Keynote Speaker Bruce Hale: Writer's Mind, Warrier's Mind: Toughing It Out & Getting Published

He sings! He dances! He makes
bad jokes! We love Bruce Hale!

Bruce Hale (our first Keynote Speaker) is an author, illustrator, story-teller, actor, singer and group sing-along leader who shared his experience, advice and enthusiasm with our members this morning.

His talk received a standing ovation, and here are three of Bruce's super-helpful Six Principles for Toughing It Out & Getting Published:


1) Start a Good Habit Habit

• Plan tomorrow's work the night before
• Pick 3 things that move to your goal
• Do 1 of those things before you do everything else (and open your e-mail)
• Limit e-mail web to twice/three times per day
• Set page/word goals for each day.

2) Write Like Your Hair was on Fire

• (i.e. Write/Create what you're passionate about)
• Do what you love, love what you do.
• How do you find passion?
• Do free writing about childhood
• Meditate/pray/tune in to hear quiet voice
• Start a Bradbury list

3) Think it Through, Take the Big View

• Thinking steps ahead, pursue concept to the end.
• Ask questions like a 3 year-old (why? why? why?)
• Give relentless focus and attention to find the deeper truth

Here's more about Bruce's books online, and don't forget to check out his great writing tips!

Help Bruce Hale with his Keynote!

Bruce Hale would like to customize his keynote speech at our upcoming annual conference (isn't he a peach?), and he needs your help. If you're planning to attend the conference and you have a few minutes, we'd appreciate it if you could shoot Bruce an email with a couple of quick responses to the questions below:

What do you feel is the major roadblock keeping you from being published (if you're unpublished) or reaching wider success (if published)?

What burning question (aside from "Will you publish my book/introduce me to your agent?") would you most like answered at the conference?

If it's different from the previous two answers, what is your biggest concern in your writing life today?

Please reply to Bruce Hale at <writerguy@brucehale.com>.

Thanks! And have you noticed that we have less than thirty seats left to this shindig?! If you've been procrastinating about registering... it's time to get it done! Details here.

Bruce Hale's newsletter has a great piece on writing novels

The Chet Gecko author sends out a newsletter about storytelling, and I especially liked this week's featured essay by Kathi Appelt. It's about what it takes to write a novel.

To sign up for Bruce's newsletter, visit his site.

Meanwhile, here's that essay:

RAISE THE STAKES, HONEY!

I have been a writer my whole life long, beginning with writing on walls as a toddler to writing professionally as an adult. In that life-long career, I have written articles, picture books, non-fiction, poetry, essays, short stories, a memoir, and even a song or two.

But for years and years the novel was a form that absolutely eluded me.

NOVEL PROBLEMS
For a long time, I told myself that I didn't need to write a novel. After all, I had plenty of published work to stand on, and I had plenty of ideas for new works.

But I was kidding myself, because in my heart of hearts, it was a novel that I wanted to write. So, I took courses, I bought how-to books, I went to workshops. I did all of the required groundwork. Why couldn't I crack this genre?

In the meantime, I had drawer after drawer, boxes stacked upon boxes, of half-finished novels that were just that: half-finished.

It seemed like I could create wonderful characters, interesting landscapes, and great, colorful details. My characters, despite their goals, just didn't seem to make much progress. I'd get about half way through and then my story would lose steam and whimper into oblivion.

It wasn't until I took an on-line course with master teacher Dennis Foley that I realized that the essential element missing from my work was tension.

GETTING TENSE
Now, plots are plots. I knew how to create plots. They involve a character who is moving toward a goal. And as Dennis so aptly puts it: "a goal is nothing more than whatever your character is trying to achieve, overcome or acquire." Easy peasy.

Yeah, right!

How could it be that I could have a character, in search of a goal, with all of the other elements in place, but still come up short?

As it turns out, in order for a reader to care about your story, the stakes have to be raised. You can have a character overcome incredible odds and obstacles, but if there's nothing at stake, then there's no reason to pull for that same character.

Let's consider an example. Say we have a great guy named Phillip who is a cross-country racer and whose goal is to win the regional track meet. We'll put Phillip at the starting line and pull the trigger on the starting pistol. Kapow! Off he goes.

If we use a basic plot, with three obstacles of increasing difficulty, we can first have Phillip develop an annoying blister
on his heel. But because Phillip is tough, he runs through the pain. Next, it starts to snow. Now Phillip is having trouble
seeing the track because of the snow, and his blister is getting worse, so the odds against his winning are increasing. Finally, he stumbles and turns his ankle. The entire pack is well ahead of him and Phillip is trailing badly.

WHY DOES IT MATTER?
We'll leave it there. Whether Phillip wins or not doesn't really matter. But what is missing from this story is the why of it. Why is it so important that Phillip win this race?

You see, there's nothing wrong with this plot, nothing wrong with the obstacles, nothing wrong with the character. But we have no idea what the stakes are and why it matters so much to Phillip to win that race. Is a college scholarship at stake? Is he racing to prove something to his family, something about honor, about perseverance, about stamina? Is he racing to win enough money to buy medicine for his little daughter?

What will be irrevocably lost if he doesn't win? Why is it so important to Phillip?

And that's the key word -- important. The stakes have to be so important to the main character that if they don't achieve, acquire or overcome their goal, we the reader will care. If not, then it's just a race.

Winning or losing doesn't matter unless the stakes are high.

Raise 'em, honey. Otherwise, nobody will care.

Kathi Appelt is a National Book Award finalist (for THE UNDERNEATH), and the author of over 20 books for kids and teens. Her tales have won numerous national and state awards, and she serves on the faculty of the Vermont College of Fine Arts' MFA in Children's Writing program. Catch up with her online at KathiAppelt.com.

3 Juicy Plot Tips from Bruce Hale

Bruce gave us permission to reprint this; if you like it, consider signing up for his newsletter at the link below:

THREE TIPS FOR A JUICIER PLOT

Plots are like Christmas turkeys -- we're always looking for ways to fatten them up. Juicier plots feel more complex, more satisfying. They keep readers up late turning the pages, and keep editors asking for more.

How do you make sure your book's plot is a juicy one? Here are three quick tips to help.

1. Give your character a hard time.
Throw roadblocks into your character's path. Disappoint him or her. Frequently. Give your
hero bad luck.

(Bad luck is bending over to pick a four-leaf clover and being infected by poison ivy.)

Your main character is a version of yourself. Few people would knowingly put themselves in jeopardy, but you've got to cold-bloodedly throw your surrogate into the soup -- even more than you think you do.

The more danger, the better. It can be physical, emotional, or spiritual danger, or a threat to life and limb. By piling on troubles, you hook the reader into wanting to find out how the hero
gets out of it. I call it the "UH-OH factor." They read it and go, "Uh-oh, she's really gonna get it now!"

2. Raise the stakes.
You see this in movies all the time. A regular schmo is trying to solve some small problem in his life -- like a romantic breakup -- and then he stumbles into an even bigger problem.

Or something happens to make it even more urgent that he solve his small problem (like his ex decides to get married and he has to win her back before the wedding).

In movies, the stakes often become "the end of the world as we know it." No need to go that far, unless your story warrants it.

But you can always up the ante.

For example, in my book, FAREWELL, MY LUNCHBAG, Chet Gecko is hired by his friend the cafeteria lady to discover why her food is going missing. But then, while on stakeout, the real crook frames him for the thefts. Chet then has an even stronger reason for solving the case: clearing his name.

3. Make him face his flaw.
If you want to make it even harder for your hero to solve the story's central problem, give them a flaw and put them in a situation where they have to overcome it.

(Warning: This technique *can* be over-used, but when used with finesse, it adds another layer of richness to the story.)

For example, if your hero is afraid of the dark, let her come up against this fear a few times and get off fairly easy -- not investigating that dark alleyway, or finding a friend with a flashlight to help her.

But then, when it's do or die time, leave her in a cave with no light at all. She must overcome her fear in order to find the missing kid/treasure/whatever.

Simple enough? Absolutely. But employing any of these tips can add a juiciness to your story that makes a reader want to dig it with gusto. And that's the name of the writing game.

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