Interview: Author A.V. Barber

Andrew V. Barber, whose first book was released under the name A.V. Barber, is an accomplished poet and essayist. His unique writing style combines poetry and prose, and ranges from easy, straightforward writing to the more complex. His collection Me, My World, and I (2012) is a delightful mix of photography, artwork, musings and poems. He is currently working on a romance novel, Lion Hearts with writer Maree Ward-Russell.

Andrew Barber : I was born on the 16^th August 1969 in the small Fenland Market town of Wisbech and grew up in the villages nearby. From the age of 16, I developed a passion for travel and have been a bit of a rolling stone ever since.

I wrote my first poem in 2011 and lost my heart to writing poetry soon after. My debut book, Me, My World and I, was launched in the autumn of 2012. I love nothing more than sitting before a log fire on a cold, dark winter’s day with a glass of brandy and a keyboard.

Lichen Craig : Andrew, I have been looking forward to this!  Readers should know that you are one of the kindest people I know, in addition to being talented. I'm pleased to be able to introduce you to people who don't yet know you and your work!

Your work is unique in that your poetry can be very prose-like, and your prose can read like poetry.  That style really defines you. The other big point to make about your work is that you write about the common man, everyday subjects, everyday beauty, emotions that we all can relate to. It is obvious from reading reviews that, that quality really appeals to readers!

Your first book-length collection of poetry, “Me, My World, and I” has been fairly well-received. I think you have something to be really proud of, since your style of poetry is complex compared to much modern poetry and could have proven intimidating to the average non-academic reader.  Do you have any thoughts yourself on why the book appeals to people?

AV : First of all, thank you for your very kind introduction, people are always so very nice, repaying that in kind is easy.

I am not an academic and was far from being a scholar at school, I guess the truth is, I am just an ordinary guy who himself feels intimidated by the institution and their interpretation of poetry. Perhaps this shines through?

I wanted to paint a picture of the world through my eyes. As I say in the early pages of the book, you don’t have to agree with what I write, even disagreement is a reaction.

I really love to write in a classical style and I am not a fan of long drawn out poems, my aim was to create short pieces that are easily read and have meanings with which the reader may easily associate.

Most of my works have metaphor but I invite the reader to make their own interpretation. I believe that the consumption and enjoyment of poetry doesn’t have to rely on the reader seeing the same meaning as the poet.

I also include prose with each poem giving background to the work. From what I am told, many people tend to read the poem, then the prose, before going back to read the poem again, this time with new meaning.

I guess all of these things may help, but mostly I just hope that my work is enjoyed for what it is, words from the heart about life.

LC : I find your “essays” on your blog fascinating, in that what you dub “essay” is really a sort of prose poem. Again, as in your book, we see the melding of prose and poetry. While you are writing freeform as in prose, your words contain a continuous stream of metaphor, imagery, hint rather than blunt statement . . . all the elements of a poem. Again, as in your book, we see the melding of prose and poetry I see few people mixing prose and poetry successfully, as you have. Is this a style you developed over time?

AV : Indeed it is, and the process is ongoing. I am really still learning my craft; I haven’t been writing very long and am still very much finding my way.

When I write, I feel a rhythm within the lines and spend quite some time in the edit phase shaving words here and adding words there. It was never a deliberate act to write in this way, more an accident that came from a wish to shape lines and make them flow in a pleasant fashion.

I love the use of metaphor because it allows you to create more than one story at once and leaves the interpretation entirely open. Imagine writing a book where 10 people may see a completely different start, middle and end.

LC : Are you still working on the “postcard project”? I know that it has a lot to do with travel – and you are well-traveled and love it – and that it will feature the same prose style poetry as does your first book. What else can you tell us?

AV : Postcards should hit the shelf around October of this year. It has some similarities with my first offering too, in that the two books share the same format, chapters formed from one poem, 2 pages of prose and a picture.

I have always wanted to write a travel book, but wanted to give it a slightly different slant. This isn’t a book that describes the best places to eat or the best hotels but more a look at the sights and sounds of Europe through the eyes of a poet.

I have a lot of work to do between now and August, and am still researching destinations for some of the chapters, but it is an exciting project.

LC : Tell us about your new project, Andrew!  You are working on a romance novel, Lion Hearts with writer Maree Ward-Russell, where the story takes place in medieval times during the Crusades?

AV : This really has taken on a life of its own. It’s odd really because formally we don’t begin work until August but there are already a number of Lion Heart essays, a popular fan page and a well developed back story. Maree has also added two “chapters” of spoiler prose with a third coming - so we have quite a bit of momentum.

I have always wanted to write a novel but knew absolutely nothing about how to go about it. Maree has been great in giving me guidance and as a result we are fast building a plot. When August comes around we will really hit the road running.

The story follows the adventures of two lovers, Merek and Lilly, during the Third Crusade. This is a period often depicted with deeply romantic overtones, being as it is, the late twelfth century and the reign of Richard the Lion Heart.

The plot so far is really quite beautiful, it’s a love story with twists and turns, battle, betrayal and intrigue.

LC : Andrew, I’m always curious . . . what is your background in literature?  When I read the first lines I ever saw from you, I was strongly reminded of the years at university that I spent studying 19^th century English poets – you particularly bring to mind Tennyson, Wordsworth and Coleridge for me.  Where does your voice come from in your own opinion?

AV : It is an enormous honour to have my name uttered in the same breath as the masters, not alone have comparisons drawn, thank you. I would say that these poets, along with the Bronte sisters, Mary Barber, William Blake and Alexander Pope are those I consider to be my favorites.

I don’t have a literary background, as I mentioned earlier, I was never considered a scholar at school and due to teaching methods, failed to enjoy English Literature as a class.

I guess for this reason I still flinch a little when people call me a poet, I am still expecting the academics to pull me to pieces or other “poets” to debunk my work.

I really only started reading poetry after I had begun writing. I used Google to learn about rhyming schemes, meter and styles and adapted my style to suit what “felt” best for me. My work is entirely from the heart and formed from my love of the classical style.

Of course I missed out on a lot; I was 41 before I wrote my first poem and 42 before I formed my deep interest in the work of the masters.

LC : What writers have influenced you?  Both in terms of sheer inspiration and/or in terms of style?  Why do these particular people speak so strongly to you?

AV : I enjoy the work of Bill Bryson, his prose are very down to earth and lead you on a journey in such a way as you feel his equal. I guess this played some part in the way I approached the prose in Me, My World and I.

Another would have to be my good friend Kelvin Fowler, a published poet and author from New Zealand. He is also my co-author in a current collaboration called Black & White. It was he who originally encouraged me to write and he offered the early support that lead to where I am now. His work is very different to mine, but that is the beauty of all forms of art, diversity.

Maree Ward Russell has played a big part in my writing because before I started working with her I had no idea about things such as back story and how to properly plan. I have just finished her book The Transient and this did play some part in the inspiration behind my work entitled “Elsewhere”.

I guess the other would be C.S. Lewis, I remember losing myself to The Lion, the Witch and The Wardrobe at primary school and formed an immediate interest with the concept of creating new worlds through words.

LC : Do you write daily? Is that discipline, or does it come easily for you?

AV : I have a hectic day job that comes with travel and responsibility so sadly my writing still largely has to take a back seat. I set myself targets and try where possible to stick to them, but it is very hard.

I try to produce essays for my blog every Tuesday and Saturday, these are important because in the autumn of this year I plan to publish a book featuring these works  along with a few more written specifically for the project.

In between times, there is my work on Postcards, poems for Black & White with Kelvin and my work with Maree on the back story for Lion Hearts.

LC : How old were you when you began to write? Was it poetry or prose?  Did you aspire to be a poet, or has that come in later years?

AV : From primary school onward I loved to write stories. In my teenage years I wrote a lot of paranormal fantasy and science fiction, all of it in long hand and all of it very badly. But my dream always, was to one day see my name on the cover of a book.

Due to my academic background, I never would have dreamed that would day I would be writing and reading poetry and had it not been for Kelvin, I may never have done so.

LC : As a novelist and a former writer of non-fiction, I find that poets are a different breed altogether!  They seem much more solitary in their work, perhaps less gregarious, much more contemplative. Am I crazy?

AV : I do like space and time on my own so I guess if your theory is correct I may have always been a poet and just never known it. I have always analyzed everything, to the degree that it is a weakness. Everything has to be filtered and thought about deeply.

That said, I do love socializing and really enjoy being around family and friends – just as long as I can withdraw and have my own space in between times!

LC : What do you like most about writing? What do you like least about it?

AV : I love being able to create worlds and move characters around within their space. I also love being able to express myself in a way that allows me to “unload”. I really love the feeling of elation that takes over when I finish a piece I am pleased with. Writing has also allowed me to meet lots of very nice people, so that should be included too.

I dislike the frustration that comes with gazing at an empty screen with a flashing cursor. I also struggle with the constant fear of not being very good, or being torn apart by academics and poets.

LC : Where do you ideally see your writing going in the future?  How should it evolve?  What are your goals in say. . . ten years?

AV : My ultimate goal is to make it my fulltime profession so I guess a more traditional publishing contract would be a very big step for me. It is very hard to get noticed in literature and perhaps even harder for a poet.

I would like to continue learning styles and methods and evolve my work accordingly. This means challenging my boundaries and pushing new limits which is not without risk.

I certainly would like to keep myself busy with a regular stream of new work hitting the shelf each year and would love to see Lion Hearts grow into something big!

LC : Is there anything else you would wish readers to know about you? 

AV: Only that I am very grateful to you for this interview and to them for reading it.


See my review of Me, My World, and I right here at LichenCraig.

Andrew’s wonderful, inspiring blog can be found at http://www.avbarber.com .

Find his book, “Me, My World, And I”  at Amazon.com .

Follow Andrew on Twitter at @authorAVBarber .

Read about “Lion Hearts” on Facebook .

Andrew’s Facebook page can be found at http://www.facebook.com/pages/Me-My-World-and-I/223078817817559

Review: Me, My World, and I by A.V. Barber

Me, My World, and I

A.V. Barber

AuthorHouse, 2012

4/5 stars
(See Reviews Guidelines)

When I was growing up, there was a calligraphed poem hanging on the wall of my bedroom, that my mother had hung there when I was very young. It was written by one of my great-grandmothers. It was a sort of lyrical lullaby to a child – it’s music and rhythm and rhyme simple, but softly enticing.  It hung on that wall as long as I lived there, and for several years after -during which I occasionally came home for a visit. I had gone on to adulthood and earned a degree in writing and literature: I knew simplistic poetry when I saw it. And yet, something about that poem charmed me through all those years - for whatever depth it lacked, it captured and held the ear of the reader, and there is something to that. As I read Me, My World, and I, this childhood poem came to my mind many times.

I spend a lot of time reading complicated prose, and on occasion complex poetry. Anyone following my blog knows that I truly love the complexity of real innovation in writing. And so it was a surprise to me that I enjoyed this book so thoroughly: its simplicity is refreshing, its words don’t challenge the reader to work too hard cerebrally, but rather to just relax and drift through the beautiful ride.

The book is a collection of the author’s poems about everyday impressions in the life of an ordinary man, interspersed with some easy but thought-provoking essays – contemplative musings on the meaning of the world around us and of living - and some nice black and white photos and watercolor tossed into the mix. The overall affect is a portrait of the life that we all live in common, and it’s terribly pleasant. Here is an example, a particular amusing poem about the common emotion of envy:

The Grass is Greener

Your grass is always greener, 

And warmer shines your sun. 

For those who live on your side, 

The fight’s already won.   

Here’s my glass half-empty, 

But yours is still half-full. 

I am wrapped in nylon, 

While you’re in cotton wool.   

I work so hard for nothing, 

Your money grows on trees, 

And so you’re always healthy, 

While all I do is sneeze.   

You have perfect eyesight, 

Yet glasses I must wear. 

Through my tinted lenses,

You’re so lucky I would swear.

This poetry is not the least sophisticated; there are no revelatory metaphors or skin-tingling descriptions. One will not find stunning, deeply moving, emotion-jolting poetry here – nor even poetry that requires much thought to absorb, but I’m fairly certain that this is just what the author intended. The poems are more a gentle coaxing into a specific frame of mind, from which one goes on to read the accompanying essay provided for each poem. The essays are well-considered and several left me thinking for several hours. Anglophiles will particularly appreciate the uniquely British imagery and sensibility to the poems and essays.

It is interesting that the author has more recently publicized much more complex poetry, forcing the reader to recall the great lyrical poetry of 19^th century Britain.  I would encourage the reader of this book to watch for further work from this author. Meanwhile, wait for the end of a tough day, make a cup of tea, put your feet up, and treat yourself to this soul-nourishing read. 

A.V. Barber's Me, My World, and I is widely available through Amazon.com and other retailers.

See my interview with A.V. Barber here!

Just As Many Notes As Are Required

As an editor, I often run into interesting questions from beginning writers. Some of those questions pop up more frequently than others. I have been thinking that I ought to address them publicly here, where others might appreciate them and glean something from my answers. Then I sigh and think about how many writers' blogs I have seen that contain hundreds of posts full of mediocre - or just bad - advice to new writers. I don't want to contribute to that pool. On the other hand, there are a few writers whose blogs I have stumbled into, read a few informative posts and shouted, "YES!"  And so. . . it is with the desire to contribute advice of value  that I will begin to offer what I sincerely hope are a few words of wisdom here at LichenCraig. Hold onto your shorts, here is installment 1.

This past week, I received a first draft manuscript from an unpublished writer. In the polite, professional email she sent me (I had agreed to look at three chapters free of charge, as is my policy) she apologized that she tends to use too many words: "you'll see what I mean..."  The thing is, once I was reading the manuscript I didn't see what she meant. She put in just as many words as required to make her point, no more, no less.

I have to pause to point to a wonderful scene from the play/screenplay for Amadeus in which young Mozart has been summoned to play a piece of his own composition for the Emperor, Joseph II of Austria - a man who loved to patronize the musical arts but had little real training himself. After the brilliant Mozart plays the piece, the emperor comments that it was nice but that there seemed to be too many notes. Annoyed, Mozart  shoots back that it has neither too many nor too few notes, but precisely the number required! The same could be said of successful fiction writing - it should have the number of words required for the piece. But how does a writer know what is required?

Now let's stop here and make it clear that we are discussing fiction writing. If you are writing non-fiction, you do want to trim excessive verbage, which can get in the way of clarity of facts and precision. But fiction is much more forgiving - here a writer can use words like the notes of music, and use them to create a tone and style. Where in nonfiction unneeded words are boring, in fiction words can embellish and sing. And yet, it would be inaccurate and misleading for me to state that there is never a situation in fiction where there are too many words.

Today, a young woman asked on a forum for a writer's group this question:

I notice I sometimes have trouble knowing when to quit. Like, when writing certain scenes, I fret about whether or not I'm saying too much, or not enough. Sometimes I'll write it real tight, but it will seem sort of truncated when read back. So, I'll add more, but find I'm meandering.
For example, let's say I wanted to describe a character's "wardrobe malfunction"...I could use this approach...

"When Bethany leaned forward, her generous bosom strained against the front of her imported Chinese silk dress. The dress, breathtakingly low-cut, was made from the same bolt of silk that her grandfather, an ex-British naval officer, had brought home with him after the war as a gift to the wife who, unbeknownst to him, had left him month's earlier to pursue a short-lived but torrid affair with the ne'er do well son of a disgraced Count who had lost his family's fortune to the Machiavellian scheming of a Viennese banker who just so happened to be seated right next to her this very evening, eyeing her dressfront and praying silently that it was made of one of the poorer quality silks that were often being imported today."...blah, blah, blah. You get the picture.

Or, I could say it like this...
"When Bethany leaned forward, her breasts fell out of the top of her dress and hung there like a pair of fried eggs."

...It's just that it is often hard for me to figure out when to say less, and when to say more. I have a natural tendency to become long-winded in writing, and try to avoid too much of that. But I also don't want it to sound like a Twitter feed.

The first thing that jumped out at me in her examples is that she is fretting over the wrong thing. She does indeed have too much going on in the first example (and depending on context, there may or may not be enough in the second example), but it isn't because there are too many words. It is because the words don't belong there. This is my reply to her:

Linda, I work as an editor besides writing myself, so I get a question similar to yours a lot. This is what I tell people: your narrative needs to advance the story. It might either advance the plot, or contribute to characterization/atmosphere. So in your first example, the story is not advanced by veering off the path into another story about her grandfather. I would say to an author "lose that!" - unless the entire plot needs to involve her grandfather and his history, in which case it would be justified. Does that make sense? So in summary: you never have too many words, IF they advance the plot, contribute to characterization, or contribute to atmosphere. I hope that helps. :)

The second thing that jumped out at me about her examples and questions is that she is so very worried about how many words she is using that she may be missing considerations about developing her own rhythm, style and tone - the things that make an author unique. It's the same thing as a good pop/rock band: they have developed a sound that is all their own. When you hear them, you recognize particular elements unique to that band - quality of the lead vocals, use of  percussion, perhaps use of unusual instruments like horns - there are definite pieces of what you are hearing that make you say, "Oh, yeah, that's so-and-so!"  Writing is the same way - an experienced, skilled writer develops over time his or her own "voice": this is comprised of rhythm (and yes, good fiction writing does have rhythm!), tone (the particular choice of words and phrases that make it unique and create the atmosphere of the book or story or poem) and style (elements which identify that particular author, such as subject matter, emphasis, type of character, type of plot).  Fitting somewhere into this - perhaps somewhere in the "tone" category - is the tendency of the writer to either use very sparse language or very embellished language. Neither is wrong, but each creates an entirely different feel and experience for the reader, and thus contributes to setting a different atmosphere.The author in the example above laments her own tendency to use too many words - but I would argue that she is simply developing her own voice, and shouldn't worry about it, unless the words are truly serving no purpose according to the rules we have already discussed.

I would very much like to see something this writer has written seriously - something she took time with but that concerns her. I would like to be able to comb through it with her and talk about why she thinks there are too many words:  are there really?  Or are the words she is using helping to paint a picture for the reader, contribute to setting, tone or characterization, if not plot? 

This puts me in mind of a book every writer should look at once: Leon Uris' Trinity (published 1976).  Uris is truly a brilliant writer in the technical sense. In Trinity, Uris uses throughout the narrative - and this is not only in conversations but the entire narrative - a sort of Irish rhythm and cadence and pulls the reader into Ireland. As an author he offers beautiful description that sets the atmosphere, but his tone is such that he is able to raise reader experience to a higher level - he sets the music of Ireland into the reader's mind almost subconsciously, so that when the reader puts the book down, the everyday speech he or she encounters in real life is jarring in its difference to the world he/she has been basking in.  This is what a truly practiced, skilled and gifted writer can do: use all the tools at his or her disposal to enhance reader experience.

Another book that would fit into this category is James Joyce's masterpiece Ulysses, in which the author uses a "stream-of-consciousness" narrative tone to not only create a dream-like feel to the book, but to pull the reader deeply into the mind of the main character. Although one might see this technique from time to time nowadays, at the time Ulysses was written, the style was new and unique and attracted the attention of the literary world (although it also attracted attention for its subject matter, which was considered racy at the time!).

Many of us appreciate the stories of Jane Austen. Look at the way she uses language to set a tone. One might argue that some of this came easily to her: she was writing the way many of her contemporaries spoke. But I think she takes it beyond that: her narrative is laced with irony and humor that invites the reader to view the foibles of her characters with a chuckle, even while absorbing the tragedy of some of the tales. Her language is often heavily embellished with adjectives, her descriptions sumptuous: does she use too many words?  Of course not. The embellishment of the tone reflects the excess and embellishment of the society of which she writes. The reader is pulled into the late-18th/early-19th century almost subconsciously by tone alone.

And so, when you are worried that your writing is too wordy, think about these questions:

• Are the words contributing to the plot?
• Are the words helping to paint an atmosphere of description or characterization?
•  Is the wordiness part of my style? Is it going to bore and annoy the reader, or does it help to pull the reader into the type of story I write? 

If you tend to use a lot of words, take care that you understand the concept of rhythm in fiction. When the action speeds up, or when you want to create tension, your sentences should be shorter and to the point. When you want to create calm, peace, slow down, your sentences should be longer, with an occasional short one to break monotony (use 2-3 long sentences, then a short, repeating this pattern as a general rule).

In evaluation of your own writing, be honest with yourself. Is your wordiness bad writing? - that is, does it happen because your mind is wandering into areas that have nothing to do with the story at hand? Do your excess words, no matter how they might move you personally, not contribute to the reader's understanding of character or to the picture the reader has of the setting? Then lose them!  But on the other hand . . . if they do add to tone, atmosphere, character, music, rhythm . . . are you just beginning to see your own voice and style? Then relax, and cultivate that. It is the seed of what will make you unique as a writer!

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Hugo Harley on "The Haunting : Into the Woods"

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Erotica Meets Great Storytelling - And You'll Never Guess Where!

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Beginning Writers: 5 Biggest Mistakes!

Having been an editor and writer for many years, I often get a new writer asking if I will take a look at their work. I don't mind: we all started somewhere. I always feel that a beginning writer who is asking for help is a beginning writer willing to learn, and likely to improve. It's the ones who never ask for honest feedback - hungry only for empty nonspecific praise - that worry me, because they are more interested in being told they are good than in putting in the work and determination to really become good.

I always try to point out the things that a new writer is doing right. Knowing what you are doing right is as important as knowing what you are doing wrong. And it's the knowledge that you do some things well that keeps you striving for a better manuscript.

That being said, I do find that there are common areas where many beginning writers make mistakes. These problems are for the most part easy to fix, easy to learn, but they make an enormous difference in the overall quality of your writing. The bottom line for me, both as an editor and as a writer, is how hard does the reader have to work?  Reading should never be a chore; the darkest novel should be an enjoyable journey for the reader. Habits that get in the way of that happening are the habits that I encourage a new writer to break.

1 - Write a good opening.  There are many reasons for this, but the biggest are these: a good opening will grab the reader and hold him/her, and a good opening will grab a prospective publisher.

Editors at publishing houses who sort through new submissions will literally read your first paragraph - if you're lucky your first page - and make the decision whether to toss it.  I can't stress enough how important your opening lines and paragraph are. And well it should be, because readers won't read past a boring opening, as they stand in the grocery store browsing books, or sit at the computer reading Amazon samples. If the reader is bored by the beginning, the book does not sell. Period.

But how to do it?  Well, the opening sentence or two should say something surprising, something unpredictable, something unusual.  Which of these books would you like to read? :

A.  On a sunny Wednesday, Henry got into the car to go to the mall. He needed to shop for some new jeans.

B.  As Henry pulled into the parking lot of the mall, he swallowed his terror: walking into crowds was never something he could do without rising nausea.

In example A, Henry is doing something we all do. No surprise, nothing. Boring. We know nothing about him but his name. There is nothing to compel us to keep reading; no foreshadowing, no hint of a good story to come. We have two sentences, but have said little to nothing.  In example B, we have hinted at a story - and we have already begun to develop Henry's character. We know that he is terrified of crowds, and why? We know that he has decided that he either must go anyway, or he feels forced to go by someone or something else, and why?  The reader is already asking to know more.

I have heard it said that a good story should never be written starting at the beginning, but somewhere after the action begins - somewhere after the start.  I like that, although the beginning writer can get tangled in flashbacks, and that is another can of worms.

2 - Incorporate description into the narrative, and don't overdo it.  When I see this done badly, I can nearly hear the prose screaming "Amateur!" Never stop the story to describe a character. A description should never read as an aside to the audience/reader. It should flow naturally as part of the narrative. Let's look at our example B above. I could describe Henry this way:

As Henry pulled into the parking lot of the mall, he swallowed his terror: walking into crowds was never something he could do without rising nausea. He was dressed like a geek, and had thick glasses and an outdated haircut that he got at a barbershop. He had a plaid shirt.

Now that offers a little description, yes. But the problem is that it breaks the flow - and thus breaks the reader's concentration and enjoyment. Rather, we need to make that description a part of the story.  At this point, we already know that something is frightening Henry. His paranoia and fear is something ongoing, every time he walks into a crowd. That is a lot of information for a first paragraph. I would recommend to a writer that we leave it at that for now. In a later paragraph we can work in some more description if the writer feels it is warranted.

Let me say here that many good characters are never physically described in any real detail. It just isn't necessary. Some writers openly state that they like to allow the reader to form his or her own picture, and not let narrative interfere with that too much. But let's say that you just really want that plaid shirt and those glasses to be part of Henry. How to do it?

We could simply say:  As Henry pulled into the parking lot of the mall, he swallowed his terror: walking into crowds was never something he could do without rising nausea. He nervously pushed his glasses up on his nose, wishing he didn't wear them: they were thick and made him look like a geek. 

Here, the description is not offered as an aside, but rather as part of Henry's thinking about himself - it remains a part of the narrative. Plus, we have the added benefit of adding another character trait: he is nervous about his appearance.

As far as the shirt goes, it could be added later as part of the observation of another character regarding Henry's looks. Or, we could say something like Henry stopped inside the automatic doors to push the tails of his red plaid shirt into his trousers. Again, the description is offered as part of the narrative.

3 -  Keep dialogue realistic.  Obey this important rule to prevent your readers pausing to giggle, or worse, roll their eyes. Listen to the way people speak:  Too often a beginning writer will have Character A saying this, then Character B saying that. Both speak in complete sentences.  But in real life, Character A has gotten half a statement out and pauses for breath as Character B jumps in with another half-sentence. People struggle to be understood, search for words, misspeak. They speak in thoughts, half-thoughts, rarely in complex complete sentences.

I can't recommend highly enough that you read dialogue out loud as you write it. Read at the pace people speak, and think about how it sounds. If it doesn't have the rhythm of a real conversation, change it.

Another related element in writing good dialogue is that you want to write it using words and expressions that are realistic. First, consider the age, social class, even occupation and education level of your characters. Would a college professor be using a lot of slang that is popular in the local high school? Would a teen be speaking like a 30-year-old white-collar professional?  What era is your story told in? I recently read a novel set in the 19th century where someone said, "man". I was waiting for "dude". It was awful. A character in 1890 does not describe someone as "hot", unless they have had too much sun. Watch that your characters use expressions of their own time - doing so adds believability, and also adds a touch of authenticity!

A word about slang: One of my pet peeves is having teens with dialogue that is peppered with slang popular ten or twenty years ago. If you are going to use slang with young people - even with people in their thirties - make sure it is current. And know that even then, you may be dating your manuscript: what makes it sound cool now ("cool" being timeless by the way, haha) may sound silly and dated to the reader who picks it up ten years from now. Sometimes using as little slang as possible is wisest.

Watch the melodrama. "Oh, Henry!! I love you!" will have many readers throwing the book across the room. As in real life, when it comes to words, sometimes less is more - much more. Show with action what you leave out in words.

4 - It may be boring, but basic writing and language elements are important. Spelling errors, misuse of words, awkward sentences and bad paragraph structure, all turn a good story into a bad reading experience. Have you ever read a book where there were so many sentences that made no immediate sense - and you were so often reading and re-reading them to make sense of it all - that you wanted to give up?  Your reader does not want to have that experience.

Sentences:  Make certain that your sentences are clear. Make certain that they are not so long that they are difficult to understand. If they are, make periods of some of those commas.

Commas:  And speaking of commas, don't overuse them. If you have more than five, you have two sentences, or what needs to be broken up into two sentences!  Learn to use a dash - it can often take the place of a comma in a sentence, eliminating too many commas in one sentence. Learn the difference between using a comma and using a semicolon. Semicolons are wonderful tools - they allow you to build nuance into your sentence meaning. Learn to use them. Learn to use colons too. They will add richness to your prose.

Paragraphs:  Don't divide prose into paragraphs based on what it looks like. Paragraph divisions have nothing to do with appearance on a page: they have to do with change in subject/meaning. Learn how to construct paragraphs and break them properly.

Am I being too picky?  I don't think so. These tiny tools allow the prose to flow, make the reader comfortable, and therefore increase reader comprehension, enjoyment - and thus the quality of your book.

I don't have to say that you should watch spelling and grammar, right? And let me say here that we ALL have flaws in this area. The best editor does! Know your weak words and points of grammar.  Look it up if in doubt. Every single time if necessary.  Don't rely on the editor to clean up your mess of a manuscript.  It just makes them angry. Most editors - all of the good ones in fact - will send it right back to you, if you're lucky and they don't just toss it.

Invest in a good dictionary (collegiate level), a thesaurus (to provide alternate words if you tend to overuse certain words - as we all do), and a good style manual. The best of these for a general fiction/non-fiction writer are either The Chicago Manual of Style or The Gregg Reference Manual (of Style). These will contain fine points of grammar and usage of particular words.

5 - Don't stress over details. Don't sweat the small stuff. And you know what they say about the small stuff, right? In the case of writing, there is no room for perfectionism when writing a first draft. If you are a perfectionist, don't use it as an excuse to avoid writing that next chapter. Put the big boy/girl panties on and get rid of that attitude. The idea is to get the words down on the paper. Period. Only then will you really have something to work with later. Let me repeat: there is absolutely no room for perfectionism when you begin to write. It will kill your energy, your enthusiasm, and any fire the prose might have contained.

Worse, perfectionism by definition kills creativity. Perfectionism is really the stubborn determination to keep your thinking inside the box. But real quality writing/story-telling requires that you train your mind to think outside all boxes.

When you feel at your worst, write anyway. Getting anything down on paper is productive: not only does it give you words with which to play later, but at a subconscious level it forces your brain to keep learning to write. I don't personally believe in "writer's block". I have written for twenty-five years under deadlines: I didn't have the luxury to be whining on about writer's block.  You either put your nose to the grindstone or you don't. Some days are better than others. To pretend that you are such the tortured artist that you are mysteriously "blocked" is pretentious and a cop-out, and it won't help you get a manuscript written.  Learn that the worst days can be made productive because you can learn to value the bad prose that comes out of you, as well as the great. Many times, something you don't like that ends up stuck away in a file can come out later, undergo some work with new enthusiasm, and be dropped into a manuscript where it fits nicely. There is no wasted time if you are writing.

BONUS! #6 - The biggest mistake a beginner makes? Talking about it! When you talk too much about your story, you lose the desire to tell it on paper - because it has already been told. Keep your mouth shut, and keep the fire burning. If people ask, tell them frankly that you don't want to talk about it too much, you'd rather write it.

People will always ask, "What is it about?"  Prepare yourself ahead of time to answer. Make it short, sweet and uninformative. "It's a mystery/thriller."  "It's a love story."  That's all you need - and probably all the inquirer wants. People don't want a synopsis, no matter how tempted you are to give them one. Keep the frustration to tell them all bottled up and use that frustration to fuel your fingers on the keyboard. Your prose will be better for it!


I hope I have given you food for thought, and some new enthusiasm! Sticking to these basic rules will allow you to come up with a decent first draft of your manuscript. The relief and sense of accomplishment that you will feel when you see that you have 80-100,000 words - a full novel length - is so enormous and encouraging that you will be more than ready to start refining your work into a final draft!

Review: Missing

Missing

by Drake Braxton
Genre: Literary Fiction (gay-themed)

Seventh Window, 2012

Rating: 4.25 out of 5 stars (See Reviews Guidelines)
Recipient of 2012 Rainbow Award for Best in GLBT Fiction: Gay Mystery/Thriller Category

Drake Braxton's first novel has hit the GLBT publishing world running. I am at a bit of a loss as to how to discuss it in a review, because the plot is dependent upon several twists that will leave your mouth hanging open - none of which I want to ruin here for the reader. Let's suffice it to say that the book offers a few surprises that you will never see coming.

Imagine if you will a committed marriage of many years, not without its struggles and ups and downs, but loving nonetheless. Protagonist Blain and his husband Manny have established a comfortable life in the comparatively gay-friendly city of Boston. Blain decides to attend his own high school reunion in the small southern town where he grew up, and Manny agrees to go along for moral support. But in the middle of the reception, Blain notices that Manny has disappeared. As the minutes - and then the hours - tick by, his panic grows, especially when he finds a threatening anti-gay message on a napkin and experiences some hostile encounters with former classmates. His hunt for Manny begins the book with a bang, and invites the reader to share in his growing alarm and his frustration as he runs into the bias-induced roadblocks that impede the authorities searching while there is still time to save Manny's life.

Braxton himself says that he wanted to write a book that crossed genres, and he has certainly accomplished that goal. In fact, this book changes genre as the book progresses - it begins being one thing and ends up being quite another. The book is a joy to read - told in spare, straight-forward prose that sails easily along. Braxton understands the importance of a good opening, and the reader is hooked from page one. The first "Oh my God!" moment comes at the end of the first chapter, and that is only the beginning of the roller coaster ride.

By the end of the book, the reader has been treated to several themes and been given plenty of food for thought: about the nature of commitment; about the terror involved in becoming one's authentic self; of the struggles with self-blame that we all share in one way or another; about the ways in which our complex brains make sense of the senseless in order to preserve sanity; and most of all, about the importance of courage in making life choices after tragedy.

I sincerely cannot recommend the book highly enough as simply a damn good read. If you want a great story, a few shocks, and a lot of meat to sink your teeth into and think over for hours after finishing the book - don't let this one get by you!

Missing is widely available, on both electronic platforms and paperback.
 
Technical notes:  Every writer, even those of us who are editors professionally, misses errors in a book. We depend upon editors to catch them and help us improve the quality of the book. Even small errors in logic (if everyone in the room is standing, why are we saying, "he got up and went to the kitchen"?), confusion as to who is speaking to whom, typos, misuse of words, interfere with the flow and with reader comprehension and comfort. This book could have benefited greatly from some more aggressive editing, and it is a disservice to Braxton that it did not get that. Errors are frequent enough throughout the book that the reader can become a bit frustrated.

Additionally, the final one third to one quarter of the book is a considerably slower pace, and different tone, than is the first two thirds . . . the reader may be tempted to drift away and leave the story unfinished. But that would be a mistake, as - despite this structural problem - the deepest part of the story is very much in the final resolution of the plot.

by Lichen Craig for The GLBT Bookshelf .