It's my party and I'll cry if I want to...
Showing up at a party creates some form of emotion in us, whether it’s excitement at seeing friends, fear over being forced to socialize, or dread over who you will see.
Hopefully it’s excitement, even if there’s a bit of anxiety thrown in. Those are the best parties. I hate the work parties I’m forced to smile and nod through the drudge. Those I just wait until I can leave.
But the really good parties are the ones where you hate to leave. When you know it’s late, and you’re slowly pulling your coat sleeves up your arms and looking back and forth between your date the hostess saying, “Wow that flew by fast. What a great party.” And while you’re satisfied and happy, you can’t help but be a little sad it’s over. Feeling just a touch lonely for your friend’s presence, even before you get to your car.
I got to take a workshop with Jennifer Crusie this weekend, at the very good New Jersey RWA Conference, and this was her analogy for our reader’s experience. The opening scene of your novel is where you are standing at the door, opening it for your party guest, and inviting them in. They’re excited. Maybe they’re a little nervous if it’s the first time reading you, not sure what they’ll get, but they’re happy to give you a try. They’re ready to meet now people and see new things during the book.
In short, they’re rooting for you to throw an awesome party.
And when they leave, when you’re back at the same door, this time ushering them out, they should be satisfied. Happy to have spent the time with you, feeling like they made new friends, and a little sad to see them go.
We should satisfy their desire for a great party.
If we do that, they’ll keep coming back to every party we— er, they’ll buy every book we write. It’s our party. We can create any emotional experience we want for our readers. We control the party. Hopefully, we’re writing angst to make people cry and joy to make them soar and every emotion in between.
But because it’s our party, and because we control the emotional experience, that gives us some guidelines for what the beginning and end should contain – those moments when we’re standing at the door, greeting or saying goodbye to our guests.
When a guest shows up, you welcome them in, take their coats, start introducing them around. You don’t explain how hard you worked on the party, or how much you spent, or tell the entire personal history and quirks of every guest you introduce her to. No. You don’t want to waste her time. She’s excited to get to the party. Pour the girl a drink. Push her toward a boy to flirt with.
Just like when she’s leaving. You don’t want to be the clingy hostess who won’t hand over the coat. Who holds onto it like a ransom while you gush over what a great party you just threw. No. You want to sweetly touch her on the arm as she shrugs on her coat, thank her for coming, and give her a second to heave a deep sigh of satisfaction and say goodbye to her new friends.
In other words, don’t drag it out. Don’t give them too much info at the beginning, and don’t keep pulling on their arm while they’re shooting ‘help me’ glances at their date while trying to leave. In Jennifer Crusie’s words, don’t give them a prologue or epilogue.
Now I’m not sure I agree to never have a prologue, or never have an epilogue. But her point is an excellent one, and in an analogy that totally make it click for me. Prologues are kind of like sticking a 10-page history of your family in the invitation to the party, and saying, “Make sure you learn this info. You’ll be quizzed later.”
Actually, in that one session, she said quite a few things that really clicked for me. I’ll do at least one more blog on her advice about first sentences and last sentences.
Bottom line: if you ever see a workshop or talk given by Jennifer Crusie, GO!!!! She’s an amazing speaker. She not only knows her stuff, but knows how to teach it well. I came out of a 45-minute workshop with my head spinning with new knowledge and new ways to apply it.
So, what do you think about this analogy? Do you have analogies you love when it comes to writing advice? Ever taken a workshop with Jenny Cruise? Other authors whose workshop you would attend even if they were talking about space aliens and spider monkeys? She has charts on her blog that might be helpful as well here.
Books by the Crew
41 comments:
Authors I would go see if they were doin' a readin' from the phone book... Charles de Lint, Nina Kiriki Hoffman, Alice Hoffman, Christie Craig (I jus' love her accent!) and Jim Butcher.
I'm sure there be more, but off the top a' me head... I'm assumin' I should stick ta livin' authors... ;)
When I meet a teacher that inspires ya, ya take their classes. I took stuff I had no intention a' takin' because the instructor set me afire wit' another class. I'm sure it be the same wit' authors...tho ya hope those who write can teach also.
I would love ta take a class from Jenny Crusie...good fer ya!
Tho I don't agree wit' a hard and fast rule a' never do a prologue or an epilogue. Think it depends on the genre and whether a book stands alone or be part a' a series.
I'll sleep on the idea a' what else I can compare a book ta...
Like you Hal, I think that run of the mill parties are an invention of the devil. Same old people grouped together spouting the same old guff. Its enough to drive a chap to drink!
When hosted by someone quite exceptional though, like Crusie, they can be an unforgettable experience.
The point is that we all want to give the reader that unforgettable experience and unfortunately we are not all budding Jennifer Crusies. The basics are easy, the difficult part comes with finding that nugget of gold that will outshine all the other books in the shop. The 24 carat experience is unique to an individual and cannot be taught.
Though listening to a master describing her craft can be inspiring and may help you to search in appropriate places.
Just my opinion of course! 8)
I would travel a few miles to hear Mary Balogh talk about her work.
I'm so envious that you were able to take that workshop, but grateful you're sharing the wisdom!
I like the analogy of a book as a party. I can see a lot of paralells there.
Again, like 2nd Chance and Q mentioned - i'm not one for hard and fast rules in writing. Prologues and Epilogues have their place if done well.
I can't wait til your next post on first and last sentences.
I would totally go see Jennifer Cruisie. I'm sure she'd throw as awesome a real-life party as she does her "book parties."
Depending how they're done, I do like a prologue and an epilogue, BUT I like both more in historicals than I do in contemporaries. Since Jennifer writes contemporaries, I can see why she makes this hard and fast rule.
Authors I'd die to see?
J.K. ROWLING, Sherrilyn Kenyon, Jill Barnett, Julie Garwood, Laurell K. Hamilton, Eloisa James, Lisa Kleypas, Elizabeth Hoyt, Candice Hern...to name a few.
Forgot - How was the rest of the conference? Pictures? Gossip? Anything?! LOL! We must live vicariously through you and Marn, ya know.
I only recently started following Crusie's blog and I love it. The craft blogs are like taking a masters course (with a master!) and the personal ones are always fun.
I attended one of the two workshops she did at Nationals and picked the wrong one. Fortunately, she blogged about the Turning Points plotting system and I used that this weekend to plot out my NaNo story. I'm seriously having a blast with this and it's so much better to plot before you put a single word on paper. LOL!
I think it would be interesting to hear some mainstream authors speak. People like Pat Conroy, Sue Monk Kidd, Toni Morrison, and Dan Brown.
Yeah, dish it about the conference.
Ya know, I think a prologue can be likened ta the party invitation. Especially if it be a costume party...now you'll know what ta wear!
And the epilogue is the thank ya for comin', hope ya will come ta the next one! And here's some pics a' the best parts...
Lucky you, Hal! :) That conference sounds like it was a lot of fun. I would love to attend a conference, or just an occasional workshop. The only ones I've attended are from many years ago. I remember hearing Mary Jo Putney and being very inspired! I'm long overdue for another one. And, I pretty much ditto Hellie's list of author's I'd love to listen to.
I think I'd get a lot of different things out of a workshop now. These days, I'm more for tailoring advice to what I need, when I need it. Or even distingishing that advice or a rule can apply for the finished product but maybe it's okay to go ahead and blur the lines for the first draft. Like the advice on prologues. In my limited experience, I see the prologue as part of my writing process. It has to be there, at least in the first draft, because it's some kind of springboard for the whole plot. Most likely, that first draft prologue will also break some part of the, "do not bore your reader, do not confuse your reader, do not distract your reader." (Yep, that's still my favorite general rule.)
This past weekend, I turned my prologue in my River (ghost) story into much more of an action scene that ties in with the rest of the story. Maybe now it fits as a first chapter.
I think I want the reader to "pay attention and be quizzed on that info later," but have to ask, is it confusing? How much can the reader absorb and remember later on? That part of the party analogy I really like. It makes me think of one of those mystery dinners where you had to be observant to solve a murder. Too much pressure!
I had Jenna recommend I turn part a' a first chapter into a prologue, so I figure that's advice that comes from experience. I do think it depends on the genre. And I can see tapperin' the desire ta write fer contemporaries.
I love Jenny Crusie. Not only is she one of my favorite authors (her books single-handedly got me through my last semester of law school with my sanity more-or-less intact), but she's a brilliant speaker. Her workshop on turning points at the DC conference was definitely eye-opening to a non-plotter like myself.
However, I'm not inclined to agree that prologues and epilogues are always a bad thing. Sure, some prologues go on for entirely too long and provide way too much backstory. And some epilogues can be trite and kitschy.
But on the other hand, a prologue can be like getting out the recipe for a cake in order to know what you need to put on your grocery list. You have the information you need to prepare for what's to come.
And then the epilogue is like the sprinkles that you put on top of the final frosted masterpiece - not necessary, but adding a bit of flair at the end.
Yes, I realize that I deviated from the party metaphor, but it's lunchtime, and my stomach is speaking louder than my brain. :)
Discussin' desert is never a deviation, but a treat!
Kelly, there is always room to talk about CAKE on this ship!
Wit' sprinkles...drool...
But on the other hand, a prologue can be like getting out the recipe for a cake in order to know what you need to put on your grocery list. You have the information you need to prepare for what’s to come.
I like that, Kelly! That's the way it should be. I think when it goes off track is if the recipe promises a cake but the result is, I don't know, a cookie or, not even a dessert. I mean, when the prologue has a different tone or even different characters (guilty!) from where chapter one picks up, I can see how that can be misleading. Even if the thread ties in later, it might be too late. Especially for the agent or editor who is only getting those first three chapters or so. That can be kind of unfair, but still, it can get your book rejected. (hello, sounds familiar! LOL) Who knows, after success or having an agent or publisher that says "do what you want" can let you throw all that out the window.
I'm still not saying never on a prologue. I like them and when you have a lapse of time, it might make more sense than it being chapter one. (Chance, being told to change the first chapter to a prologue no doubt made sense for that circumstance.)
That reminds me, there's B-Day cake from Friday in the fridge. Yum!
I'm good with the no prologue or epilogue if you're writing straight contemp. If the inciting incident happened ten years ago, start chapter one ten years ago. Then start now in chapter two.
And if you write a satisfying ending, there's no need for the epilogue. Though I'd be more lenient on the epi for fun since they can be a nice bonus for readers.
However, in Historicals or Sci-Fi/para, I can totally see having a prologue. Some stories just lend to them more than others.
If the inciting incident happened ten years ago, start chapter one ten years ago. Then start now in chapter two.
The whole questin of "when is it a prologue or when is it chapter one" is tough to decide sometimes. I think one of the reasons I'd change my prologue to chapter one in my WIP is because it's not the only jump in time. If it was the only time, then a prologue might be best. Or not. :)
Oh, oh. Hal is going to read this and hopefully not scream. She helped me a lot with my prologue dilemmas. :)
Gah, I'm late to the party again. :(
First of all, I missed this one because I was pitching. Two partial requests, which is pretty standard, but one of the agents seemed really excited about my stuff and instead of requesting through their website--as per standard--requested I send to her personal work email. So that's a good sign, I hope.
The conference was a lot of fun with some really good workshops. Karen Rose gave a great keynote speech about fears. If not for the 5 AM fire alarm on Friday night, perhaps it would have been perfect. LOL!
It's all personal choice and trends, really. But I can see the "if it fits in the story, put it in, not in front of" thing.
It's like if I bought a couch because I thought it really showed off my style and set the tone for my decor. Then I left it out in the driveway because I wanted people to see it right away.
In the end, it would make more sense to put it IN the house.
Glad you had a good time and congrats on the requests, Marn! I think fire drills at conferences must be a regular thing. LOL! I've heard of them at several different ones and we even had one at Nationals. Grant it, it was in the middle of the afternoon, so no jumping out of bed. But it was entertaining to see the women flock around those firemen like they'd never seen one before.
A couch in the driveway might be confusing or inspire curiosity. LOL In a paranormal, a quirky couch in the driveway might a good thing. In a straight contemporary, not so much.
Ha! Melissa, so true! And if the couch talks ta those who sit on it, some warnin' might be a good thing...
The party metaphor is great. Thanks for sharing, Hal.
I've been a Crusie fan since her category days, and I've lurked at Argh Ink from the beginning. I also think she has written some essays that are among the most interesting and insightful things ever written about the genre.
But I'm wary of generalizations, and I don't think there is a method in existence that works for every writer. I've found that a lot of Crusie's strategies are just too Sensing for my iNtuitive style in the writing stage. I find them more useful when I'm revising.
I also think prologues and epilogues work beautifully for some books and are wasted space for others. Like most things, it depends on the individual.
Bo'sun, it really do matter with genre and prologues. And I do think it's a time jump thing wit' me. Settin' up Ivy's story, without flashbacks, in a short prologue really do make sense fer this MS.
There were a fire alarm in DC? Where the hell was I? ;)
Yeah, Chance, it gets the ideas going doesn't it? Maybe there's no such thing as an analogy for a paranormal writer. Everything strange can become literal or normal! LOL
Great, now I've put a talking couch out on the dock. Should be interesting when our new guests arrive. LOL!
Janga - Explain this Sensing to Intuitive thing for me. Not that I want to mess with anything since I'm chugging along pretty well on this new story (only plotting until Nov 1!), but I'm curious.
That were an intriguin' comment, Janga. I'm wit' the Bo'sun...huh? :)
A talkin' couch that at least don't eat people, yet. And how 'bout if it growls at Jack as he keeps kidnappin' the guests...
Hmm, found this chart on Sensing or iNtuition (yep, not a typo) Preference by personality type. Is this what you meant, Janga?
http://www.mypersonality.info/personality-types/sensing-intuition/#
Interesting. Would you say you can that we can be either type at different times?
Ah, OK! I took the Briggs-Meyer thing a few months ago...but don't remember what it said about me. (Typical.)
But as a writer I do think I'm more the iNtuitive side a' things.
I know when I've taken the test I often fall between the I and the S...sometimes one, sometimes the other.
Melissa...you find the most interestin' things! Yer one a' those who know how to sail the WWW and find the treasure...
"Would you say you can that.." Now that's a typo. LOL Meant: "Would you say that we can..."
Chance, I find something all right, but often I forget what I'm looking for! :)
Good find, Melissa. I think I'm sensing. Except for that details thing. Those little buggers get past me all the time. I took that Briggs-Meyer test around ten years ago and, of course, don't reemember exactly how it came out. It's easy enough to remember I'm an extrovert, but the rest is sketchy. Sensing sounds right though.
I think I'm intuitive (or iNtuitive) most of the time. I don't know. A question for iNtuitive is if someone rearranged your furniture would you stumble or notice right away. I'd break my leg! Yep, iNtuitive.
But I think I can see what Janga is referring to that advice could be too Sensing for the iNtuitive style in the writing stage and more valuable in revision. I've thought of it as the critical or the creative side, but I think it's close to the same thing.
Sorry! I was talking about the Myers-Briggs Personality types. This is what one site has to say about the difference:
"The Sensing (S) side of our brain notices the sights, sounds, smells and all the sensory details of the PRESENT. It categorizes, organizes, records and stores the specifics from the here and now. It is REALITY based, dealing with "what is." It also provides the specific details of memory & recollections from PAST events.
"The Intuitive (N) side of our brain seeks to understand, interpret and form OVERALL patterns of all the information that is collected and records these patterns and relationships. It speculates on POSSIBILITIES, including looking into and forecasting the FUTURE. It is imaginative and conceptual.
"While both kinds of perceiving are necessary and used by all people, each of us instinctively tends to favor one over the other."
http://www.personalitypathways.com/type_inventory.html
S-N should be seen as the opposite ends of a continuum, and individuals may be at any point along the continuum. My guess is that someone who falls near the middle might well favor one style sometimes and another at a different time. I've taken the official Myers-Briggs Personality Inventory four times at different periods of my life and informal measurements more often than I can count. The results have never varies; I am always INFP (Introvert-Intuitive-Feeling-Perceiving), with the first three falling heavily at the end of the contiuum).
The furniture thing Melissa mentioned is what first convinced me of the validity of the inventory. The expert conducting the class (all teachers) told us that in a topical classroom most of our students would be Sensers who would hate having the classroom rearranged. But iNtuitives like changing and exploring possibilities. Suddenly I could understand why my students complained about my frequent rearrangements of the classroom.
Regarding writing, iNtuitives are directed by insight and they rarely follow a straight line. I think charts and graphs and grids require a linear pattern of thinking that does not work for me. On the other hand, once I have a draft, I can use those strategies to revise. Take outlining, for example. Outlining before I have a complete draft is anguish for me, and I do it poorly. But once I hace a full draft, I can create a gorgeous outline and use it to identify weak construction, faulty logic, missing info, etc.
Makes sense. I don't know if I wouldn't notice furniture rearanged... I may be iNtuitive, but I am also aware of my own idiocy... So, I'd know that
I'm prone ta trippin'...
Like today, when I ended up at the AT&T store because I couldn't turn my new phone on...to discover the one button I hadn't pushed long enough, did it... My idiot persona triumphs! I knew it was goin' ta be this way... I tol' the young man ta expect me at least 12 more times in the next month...
Hi all! I'm SO sorry I missed all the great conversation and comments today. I ended up driving to Baltimore and sitting through meetings all day. I'd have much rather been here on the ship! Way better rum :)
Janga - About the furniture, I grew up in a home where nothing ever moved. Two pieces of furniture shifted every December to accomodate the Christmas tree, then it all went right back into place after and stayed put.
Then I ended up with a mother-in-law who rarely left furniture in the same place more than three or four months. She even rearranged all the pictures on the walls whenever she took a notion. It took me until I was nearly 30 to realize I could rearranage things anytime I wanted.
Now, I move stuff all the time. Not the stuff on the walls (who needs that many holes to fill?!) but I shift my furniture. I've been in this apartment for a year and my desk has been in two different rooms in four different locations....so far. LOL! I'm considering moving it again.
All of this rambling was meant to say, maybe you can grow from Sensing into iNtuitive.
I wonder if one can be Sensing wit' one part a' yer life, and iNtuitive wit' others...
Hal - next time, stop in and say hi! I work in Baltimore, and can always use a distraction from work! :D
Kelly - definitely! It looks like I'm going to be spending a lot of time in Baltimore over the next few months doing a research project. We're researching the efficacy of mediation for 2nd degree assault cases for the Baltimore City State's Attorney's Office. Met with the District Court Chief and Building Chiefs yesterday, and have a bunch more meetings with city attorney's over the next few months. You're a lawyer, right? Are you private? How funny would it be if you were on my list of people to interview?
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