What drives a story more than character? I’m on my fourth rewrite of The Ghost of Ridge Hill and find that more and more my characters need to be defined by individual characteristics.
In the first draft, Anthony was the POV character, because I heard that boy stories were needed. (which shows that you should never write to the publisher gossip). However, in a manuscript critique I entered through the Florida Pen Women, three out of four critics said it was Mattie’s story, which brought the first rewrite.
Then at the Cape Cod Writers Center Conference in August of 2010, a critique came that the ghost should appear more. Thus the second rewrite! Now I’m working with a literary editor. (I thought I needed another point of view at the text because I was SO familiar with it, I couldn’t remember what was repeated.) Patty is a marvelous help on that.
However, Patty thought the story would be more unique if it came from the ghost’s POV rather than Mattie’s. SO the third rewrite is now coming through. Will I EVER get this book completed?? Yes! My goal is mid-August!!
Which brings me to the subject of character!
With each rewrite, the characters have become more clear and have taken on a life of their own.
Their appearance, clothing, gestures and expressions are more vivid. I describe their body shape, their movements, objects that are important to them. And of course the setting and placement in the story have an effect of them also.
For instance, Anthony is the prime mover of one chapter when he and Mattie are in the woods where he grew up. But Mattie takes on the “boss” role when they are in her house. And, of course, Ruby, the ghost, is always hovering by an elbow or a window putting in her three cents.
A minor character, Mrs. Sturgis, whose daughter is the librarian, comes in for two chapters. She’s integral to a twist in the plot, but seemed flat. Patty suggested giving her a character flaw. I am giving her an odd quirk, which adds a bit of humor to her scenes and creates a more interesting person to read about. As I contemplate and write her quirk, she is becoming a more interesting character.
Also considering character, in a book they need a wide range of emotional reactions. Mattie shows excitement at the discovery of the ghost in her new house, yet feels fear at the attempt to exorcize her. Anthony is quiet at the beginning of the book but becomes an integral part in the exorcism in the middle. Ruby, the ghost, grows in strength as she is able to appear, speak through Anthony, and finally toss leaves over the two friends.
Characters need a wide range of complexities, both in physical, emotional and spiritual levels. As these become more prominent, their inner life and thoughts become more important to the movement of the story.
I find character charts help me a lot in remembering my subjects, especially with minor characters who appear only occasionally, like Mattie’s and Anthony’s parents. I find myself referring to them off and on. Was Sheila’s hair blonde or brown? Did Nan have curly or straight hair? Were Anthony’s glasses steel gray or horn rimmed?
Have fun with your characters. They eventually become your friends.

Creatively,
Christina

July 6, 2012

Recently I was reminded of Pulitzer Prize winner Ernest Hemmingway’s 6-word story and wondered what six words would describe me or my book characters. He wrote: “For sale: baby shoes, never used” which brings a complete and poignant picture to mind.
Can you describe yourself in six words? I’ve been doing some biblical research lately, so I began to look at Bible characters in terms of descriptions. The first to come to mind was David, “a man after My own heart” (1 Sam. 13:14, Acts 13:22). Then the self description: “Paul, an apostle of Jesus Christ” (Eph. 1:1) or his description of his disciple: “Timothy, my true son in the faith” (1 Tim. 1:2). The description of Jesus, “became flesh and dwelt among us” (Jn. 1:14), is profound.
Then there are the phrases that tell us ABOUT a person: Joshua “son of Nun, of the tribe of Benjamin” (Num. 13:8-9) tells about his background, or King Saul “stood head and shoulders above everyone” (1 Sam. 9: 2c) gives us a physical description.
What six words would you use to describe you? How can this exercise in precise descriptions of people of faith inspire you to think about what six-word description would best describe your characters? Would I describe myself saying: “a poet, author and active volunteer” or would I say: “woman on fire for the Lord”?
This could also be helpful in describing the characters in our books. Mattie, my ten-year-old heroine in “The Ghost of Ridge Hill”, could be described as “curious, Wicca-loving, ten-year-old” or of her cohort, Anthony, “sensitive, bike-riding Red Sox fan”. The ghost, Ruby, is “potential murder victim haunts small town brownstone”. And so on.
How can you use this exercise to be more concise with your character descriptions?
Have fun – try it!
Creatively,
Christina

Phew! It’s done! I’ve finished my middle grade book, “The Ghost of Ridge Hill”. It’s now in the hands of an editor and my next goal is to find a publisher!

What is unusual about this ghost story is that the ghost, a seven-year-old girl, plays an integral part in the book. She lingers around Mattie, 10, who has moved with her parents, a lesbian couple, from Pennsylvania to a small New England town. The ghost scoffs at Anthony, the boy next door who thinks there’s a ghost, isn’t sure he believes in them, but who is intrigued with Mattie and her quest to send the ghost Home to heaven.

In the process, all three characters have father problems. The two kids discuss them. Mattie has never had a father and occasionally, at gatherings like father–daughter dances, is at odds about what to do. Anthony has an alcoholic father who yells a lot. In the process, the two share their problems and serve as sounding boards. Ruby, who has been hanging around since 1913, wants to set straight the record that says her dad killed her.

Old papers come to light answering some questions. A librarian refers the kids to her mother who conducts a séance. A diary is discovered which reveals the lives of the two sisters. An exorcism takes place and Ruby is sent on her way to the Heavenly home to join her father, mother and older sister Ginger.

This happens to be my fourth rewrite. First it was Anthony’s story, then Mattie’s story. Then the ghost came into the picture. Finally is this revision that SEEMS to complete the work. Of course writers know that one has never finished her work. Even when a book is published, we still seem to edit. I am still reworking the haiku from my book “Seasons Rising: A Collection of Haiku”, which was published in 2011. Our work is never done.

But I am celebrating that the major work of writing (I began this book in 2008) is completed. Perhaps by 2014 the book will be between two covers!!!
Creatively,
Christina

What are the important items you need in your life as a writer? Here’s my list:

1. A large desk – enough to hold my lap top, file, pencil/pen container, files, calendar, writing materials and notes.
2. File cabinets – I file each story/book in a different drawer in a file folder or notebook. In another I have books or stories completed but not published. In a third I have all my writing information files and personal /house files.
3. Bookcases – hold all my reference books and literature
4. A good library – includes a dictionary, thesaurus, rhyming dictionary, concordance, and books on writing and publishing.
5. Beverage – When writing I become thirsty. Coffee in the morning, water, and then tea in the late afternoon.
6. A daily calendar – It’s a loose leaf one so I can punch correspondence and include in date. I record when I’ve sent out items, writing appointments, money spent (with receipts taped to the day), published works, responses, etc. This comes in handy at tax time.
7. A break – I often take a day break by walking to the post office (1/2 mile), gardening (spring-fall) or house pick up (winter). A longer break may include a day of skiing, shopping & errands, visiting grand children, a bike ride, kayaking, etc.
8. A writing schedule – although I often don’t keep it, I have blocked out specific times to write: 10-1, 3-5 and 7-10 p.m. on three days a week. I usually get one of these times into most days.
9. A writing group – is essential to improving your work. Nothing like a group of peers to critique your writing. It will set you on the right track and learn better ways of creating.
10. Knowing when to stop – I often stop writing in mid-sentence or mid-paragraph. It’s easier to pick up where I left off AND this defeats writer’s block. At night I often dream about the plot, problem, or character flaw, awaking with the problem solved.

One word of advice: Turn off the email! – I limit myself to a half-hour a day to email, usually 10-10:30 a.m. Otherwise, I could be at it all day – and sometimes has done so – much to my regret!

What are your 10 most important essentials to your writing day?

Creatively,
Christina

Time seems to go so swiftly.
This winter I spent a lot of time on the ski slopes, one of my favorite winter pastimes. I spent a week at Snowmass/Aspen (with a side trip to Evergreen to visit a cousin) and then to Courmayeur, Italy, plus several multi-day trips with the Cape Cod Ski Club.

You’d think that I’d have lots to write about after all that traveling. Perhaps it will fester and produce more creative endeavors. The scenery was certainly inspiring!

However, I haven’t been idle in the writing world. I sent a poem to the Naugatuck Review, and had a poem published in the Bay State Echo, the publication of the Massachusetts State Poetry Society (see below). This also will appear as the “Poem of the Week” on the www.NLAPW.org web site on Thursday, March 29. I’ve won a third prize in the Biennial Pen Woman haiku contest and a first prize for my “Winter Night” poem. I read “Going Away Gift”, a list poem, at the February Calliope poetry group and have a children’s book being considered by a Maine publisher.

So today I hope to get back into a regular habit of blogging once again. Welcome back to you – and to me.
Happy creating,
Christina

Bare branches
flung across the moon
throw eerie shadows
on my bedroom wall.
Across the ceiling
they reach claw-tipped arms
to yank out the nightmare
of my soul.

October 14, 2011

Last week in our Cape Cod Children’s Writers group, I read chapter 7 from The Ghost of Ridge Hill, which I hope to publish this year. The group caught the word “moon” or “Moonlight” 18 times in 13 pages. Guess what time the chapter occurred!!! When I arrived home to correct my third draft of this chapter and book, I discovered the word “look” was repeated nine times.
With my “moon” slip, I just took out most of the references or changed the sentence to refer to the evening in another way. However, with “look” I turned to my trusty Thesaurus, which should be on every writer’s desk. There I found 35 words or phrases including gaze, stare, glimpse, gander, regard, check out, inspect, scrutinize, notice, examine, observe, glare, watch, etc. Needless to say, I didn’t need to alter sentences, just substitute words.
Other dead words that fellow member Linda Williams always points out include walk, run, see, said, stop, far away, and others. For instance, instead of running you could sprint, race, jog, dash, bound, scurry, etc. Look at how much more descriptive each of these words is compared to run. Instead of “say” try utter, speak, whisper, pronounce, remark, vocalize. Or with walk you could use stroll, amble, hike, march, stride, meander, and so on.
Using a Thesaurus is invaluable to us as writers. It not only improves our own vocabulary but also challenges the reader to learn new words or phrases. Try it as an exercise to find as many words as possible for a simple “dead” word.
Last spring I had to write a poem to a painting of the ocean. I had writers block! I was frozen. So I sat down and wrote every word or phrase I could think of concerning ocean and water. After two pages, my writers block was gone and I had the base for the poem. It’s a way of stretching your mind. Try it!
Good writing,
Christina

September 2011
What a whirlwind of a summer. After May knee surgery and recovery in June, I whisked off to Prague to join 225 voices in a Mozart and Bernstein concert in the Prague Smetana Hall. Walking with a cane over those cobblestone streets was a test of balance and recovery! But the music was fantastic, the company great fun, and the scenery unbelievable.
Summer company barely left me when I turned my head again to writing. I have sorely neglected writing my blog, but I’m back, walking normally and hope to be more faithful as fall unfolds with its cooler nights and sunny days. How pleased I am to be rid of the summer heat!!
Christina Laurie

April 22, 2011

Reading our own writing out loud tells us a lot about what we’ve put to paper. Hearing our voice, for some reason, causes us to HEAR our words differently than when we read them silently or on the screen.

Wednesday night I attended the monthly Writers Night Out evening sponsored by the Cape Cod Writers Center. It was “Poetry Night” and I was privileged to read three minutes of my poetry. I began with haiku from my book Seasons Rising, and then read three other poems: “Divorce”, “David’s Going Away Present” and my national prize winning poem “Winter Night”.

In reading out loud, I heard places where I wanted to change a word or phrase. Amazing! Even in Seasons Rising I found a line to switch, words to drop, a synonym to change.

We can never read out loud too much. Even when I read children’s’ books to my grandchildren, I hear places I might add or change the text. And sometimes I do just that to the comment from them: “Nana, that’s not in the book.” But I think it’s fun and almost wait for them to notice.

Here are several suggestions for reading your own work for criticism.

1. Put away your writing for a period of time. This gives you a fresh look at your work.
2. Give up any pretenses of plot, rhyme, words, character. See the work with a fresh mind.
3. Read slowly and out loud.
4. Tape your reading and play it back. It’s amazing what you hear when you listen to your own voice.
5. Print it out and read it. I find seeing the words on paper help me to be more critical and to notice more. I also can edit, shift paragraphs, correct spelling and punctuation as I hear where my voice halts, pauses and stops.

Have fun reading. It’s a part of you on paper!
Creatively,
Christina

March 18, 2011

I’ve been silent. I’ve been on vacation, skiing with the Cape Cod Ski Club. We flew to Minneapolis – 28 of us – and then on to Anchorage. After a 40 minute bus ride southeast along the Turnagain Arm of Cook Inlet, we were deposited at Alyeska where the tram rose from the hotel to the 2800 foot top of the mountain.
The Turnagain Arm is a long body of rather shallow water at low tide which runs between the great Alaska Range two mountain ranges. In the mid 1780’s Capt. James Cook, while looking for a passage to the northwest, sailed up the bay but had to turn around because he ran into shallow water and mountains that blocked his path. That’s where the name Turnagain Arm came from. It looks like an arm from the top of Alyeska, in the Chugach Mountains where we skied.
For a week we skied in foggy weather for three days and the glorious sunshine for the last two.
Although it was a little early for brown bears to leave their dens, we visited the Wildlife Sanctuary where we saw three adults and a couple of cubs. Muskoxen, antelopes, wood bison, coyotes, moose, deer, a bald eagle and elk also lived there in a protective environment.
It was a glorious week of exercise, good food, nice people, and comfortable accommodations. But it also means the end of skiing for the year for me. (Read frown) After accumulating 25 days of skiing, the most I’ve ever done in a season, I am wishing I could continue on the slopes of New England. Unfortunately the skis are sharpened, the boots shined, the parka and clothes washed and put away.
Now the garden and lawn await spring attention!