Category Archives: #writetip

How I Discovered A Cozy Voice

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Those of you who have been hanging around this blog for a while may know that I became a fiction writer somewhat by accident. Back in the 90’s, I started writing Nancy Drew mysteries when a college buddy-turned-editor invited me to submit a story proposal for the series. When my editor friend moved on in her career, I stopped writing. I remember having vague notions back then about trying to write a manuscript on my own, but the idea seemed too intimidating. Without my editor friend as a Spirit Guide, I was at sea.  


In 2003, I got RIF’ed from my job as a corporate writer. In retrospect, being laid off was the best thing that could have happened. With the blessing of a supportive spouse, I used my copious spare time to write the manuscript I’d been dreaming about. 

I had a main character in mind for my story and a rough outline, but I struggled to find a “voice.” Writing in the Nancy Drew voice had been relatively easy, because Nancy already had a voice. My first attempts at finding my own voice failed miserably. Everything I produced sounded dry and flat, like it had been written by the journalist I once was. My main character came across as angry and slightly bitter. Completely unappealing.

For inspiration I started binge reading mysteries. Like Ariel’s song in The Little Mermaid, I hoped to hear a voice that would rescue me from the sea. One day I pulled a mass market mystery off the shelf and started skimming. This book sounded different, I discovered. It sounded funny. I didn’t know it at the time, but I had just discovered the world of cozy mysteries and “chick lit”.

I can write like that, I remember thinking. From that moment on, writing in a brand new voice flowed smoothly. My character Kate became a little bit like Nancy Drew, if Nancy had gained weight and developed a potty mouth.

Nowadays I still struggle to find the right voice for any new project.       The first time I tried to write something darker than a cozy mystery, I floundered around again in search of a new “sound” for the narrator.

I wonder if developing or changing voices is as much of a challenge for other writers as it is for me. Please share your experience in the Comments.

Gag Orders, And Other Rules To Get The Most From Critique Groups

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As many here know, a good critique group can be a writer’s best friend. They give us feedback, moral support, and camaraderie. I’ve belonged to several critique groups over the years. Some groups have been extremely helpful, others less so. Over time I’ve developed a few rules, which I apply only to myself. These self-imposed rules help me extract the most benefit from any type of critique group:

1. Gag Order Rule Number One. When hearing feedback during a critique, I may not interrupt the critique with long-winded explanations of why I wrote something the way I did.

It doesn’t matter why I wrote it that way. Someone is telling me it doesn’t work. I must accept it and move on.

2. The two-thirds validity rule. 

If two-thirds of the group gives the same feedback, it’s probably a valid criticism. I must pay attention to it.

3. Apply feedback, improve. Rinse, repeat.  

We all know people who get the same feedback from the critique group, month after month. And yet their writing samples consistently reflect the same issues, month after month. I don’t fret about these people. I just don’t want to become one of them.

4. Expect to hear about problems, not solutions.

Critique groups are going to tell me what’s not working on my  pages. They usually won’t be able to explain how to to fix a writing problem, because very few people actually know how to fix problems. Fixing things is my job, not theirs. 

5. Gag Order Rule Number Two. When I disagree with the feedback, I nod solemnly, pretend to make a note, and say nothing. 

So these are just my rules that I use to keep me sane and productive in any type of critique group. Do you have any you can share?

Reflections? No. Distractions? Yes.

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We’re winding down towards the holiday break here at TKZ. As Clare wrote in her post yesterday, this time of year offers an opportunity for taking stock and reflection.

In my case, the holidays have offered yet another opportunity for distraction.

Take yesterday, for example. We had a couple of gigantic structure fires in downtown Los Angeles. Here’s something to know about LA County: it’s a land of wildfires, not structure fires. Los Angelenos think nothing of ten thousand acres of chaparral getting charred to a crisp when the Santa Anas blow. But urban structure fires? They’re almost unheard of. And these fires were big, the biggest in recent memory. One of the fires actually shut down a couple of freeways! Freeway closures cause chaos in LA faster than a quarter inch of rain.

Both fires are considered suspicious. The larger of the two blazes  destroyed a much-reviled building that was under construction downtown.  

Magniloquently named “Da Vinci” (and dubbed “Terrible Fauxtalian Fortress” by CurbedLA), the apartment complex is the latest architectural project being built by a developer who is widely criticized for blighting LA’s downtown renewal with overpriced projects designed with dubious taste. 

And then of course we have a local version of the national protests that are going on. The Los Angeles protests, which haven’t been getting much news coverage outside the region, have a particular characteristic. Night after night, groups of protesters have tried to get onto a freeway in order to stage a “die in”. They move methodically in groups along a chosen stretch of onramps and offramps, dodging police. Looking for a weak spot.

I ‘ve been listening to my police scanner at night, following the cat-and-mouse game between protesters and police. And I’ve been trying to figure out whether the downtown fires could have been  started by a design critic, or a protester. If the fires are in any way connected to political unrest, it would signify that LA has turned a page since the Rodney King riots. Back then, people attacked and burned their own neighborhoods. Since that time, there’s been much discussion about acting smarter, about attacking wealthier targets. I try to decipher cryptic messages on Twitter, messages that seem to be guiding  people where to go, what to do to express their rage.

Yeah, I know. Everything I’ve talked about here is a poor excuse for not writing the last few days. But, hey. It’s the best excuse I have.

How about you? Is it harder to work these days? Do you soldier through it, or give it up for the holidays, along with your diet?

Happy Holidays!

Thoughts About Authors Changing Genres?

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This is a Reader Friday-type question, but I have a question for y’all: When an author whose work you have previously enjoyed begins writing in a new genre, using a different voice, how have you responded? Do you think it’s a good idea for authors to use a pen name for a new style of writing, or are you willing to accept different voices from the same writer?

Calling For First Pages!

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Just a housekeeping note today: We are interested in receiving more of your first page submissions for our monthly first-page critiques.

Here’s how it works: Send us the first page (400 words max) of your manuscript in an email or as a Word attachment, along with the title, to the email killzoneblog at gmail dot com. We’ll take the first 30 submissions we receive, then announce when we’re accepting submissions again. The pages will be divvied up among the Zoners for review.We’ll post the pages on recurrent Thursdays, along with a critique. Readers will be able to comment as well. Note: Critiques are done anonymously–writers’names will not be posted, and reviewers will not know who authored their assigned pages.


In years past we’ve had great fun doing this exercise! We’re looking forward to reading some of your pages!

Note: And actually, we don’t cut off the submissions at 30. It just takes us longer to get to ’em! 😉

This E-book is a Game Changer for Storytelling

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Here at TKZ we often discuss trends and changes in the publishing industry. Over the weekend I read a book that offers a glimpse of the future of e-publishing. It turns out that the future is multi-media, interactive, and fun!

FIND ME I’M YOURS, by Hillary Carlip, is the rom-com story of Mags Marclay, a love-challenged, artistic millennial who goes on a scavenger hunt to find true love. As the story unfolds, the reader encounters Mags’ original artwork, polls, graphics, videos, and embedded links. The links connect to custom websites having to do with various aspects of Mags’ universe.

I was blown away by the multi-media features of FIND ME I’M YOURS. It took my brain a few chapters to adapt to the story’s interactivity. For example, I initially assumed that all the websites contained within the story were fictional. Then I hit one site that talked about dog parks in LA. It described actual dog parks, including the one I frequent in my own neighborhood. I felt my brain go, “Wait. What?!” (It turns out that all the custom-designed websites in the book are fictional, but many contain “real” information.)

And that’s the thing about reading a story in multimedia format. It combines the brain-intensity of reading a story with the distinctly different experience of surfing the web and social media. Occasionally, I experienced a slight disconnect between the two flavors of the reading experience.  The longer I read the entertaining, fast-moving story, the more I found myself wanting to “stay” in the story. Once I fully engaged with the story, I spent less time navigating to the embedded websites. 

But that may be because I have an old brain that is slow to adapt to new technologies. I’m sure that people under 30 won’t be distracted at all by interactivity. In fact, I think they’ll eventually demand multi-media content in their stories. For example, imagine if HARRY POTTER included links to interactive websites exploring Harry’s universe? Or a cozy mystery with a cooking or crafts theme, with embedded links to websites containing recipes or patterns? The possibilities are limitless. This book offers a new storytelling paradigm that is truly exciting.

After reading FIND ME I’M YOURS, I had about a thousand questions I wanted to ask the author, Hillary Carlip, and the production team behind the book. They graciously answered a few questions via email.

(And after you read the Q and A, please share your thoughts about multimedia, interactive ebooks).

Q and A with Hillary Carlip and team

Q: Who did all the grunt work of coding and setting up links and websites? What software and tools were used? Did you pay professional actors and artists for the videos and graphics? They’re very high quality.


A: Thanks! Probably the only person in the world who would come up with the idea of integrating 33 websites into an eBook novel would be an artist and web designer. Hillary’s owned her own boutique agency, Fly HC Multimedia, for over a decade, and she’s got a small, talented, all-female core tech team of web developers and programmers who built out the Find Me I’m Yours “storyverse.” Most of the sites were programmed using Joomla, although a few of the sites are Tumblrs. Our lead developer is creating a totally innovative footer plug-in that ties all of the sites so that if someone stumbles upon one of them without knowing anything about Find Me I’m Yours, they can quickly tell that that site is tied into a compelling bigger-picture project. And of course Hillary was hands-on throughout the process, doing plenty of the grunt work, and also working closely with several of the component makers to get their help in making the whole experience as responsive and as user friendly as possible. Hillary also either designed the graphics or art directed other talented artists she found.

Q: The interactivity worked very well for this chick-lit style story involving a scavenger hunt. Do you see this type of interactivity applying to other literary genres, or even literary fiction? Can you describe an example of how the format might apply to other genres?

A: Yes, absolutely.  We’ve actually trademarked a term we think describes this experience – “CLICK LIT.”  CNN called Find Me I’m Yours “the BOOK of the FUTURE,” but we just see this as simply STORYTELLING of the future. And this format would work great for all types of literature – mysteries, science fiction, fantasy, literary fiction — you name it! People already turn to social media, wikis, etc. to dive deeper into stories they love. Why not give readers built-in, content- rich outlets and the ability to get personally involved and entertained by integrating pictures, videos, websites, social media channels, etc., right into the story itself?  You can imagine with a thriller the kind of clues you could work into websites, etc!


As for the videos, Maxine Lapiduss has written, produced, and directed some of television’s most popular sitcoms, so she was able to get high quality work done on a modest budget. We cast professional actors in key roles, such as the romantic lead, Mr. WTF, and the “hacktress” roomie and pin-up model, S.H.A.R.I.  Maxine is producing all of the series and ancillary content. We feature amazing new talent like Babbs and Maria Lopez starring in #whitepeopleweddings and established talent such as Susie Essman (Curb Your Enthusiasm) who stars in Dear Tabby, a photorealistic, disgruntled cat who gives advice to problem pet owners. Everything is being done at the highest quality of lighting, shooting, writing that we can afford. 
  

Q: Are you maintaining the websites in the book, or is someone else? Are these sites intended to take on a creative life of their own? (I’m thinking of the patriotic picture site and the ‘I F#cked Up’ sites, in particular).

A: Yes, we are maintaining and adding to the sites every day.  Of the 33 websites, more than half were conceived from the get-go to be ever-expanding, with new original content including blogs, vlogs, articles, web series, photos, and more being added all the time. We also have numerous options for readers to add their own content on sites like www.DIYintheUSA.com (which Mags, the main character, started featuring pics of “Questionable Patriotic Displays”), and www.IFkcedUp.com (a public apology site started by Mags’ cheating ex). Whether you are in the process of reading Find Me I’m Yours or have finished the book but want to stay involved in the story, there are loads of ways to interact, engage, share your own content, and get and stay personally involved with the story and characters.

FB and Twitter, she just can’t quit you

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Eighteen months ago, I wrote a post in which I wondered whether social media were developing a personality disorder.  Now I’m wondering whether social media are causing people to develop personality disorders.

Over the years, the content of my Facebook feed has become progressively darker. It’s reliably clogged with distressing missives–political rants, plus tales of woe about suffering animals and the environment. (I suspect this content appears because Facebook’s algorithm, like Google’s, does an excellent job of micro tracking everything I “Like”, share, or search for.) Yes, I care about these issues, but I don’t want to be slapped in the face with how dreadful everything is, first thing in the morning when I turn on the computer. 

The more I read these distressing posts, the more upset I get about the state of the world. I do try to tune much of it out. For example, I skip over my friends’ political rants online–they’re tiresome, no matter what the point of view. (I don’t block these friends, because some of these people are dear to me in real life.)  But I worry about my friends who are struggling with depression or some other personal issue in real life, who do nothing but mutter darkly online about the nefarious activities of Evil Government, or Evil Corporations. Is it a sign that they’re slipping over the edge?

I tell you, it’s enough to make me long for the boring old days when people shared what they ate for breakfast.

And it’s not just Facebook. Whenever there’s a breaking news, I find that I stay ahead of the headlines on cable news by monitoring Twitter updates. Twitter has become our new wire service, and anyone can use it. I’ve developed an unhealthy fixation with the #Breaking hashtag. 

I know there’s a simple solution to my situation. “Turn it off! Unplug!” Easier said than done. I’ve been a news junkie all my life. Now apparently I’m a social media junkie, as well.

We’ve become a nation of social media junkies, it seems. I remember an incident from years ago. I was at a cocktail party, and feeling uncomfortable for some reason. I withdrew to a dark corner and began checking my cell phone. My husband came over to see what was wrong. Nowadays, I don’t think he’d bother. Everywhere  one goes, everyone is checking their devices. 

In the context of this discussion, I have to mention the Marysville shooting. I was stunned to see excerpts of the conversations that some of children involved had been posting online. I’m wondering why minors are even allowed to post profanity, plus violent and sexual content. Unfortunately, that kind of language seems to be the rule among adolescents in the Twitter-verse, rather than the exception. And that’s scary.

When one of my daughters was young, she was an early adopter of computer technology. She had taught herself to create a web site, and she posted a .gif of an animated dancing devil, complete with pitchfork. The image caused a big kerfuffle among the mothers of her friends, I recall, and I made her shut the site down. (I actually thought the dancing devil was kind of cute and creative, which tells you something about me. But I did want her to learn to respect “community standards”, such as they were back then).

Fast forward to current time. Where are the mothers and fathers who should be monitoring their kids’ online activities today? Perhaps we’ve all become  used to a level of discourse that’s unhealthy. Perhaps it’s unhealthy for us, as well as for our children. 

Here I was complaining about Facebook rants, but I seem to have written one of my own today. As writers, I know we all tend to be heavy users of social media. (For example, the #amwriting hashtag is a frequent trend on Twitter.) Do you think that social media is causing people to develop personality disorders, or does it merely reflect a pre-existing condition?