GOT RHYTHM? (Guest Patti Lacy And Book Giveaway!!!)

“Go, baby, go, baby, go! Don’t upset
the rhythm, though!” (The Noisettes)

“Get rhythm when you get the blues.It only costs a dime, just a nickel a shoe. Does a million dollars worth of good for you.”(Johnny Cash)

Trailer for Rhythm of Secrets by Patti Lacy

Musicians sing about rhythms. Artists capture it on canvas. How can we writers find rhythm on the “long and winding road” to publication? (Thanks, Beatles!)

I’ve snippeted rhythm definitions from our friend Webster. We’ll use FOUR of the dear man’s points to explore that elusive rhythm right here at Seekerville!!!

1. Ordered recurrent alternation of strong & weak elements in the flow of sound & silence

2. Aspect of music comprising all elements (accent, meter, and tempo) that relate to forward movement

3. The repetition in a literary work of phrase, incident, character type, or symbol

4. A regularly recurrent quantitative change in a variable biological process.

Let’s tackle Webster’s points, one by one.

1. Ordered recurrent alternation of strong & weak elements in the flow of sound & silence

Variety in writing breaks up the road trip of a novel! My interpretation of Webster’s first point? Follow a long, winding road description with a dead-end, wham-in-your-facer decision by your heroine! Here's a scene from my latest release The Rhythm of Secrets that illustrates what I mean:

Evening had fallen on the shaded part of the courtyard. Dew slicked mossy bricks. Ready for their night light, moonflowers opened wide, dotting the back wall with fragile white blooms. The scent of jasmine and mint hung in the air. The branches of an oleander bush drooped toward lush green grass. Nature held its breath, waiting, waiting. But Sheba wasn’t waiting another second. Blood throbbing at her temples, she unfolded the letter.

In this early scene from The Rhythm of Secrets, nature’s languid mood contrasts with Sheila’s desire to rip open the mystery letter Father has left on the patio table. Strong verbs complete with subtler sensory words. Rhythm? Hey, I tried!

For scenes exploding with emotion, rage, passion, intensify dialogue. Cut the rhythm of speech to FIVE WORDS OR LESS PER READING BEAT (read aloud and discover where you take a breath) if at all possible☺

Sock em’ with talk, then rock ’em with characters’ mindset and visceral reactions (Thank you, Camy Tang, for this lesson!).

Mimi leaned back, her face gray. “Of course you want my money. You’re just like your mother, the harlot.”

A gust of wind rippled the back door screen, swirled through Sheila, and impelled her to lean across the table. Her fists knotted. “How dare you say that about Maman?”

“Because it’s true.”

The table edge knifed into Sheila’s belly. She stretched toward Mimi until she could see every pore on her grandmother’s ashen face. “Don’t you dare say that about my mother.”

Mimi’s spine became a rod. “Why? It’s time you knew the truth.” Her mouth twisted into a sneer. “Your mother worked at a flophouse called Birdie’s. She was nothing but a two-bit—”

“No!” Flashes of light dazzled the room. “I don’t believe it!” Sheila grabbed Mimi’s sleeve, Mimi’s hand—anything to stop this. Her mother had refinement. Poise. Culture. Mimi was lying!

“You will when I get through.” Mimi’s lips stretched taught against lined cheeks.

Sheila gritted her teeth. Shoved away from the table. Straightened. Why, Mimi enjoyed this!

Another suggestion: Avoid time tags, like “a long minute,” “after awhile.” Instead use action (flashes of light dazzling, the spine becoming a rod.) They’ll swallow irritating road blocks and let the reader intuit passage of seconds, minutes, or hours, without a break of rhythm.

2. the aspect of music comprising all the elements (accent, meter, tempo) that relate to forward movement.

Music INSPIRES the flow of my words…and helps our reader-driver detours (a la tossing our novel on the floor!) Have you experimented with moody blues? Rule-breaking jazz? The delightful mathematics of classical literature? The circle-of-friendship feel of folk? The climaxes and depths of hymns, spirituals? The pulse of rap?

French love song, sonnets, waltzes capture the rhythm of this scene in The Rhythm of Secrets:

He let go of her hand. Turned away. Strides smoothed into a lope that rippled his back and led him to a series of dunes, separated by sloping grassy areas. She followed, stopping only to shove hair out of her eyes. She had to see every inch of him.

His swim trunks flapped against his legs as he darted between two golden mounds of sand. The only sounds were a faint whoosh of the surf and the clicking of sea oat shafts as they rubbed against one another.

She slipped as she pounded up the steep incline, only to slide backward in the powdery sand. He reached out and pulled her up and over the crest of the dunes. Gritty fingers covered her eyes, led her through a sea of sand.

“I’ve got a surprise, sugarplum.” A ground clove smell blended with pungent salty sea spray to intoxicate her. She staggered into his arms…

3. The repetition in a literary work of phrase, incident, character type, or symbol

I LOVE repetition, both metaphorically and through alliteration and repeats of words and thoughts. Not one but TWO fires horrify Sheila in The Rhythm of Secrets. At novel onset, fire acts as a destructive force. At the climax, fire cleanses and allows my Sheila to start anew.

Interweave repetition in your scenes through word patterns. Events. People.

“I hoped we could have dinner. Friday night. Do you know a place?”

She closed her eyes to concentrate. He had such a lovely voice!

“Ma’am? A place?”

His business-like tone muffled her heart music. She’d best gather her wits. “Y-yes.” She cleared her throat to stall for time. Somewhere discreet. Out-of-the-way.” “Yes,” she repeated, “Etienne’s.” Her voice sounded shivery, distant. Like it belonged to someone else. And wasn’t she somebody else? Three somebodys?

Repetition, not only of the question by Sheila’s mystery caller, but of Sheila’s rattled “Yes” answer, establishes Sheila’s shock. I also used slight alliteration of the “s” sound because to me “ssssss” connotes mystery. Action. (I know. I’m weird. Blame it on all those solitary hours at my keyboard☺) What’s cool is you can use music and wordplays to find rhythms in YOUR writer’s voice. Fun! Fun!

The obvious repetition in the above scene is Sheila’s reference to being somebody else. Hopefully those thoughts heighten mystery. Hint at conflict. Elements that make our readers travel through your pages!

It’s almost time to leave Seekerville. Shoot! I love it here. My last point has NOTHING to do with the mechanics of writing. No, I’m not digressing THAT far! It has everything to do with rhythms...

4. a regularly recurrent quantitative change in a variable biological process.

Last week I received an e-mail from a promising young writer:

I'm a little discouraged right now. Ok, maybe a lot discouraged. I have not had time to write since before Christmas. Every time I have some free time I favor a nap instead. Being pregnant is exhausting! Everyone tells me it gets worse after the baby is born. I don't want to pause my writing for 18 years. Do you have kids? Were you writing at the time? If so, I'd love some pointers

Dear friends, I did not “pick up a pen” except to write embarrassing love letter, maudlin poetry, and boring master’s papers in my literature studies, until I was FIFTY!

“There is a time for everything, and a season for every activity under heaven” (Ecclesiastes 3:1)

“To everything, turn, turn, turn, there is a season, turn, turn, turn” (“Turn, Turn, Turn,” The Byrds)

Rhythms, dictating the Hand of God. Rhythms, adding a beat to this song. Rhythms—God has perfect ones for YOUR writing journey. I pray that you will grip that steering wheel and let God’s navigational system, whether it be a sleek new GPS device or a tattered old map, direct you to His perfect destination.

See y’all there!
Blessings,
Patti

Check out how I linked music with chapter themes at Music/Chapter Themes. For slices of my life, visit me at Patti Lacy's Website. Wanna know what’s been on my nightstand? Go to Patti's Nightstand.
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