Eight Female Archetypes - Part III

Using the excellent book: "Heroes and Heroines: 16 Master Archetypes," by Caro LeFever, Tami Cowden and Sue Viders, today’s topic is female archetypes.

Why did I write about the 8 male archetypes first? As a female reader, I’m drawn to a certain type of hero, the hero I dream about. Well, we all need a hero but we need a heroine, too.

If the heroine is not fully developed, no matter how much I love the hero, the book isn’t a keeper. And nailing the female archetype is crucial when writing in first person.

It seems to me that many historical romances from the 1970’s featured The Waif, too often portrayed as TSL - too stupid to live. Characterization and archetype is not fully developed for the TSL heroine.
This damsel in distress is a strong woman. She endures the hardship of her circumstance.

I find The Spunky Kid and The Crusader easier to write. A valuable exercise would be to write out of your archetypal comfort zone. My most recent short story features The Free Spirit, not a natural choice for me. Writing about this archetype forced me to focus on characterization and motivation.

Which female archetype is the most difficult for you to write? Which heroine do you prefer to read, and why?

External and Internal Motivations

Monday begins a workshop I'm very excited be a part of. Alicia Rasley, who has put so much positive writing karma into the atmosphere with her stellar articles on plot and character, is leading a two week intensive workshop on beginnings.

Beginnings had never been an issue for me until this work in progress. Maybe it's because The Night Caller doesn't have that explosive beginning I spend the rest of the novel trying to live up to. Maybe it's because this one is so much more character driven than plot driven, but I find myself having to know how much is enough to engage the reader. And the fact that she could be teaching how to write the yellow pages and I'd still learn from her expertise.

So here's a gem from her on an important distinction between INTERNAL and EXTERNAL character motivation:

EXTERNAL motivations tend to be universal. What will individualize your character is his/her INTERNAL motivations. Your goal as the writer is to gradually reveal the INTERNAL motivations through the events of the plot. The character is not always aware of all the motivations behind his/her actions. It is only through the story's journey the protagonist comes to a place of full enlightenment.

Here are the most common motivations in literature with the * indicating the most prevalent.

EXTERNAL

*self-preservation*

survival/safety

physical comfort/gluttony

pleasure/hedonism

dominance/tyranny

acquisitiveness/greed

curiosity

mastery/perfectionism

reproduction

INTERNAL

*self-protection*

autonomy/isolation

affiliation/conformity

love/lust/ownership

revenge/justice

guilt/denial of guilt

identity/self-centeredness

conflict avoidance

spirituality

growth

ambition/insecurity

vindication/rationalization

To find out more about Alicia Rasley and read her fantastic online articles, visit her links within the sff website.

No matter where you are in your current work, it's always great to remind yourself of your hero and heroine's motivations. List them here. We'd love to read them.

The Answer and Jungian Archetypes

Here is the answer from last weeks match game.

Jenn got them all right!

L.A. picked Sawyer as the Bad Boy for extra credit.

Wade (Christian Bale) from 3:10 to Yuma - the Warrior.

George Clooney's character in O' Brother Where Art Thou was a toughie. The Charmer, a charismatic smooth talker.

Again, these 8 male archetypes are from "Heroes and Heroines: 16 Master Archetypes," by Caro LeFever, Tami Cowden and Sue Viders .

As writers we can use the universal theme of archetypes. Swiss psychiatrist Carl Jung submitted that archetypes were part of a collective unconscious. He believed archetypes were primordial or ingrained in our understanding and universal. His two primary categories of archetypes are characters and situations/symbols.

Characters:

1. The Hero
2. The Outcast
3. The Scapegoat
4. The Star-crossed Lovers
5. The Shrew
   

Situations/symbols:

1. The Task
2. The Quest
3. The Loss of Innocence
4. The Initiation
5. Water – A better term might be Rebirth. Jung believed Water is a symbol of rebirth of life.

Archetypal analysis is a form of literary analysis. Readers will recognize and respond to the universal ideas, patterns and symbols.

We still have the Eight Female Archetypes and the sixteen Villain Archetypes from "Heroes and Heroines: 16 Master Archetypes," Volger's archetypes and The Hero's Journey.

Same Sparkle Day. Stay Tuned.

The Well

Writer's wells are filled with images, thoughts, associations and feelings that must be recharged like a stock-tank of inspiration. The more intense the writing, the more we draw from this inner reservoir and the faster we deplete its contents.

After spending two weeks in Fast Draft, I literally became a woman without words. In mid-sentence, words that fill my lexicon dozens of times a day evaporated in a misty cloud of "what was I going to say?" or stalled just before I found the right word--always out of reach. So this week, while I'm decompressing from such an intense writing sprint and catching up on the life that passed me by the past fourteen days, I'm learning how to refill the well for the marathon Meditation Draft ahead. Julia Cameron, in her inspirational book The Right to Write, suggests taking an "Artist Date".

The first rule of an artist date is to fly solo. According to Cameron, "You are romancing, wooing, courting your creative consciousness. This is something that requires you and your inner artist to spend time alone." Despite the solitary existence most of us live in the writing realm, we cannot allow other's thoughts or distractions into the sacred space of our creativity.

Yesterday, while shopping for ribbons to adorn a Halloween costume in a local fabric store, I had an impromptu date. Alone but for the sweet, elderly balding woman wielding sharpened scissors milling around nearby, my focus turned from fairy ribbon to fabrics and textures my heroine would wear. Row upon row of colors--a feast for the eye that brought to mind visions of mint juleps and lemon pie. Silky textures that brought to mind water flowing over the Colorado River Rock embedded into the setting of my story.

This week I also stumbled upon the announcement of an exhibition at the local art museum. Photography of the exact time period and subject matter as the villain in my novel. Artist's date: Monday.

More hints:

Sprinkle artist dates once or twice per week. Instead of gorging on them when a project comes to completion, find a way to fill the well before the inspiration becomes depleted.

Do something that can give you a full sensory experience.

Choose something that appeals to you, not just something you think will speak to your inner artist. If attending a NASCAR race and tasting the hot rubber inspires you, go for it.

Do not stand yourself up. This is a date and your inner creativity will feel cheated if you duck out to go grocery shopping.

Most importantly, don't write about what you experience. The time to fish from the well comes much later, with pen in hand or poised over a keyboard, when the delight of new images from this creative pool comes though, forgotten and fresh.

Here are some suggested dates from Cameron's book to get you started:

aquarium

plant store

jazz club

cathedral

gallery

map store

museum

go see a vintage film

botanical garden

Your turn: Add a suggested place for an "Artist's Date"

Creativity part II

It's been a stretch of time since my last post (Hey, I was on vacation!), but as promised, here is part two of my lecture on creativity (and if you need a refresher on part one, go here):

Now that you have a goal firmly and clearly in mind, you have to really, really want it. Or at least pretend you do. Huh? What did she say? Just go with it, and it will make sense. Soon.

I think if you’ll engage in a little pretending--get damn excited about your project!--it will eventually be easier and easier to generate a level of excitement (adrenaline rush) allowing you to create. What I mean by pretending is acting. Act like you want to write your book. You believe in the project, so believe in the work that’s required to produce it. Act like you can do it. Pretend it’s fun. Pretend it’s exciting. Pretend like readers are beating down your door to read your new pages hot off the printer. Pretend as though this manuscript is going to earn you a six-digit advance. Do whatever you have to do to make yourself excited about the work!

And here's a little test to determine if you're really into the work:

Make a list right now. It’s important, trust me. Name it: Things that make me happy. Go crazy with it. Put anything on that list you want! It’s your list and nothing is too silly or too commercial or too small or too large.

OK. Read over your list. Is writing on there? Maybe under the dinners out with girlfriends? Or a great hockey game? Or how about new shoes? Is writing somewhere around shoes?

Uh oh. It’s not on your list, huh? Well, it wasn’t on mine either the first time. I quickly realized I needed to change that if I planned to sign on for the long haul. And once I decided I wanted to write, I wanted to do the work and it was exciting and rewarding, and I got a high while doing it!!, then it made my list. And that’s part of making it happen. It's part of sustaining a level of creativity and excitement to see your project all the way through to THE END.

Over time, this acting become belief (no more pretending) and the result is a good habit, positive thought and a good disposition or more basic, simply feeling good about what we’re doing. And feeling good has many advantages in other areas of your life as well. As I get a bit older, I understand the fleeting nature of actually feeling good and I treasure the times when I feel upbeat, confident and positive. And anticipating feeling good gets me excited, too. It probably will do it for you, too.

Visualizing the World

In creating the world for my fantasy novel, Residuals: The Mender, I needed some visual clues to help me stay "in the world" of the protagonist. I was inspired by the very real region of Detroit known as Forgotten Detroit.
(www.forgottendetroit.com)

The owner of the website has taken an inspired photo-catalogue of the changing face of downtown detroit. I also used movie sets from several urban fantasies.

I realized very quickly how important these visual clues were to my creative mind. So when I finished the book, I started researching publishers and book covers. I ran across Juno Books and noticed the great covers! (Hey, let's face it, a book is judged by it's cover.)

The more I saw of Timothy Lantz's work, the more I was inspired by his incredibly artistic eye. He's also illustrated a deck of tarot cards for anyone interested.

So, since I'm completely addicted to this cover artist, I thought I'd pass on his URL. www.stygiandarkness.com.

Creating the Fiction World

This is a very short entry, but hopefully you’ll find a few gems. We often hear how important it is to build our fiction worlds. We must know them so well that they become a natural part of our story. Including enough information for the reader to experience our setting without dumping information can be a precarious balancing act. Recently, I saw an interview with one of the masters, J.K. Rowling.
She discussed the depths of her world building. She meticulously planned every detail from Hogwartz and Diagon Alley to the house on Privet Drive and The Ministry of Magic before she wrote the books. It took her five years to write the first book. She amassed a huge amount of material for her world as she plotted the seven books. She wrote chapter one fifteen times before she managed to resist revealing the entire plot.
I was amazed when she showed a roster of every student in Harry’s year at Hogwartz. There were symbols by each name signifying what house they belonged to, how magical they were, and who their parents were. She sketched many of her characters and scenes which I’m sure helped her bring them to life on the page. (If I did that they would be one dimensional stick figures--not conducive to creating three dimensional characters!
The lesson for me, is to take your time plotting, setting up the world, and getting it right.
BTW if you’d like to see the interview, following my fellow sparklers advice, I found it on youtube. Search J.K.Rowling and it shows up in five parts. It’s about an hour long and well worth the watch. She discusses her fears of never being published and the excitement of getting the call. It’s not only informational it’s inspirational.
Happy writing.

Part II: Eight Male Archetypes

A brief description of the 8 male archetypes as defined in “Heroes and Heroines: 16 Master Archetypes," by Caro LeFever, Tami Cowden and Sue Viders.

As promised, we have a matching game. Identify which character from film or fiction matches the archetype.

1. Nick Ziegler in "Crazy for You" by Jennifer Crusie
2. Ferris Bueller
3. John McClane in Die Hard
4. Angel in Buffy TVS
5. Jack in While you Were Sleeping
6. Data in Star Trek the Next Generation
7. Jack in Romancing the Stone
8. King Arthur

For extra credit, pick a character from film or fiction. What archetype is he? Why?

How about Sawyer acted by Josh Holloway in Lost, Wade acted by Christian Bale in 3:10 to Yuma or George Clooney's character in O' Brother Where Art Thou?

The Action of a Sentence

Natalie Goldberg, in her amazing homage to the craft, Writing Down the Bones, includes a chapter on The Action of a Sentence. In it, she discloses one secret to unearthing strong verbs. Not something a writer should be concerned with while drafting, but in the revision process it helps to have words—especially verbs—pop within the confines of your character’s point of view.

I challenge you today to write two lists. First, write the occupation of the hero in your work in progress, then list fifteen verbs associated with that position. Do the same for your heroine. Post them here; use them in your revisions.

Happy writing!

Research: Better Writing through Social Anthropology and Psychology

My horoscope for the day from Yahoo and astrology.com:
Research and planning is always a good idea, but you may be getting too caught up in the details of it all.

Scarily accurate. I was getting caught up in my research and here is the condensed version, Part One.

The use of myths and archetypes helps the writer create complex, believable characters and tell stories that echoes of the human psyche. The value in using archetypal characters in fiction is that the majority of our population unconsciously recognize the archetype and the character's motivations.

"The Writer's Journey: Mythic Structure For Writers" by Christopher Vogler, inspired by Joseph Campbell, "The Hero with a Thousand Faces" reveals the hero’s journey by identifying 12 steps seen in myths. The journey is a narrative archetype where the protagonist must overcome increasingly difficult obstacles before reaching the goal. Vogler identifies major character archetypes:

• The Hero
• Mentor
• Trickster
• Shadow
• Herald
• Ally
• Shapeshifter
  

Maud Bodkin, "Archetypal Patterns in Poetry: Psychological Studies of Imagination", compared Jungian archetypes to poetry. Among the archetypal patterns: the “Oedipus complex,” the “rebirth archetype,” the “archetype of Heaven and Hell,” and “images of the Devil, the Hero, and God.

"Heroes and Heroines: 16 Master Archetypes," by Caro LeFever, Tami Cowden and Sue Viders is an exceptional resource for the writer. The authors define 8 male and 8 female archetypes.

The Eight Male Archetypes:

The Chief
The Bad Boy
The Best
The Charmer
The Lost Soul
The Professor
The Swashbuckler
The Warrior

The Eight Female Archetypes:

The Boss
The Seductress
The Spunky kid
The Free Spirit
The Waif
The Librarian
The Crusader
The Nurturer

Next week, Part Two: Defining the male archetypes and identifying a character from film or fiction for each category.

Oh wait – there’s more. Sixteen Villain Archetypes, Jungian archetypes, Volger’s archetypes and the Hero’s Journey. Coming soon to a blog near you

The Geometry of Characters

Christopher Leland, in his book THE ART OF COMPELLING FICTION talks about the geometry of character and the writer’s ultimate pursuit to create characters that remain with the reader long after the story’s experience is over. This “geometric characterization” he divides into three categories: flat, angled and rounded.

A flat character is one who represents a single idea or quality. Always consistent, ever static. Stereotypical characters fall into this category, where their actions and reactions are predictable and clichéd. Leland goes on to say that flat characters are not necessarily unimportant or bad, as Charles Dickens proved with Uraiah Heep or Bob Crachit. Oscar Wilde’s Lady Bracknell in THE IMPORTANCE OF BEING EARNEST, is also considered by many to be flat. These characters have specific quirks that overwhelm all other elements of their personalities Even Tom Wolfe portrays his characters first and foremost as self-serving political sharks in BONFIRE OF THE VANITIES. Leland goes on to say that most of the characters in the modern entertainment world are flat, as well, using John Rambo as the perfect example of an iconic hero--one who hums along like a “well-tuned Chevrolet”--who stands for truth and justice with no self-doubt. Tempting to cheer for, but not the shade of realism we hope to capture in our pages.

Angled characters take on a complexity the flat characters do not have. These are characters, often major secondary characters, who show us more complex responses to stimuli or have a greater impact on the story’s protagonist than what a flat character would. These are characters that make an impression on the reader, for better or worse, and have enough substance to make their purpose in the story believable.

Rounded characters are the complete figures who populate some of the best literature ever written. They can hold two contradictory opinions at the same time. They’re colored with the rich hues of real people we know, show a range of emotions and are able to surprise the reader in a convincing way. Not always easy. As a writer, it’s difficult to surprise in a believable way, but in a way the reader could not have anticipated. One of the reader’s greatest joys should be to discover the layers of a character and delight in peeling them back to find the substance and truth. Holden Caulfield is a perfect example of a rounded character. The reader believes him to be an obnoxious ego-centric adolescent at the beginning, but he changes geometrical shapes into a vulnerable youth who makes a lasting impact that remain with the reader long past the final page. According to Leland, “the more rounded a character, the more shaded his personality, the more easily the reader sympathizes with him.”

What is the geometry of your protagonist? Your secondary characters?

Forward Momentum and Setting Reasonable Goals

There's a lot of talk and interest in writing fast. We seem to be inundated with workshops that push us to set hard deadlines on the creative process: Book in a Week, Book in a Month, National Novel Writer's Month (NaNo), even Fast Draft. But which one is right for you? You're the only one who knows the answer to that question.

But before you sign on, take a moment to pick and choose your goals so you don't set yourself up for failure. Weigh your internal needs and external obligations before you commit to produce a given number of pages.

For instance, if you work full time and are the sole bread winner, you're likely to be exhausted when you come home after a hard day at work. Take time to recharge. Find a ritual to decompress and let go of the stresses of the day before you sit down to write. Shifting gears isn't as easy as it sounds, especially if it's a new concept.

Here are a few tips:

Establish rituals to writing.

Exercising is a great way to "sweat" out the stresses of the day. So is relaxing with a glass of wine or a tub full of bubbles. It may be something as simple as sitting in your special place, a fluffy robe around your shoulders or slipping into a comfy pair of shoes. For me, I walk a mile (or 3), do some push-ups(these are great for when I'm stuck in the process!) and then I light a candle. (I use a small votive with the idea as long as the flame burns I have to write.)Lighting is important for me, too. (Too bright and I can't concentrate.) I also have a quartz crystal I use to "transfer" all the unfinished business I didn't accomplish during the day. I put these "inside" the crystal and don't "pick them up" again until I turn off the computer. :) (Hey, it works for me.)

On days when I'm exhausted, I don't fight it. I set my alarm and take a nap. Sometimes thirty minutes will do. Other times, it takes a good couple of hours. But by then, the kids are in bed and asleep. I can get up when it's quiet, with no disruptions other than a pet, and write. On a good night, I've done 7 pages in an hour and a half. That's how important rest is to the creative mind.
Next, decide what you can reasonably accomplish on any given night and be sure to add in the worst case scenario.

Stuff happens.

But if you plan for "stuff" to go wrong, you're mentally prepared to deal with it (in the most efficient way possible or a stop-gap method until you can do a more thorough job) and move on.

Here's where forward momentum and reasonable goals can be your best friend.

If you normally write a page a day, then double your output for Fast Draft. Don't set an impossible goal. It's much easier to start out small and revise your goal to something larger. I know writers who use a timer. They set it for ten minutes and whatever happens, happens. For Fast Draft, set if for twenty.

If you're stuck at the desktop computer, it may free you up to take a spiral notebook and pen to another location. Or, if you write inside, go outside. If you write at night, try a stint in the morning. If you can't stand staring at the blank page, take some time after you turn off the computer to sketch out the next one (or three) scenes. You're certain to have plenty to write by the next day.

I personally found it very difficult to move from my last book into my next. I'd spent a lot of time revising the manuscript and now it was time to create new pages. I felt like I was sitting in an empty bathtub waiting for the water to come in--awkward to say the least.

Fast Draft helped me push through the "icky" part. And these programs are specifically great for pushing writers to kill off the internal editor and trust their inner muse. If that's you, then I encourage you to try it.

Don't expect to hit 20 pages the first day. Work up to it. There's no rule that says you have to stop Fast Draft when the two weeks are over. If you find a rhythm that works for you, keep it up.

And remember, if you find yourself unable to meet your goal, any amount of words on the page is forward momentum. Celebrate the small victories along with the big ones. Every day is another day closer to your publishing dream.

Happy (yet reasonable) Writing,

Sherry

Joining us today at SPARKLE THIS! is first-time author Maya Reynolds. Maya’s debut novel, BAD GIRL, is being released today by New American Library, a division of Penguin. It’s an erotic romance. Frequent Barnes & Noble’s reviewer Harriet Klausner gave it five stars.

BAD GIRL is the story of Sandy Davis, a shy social worker who accidentally begins spying on her neighbors in the apartments across the street from hers. She quickly becomes addicted to observing the lives of others--a young couple who engages in kinky sex, an anorexic model, a frequently ill elderly woman and, of course, the man she calls “Mr. Dominant,” who engages in aggressive bondage games.

One night, Sandy receives a phone call from an anonymous male who says, “You’ve been a bad girl.” He calls himself “Justice,” and he has a pastime, too. Watching Sandy watch others. He has the photos to prove it. Now it’s his turn to play--by making Sandy pay the price in exchange for holding onto her naughty little secret.

As the sensual dance between two strangers begins, so does Sandy’s fear that she’s moving closer to the edge of extreme desire--and inescapable danger.

Two Lips Reviews gave it five lips and said, “This is a fast-paced, exceptionally engaging book. Add a suspenseful element of danger and an ending that keeps you on the edge of your seat, and you’ve got a phenomenal read.”

SD: Maya, let’s start with the question we always ask our guests. What makes a book really sparkle for you?

Thanks for inviting me here today.

When I read for relaxation or entertainment, I’m looking for a specific emotional experience. With a romance, I want the thrill of new love, that excitement that comes as people begin to share their intimate thoughts and feelings.

If, like me, you’re a big reader, after a while, plotlines seem to run together. There are no surprises. I’m always looking for that book that will catch me off guard, take me down a different path from the one I’m accustomed to traveling.

After all, when you read a romance, you know that it is going to have a happily-ever-after ending. It’s how you get there that makes you pick up the book.

SD: Since you’re at the beginning of your career, it might help our readers to know what you wish you’d known before you started out.

Although I’d sold short stories and articles over the years, I was really as ignorant as an egg when I began writing my first novel in 2003. There are three things I’ve learned since that I wish I’d known then:

First, get your critique partners early before your bad writing habits get set in stone. It’s a lot easier to fix problems while you’re writing the manuscript than having to overhaul it after the fact.

Second, begin networking early. I waited until 2005 to join RWA and Sisters-in-Crime. I spent nearly a year playing catch-up. If I’d joined at the same time I started writing, it would have been very helpful. After all, that’s how I met the Sparkle This! authors.

Third, learn everything you can about the publishing industry. Like any other business, there is a special language and unique practices. You need to understand terms like “basket accounting,” “sell-through percentages,” and “cooperative allowances.” You need to know what the differences are between hardback books, trade paperbacks and mass market paperbacks. I’ll give you a hint--it’s not just the book size or the kind of covers.

SD: Is there any special word of advice you'd like to give aspiring writers?

Yes, never give up, Never Give Up, NEVER GIVE UP.

Don’t regard rejections as the end of the line. Look at them as opportunities to learn. I sent my queries out in batches of six. At the same time, I kept seeking feedback everywhere I could get it--from published writers, from workshop instructors, and from writing manuals.

In the beginning, all I got were form rejections. I kept revising both my query and my first six pages. The day I got my first scribbled note of encouragement on a rejection letter, I celebrated. Shortly after that, I got a personalized letter from an agent with suggestions for that manuscript. Then I got a rejection letter that asked to see my next manuscript. I just kept writing and revising.

I clung to something Joe Konrath said:

“What do you call a writer who doesn’t give up?”

Published.

Good luck!


SD: Thank you, Maya. And thank you all for joining our guest blogger for the day.

You can find Maya at her blog MayaReynolds.blogspot.com or you can reach her by email at MayaReynoldswriter@sbcglobal.net.

Be sure to leave your questions or comments for Maya in the “Sparkling Comments” section. We love to hear from you!

Until then, Happy Writing!

Sherry

The Four Worlds of The Young Adult

I’m taking a Young Adult Literature course as a prerequisite for my Masters degree. It’s a great class and I get to read wonderful books like Angus, Thongs, and Full Frontal Snogging, which if you haven’t read it you’re really missing something.

I have learned YA readers exist smack dab in the center of four worlds. First they are part of their “tribe” or “clique” and must adhere to the rules of the group. If Friday is ponytail day, they must wear their hair in a ponytail. If they buck the system consequences will ensue. In class we discussed some of the rules the students remembered following in high school. The rules ranged from wearing matching clothes to skipping school together and the punishments were almost always the same---rejection from the group. The disobedient member could be shunned for an hour, a day, or face permanent expulsion depending on the offense and the mood of the group.

The second world the teens live in is a broader definition of the “tribe”. It is the world of their peers. The tribe must conform, at least partially, with the greater society of peers. If the peer group does not approve or tolerate the tribe, the tribe must either change or face alienation.

The third world of the young adult is the world of adults or authority figures. This group includes teachers, parents, administrators--basically anybody who could make their life miserable and usually does.

The fourth and most difficult world is the point where the other three overlap. The teen is pulled in one direction by their tribe, in another by the larger peer group, and yet another by the authority figures in their lives. And they are in the center spinning plates on a stick to make it all work. All the while the teens are: a) coming of age, b)searching for their individual identity, and c) trying to identify the world around them. This is the area that makes them snarky one second, sweet the next, and completely off the wall the next. This reeks of conflict. This is where the story takes place.

As authors it is imperative for us to remember the four worlds they live in. We need to know the struggles they have with this precarious balancing act and then we need knock the plates off the stick and watch how they react. Of course the happy ending comes when they manage to get those plates spinning again.

Mood and Writing

Today I wrote with enthusiasm, my imagination and characters skipping happily from page to page.

But then something happened. I disappointed a friend and colleague and was reprimanded. Now my innate nature makes me the poster child for self-castigation. My mood changed. I am angry with myself for failure to live up to expectations. I’m sad that I may have caused another pain or difficulty.

And the tone of my writing, my voice changed. Drastically. My heroine is so positive, she makes Pollyanna look bad. I was not able to write the story - instead my brain sent my fingers flying across the page in self-recrimination. I needed the return of euphoria and optimism to continue my WIP.

A revelation occurred. When I wrote the short story, A Kiss from a Rose, my feelings were of loneliness and unease. The tone of the story was dark, scary and hopeful. I can use my moods to help write certain aspects of my stories. Think of Edgar Allan Poe, what was his state of mind and emotions?

Perhaps others with even temperament won’t find this helpful. But now that I am cognizant of the impact my emotions have on my voice, I plan to use this to advantage. In One Demon at a Time, it was difficult for me to kill one of my characters. I knew he had to die but I anguished over the scene, rewriting and rewriting. If I had a healthy does of rage, I probably could have offed him with dispatch.

I plan to use my emotions to advantage in my stories. I’m moving on to a scene in ODAAT 2 where my heroine is floundering in self- recrimination, a result of a deadly mistake.

Using the emotion in writing is excellent therapy, too.

Does your storytelling voice change with your mood?

Roadside Assistance from Maude

I have two writing secrets for you today. Play telephone to every writer you know.

Everyone has an internal editor. Mine was fashioned through years of wielding the red pen in the trenches of the fertile minds of our youth. I taught grammar gremlins and led writing workshops where I became the student's first editorial feedback. This internal editor, Maude, wields a sharp pointer and razor judgement and spouts, "you were an English teacher, for God's sake. Can't you do better than that?"

Over the years, I've heard many tricks to silence her. Believe me, I've tried all of them. Using ALL CAPS doesn't shut her up (that's supposed to work only with longhand writing). Even turning off the auto-edit feature in Word that produces those dreaded green grammar and red spelling error lines can't get past her shameful outcries.

Finally, I shut her off. As in punching the monitor's power button, black-out screen, nothing-for-her-to-comment-on kind of solution. In that initial draft, when she must be silenced completely and the gateway to true creativity means punching it far past the speed limit, the black screen becomes my empty canvas. Going back to fix anything is impossible. Sounds crazy, right? Almost like flying blind. But flying is the perfect metaphor for that discovery draft.

The second secret comes from Suzanne Brockman, and I suspect it is a secret many writers already know. She writes her entire story in a first-person point-of-view first draft, then converts it to third person in the revision stage. If you hate revisions like Maude, the task of converting POV can seem overwhelming, but the emotional payoff to deeper characters is more than worth it.

Two secrets. They may come out on the other end of the telephone game as "Maude pays off the punchy cop when she speeds through a black out" but I suspect you'll remember her as you're pulled to the side of the road on your next first draft.

What's your best trick for turning off your internal editor?