Write Right… Right?

By Anju Gattani

Writing is organized thinking. 

This little sentence comes after thirty years, countless rewrites of the Winds of Fire series, a former decade-long career as an international freelance journalist (as my husband and I hop-scotched across continents with two kids in tow) and working under the guidance and expertise of countless editors.

Oh… you’re banging your head against the desk? You’re troubled over scenes, plot, turning points, revelations, climaxes and resolutions? Did you just say you’re trying to figure out your characters’ GMCs? (Goal. Motivation. Conflict.)? Oh… and you’re juggling twenty characters, building the book and simultaneously excavating your story for a theme and premise? And you must boil four-hundred pages down to one sentence? 

Did I hear you right? One sentence? 

You’re screaming.

I’m screaming too. But I do that with every book anyway. It’s the nature of the beast—umm… I mean the book. Book? Beast? Whatever.

So how does organization come about given all the mayhem involved in writing a story? Through character. Character development. Character growth. Character change. Character arc. I was asked to share a few writing tips today, so I—you don’t want pointers, advice or suggestions? You want concrete, real-life experience of where I failed and what I learned so you don’t fail? 

Well… I failed like all writers and continued to learn from my mistakes and grow. So, if I list my failures in public, that’s outright admission of what I lack and—a ‘character’s lack’ and ‘flaw’ are two major weaknesses highlighted in David Corbett’s writing bible-guides by the way. You should read—

You’re screaming again.

I’ll get on with it. Clears throat. Sips last drops of coffee. Looks around. Clears crumbs off desk. Picks up coffee mug and realizes its empty—well of, course! Takes a deep breath. Picks up pen.

All story stems from characters. No matter how and where the original idea came from or how fantastical the world building, if you don’t know your main character(s), you’ll be excavating that crumbled world for it later. Save yourself lost years and a lost world. Dig deep. Now. I speak from experience.

Character(s) are incited or propelled to act and do something because their world (as they know it) has changed or should change at the beginning of your story. Aka inciting incident. If said character(s) don’t restore previous balance to their world, said character(s) will have to change and adapt to a new world. Most characters (like people) don’t want to change and therein lies the conflict (one of many) also known as plot. My main character, Sheetal (Winds of Fire series) kept wondering what to do for several chapters and the story went nowhere because she was like a dog chasing her own tail. Eventually dog lost sight of tail. I lost the dog. Back to square one. 

Characters are living, breathing people. Only you, the writer, can initially see, feel  and hear them. To make characters real and three-dimensional on paper, you must know their backstories. Initially I knew enough back story for Sheetal and Rakesh in ‘Duty and Desire’ to move along the conflict but not enough to make Sheetal real. Sheetal and Rakesh had ample backstory, but I needed to dig deep and unearth their backstories to build the current story. Dig deep. Didn’t I just say that? 

Backstory is not current story. Backstory holds the key to characters’ motivations, fears, weaknesses, strengths and is fodder for fuel that will drive current story. When I discovered Rakesh and Sheetal’s backstories, I didn’t know what to use and what to hold back. I learned the hard way. Rinse. Repeat. 

Even though you think you are in the driver’s seat and playing God, the truth is you’re a vehicle serving a higher God and taking orders (take-outs included) from your main characters. The scenery, roads and turns you enjoy through the vehicle’s lens of your story should be determined by the characters’ goals and direction leading to those goals—even if those goals are mis-leading. Lost? So was I for a long time until I learned what Sheetal and Rakesh yearned for in order to fulfill their ‘promises of life’. Back to David Corbett’s writing bible-guides. 

Align your characters’ goals and motivations to the core of your characters’ personalities at this moment in story time. Conflict will naturally / organically arise because (s)he resists change. Remember, we talked about characters initially resisting change at the beginning of story? 

You’re shaking your head. 

Remember we—

Are you banging your head over scenes, plot, turning points, revelations, climaxes and resolutions like I did? Oh you’re too smart for that, I see. You skipped over those bits and now you’re busy boiling down the story to one sentence? Well, you have been writing, re-writing and revising which is good. No, not good. Great! Because good writing is all about re-writing. 

You’re screaming again. OK. I do so with every book. But this is different, you say, eh? You can’t filter down four-hundred pages to one sentence? Clears throat. Tilts coffee cup—just in case there’s one drop! Looks around. Clears crumbs off desk. Hands over copies of ‘The Art of Character’ and ‘The Compass of Character’ by Master Fiction Instructor and Award-winning author, David Corbett. 

Read these books. They should help. 

Now why are you banging your head against the desk? My desk, by the way, and there’s a dent in it. You say, I should have recommended these books earlier? But you didn’t ask! Shrugs. It’s never too late, you know. It’s the nature of the beast—I mean, the book. Book. Beast. Whatever. Clears throat and crumbs off the desk. Hands over highlighter. You’ll need one. Actually, two, maybe. 

When in doubt, clear white noise out and begin. Again. Suggestion: Read David Corbett’s books. Then think hard and go back to your manuscript. 

You’re losing your head, you say? 

I’m not surprised. After all, good writing is re-writing. 

And re-writing is organized thinking! 

—

Amazon links to: 

The Art of Character, David Corbett: HERE

The Compass of Character, David Corbett: HERE

ANJU GATTANI BIO: 

Fiction author, freelance journalist, fiction writing instructor, blogger and former newspaper reporter, Anju was born in India but grew up in Hong Kong. She has also lived and been published in Singapore, India, Australia, New Jersey and Connecticut in cover stories, fiction, feature, news, interviews, travel, perspective pieces and more. She finally dug her roots in Atlanta, Georgia, USA, with her husband, 2 dashing boys and a rebel lion-head rabbit. 

‘Duty and Desire’ the debut in her Winds of Fire series, was a June 2020 release. Book 2, ‘Lethal Secrets’ is slated for June 4, 2021 release. The series has been optioned by Justin Shenkarow, Double Strings Inc. for adaptation to film / TV series. 

Anju also interviews writers and publishing industry professionals on her Youtube channel, Story Mantra. Anju hopes her books will Bridge Cultures and Break Barriers. 

 

Social Media:

Website: www.anjugattani.com 

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Amazon: 

https://www.amazon.com/Anju-Gattani/e/B0067M0MDU/ref=dp_byline_cont_pop_ebooks_1 

Youtube: Anju Gattani, Story Mantra

https://www.youtube.com/channel/UChijH5uk4DoWU9AlBq0rzFw 

DUTY AND DESIRE

To uphold family honor and tradition, Sheetal Prasad is forced to forsake the man she loves and marry playboy millionaire Rakesh Dhanraj while the citizens of Raigun, India, watch in envy. On her wedding night, however, Sheetal quickly learns that the stranger she married is as cold as the marble floors of the Dhanraj mansion.

Forced to smile at family members and cameras and pretend there’s nothing wrong with her marriage, Sheetal begins to discover that the family she married into harbors secrets, lies and deceptions powerful enough to tear apart her world. With no one to rely on and no escape, Sheetal must ally with her husband in an attempt to protect her infant son from the tyranny of his family.

BUY THE BOOK HERE

Reviews for DUTY AND DESIRE:

“Duty and Desire kept me captivated from the first sentence to the very end. An enticing Downton Abbey-style saga, but set in India! I simply adored it and I cannot wait to read the next book in the series. ”  Barbara Bos, Managing Editor, www.booksbywomen.org

“Duty and Desire is a resplendent deviation from the stereotypical portrayals of Indian lifestyle. Duty and Desire, makes for desirable read, indeed.” -NRI Pulse News

 

Tags: featured, women writers

Category: How To and Tips