a story, fiction or nonfiction.

As I put the finishing touches on When the Carny Comes to Town those lists are still at the top of my folder, and those techniques for writing nonfiction continue to be useful tools. 

Blog post on effective communication -- ASPA National Weblog

I have begun writing a monthly blog for the American Society for Public Administration, my professional organization for more than 35 years.  (Yes, 35!)  My blogs will deal largely with communication and civility in the public sector.  Have a look.

http://aspanational.wordpress.com/2012/01/10/is-effective-communication-a-casualty-of-todays-contention/

Thoughts about Revising Fiction

By Elaine L. Orr

I was in my twenties, working on a team that was preparing a report for top management of an organization, when the team leader said, "Every final becomes a new iteration."  

I did not know the definition of iteration, though the dictionary said it essentially meant  a new draft. Today's Oxford American College Dictionary gives one meaning as "a new version of a piece of computer hardware or software." When I first encountered the term iteration I did not yet own a computer and doubt the dictionary writers did either. Times change.

Hearing this phrase taught me two things. First, never use a three-dollar word when a one-dollar word will do. Second, don't have such pride in your work that you consider an early draft to be the one for public consumption.

As a technical writer for many years, I revised constantly.  I revise my fiction, too, but generally only before publication. In 2006, Author House issued my book Searching for Secrets.  It is a short mystery that puts almost as much emphasis on a potential romance between the two main characters, a teacher and police officer in Iowa City.

After a lot of thought, I issued a new version of the book as an e-pub. Why? I didn't like the earlier version. 

The romantic elements seemed forced and took away from the story. I liked the story itself, so I reworked parts of the book. The book is much the same, but with less focus on the characters' thoughts about one another. It flows better. 

Is this sacrilege? Maybe. Am I happy with the new version?  Definitely.  A friend's note confirmed that the revision was a good decision.  He had just finished reading Appraisal for Murder and said, "It is a good read; much better than your first effort Searching for Secrets."  Only a good friend will tell you something like that.

This will be the only time I publish a revised piece of fiction. My skills are at a level I'm happier with -- doesn't mean everyone will like my writing, but I will. And I may let some of it sit longer in a drawer before putting it out there. 
                                                      *     *     *     *

Check out Elaine's web page, or her online classes, or sign up for her newsletter

"Words to Write By" gets more interest

After editing nonfiction for a number of years I saw similar themes among a number of clients.  They knew their subject matter but either believed they "could not write" or were frustrated with not doing it as well as they wanted to.  I wrote Words to Write By: Getting Your Thoughts on Paper, with them in mind.  It is now on Kindle, but since portions are intended to be a workbook I want to reissue it as a paperback.  Years ago I did a spiral-bound version, but as I've refined segments I did not reprint.

If you go to the link on my web site (click here) you can see a more full description and then click a link to read the table of contents.  As I consider revisions for a new edition, I would appreciate it if you would take a look and offer comments.  If you can't wait a couple months for a paperback the Kindle edition is available.  Words to Write By: Getting Your Thoughts on Paper

Updated my web site

I spent a fair bit of time working to create a sleeker look at www.elaineorr.com.  While you can still tell the site was designed by a novice, I like the look.  I had not been able to update the site because Yahoo (my host) stopped accepting updates from the Front Page software.  I can say that Yahoo's own Sitebuilder is simple to learn (which a couple others I tried were not) and there are people you can call any time -- and not one of them says, "You mean you can't figure that out for yourself?"

My e-book giveaway on Amazon is "Secrets of the Gap" and it has topped 9,000 downloads.  It has led to an uptick in sales of other books.  Cool.  www.amazon.com/Secrets-of-the-Gap-ebook/dp/B0032JSL52/

Now, back to writing...

Learning to Blog for Book Publicity

That business of writing being easy ("you just open a vein...") does not hold a candle to blogging effectively.  Between trying to overcome the "who wants to hear from me every day?" handicap and learning the technical aspects of creating the posts, I'm considering a hut in the Andes.  Or maybe the Alps, I love the Alps. Now that I've learned the difference between posts and pages I better understand why some writers have abandoned web pages in favor of blogs.  This really is (sort of, kind of) easier. Today I created a page on the Jolie Gentil cozy mystery series and am about to do one on my recent family history book, Orr Campbell, Mitchell, and Shirley Families in Ireland and America.  I thought about whether the fiction and family history blogs should be separate.  For now, both are here -- both kinds of writing inform the other.  And, this is me.

Jolie Gentil is involved in a new case...

...and she's not officially a detective.  When the Carny Comes to Town is well underway, with an e-book publication date of February 2012.  The challenge is to focus on writing and marketing the two previous books -- Appraisal for Murder and Rekindling Motives.  I did not anticipate what a juggling act the roles of writer and publicist would engender.