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    30Aug, 2022
    Using Theme to Focus a Memoir like Stanley Tucci’s Taste

    As a teacher, I’m always looking for inspiration, particularly when it comes to the memoir classes I teach (both online with Teachable and in person with the Carrboro Arts Center near where I live). Using Theme to Focus a Memoir like Stanley Tucci’s Taste, is my latest inspiration.

    How it Started

    A few months ago, my good friend, artist Theresa Pastoriza-Tan, invited me to a very cool bookclub at a wine bar in Raleigh called Vita Vite. This past month, the book choice was Stanley Tucci’s memoir, Taste. At the Vita Vite gathering in Raleigh last night, Theresa, another good artist friend, Amy Jane Whitney, and I spent the evening chatting about life stories and the lens they can be told through. 

    Tucci wove all the stories in his memoir around food. Turns out that many of his movies also center around food. He is a foodie, through and through, so it makes perfect sense that this is the theme he threaded through each of his stories.

    What is a Memoir?

    Remember, a memoir is not a life story written from beginning to end. It is not an autobiography. It is a series of stories centered around a life.

    And the way I see it and teach it, centered around a theme similar to the way Tucci does it.

    What’s Your Theme?

    If you were going to write your memoir, what  would you choose as a central theme that could weave your stories together?

    Stanley Tucci’s memoir, Taste, is so great! Highly recommend.

    Did you read about my 6 questions to ask before writing a scene? Read it HERE!

     
     
     

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    Extraordinary Attorney Woo in a purple cape for her hero's journey
    26Aug, 2022
    Do You Know Extraordinary Attorney Woo is a Hero?

    Listen to the Podcast Episode about Attorney Woo’s Hero’s Journey.

    Four images of Extraordinary Attorney Woo and what writers can learn from her

    Extraordinary Attorney Woo and how she is a hero, the podcast episode
    Do You Know that Extraordinary Attorney Woo is a Hero?

    She is. Truly.

    Extraordinary Attorney Woo, ENA/Netflix

    Summary (from Netflix): Attorney Woo (Woo Young-Woo) is an extraordinary attorney who has Autistic Spectrum Disorder. This fact offers her unique perspectives on her cases, but is also limiting. 

    This Hero’s Journey breakdown is for the first episode of this awesome series.

    Hero– 

    Woo Young-Woo, the first autistic attorney in the Republic of Korea, a graduate of Seoul, South Korea.

    She did not speak until she was 5 years old, and when she did speak, it was citing law and criminal code from the mountains of books her father has. 

    Ordinary World—

    Woo Young-Woo is hired as brand new rookie attorney at Hanbada law firm. Things about her:

    • She struggles to look people in the eye
    • She must count to three before walking into a room/new space
    • She only eats gimbap (it’s predictable in look and taste)
    • She is passionate about whales
    Call to Adventure– 

    Young-Woo enters the law firm ready to begin her career, but knowing she is different.

    Refusal of Call– 

    The senior attorney she works under, Jung Myeong-seok, does not want her on his team. He thinks she is not up to the job because of her autism, but Han, the CEO of the law firm, wants to give her a chance. 

    Meeting the Mentor– 

    Lee Jun-ho is part of the litigation team. He helps Woo Young-Woo navigate through the case. Choi Su-yeon is also a rookie attorney with Hanbada and was in law school with Young-woo. She is a reluctant ally. 

    Crossing the Threshold–

    Young-Woo is given a case about a woman accused of attempted murder of her husband. Her crossing of the threshold is literal. She just go meet the client, but she can’t figure out how to get through the revolving door. Jun-ho helps her see it as a waltz with counting. She gets through the revolving door, which is a first success.  

    Kim Seon Ho Joins the Woo Young Woo Trend With THIS! | KDramaStars

    Tests and Allies–
    1. On her first day, she meets an ally—Lee Jun-ho, an enemy—Attorney Kwon Min-woo, and an old acquaintance—the landlord of the apartment where she and her father lived when she was a child.
    2. The husband of the defendant once accused Young-Woo’s father of making moves on his wife (the defendant). He was unreasonably jealous. When he sees Young-woo again, he is verbally abusive and violent. 
    3. Young-woo’s good friend, Geu-ra-mi, teaches Young-woo how to spot a liar (itchy nose, sweaty palms, wiggly leg)
    4. Geu-ra-mi also helps Young-woo with strategies to be successful in court.
    5. Jung Myeong-seok (the senior attorney) also becomes an ally after recognizing Young-woo’s strengths.
    6. Choi Su-yeon continues to help Young-woo in certain ways. She feels sorry for the way her disability inhibits her success, but at the same time, she is annoyed by Young-woo.
    7. Jun-ho becomes Young-woo’s ‘sidekick’ and is intrigued by her.
    Central Ordeal– 

    Young-woo comes up with an analogy to whales which helps her realize that this is not a criminal case, but a civil one. If the focus remains on the criminal aspect, the point will be missed. She realizes that intent to murder would strip the defendant of any financial support from her husband or his property. 

    She begins the trial nervous, but makes objections that are sustained and gains confidence. 

    Reward– 

    Young-woo makes good arguments to have the indictment changed from attempted murder to bodily harm.

    Road Back– 

    In an effort to win the case, the defense puts the injured husband on the stand to demonstrate his volatility. He is provoked, scaring everyone, most especially Young-woo, and the jury sees cause for the wife to have defended herself. 

    But then the husband dies and the charge changes from intent to murder to murder. All feels lost.

    27 ideas de Extraordinary Attorney Woo en 2022 | dramas coreanos ...Resurrection– 

    Through a ‘whale-ization’, Young-woo realizes that the husband had an underlying issue and that the subdural hematoma that killed him was a result of this. She gets the medical examiner to admit this on the witness stand.

    Return w/ elixir– The woman is found not-guilty of murder. Young-woo has won her first case.

    Comments: As with any medical or legal drama, there is always a moment when success is in hand, only to have something monumental happen that snatches that success away. This happens with Woo Young-woo. In each episode, she has a ‘whale-ization’…a moment when something becomes clear to her about the case. 

    Extraordinary Attorney Woo is a wonderful TV show. Highly recommend

    Check out another Hero’s Journey: Kat Valdez from the movie, Marry Me.

    23Aug, 2022
    Understanding Back Cover Copy and How to Write it

    PART 1:

    There are many, many steps in writing a book. Understanding Back Cover Copy and how to write it is one of these steps. 

    What is Back Cover Copy:

    Simply put, back cover copy is an incredibly important marketing tool for your book. It includes a hook to grab the reader’s attention. It then hits the core elements of the plot in the most enticing manner possible.

    This copy is the second thing a potential reader will use to judge whether or not the book is for them (first is the cover). Just like a teaser from a television show or a movie trailer, the back cover copy in a book gives the potential audience enough about the story to pique their interest. It is what draws them in and gets them to commit to reading the first page (which is the third step in a reader’s decision-making process).

    What should Back Cover Copy Include?

    Your back cover copy should include some specific elements:

      • Introduce the main character(s)
      • What does is the main character’s goal?
      • What is the conflict preventing him/her from achieving this goal?
      • What is at stake for the main character?

     

    What is its Purpose?

    The main purpose of your story’s back cover copy is to communicate the exciting premise of the story.

    This may seem like an easy task; it’s not.

    To make it easier, do your research.

    • Read the back cover copy of many (many!) books in the same genre as your book. Look at:
      • the structure
      • the hook
      • the point of view (in a romance, for example, there will likely be two—one paragraph for the heroine and one for the hero)
      • how the goal and conflict are presented
      • and the length

    Examples

    Here is the copy for Murder in Devil’s Cove, the first in my Book Magic mystery series:

    After twenty years, Pippin Lane Hawthorne and her twin brother, Grey, return to their birth place—the Outer Banks island of Devil’s Cove. But what was supposed to be a chance at a new life turns sinister when their father’s old fishing boat reveals a dark secret.

    Now Pippin must embrace her fate as a bibliomancer and learn how to ‘read’ the books she’s always shied away from. Only then will she be able to discover the truth about what really happened to her parents and continue their efforts to break the curse that has haunted the Lane family for two thousand years.

    You can see how this hits all the elements.

    Hook: A second chance turning sinister with dark secrets

    Setting: Outer Banks island of Devil’s Cove

    Character and point of view: Pippin Lane Hawthorne

    Goal: to learn the truth about her father’s death

    Conflict: a curse

    Here is the back cover copy for the second book in the series, Murder at Sea Captain’s Inn:

    Generation after generation of Lane women die in childbirth, while the sea claims the men.

    Pippin Lane Hawthorne’s grand opening of Sea Captain’s Inn is tainted when a scholar studying the Lost Colony of Roanoke is brutally murdered. Like the black crow that hangs around the old house, could the untimely death be a harbinger of dark things to come?

    When her twin brother, Grey, begins bucking the curse by risking his life in the waters of the Outer Banks, Pippin lives in terror that he’ll be the next Lane male to be swallowed by the sea. Now she must use her gift of bibliomancy to save her brother, solve the murder, and end a two thousand year old pact.

    Hook: Generation after generation of Lane women die in childbirth, while the sea claims the men.

    Setting: Sea Captain’s Inn

    Character and point of view: Pippin Lane Hawthorne

    Goal: Pippin must save Grey and solve a murder

    Conflict: a curse, and a murderer

    Let’s take a look at one more example, this one from Kneaded to Death, the first in the Bread Shop mystery series.

    When an artisanal baker is accused of murder, her sleuthing student rises to the occasion . . .

    Everyone swears by Yeast of Eden, the Mexican bread shop in town. But tonight, the only thing on the menu is la muerte . . .

    Struggling photographer Ivy Culpepper has lots of soul-searching to do since returning to seaside Santa Sofia, California. That is, until the thirty-six-year-old enters a bread making class at Yeast of Eden. Whether it’s the aroma of fresh conchas in the oven, or her instant connection with owner Olaya Solis, Ivy just knows the missing ingredients in her life are hidden among the secrets of Olaya’s bakery . . .

    But Ivy’s spirits crumble when a missing classmate is suddenly discovered dead in her car. Even more devastating, the prime suspect is Olaya Solis herself. Doubting the woman could commit such a crime, Ivy embarks on a murder investigation of her own to prove her innocence and seize the real killer. As she follows a deadly trail of crumbs around town, Ivy must trust her gut like never before—or someone else could be toast!

    Hook (in a cozy, as well as in other types of book, the hook is often presented as a teaser above the copy; in a cozy, it is also often punny): Everyone swears by Yeast of Eden, the Mexican bread shop in town. But tonight, the only thing on the menu is la muerte . . .

    Setting: Santa Sofia, California and Yeast of Eden, an artisan bread shop

    Character and point of view: Ivy Culpepper

    Goal: To deal with her mother’s death, and then track down a killer

    Conflict: Solve the murder before another happens

     

    So, take time to write great back cover copy.

    Eventually, it will be used for pitches to agents, as a marketing tool on online websites and retailers, for press releases, and any number of other things.  

    Finally, one last thing to note is that there is never only one way of doing things. There also isn’t a single right way of doing things.

    Publishers have their methods, editors have theirs, and writers have their own approach.

    Next time I will share my method and approach to writing back cover copy .

    Until then, happy writing!

    I go into this concept in depth in the Field Guide to Writing a Cozy Mystery course. If you’re writing a cozy, this course is for you!

    Did you read about understanding the building blocks of a scene? Read it HERE!

     
     
     

    By the way: Follow the WriterSpark page on Facebook.

    Join the WriterSpark Academy newsletter! And share with your writing besties.

    Know a writer, aspiring or other, who might like this content? Share this site with with them!

    Need help with your back cover copy or developmental help with your manuscript? Hire me as your novel editor and partner.

    22Aug, 2022
    What Causes Creativity?

    One person’s thoughts on what causes creativity are probably very different from the next person’s.

    Maybe for you, what causes creativity is time to unplug.

    Maybe it comes from being in nature.

    Maybe it’s time doing something else you love, like baking, gardening, hiking, sewing, woodworking, or some other activity unrelated to writing.

    When you think of replenishing your creative well, what comes to mind? What works for you?

    16Aug, 2022
    Do you Understand the Building Blocks of a Scene?

    Do you understand the building blocks of a scene? Have you heard of scene and sequel?

    The concept and terms (confusing because there is both Scene and scene) were coined by Dwight Swain in his book, Techniques of the Selling Writer. At its core, scene and sequel are ways to control the pace of your story, and keep your plot moving forward. 

     
    Scene allows tension to build; Sequel allows the reader time to process, and the Point of View character’s actions drive the plot forward. 
     
    Looking at the big picture of your story, your ultimate goal is to create an emotional experience for your reader. Readers have to have a character they can relate to or with whom they can identify.
     
    To make the emotional response powerful, you need to amp up the emotional experience. The reader needs to feel as if they are the heroine of the romance, the sleuth in the mystery, the captain fighting a killer whale, the man barely outwitting a killer. They need to feel as if they are in the story.
     
    I ALWAYS come back to scene and sequel. They are two parts of a whole scene. Put another way, scene is the ‘cause’ and the sequel is the ‘effect’. t’s the response to the tension.
     

    What is a Scene?

    First, we have to answer the question: What is a scene?

    As I mentioned above, it’s a unit within the greater whole of your story (or a novel). A scene:

    1. Generally occurs in a single setting, at a single time

    2. Generally features the same characters throughout

    I say generally because there are always exceptions to any rule, but we’re not looking at those exceptions. We’re looking at the rule.

    Dwight Swain suggests in his book that there are two scene structures. One is called Scenes, the other Sequels. It’s kind of confusing because the word scene is used broadly, to explain every scene with a story; but it’s also used specifically to explain Scene and Sequel, which, again, are the two PARTS of a scene.

    In a Scene (capitalized, so the first half of a Scene and Sequel unit), there are three parts. We keep moving into smaller units of measurement as we create our stories.

    Within a Scene, a character:

    1. Has a goal, with motivation

    2. Faces an obstacle or conflict when trying to achieve that goal

    3. Suffers from a disaster

     

    In the subsequent Sequel (the second half of the Scene/Sequel unit), the character:

    1. Has a reaction to the disaster

    2. Faces a dilemma about what to do

    3. Makes a decision on how to proceed

    Scene and Sequel. 

    There is so much more to developing a scene and there are many ways to write a scene. Using Scene and Sequel is one tried and true method. It ensures you write a complete scene because you’ve build in the cause and the effect your POV character must face and react to.

    I go into this concept in depth in the WriterSpark Ready, Set, WRITE! course. It is one of the lessons in module 4. Check it out! It’s an amazing course.

    Did you read about my 6 questions to ask before writing a scene? Read it HERE!

     
     
     

    By the way: Follow the WriterSpark page on Facebook.

    Join the WriterSpark Academy newsletter! And share with your writing besties.

    Know a writer, aspiring or other, who might like this content? Share this site with with them!

    Could you use some help with your scene development? Hire me as your novel editor and partner. Together, we will take your writing to the next level!

    2Aug, 2022
    6 Questions to Ask Before You Write a Scene
    Writing a scene takes thought. Before starting, it is a good idea to ask yourself a few questions. This will help you hone in on the core elements of the scene you are planning, and will (hopefully) make it much easier to write.
     
    Today I have 6 questions to ask yourself before writing a scene.
     
    1. What is the purpose of your scene?
    a) Will it advance the plot? If so, how?
    b) Will it introduce a new character or develop an existing   
       one? If so, how?
    c) Will it develop the romance (if there is one)?
    d) If you are writing a mystery, does it introduce a clue or
       a suspect or a red herring?
    e) does it introduce a conflict? If so, what?
     
    2. What characters will be in the scene? Try not to over-populate a scene. Too many characters make it difficult for the reader to follow.
     
    3. What is the conflict in the Scene?
    a) is it internal (throwing an obstacle in the way of the
       protagonist’s inner problem?
    b) is it external (driving the plot forward)?
     
    4. Where does the scene take place?
    a) time of day
    b) season
    c) town, city, state, country, planet
    d) location within this place (house, bedroom, kitchen,
       park, spaceship…)
     
    5. What is the mood or tone of the scene? A thriller can have comedic moment. A comedy can have serious themes. Think about the mood and tone of each scene and how they impact the other scenes.
     
    6. Transition: How will you transition this scene to the next? Will you leave the scene on a hook? With a question? What will you do to keep the reader turning the pages?
     
    Stay tuned for more about scene and sequel, the two elements that make up a Scene (uppercase!) sequence.
     
     
     
     
    Conquer your Fears. Watch this quick YouTube Video
     
     

    By the way: Follow the WriterSpark page on Facebook and the Memoir Challenge group!

    Join the WriterSpark Academy newsletter! And share with your writing besties.

    Know a writer, aspiring or other, who might like this content? Share this site with with them!

     
     
     

    Could you use some help with your scene development? Hire me as your novel editor and partner. Together, we will take your writing to the next level!