Breaking All the Rules with Guest Debby Mayne

I’ve heard everything from, “First person doesn’t sell,” to, “More than two POVs, and you’re looking at the kiss of death from editors.” Oh, and there’s the dreaded present tense that is too immediate and intimate, and no one will ever read it because it’s too uncomfortable.

Well, guess what! All three books in my Class Reunion series with Abingdon Press – Pretty Is as Pretty Does (June 2013), Bless Her Heart (August 2013), and Tickled Pink (September 2013)- are written in multiple first person present tense. What was I thinking? 

  Do I want people to read these books? You bet I do. 




Then why did I write this series using devices that so many people dislike so intensely? Because they work for these stories.

I was originally going to write this series in the traditional third person past tense, but it felt too distant for the characters in these books. They needed to be more up-close and personal, and they practically demanded to have readers right there in the scenes with them.

Most of my writing life I’ve gone by the rules. I would go to writing workshops and take judicious notes, and then I’d go back home and write my stories using all the things I’d learned from editors and more advanced writers. It obviously worked for me because I’ve sold more than 30 books while following conventional rules.

And then Priscilla, Laura, Tim, Trudy, and Celeste came along and showed me how these rules don’t work for them. In fact, most rules don’t work for any of these characters, so it seemed fitting to do things in an unorthodox manner.

Priscilla’s valedictorian and “Most Likely to Succeed” titles in high school seem to conflict with her desire to drop out of college to become a hairdresser. Laura’s teetotaler lifestyle makes her an odd match for her lush of a husband who always has a beer in his hand. Beauty supply salesman Tim discovers that an extensive vocabulary doesn’t necessarily show a person’s IQ. Former beauty queen Trudy has to learn to value herself beneath her creamy complexion and once-perfect figure. Celeste’s bony elbows, bushy eyebrows, and stringy hair aren’t quite so bad after she gets a decent haircut, stands up straight, and learns to pluck and groom.

The weight of all the changes in these stories would have snapped the rules right in half. By doing things a bit differently, I was able to maneuver the framework to fit the stories and people in them.

That said, I still think think rules are good because they give us a structure for most of our stories. Without guidelines, we’d wind up with messy works that go nowhere and a bunch of frustrated editors who would have to make sense of our confusing submissions. New writers, in particular, need to learn what works for most readers so they have an advantage out of the starting gate. Even if they choose not to follow these rules, even in the beginning, knowing them makes breaking them more intentional. The rules should only be broken when that’s the only way to tell the story in the most believable way.

That’s the key to what I’ve done. I wrote Pretty Is as Pretty Does, Bless Her Heart, and Tickled Pink with intentional devices designed to provide immediacy and pull the reader uncomfortably close to the characters’ lives. I wanted readers to feel every little pain, including Laura’s annoyance when she caught her son trying to scoop his sister’s goldfish out of the toilet and later having to deal with her husband’s drinking. Knowing what Trudy goes through in spite of her beauty lets readers in on the secret of what really motivates her. And readers need to have that closeness to understand the relationship between Priscilla and her mom…and Priscilla and Tim…and Priscilla and her business.

We writers have created quite a few rules that editors may or may not agree with. In addition to the POV and past vs. present tense issue, we talk about floating or flying body parts, overuse of dialogue tags, never turning off a light at the end of a chapter, etc. In most cases, these rules provide a better read and give the writer the tools to keep readers turning pages and buying future books.

In my Class Reunion series, you’ll see all of the above. However, I do think that when I mention someone rolling her eyes, you’ll know that they’re not literally rolling across the floor based on the context of the phrase. And when I have someone throwing up her hands in frustration, you’ll assume that these hands are still attached to her arms. I think most readers are intelligent people who understand that the act of eyes popping out of a character’s head indicates surprise rather than a medical condition.

Even though I broke a few of the conventional rules for the commercial fiction market, I still recommend knowing them and following as many as possible when starting out to prevent an editor from tossing your submission into the “reject” pile. Go to workshops, take notes, and follow the advice from editors and skilled authors who have proven themselves in the industry. Once you establish yourself, gain a few readers, show editors you know the difference between first and third person, and find creative ways to show scenes and emotions through a single POV, you can stretch and try new things. Intentionally.

Oh, another thing you’ll want is the blessing of your editor who needs to be on board with your lack of convention. Fortunately, I was blessed with an editor who not only accepted it she encouraged it. Thanks, Ramona Richards!

Bio: Debby Mayne has published more than 30 books and novellas, 400 print short stories and articles, 1,000 web articles, and dozens of devotions for women. She has worked as managing editor of a national health magazine, product information writer for HSN, and creative writing instructor for Long Ridge Writers Group. She also judges the Writers Digest Annual Competition, Short-Short Contest, and Self-Published Book Competition. Three of Debby’s books have been top ten favorites by the Heartsong Presents book club. Love Finds You in Treasure Island, Florida received 4-1/2 stars and a Top Pick from Romantic Times Magazine in July 2009.

Pretty is as Pretty Does

Class Reunion Series Book 1


Priscilla Slater goes to her ten-year high school reunion with equal parts dread and eager anticipation. Even though she's a successful owner of a chain of hair salons and no longer has the mousy brown hair, crooked teeth, and discount-store wardrobe, she still feels like the ugly duckling. But when she arrives at the reunion, Priscilla soon realizes that her old classmates aren't exactly as she remembers them. With humor and a just a touch of sassiness, Priscilla finds herself facing her own truth-and she may be surprised at what she discovers.




 If you had a reunion coming up next month, what would you do to get ready for it?


Debby has generously offered to giveaway a copy of her latest release. If you would like to be entered in a drawing for Pretty Is as Pretty Does, please mention it in the comments. Winner announced in the Weekend Edition. And be sure to check out the book trailer here.

Seekerville Welcomes Author Debby Mayne

Who ARE Those People?

Characterization

Why do people read?
Most people read to find out what happens to the characters. The events by themselves have very little meaning until you insert the people who inhabit the story. As a reader, you want to get into the head and skin of the characters in the book. As an author, you want to give your reader the tools to do this. As in everything in the arts, there are many “right” ways to write a book. The best way to find your own style and fine-tune your craft is to read, listen, watch, and experiment with different techniques and formats to see how you can best perfect your own skills. However, there is one constant in storytelling, and that is the act of making your characters come to life so your reader loses herself in the book.

Real people vs. story people:

What is the difference? In real life, people are confusing, inconsistent, and sometimes do things without reason. They do things “out of character” and react in implausible ways. However, if your story people do this, you run the risk of angering your reader. You can still have a character doing something confusing or inconsistent, but you must have a reason for them to act this way. “Just because” is fine for real life but not in fiction.

How do you reveal who your character is?

You can show description, actions, likes and dislikes, interests, manner of speaking, and innermost thoughts. The best way to reveal a character is showing what he sees from his worldview. Study and understand point of view so your reader will know your characters.

What is your story about?
Are you telling a story about a bomb exploding, or is it about what happens to the victims of the explosion? What do you think is more important to your reader—the plot or the people? If someone drops a bomb on an empty warehouse with no one in it, who really cares? That’s just collateral or material damage to a building and its contents. However, if there are people in there, you have a story—or probably dozens or even hundreds of stories with built-in plots. Does everyone get killed? If so, who do they leave behind? If you’re not telling a ghost story, the plot is probably built around the survivors and their reactions. Does anyone survive the bombing? If so, their stories might be the most interesting. What are the obstacles and issues they now have to deal with?

Which do you plan first—character or plot?

There’s no right or wrong way to do this, so you need to come up with what drives your story and has the most impact. I generally know my characters, what motivates them, and work my plot around that. It helps me keep the story alive and prevents me from getting off-track. It makes my story more plausible and sympathetic.

How do I get to know my characters?

I do a combination of things. I do some geometry—either a triangle for a short story or a diamond for a longer story or book. The protagonists have major character traits listed on the points—mostly positive but with one negative. The antagonists have mostly negative but with one positive. There are sub-traits on the lines between the points, and depending on the importance of each character, I fill in what I need. Then I interview them and find out what drives them, what motivates them, and their worldview.

Character motivation
What motivates the character to speak, act, or react the way she does? Was it something in her childhood, or in the case of romance, was a former heartbreak the cause of her not being ready to find love again? Character motivation is the catalyst that can help form the plot or subplot of your story.

Character conflict
During the character interview, I find out what comforts as well as what bothers my character the most. I use characterization to create the conflict rather than the other way around. Can you create the conflict first then insert the characters? Absolutely. Just make sure you define your character well enough to justify why this person is in this particular story.

Power to the people

I like to give my characters the power to take my stories where they naturally need to go with only a little bit of guidance from me. When I do my homework on the front end, the rest of my job is much easier and more rewarding. The story almost writes itself.

You want 3-Dimensional characters

Give your character some depth. Your character’s beliefs, innermost thoughts (whether they’re right or wrong), and everything that drives him make up your 3-D character. Allowing your reader to get into the head and skin of the character will keep her turning pages with anticipation.

Is it ever okay to have Cardboard characters?

Yes, but never the hero, heroine, important secondary characters, or villain. The man on the street who smiles at your protagonist can be one-dimensional in the story. He serves his purpose if your heroine is having a particularly bad day, and all she needs is positive affirmation. The traffic cop who keeps the hero from being where he needs to be doesn’t need to be fully fleshed out unless he has another part in the story.

Power of the senses
How do you show who your characters are without simply listing traits? Use the senses. Does your hero pause before jumping out of the airplane when the frigid air smacks him in the face? When your villain enters the victim’s house, does the aroma of fresh-baked cookies accost his senses and momentarily bring him back to a happy time before his mother left home and never came back? Does the heroine who’s coming home after a long absence stop on the edge of town and take in the view of the skyline, which allows a flood of memories to remind her of all the things she left behind?

Associations

Have you ever heard that you’re judged by the company you keep? There’s some truth to that. Look at who your characters hang out with and who they avoid. Do your characters have friends who appear to be polar opposites for balance, or do they show up on the page when you need someone to bounce ideas off of. You might even use an association as a device to relay information to your reader through dialogue. Just make sure it makes sense for your character to have these associations.

Character definition
Characters are defined by their innermost thoughts, feelings, and motivations. They are defined by their associations. The characters in your story are defined by your reader’s opinions and reactions, so be wise in how you draw and paint your characters.

Here’s a review of the way I begin working on characterization before writing the first word of my books:

1. Decide on the genre. This affects characterization because of reader expectations and knowing what traits to bring out to the reader.

2. Character triangle or diamond for primary characters and villains.

3. Interview questions.

Basic Character interview questions to start with
You can ask as many questions as you want before starting your story. There’s a balance between asking enough to get what you need and asking too many that give you an excuse to procrastinate. Here are a few to start with:

1. How does your physical appearance affect you? The blue eyes and red hair are physical traits, but how do they affect the character? If the character is unattractive, maybe she feels the need to fade into the woodwork. How does your physical appearance affect others? Perhaps the character’s physical beauty gives people the impression that’s all she has going on. Or maybe people are jealous.
2. How do you relate to your family? Were you a mama’s boy or a daddy’s girl? Do you currently have a good relationship, or are you estranged?
3. Educational level? Do you have your doctorate, or did you drop out of high school? How do you think this relates to how you perceive yourself or how others perceive you? Are you proud or ashamed of your educational level? Do people assume that just because you have a PhD, you’re smart? Or if you dropped out of high school, do people think you’re not intelligent?
4. Do you have a mission? What are you willing to do to accomplish this mission? Erin Brokovich is an example of a character whose mission drives the story.
5. What do you want more than anything else? What are you willing to do to get it?
6. What are your strengths? How have you used them?
7. Your weaknesses? What do you do to overcome them?
8. What do you want to improve or change? If you don’t want to improve or change, why not?
9. What do you look for in a friend or romantic interest? What do you avoid?

Those are 9 major questions with sub-questions. Add more that you feel will bring out your characters.

Once you know your characters, the plot often shows itself in a way you wouldn’t have thought of before. Knowing your characters allows you to draw the reader into the story without feeling forced or false. Without characterization, most books would seem flat, clinical, or textbook-ish. Work on characterization in your stories, and you’ll add depth. Your story will come to life, and your readers won’t be able to put down the book.
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Debby Mayne is the author of 11 books and 5 novellas published by Barbour and Avalon Books. Her 2007 Barbour novel Double Blessing was voted second favorite in the contemporary category among Heartsong Presents book club readers. She is the mother of 2 grown daughters and wife of an avid golfer who keeps bringing home trophies for her to dust. In addition to writing novels, Debby is an instructor with Long Ridge Writers Group and judge for Writer’s Digest contests.

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Debby will be giving away a copy of one of her new releases, If the Dress Fits, to one of our Friday Seekerville posters. Please leave a contact email address. A winner will be selected at 8 p.m. MT.