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Q: SD, have you ever
started writing a story and you start with one main character and another
character take over the lead?
A: And,
here comes that quick answer again. Yup! I’ve written about happy surprises (Shameless Plug-See Past Post) and this
is one of them. I had even gone as far as kill off the lead character and have
some secondary character take over. Some may say I only do this for shock value
or to cause trouble and they would be right. Just think of it as a way to hide
a few surprises or landmines. Wither way you would be right. I had picked up a
bad habit of causing readers to have a different experience the second and
third time they read my books. Besides, it’s always fun reading comments about
Easter Eggs (hidden surprises) when
there aren’t any and enjoy those who said they knew who the villain and the hero
were early on. I doubt that, but I knew they would enjoy my next work and see
every word as important. Just remember, these are your story, these are your
characters, and your imagination is the engine that brings it all to life no
matter who’s at the wheel. I had read a tweet (don’t remember who sent it) and they had a quote that fits this
perfectly. They said; I’m not a passenger on the crazy train I’m driving the
damn thing. I hope this helps. SD
Q: SD, I
had a friend edit a few of my chapters (they
do it for a living). When my work was returned, it was a completely
different story. Suggestions?
A: The
first thing you should remember is that they are helping you and is doing this
for free. Secondly, thank them even if you aren’t happy with their ripping your
work apart. They had put forth an effort to help you after all. By the
information you had written to me, I’m under the impression that the editor
didn’t receive a complete manuscript, but only a few chapters. Actually it does
and doesn’t matter. If they had received a complete manuscript, then you should
describe how the overall storyline had changed from what you had envisioned and
ask what you can do to bring the idea back in line to what it should be. You
may find out that you need to work harder on focusing your wording to the
storyline you wanted and make adjustments to keep your work on the right track.
If you didn’t give them a complete body of work, but just a few chapters (best case scenario), get feedback from
them on where the story had taken the wrong turn and how you can improve your
writing style so your storyline remain in a straight line from the beginning to
the end. It may be something as simple as additional narration here or there or
removing confusing dialogue that would draw a reader to the wrong conclusion or
cause them to change focus. But, anyway you look at it. It’s better to know the
reason why your story took the wrong turn, then getting your readers lost. I
hope this helps. SD
Q: SD, I always
wanted to write a book. What advise you wish someone gave to you when you had
started?
A: That’s
a difficult one. I remember one of my professors in Greece (during my time in the U.S. Air Force). I
was taking a creative writers course and she was impressed by several of my
short stories. However, she could tell that it wasn’t… smooth. She told me if I
truly wish to become an author, I should start reading. Every respected and
world renowned author is all voracious readers and not just in their genre. The
first thing that came to mind was my professor wanted me to learn the proper
formatting and word choice. Oh, how I was wrong. Authors read because it’s fun
and help you expand your thoughts and teach you how to grab your reader’s
attention just like they had grabbed yours. Athletes learn from other athletes,
actors learn from other actors, and authors learn from other authors. Remember,
in every endeavor, there is competition. This competition should drive you to
do your best, not mimic what others have accomplished. I hope this helps. SD
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