Stephanie Huesler

January 31, 2015 · 3:24 PM

Never Give Up

I love this image; I used to have a tea mug with a similar image to the one below, and it made me smile every time I used it. There are times in our lives when we might feel discouraged, or overwhelmed at what we have to do or to go through. If you have a goal or a dream, just keep putting one foot in front of the other – do something each day, no matter how small or insignificant that action may seem, toward reaching that goal. Eventually you’ll get there!

“Don’t give up whatever you’re trying to do — especially if you’re convinced that you’re botching it up. Giving up reinforces a sense of incompetence; going on gives you a commitment to success.”

George Weinberg, English writer, activist

1 Comment

Filed under Articles, Cartoon, Images

Tagged as Dreams, George Weinberg, Never Give Up! Goals, Perseverance, Quote, Success

January 26, 2015 · 12:49 AM

7 Steps to a Powerful Opening

A powerful opener…

Anyone who writes novels worth reading can tell you that, as with any relationship, the first impression you make is the most important. You know that you need to get your character from A to Z through the story, but how you introduce A is more important than B through Z – in other words, if you lose your reader’s interest from the get-go, they might not stick around long enough to find out where you want to lead them. Here are 7 steps to remember that will lead you to that great first impression:

Dive in! Hit the ground running! Begin your story in the middle of an action scene, or in the middle of a conversation. Let your reader feel like they’re eavesdropping on a decisive moment in your character’s life. Make them wonder, make them ask questions they want answers to! Who’s speaking? What’s the context? Why is there X problem / challenge / discussion?
Make your character human: Give them sympathetic traits, a relatable nature, and attitudes that readers can identify with. Do this through dialogue and actions, or by internalization (getting inside the character’s head, an “inner dialogue”). It will help you to prepare your main characters by writing out a biography for them. Give them memorable names (not complicated ones, or names that are difficult to work out how to pronounce). The main character must be somewhat larger than life (more interesting than the average person in some way); do this through giving them idiosyncrasies, habits, a quirky sense of humour, etc.
Romance: If your character is real, there will be romance – some kind of heart-to-heart relationship that touches that key human emotion. I’m not talking about slutty romance novels; I’m talking about real human connection and rich emotional landscapes, whether it’s a small-town story, a science fiction planet, or a war zone.
Supporting character: This might be a sidekick, a friend, partner, companion, or even an object or pet. It is someone or something for the main character to share their experiences with. The supporting character should contrast your main character – perhaps someone who asks the reader’s questions, or wants explanation of terms or concepts the reader might not be familiar with, without becoming “teach-y”. They might be the voice of reason to an impulsive main character, or the voice of adventure to a staid hero/heroine.
Antagonist: This opponent is an obstruction to the main character’s goals. They create problems, sometimes danger. They may be human, or non-human (e.g. man vs. nature), or may be an internal struggle of the main character (haunted by their past, or an addiction, a weakness such as impatience, etc.).
Emotion: Build an emotional landscape (this links closely with # 3). Show the main character as life-like, and develop relationships, or show struggles the character has with particular issues that give them depth and breadth.
Style: Bring it all together in a style unique to your character’s voice and biography. Show their feelings, conflicts, adding complications and subplots to take it deeper. In your first chapter the goal of your character should come out – what their desires are, their determination, problems to solve, etc. – without making the arrival at that goal all too obvious!

6 Comments

Filed under Lists, Plot Thots & Profiles, Writing Exercise

Tagged as Antagonists, Character Development, Emotional Landscape, First Chapter, Main Characters, Novel Writing, Novels, Nuts & Bolts, Openers, Romance, Style, Supporting Characters, writing, Writing Tips, Writing Tools

January 12, 2015 · 1:19 AM

Novel Writing Pyramid

When writing or drafting a new story, sometimes it’s easy to get lost in the forest due to the trees – in the myriad of ideas that flash up in a brainstorm. The pyramid above helps remind me of the emphasis each area needs in the overall structure:

If a story is too complex, you’ll lose or confuse your readers; but if it’s too simple, it becomes predictable and therefore no challenge to the mind of the adventurer who’s picked up your book to get lost in another world. Most of the best stories are, at their heart, quite simple – “boy meets girl”, or “person achieves goal”.

If you don’t know what your settings and themes are, how can you effectively work toward the final outcome? If you don’t know who your character is, and what your basic plot (goal and how it’s achieved) is, how can you guide the reader through dialogue or prose toward the desired conclusion? Diction is important because it is central to creating the voice of each character, and sticking to genre-specific vocabulary and expressions (i.e. no proverbial airplanes through the scenes of a historical novel). As Mark Twain once wrote,

“The difference between the right word and the almost-right word is the difference between lightning and a lightning bug.”

And if you have the top four slices of the pyramid in place, but don’t have proper foundations – in other words, know your grammar, spelling, punctuation and syntax (sentence structures, tense usage, etc.) then no matter how brilliant your plot might be, or your character development, if readers can’t get past your bad diction and grammar, you’ve lost them as present and future readers!

I’d like to encourage you to know your weaknesses, and develop them into strengths! If grammar or spelling is a weakness, work on it – invest time into reviewing the rules – Wikipedia is an excellent source for articles on how to use punctuation, etc. Buy a good grammar book, or even a grammar practice book with an answer key at the back (The “English Grammar in Use” series is one I used for years with EFLA students). If plot or character development is a weakness, then make a list of questions for each, and take the time to think about and answer them.

Good writing is about quality; it’s about solid foundations and constant development, the honing of your skills; it’s about research, thinking outside the box, and being able to convey in words the images born in your mind. Just as sharpening a pencil makes it easier to write, so does sharpening your mind and skills.

1 Comment

Filed under Articles, Images, Nuts & Bolts, Plot Thots & Profiles, Research, Writing Exercise

Tagged as Amazon, books, Character Development, Diction, EFLA, English Grammar in Use, Grammar, grammar syntax, Links, Mark Twain, Novel, Nuts & Bolts, Punctuation, Research, Spelling, Structure, Syntax, Tips, Wikipedia, writing, Writing Tools

January 3, 2015 · 9:49 PM

Plot Thots: 14 Tips from Steven Spielberg

Happy New Year! 2015 has begun, and with it I’ve begun the research for my next novel; this one, 18th century historical fiction (rounding off the Northing Trilogy with the final book), is taking me back into the world of workhouse orphanages, royal naval vessels, and 1760s fashions and mores. As I research, read, take notes and wiggle my way into a mental corset (to limit myself linguistically, morally, historically and socially to the times), I can still take advice from a more modern medium: Films.

I like to listen to good film commentaries, and one of the best teachers in the field is Steven Spielberg; he not only discusses the filming process itself, but the thought processes and philosophy behind his decisions and choices. Here are a few notes I’ve taken from his commentaries, and where I noted the particular film, I’ll let you know in case you want to hear it for yourself:

14 Tips from Steven Spielberg:

Give environments a “used” feel – gritty, creaky, broken-in. Don’t explain every little detail, but take some things for “granted” to give an authentic feel. (Star Wars)
The subconscious mind doesn’t know the difference between dreams and films – emotions will be touched equally.
Running gags create humour (e.g. Indiana Jones hates snakes).
One problem solved leads to another. One bad decision leads down – the main character must either decide to be redeemed by good actions, or be ruined (e.g. Darth Vader).
If you have point A & point B of your plot, don’t be afraid to explore, to fill in the blanks to get you from A to B!
The clothes have to match the characters to be believable. (Can you imagine Indiana Jones without that iconic hat?)
If you edit cerebrally, you will lose feeling; rather, edit to “it feels right.”
Sometimes you need a pointer scene, though it needs to be subtle: “This is where we are; this is where we need to be; this is how we get there.” (e.g. strategy scene before Luke destroys the Death Star)
If there’s no emotional connection, there’s no point in doing something for narrative clarity.
Contemplation time is essential in the creative process – don’t fill it with brain work that distracts. Take a bath. Do the laundry. Draw; doodle; do a craft.
Get under the skin of a character, or culture, or landscape.
Every act has three events.
What is your main character’s “third place”? The first place is home; the second place is work; the third place is a socializer.
Establish the mystery, and then begin peeling layers away.

[Plot Thots is my own shorthand for anything to do with mapping out a storyline.]

4 Comments

Filed under Articles, Nuts & Bolts, Plot Thots & Profiles, Quotes, Research

Tagged as Darth Vader, Film Commentaries, Indiana Jones, Nuts & Bolts, Plot Thots, Research, royal naval vessels, Star Wars, Steven Spielberg, The Northing Trilogy, Tips, writing, Writing Tools

December 21, 2014 · 2:21 AM

Just Around the Corner

Christmas is just around the corner, and I’m enjoying the different pace of life that comes with the season; my husband’s work is winding down toward the end of the year, which means he can come home earlier than usual (he works 10+ hours a day, so early is 7:30 pm!); and people seem to relax around this time of the year, too – they’re less stressed, more genial, and become more aware of their fellow man – which is as it should be all year round.

It’s cold outside but still no sign of snow, though the sun coming through the windows and threatening to melt our chocolate Christmas tree ornaments doesn’t deter me from listening to Christmas music! My favourites this year are the new Pentatonix album, “That’s Christmas to Me”, and Idina Menzel’s “Holiday Wishes”, both on Spotify. I take more time to read, to watch films, to slow down, to do crafts, to simplify life. One thing I simplified recently is our CD collection; I eliminated several hundred (!), because I found them on Spotify (if you don’t know it and love music, welcome to “life just got grand”! Check it out on http://www.spotify.com); we have the premium version, which means no adverts, and the artists get paid for their work (which is important to us).

Being the crafter I am, I figured that that amount of CDs would come in handy for something; I’m using some to make coasters, but keep my eyes open for other up-cycling ideas. I sleep very little (I jokingly refer to myself as “half-vampire” as I only need about 4-5 hours a day), so I have a lot of time on my hands, which I enjoy as fully as possible in all of the above!

Below is a panorama of where I now sit; my work space is at the top of a short flight of stairs, and just behind my computer is a round window that looks out over our town and toward the international airport at the other side of the valley. Just behind the computer you’ll notice a cat hammock; it’s one of two on that railing, and it’s usually full… our cats enjoy watching the sunrise through the round window. To the right of my desk is a set of drawers, atop of which is a cat bed; it’s also usually full, with Allegra.

Whatever your circumstances, whether you’re alone, or with family or friends, my wish for you this season is that you can find time to enjoy your own company. If you’re alone I know it can be difficult at such times in the year; I’ve been there, and spent a fairly dismal Christmas alone in the middle of nowhere one year; but it can be a time of discovery, if you choose to let it be. Go somewhere out of the ordinary, even if it’s just a new corner of your own town; shake things up, or come to rest – whichever you need most. And whatever you do, wherever you are, remember the Reason for the Season.

Merry Christmas!

Our library, with my work space up in the “eagle’s nest”

On The Best Christmas Gifts

“Christmas gift suggestions: To your enemy, forgiveness. To an opponent, tolerance. To a friend, your heart. To a customer, service. To all, charity. To every child, a good example. To yourself, respect.”

— Oren Arnold

May these be gifts we give all year round.

Creative Writing over Christmas Holidays

I don’t know about the rest of you, but Christmas has snuck up on me this year! Between publishing two books in November and all of the work involved in that process and the aftermath (promotion, etc.), I came up for breath last weekend, as I wrote about last week. I took a short break, and now I’m beginning work on the next project (diving into research and scene layout). But with Christmas coming up, it’s time to shift down a gear or two, and enjoy the season. If you are a writer like me, writing can be addictive; it’s a good habit to write something every day. But who says it needs to be a book manuscript, or whatever your next project or usual format is? If you write poetry, try your hand at calligrams; if you write short stories, try writing an ambigram. If you write constantly, take a break and read a book that has absolutely nothing to do with research or preparation for your next project!

Here are a few different styles to choose from, just to shake things up a bit:

Flash fiction (300-1,000 – word stories)
One of my first calligrams; not very neat, but cathartic!
Short stories (fiction or nonfiction – limit yourself, e.g. to one page)
Nonfiction
Anecdotes
Jokes
Profiles
Travel writing
Children’s books
Screen writing
Play writing
Poetry
Freelance
Novel
Novella
Memoir
Autobiography
Biography
Song writing (lyrics, if you can’t write/read music)
Calligram (do a Google Image search to see examples)
Asemic writing
Book report
Fan fiction
Letter
Journal
Dialogue
Creative doodles (with or without words)
Cartoon strips
Ambigram
Micography (Microcalligraphy)
Concrete poetry (or any number of poetry styles – check out a small list here)
Haiku

2 Comments

Filed under Images, Lists, Nuts & Bolts, Writing Exercise

Tagged as Ambigram, Anecdotes, Asemic writing, Autobiography, Biography, Book report, Calligram, Cartoon Strips, Children's books, Christmas, Concrete poetry, Creative Doodles, Dialogue, Fan fiction, Flash fiction, Freelance, Google Image Search, Haiku, Jokes, Journal, Letter, Links, lyrics, Memoir, Microcalligraphy, Micrography, Nonfiction, Novel, Novella, Play writing, Poetry, Profiles, project, Screen writing, Short fiction, Short stories, Song writing, Travel writing

December 2, 2014 · 6:42 PM

Back in the Land of the Living

Last week I took a much-needed break from the computer after launching my latest novel, The Cardinal (Parts One & Two)! It is such a complex story with rich landscapes that it deserved the room to breathe and unfold, and so it became two novels, though that decision didn’t come until well into the second draft. When it was all said and done, I had formatted two books, twice each (one format for Kindle, one for paperback), designed four covers, written countless versions of blurbs, etc., and gone through the publication process four times. Trust me, I’d seen enough of my computer at that point to have a love-hate relationship with it for a while. During that break I managed to read five books in a week, not a single one of them research-related for the next project! I’ve since made peace with my computer, and I’m beginning work on the next novel – this time, back to the 18th century to complete the Northing Trilogy. I’m looking forward to exploring this new aspect of characters I already know well from the previous two novels; it will take me through the grime of workhouse orphanages and the salty brine of the British navy in the mid-18th century, and already the research questions accumulating portend at least one trip to London, which is one of my favourite cities anyway, and I’m sure you’ll hear more about that in the months to come.

The Three Culprits: Gandria, Caprino and Allegra (top to bottom)

With all of the push and shove of getting the books ready to publish, Christmas has snuck up on me! It hit home this weekend, literally, when we put up the Christmas decorations: Here in Switzerland it’s usual to put the Christmas tree and decorations up on Christmas Eve, so we’ve struck a compromise between our varying cultures and aim for the first Advent; it’s also a pragmatic compromise as, if we’re going to go to all that effort, we might as well enjoy it a bit. We went to the first Christmas market of the season, complete with hot wine punch, roasted chestnuts, and Christmas shopping. If any of you have cats, you’ll empathize with me on one point: As we walked through the market, again and again we saw things that we liked, “But…” A nice wind chime made of drift wood, stones and feathers in perfect balance? Cat toy. Ditto for the man-sized candle holder made of stones & driftwood. Scratching post. Now mind you, our cats are well-behaved, and they only scratch on their scratching post; but there’s probably too little of a difference to their perspective between the allowed version and the decorative, expensive version… Any cloth craft item is like catnip to our calico, Gandria – she carries off anything cloth she can get into her mouth (she’s even learned how to unzip my husband’s backpack; her favourite thing to steal is his tissue packs).

All of that just to say this: I have now re-entered the land of the living after having been sequestered with my book manuscripts in the final polish and publish phases. I’m more than ready for holidays, and blogging, writing, researching, plotting… in short, starting the next manuscript.

2 Comments

Filed under Articles, Humor, Publications

Tagged as Amazon, Blogging, Cats, Christmas, Holidays, Humour, Kindle, Loops of Life, Manuscripts, Musings, Nuts & Bolts, Paperback, Publication, Research, The Cardinal, The Northing Trilogy, writing

November 14, 2014 · 2:54 AM

New Book Release: The Cardinal

Hi everyone! I’m excited to announce the release of my latest books: The Cardinal, Parts One and Two! The Cardinal is an epic fantasy, spanning from the pre-Viking Age of Scotland and Norway to modern-day Scotland.

The Cardinal

790 A.D.

In the far northern reaches of the Highlands of Scotland a Pictish tribe, with their language of peat and stone, ally together with a strange kingdom of mist and whispers. As a foe descends upon them in longships from the north with axe and smoke and they are scattered in defeat, will those left behind ever find those wrenched from their arms? Will those slaves taken by the Vikings ever find their way to freedom and home or not? Either way life will never be the same again.

Now

More than a thousand years later their lives, deaths and fates are brought to light by an archaeological team who uncovers the find of a lifetime… of a thousand lifetimes. The more they discover the more perplexing it becomes; their finds challenge our very understanding of what it means to be human, and the assumption that myths are groundless and history is fact. That we are not alone in the universe is one thing; that we are not alone on this earth is another thing entirely.

“Legends come about when truth is considered too implausible.”—G.K. Chesterton

For further information, images and characters, please check out the page here.

If you enjoy the novels, please do leave feedback! Both here and on Amazon would be excellent! Every feedback is greatly appreciated, and the more the better!

5 Comments

Filed under Publications

Tagged as Amazon, Archaeology, Author, Book, Epic, Fantasy, Fiction, g k chesterton, Kindle, Norway, Novel, Paperback, Science Fiction, Scotland, Vikings

November 10, 2014 · 1:34 AM

20 Writing Sparks

Once in a while, we need to get our creative juices flowing; here are some ideas to spark your imagination! Pick one, get a pen and paper, and start writing! See where it leads!