Author: Tracy Abell

Mentor Monday: Storytelling

/ Tracy Abell / 16 Comments

           

My revisions are due to Claudia in two days
and I’ve still got lots to do.
I’m cutting some stuff I hope to use later,
adding new material to make the story flow,
and moving scenes around.

Claudia said during our last meeting,
"I think I’m better at structure [than you]."

I had to laugh because this revision process
has proved something I already suspected:
while I’m a very good writer (meaning, I use words well),
I have to work harder to be a good storyteller.

I have to consciously think about structure and pace
so that I do my characters justice in the way I let their stories unfold.

However.

I am learning.
All this work with Claudia is helping me think 
about my writing in a whole new way,
and I’m confident the lessons I’m learning while
revising CLOSE TO HOME
are lessons I will carry with me on every book to come.

And that’s what being a writer is all about:
bringing your always-improving game with you to each and every story.
                 

Friday Five: The Marilynne Robinson Edition

/ Tracy Abell / 18 Comments

 

In May-June of 2003, I had the great good fortune to study with Marilynne Robinson for three weeks at the Iowa Writers’ Workshop.

MarilynRobinson
Here are some gems from Marilynne:

1)  If you have any luck at all, when you sit down to write you won’t end up writing what you intended at all.

2)  You can’t find a story without writing it all out (don’t focus on page limits or word count).

3)  Don’t be loyal to the investment you’ve made in a weak scene instead of loyal to the scene itself.  Does it deserve to die?  If so, then kill it, no matter how long you’ve sweated over it.

4)   A character shouldn’t look like a type but a personality.

5)  The tension in a piece of fiction is not how it ends but how it arrives at its ending.

Bonus Gem:  You should always keep something in front of the reader’s eye; it’s like leading a blind person through the reader’s house.

Dude, Please!

/ Tracy Abell / 14 Comments

          

Yo, Flicker.
I get that you have a really pointy beak
and that you feel an incredible urge to utilize it.

But could you maybe focus your energy on this suet?

Or on this telephone pole that seems made-to-order for head-banging?

Just not here, okay?

Thanks so much for your understanding.
             

Hello, Universe?

/ Tracy Abell / 29 Comments

          

It’s time to face reality.
The Winter Olympics have come and gone,
and I did not win a medal.

The Academy Awards have come and gone,
and, to my dismay, I did not win an Oscar.

Which can only mean one thing:
this is my year to win a publishing contract.

Right?  Right!
                       

Mentor Monday: De-Blurring a Story/Picture

/ Tracy Abell / 18 Comments

    


Normal
0

false
false
false

EN-US
X-NONE
X-NONE

MicrosoftInternetExplorer4

/* Style Definitions */
table.MsoNormalTable
{mso-style-name:”Table Normal”;
mso-tstyle-rowband-size:0;
mso-tstyle-colband-size:0;
mso-style-noshow:yes;
mso-style-priority:99;
mso-style-qformat:yes;
mso-style-parent:””;
mso-padding-alt:0in 5.4pt 0in 5.4pt;
mso-para-margin:0in;
mso-para-margin-bottom:.0001pt;
line-height:115%;
mso-pagination:widow-orphan;
font-size:11.0pt;
font-family:”Calibri”,”sans-serif”;
mso-ascii-font-family:Calibri;
mso-ascii-theme-font:minor-latin;
mso-fareast-font-family:”Times New Roman”;
mso-fareast-theme-font:minor-fareast;
mso-hansi-font-family:Calibri;
mso-hansi-theme-font:minor-latin;}


So I’m at about the halfway mark in my revisions
and am very pleased with the changes I’ve made.
I met with Claudia the day before I left for Florida
and went over the chapters I’d revised plus
mapped out a strategy for the next chapters.

Claudia said many nice things about my work
and pumped up my enthusiasm for pushing ahead.

I took my trusty notebook and pages on the plane the next day,
and worked and worked from those notes
(plus had a delicious margarita with my pb & j sandwich).

And I realized something:
I wasn’t wrong to love CLOSE TO HOME as it was written before;
it’s a great story with complex characters.
I really had created a good picture.
The problem was, the picture was slightly off.
Blurry and confusing in places.
But with Claudia’s help, I’m bringing the picture/story into focus.

So my big epiphany is that we should never say our manuscripts suck
(I’ve said that and other awful things, and am going to try hard to never say such things again).
The truth is, when you write a book, you’ve created a unique word picture.
A picture that no one else in the whole wide world could paint.
And while it is possibly true that you could have employed better word choice,
or maybe used those same words in a different order,
or given more thought to how and when your characters speak their words,
that stuff is all fixable.

Writing novels isn’t like photography.
If part of our stories seem out of focus,
we can go back in there to bring clarity.

I’m really, really glad I didn’t give up on CLOSE TO HOME.
          

Friday Five: The I-Love-March Edition

/ Tracy Abell / 8 Comments

         


Normal
0

false
false
false

EN-US
X-NONE
X-NONE

MicrosoftInternetExplorer4

/* Style Definitions */
table.MsoNormalTable
{mso-style-name:”Table Normal”;
mso-tstyle-rowband-size:0;
mso-tstyle-colband-size:0;
mso-style-noshow:yes;
mso-style-priority:99;
mso-style-qformat:yes;
mso-style-parent:””;
mso-padding-alt:0in 5.4pt 0in 5.4pt;
mso-para-margin:0in;
mso-para-margin-bottom:.0001pt;
line-height:115%;
mso-pagination:widow-orphan;
font-size:11.0pt;
font-family:”Calibri”,”sans-serif”;
mso-ascii-font-family:Calibri;
mso-ascii-theme-font:minor-latin;
mso-fareast-font-family:”Times New Roman”;
mso-fareast-theme-font:minor-fareast;
mso-hansi-font-family:Calibri;
mso-hansi-theme-font:minor-latin;}

1)  March 5 . . .   +  2 mins 35 secs

2)  March 6 . . .   +  2 mins 35 secs

3)  March 7 . . .   +  2 mins 36 secs

4)  March 8 . . .   +  2 mins 36 secs

5)  March 9 . . .   +  2 mins 36 secs

By my calculations, that’s roughly 13 minutes of additional daylight in the next five days!
If I still lived in Anchorage, I’d be gaining another 29 minutes of daylight.
But I’ll take the 13 since those minutes come without mosquitoes.

Have a great weekend and enjoy the longer days!
            

Getting Ready to Fly

/ Tracy Abell / 2 Comments

        

I’m a bit sad that most photos I took while in Florida
didn’t turn out too well because of my lens limitation.
But the images I captured are enough to revive memories.
They help me remember the laughter and oohs-and-ahhs
I shared with my sister, brother, and nephew.

As I look at this Great Blue Heron taking flight,
I’m not only grateful for the gift of Kapok Park and time spent with family
but am also inspired to get back to my CLOSE TO HOME revisions.


                                                                                       © 2010 Tracy Abell

I’m going to flap my wings and soar into literary greatness.
Or something like that.
               

Family Picture

/ Tracy Abell / 8 Comments

          

Am back from Florida trip.
Was at mother’s along with three siblings and one nephew.
We had many nice moments including laughter and teamwork
as we sorted through years of stuff.
But we also experienced some nastiness and angst.

At some point during the weekend
my sister’s husband came upon this painting at MOMA,
FAMILY PICTURE by Max Beckmann,
and forwarded it to my sister.

He said it reminded him of us:

It’s true that the painting has the exact number of family members.
But the trouble is,
my siblings and I all laid claim
to the one member leaning on a hand.
Staring into the flames.
 
             

Basketball Jones

/ Tracy Abell / 14 Comments

          

Zebu had a game last night,
the first in the end-of-season tournament.

I did not go.
I am so glad I did not go.

Zebu’s team won but the opposing team and opposing team’s "grown-ups"
apparently behaved atrociously.

Blatant fouls.
Poor sportsmanship.
Shouts and jeers.
Taunting.
Pounding hands and stomping feet during free throws.
Overall ass-hattery.

As Zebu, Wildebeest, and Zippy described the game,
I kept saying, "No way.  They did not do that."
Especially in regards to the parents’ behavior.

I’m not sure why I’m sharing these details.
Maybe I’m hoping one of you has a magic remedy for dealing with this stuff
since Zebu plans to play basketball in high school,
and I’ll undoubtedly be faced with more of the same.

Have you encountered this during your kids’ sporting events?
If so, how do you cope?
            

She’s baaack . . .

/ Tracy Abell / 10 Comments

     

I checked the thermometer and it read 51 degrees.
So I stopped work on CLOSE TO HOME
and changed into my hooping togs.

There on my dry-concrete patio,
surrounded by snow piles,
beneath the blue sky,
bathed in sunshine,
I hooped.

As I gazed up into the sky,
I saw a red-tailed hawk soaring and gliding.

Instead of thinking "Oh no, it’s Claudia!  She knows I’m not working on my chapters,"
I smiled and watched her until she was out of sight.
Then I finished my thirty minutes of hooping.

Now I’m ready to get back to those chapters.
            

Sharing a smile

/ Tracy Abell / 8 Comments

             

This is a bit random, I know.
But Zippy brought home this coupon book several weeks ago.
And it’s now on my refrigerator
because I love this little boy.

His essence comes through his eyes and smile,
and I feel a lightness inside me every time I look at him.

I just wanted to share.
                

Mentor Monday: Deadlines

/ Tracy Abell / 10 Comments

           

As I revise CLOSE TO HOME with Claudia’s help,
I’m grateful for her insights and  encouragement,
But I’ve realized something else this mentor program gives me:
deadlines.

I’ve mentioned my aversion to adding new scenes.
My natural inclination in these situations is to
delay,
dawdle,
and defer.

I can be a world-class procrastinator.

But procrastination isn’t a great game plan for the mentor program.
I’m now accountable to Claudia Mills.
I’m not saying Claudia gives off this vibe:

                                                          © 2010 Tracy Abell

However, I did make an agreement with her to turn in a certain number
of chapters by this Wednesday.
And I don’t want to disappoint her.
Or ruffle her feathers.

She’s kind
but she’s also determined.

It’s best to honor our agreement.

                                                      © 2010 Tracy Abell

Confession time

/ Tracy Abell / 4 Comments

          

Way back when in high school I tried out for the basketball team.
Despite being one of the tallest girls in the school and quite athletic,
I didn’t make the cut.
(Did I mention I also had a bit of an attitude and a big mouth?)  


(This is the 2006 Canadian team)

So instead of basketball, I curled for two seasons.
And guess what?
I was really good.
I got to be the skip.
The skip tells the others where to throw their stones 
and when to sweep.

In other words, I got to boss people around.

I like to point that out whenever I hear someone dissing shuffle board on ice.

            

Oy Vey: synopsis time again

/ Tracy Abell / 26 Comments

       

I wrote a synopsis last fall
that ended up being two pages with 1.5 spacing.
I felt pretty good about it.

Just found out I need to make it a one-page synopsis.

And not only do I need to shrink it,
I need to rewrite much of it to reflect the revisions I made afterward.

Anyone have a few words of wisdom?
Or a magical shrinking device?

Bueller?…..Bueller?
                                 

Mentor Monday: Characterization

/ Tracy Abell / 11 Comments

     

After my initial meeting with my mentor, Claudia Mills,
I had to make a decision about my main character.
I needed to decide how "mean and rotten" I wanted her to be.

Claudia pointed out that as long as the reader
has a sense of the character’s pain,
they will accept less-than-loving attitudes and behaviors.

Some of the actions I brainstormed for my main character
were really and truly rotten.
Those actions would undoubtedly ramp up the story’s conflict
and create huge potential for dramatic pay-off.

I thought and thought about this girl and what she was about.

Then I read a middle-grade novel that’s received lots of buzz and an award.
The main character is mean.
Really mean.
And even though the author did reveal the main character’s pain,
the emotional scale felt way out of balance.
That character’s pain wasn’t enough for me
and I had no sympathy for her.
In fact, I was a wee bit pissed off when I finished that book.

Obviously, there are many, many people who love it.
I’m just one reader.
But that book helped me decide:
I do not want CLOSE TO HOME told in the voice of a mean and rotten character.

Will my main character be perfect?
Absolutely not.
Will she say and do some bad things?
Absolutely.

My job is to to do right by this character,
and I’m going to work hard to find the perfect balance for the emotional scale.
               

Adding Scenes

/ Tracy Abell / 12 Comments

        

It’s official.
I simply loathe adding scenes during revision.

That’s what I’m working on now, and yesterday
it took The Grackle’s penetrating gaze to keep me on task.

I’ve been thinking about why writing new scenes is so hard for me,
and the best I can come up with is that this manuscript has already been worked so much,
the storyline and characterization feel set in stone.  Solid.
(Note: solid does not preclude shitty-in-places).

So even though I know the story will be stronger with the additional scenes,
it still requires a huge shift in my writing brain to insert new stuff into my characters’ lives.

My friend, Pam Mingle, recently told me
she loves writing new scenes during revision.
And that she prefers new scenes to tinkering with what’s already there.

Clearly, opinions run the gamut from Loathe to Love.
Where do you fall on the spectrum?
         

Aren’t you supposed to be writing?

/ Tracy Abell / 21 Comments

             

Wasn’t on task as much as I would’ve liked yesterday.
Today will be different.

The Grackle will make sure of that.

                                                                                   © 2010 Tracy Abell

If you get stuck, feel free to stop by again for your own dose of Grackle Motivation . . .