Synopsis Critique Seminars

Over the last few months I've seen a lot of writers freaking out over synopsis writing. Synopsis feel so unnatural to us as writers, even more unnatural than queries. Writers complain about everything from them feeling flat, to not being able to boil their story down to one page, to them being their own personal circle of hell.

I get it. Synopsis suck! They're hard. I have a love/hate relationship with them myself. And while not every agent asks for them, many do, and I know it makes writers cringe.

So here's what I'm proposing. If you send me your synopsis, I will consider critiquing. I'll help you whittle it down to the necessary components and help you draw out what is missing and confusing. I'll give my honest feedback on it.

But I also want this to be a learning experience for other writers. There's a lot of advice out there about queries and even blogged critiques for them but not much in terms of posted synopsis critiques. So I'd like to post about half of people's critiqued synopsis on my blog semi periodically so others can learn from them and have examples. I wont post the whole thing because *SPOILERS*, but I'd like to use a portion.

I can't promise I will get to everyone's, but if I do critique yours, you will get a full critique emailed back to you. In addition, I will post a portion of your synopsis critique on my blog so others can have examples. If you specify a cutoff point I will adhere to that. I don't want your most important twists spoiled, but I'd ideally like to post a few paragraphs as a learning experience.

Do's and Dont's

• Do send your most polished version of your synopsis.
• Do have it critiqued by others both before and after this if possible.
• Do have it critiqued by people who have and have not read your story.
• Don't send me a five plus pages of a synopsis and expect me to help you get it down to one page. I have a magical editing axe, but I am not a magician. I will put my best foot forward.
• Don't send it to me if you don't want any portion of your work posted. This is a give and take. I give you a critique, in return, you allow me to post some of the critique so it can help others.
• Do include a cutoff point if you are worried about spoilers being revealed to the world (otherwise I will arbitrarily pick a halfway point or cut it off after a few paragraphs).
• Do be polite. I am doing this in my free time, for free. I don't have to do this, so please respect me and my time.
• Do be patient. This is a process and it will take me a while.
• Do realize that I probably wont get to everyone. I'm sorry but that is the reality of the situation. I'm only one person.
• Do realize I'm not perfect, I make mistakes. And as much as I hate to admit I don't know everything.
• Do not send more than one synopsis. This is a one per person thing. If I have time I might accept from people I've critiqued before, but I'm not making any guarantees.
• Do realize this is one person's opinion. Critiques are highly subjective. Feel free to use what works for you and ditch the rest.

This is a synopsis critique NOT a query critique. There is a difference. For tips and tricks to help with synopsis writing check out my post here.

I will accept synopsis in any genre/age group except erotic, I'd like to keep things relatively PG on my blog. That said, my specialties are YA and MG particularly in the genres of Sci Fi, Fantasy, paranormal, and adventure.

Are you still with me?

If you are interested in a possible critique, AND you wouldn't mind having about half your synopsis posted on my blog for critique then please paste your synopsis into the BODY of an email and send it to: synopsiscritique [at] hotmail [dot] com. (remember to actually put the @ and dot in, I posted this way to avoid spam) I will not open unknown attachments.

Questions? Sound off below.

The Synopsis – The Grim Reaper of the Writing World

If there’s one thing in the world that writers despise, it’s the synopsis? Why because they are the spawn of Satan. They are soul sucking torture that just might kill you! And you know what? I love them! Okay well not love, I have a love/hate relationship with them, but I really do enjoy whacking and hacking with my magical editing axe until I get it down to the one page limit.

What exactly is a synopsis, do you ask? And why does it make writers cower in fear? It’s typically a one page single spaced (see agent guidelines for length) piece that explains what happens in your book. It spoils the whole thing from beginning to end. YES SPOILS. This is not a back cover jacket, or a query letter, this is a synopsis. You put in all the major twists and turns and let whoever is reading know EXACTLY what happens in this book.

But how do you fit an entire book’s worth of stuff into one page? The short answer, very carefully. The long answer well here goes…

There are many approaches to writing a synopsis. When I first started tackling them, I tried to write it from beginning to end and see how long it was. Then I attempted to edit it down to the limit. You know what? I failed miserably! I didn’t know what to cut and what to keep and I got lost in details I thought were super important. Guess what? They weren’t.

So where do you go from there? There are a couple of things you can try. There’s not one right or wrong way to write a synopsis so try one out and see what works for you.

If you outline start there. Look at each chapter and write one sentence that summarizes the entire chapter. What big thing happened? Why is this chapter so important? And if you can’t answer that question, maybe consider re-evaluating that chapter.

1. Once you have those sentences you will need to string them together in a cohesive manner so one item flows into the next.
2. From there identify the main arcs of the story and tighten the threads down to focus on those main points.

If you don’t outline or your outlines are very detailed you may want to try breaking your book into acts. Or grouping your chapters.

1. Once you have your story broken into pieces, again try to write a sentence or two that summarizes the big plot points, and arc of the story.
2. Once you have the main points outlined, string them together in a cohesive way so everything flows.
3. Tighten the threads down to the bare minimum.

In general the big areas to focus on in your synopsis are: the inciting incident, the rise to action/conflict, the point of no return, the climax, and the outcome. The reader needs to know the character’s journey as well as the villain. What are their motivations for acting as they do and how do this progress the story along.

But even doing that, it’s tough to boil an entire manuscript down to one page. So here’s some other things to look out for when cutting and polishing your synopsis.

• Start with the main character and what they want. Set the story up immediately so you grab the reader’s attention. Then you can ultimately show how the character does or doesn’t get that by the end of the synopsis and how things change.

• With each sentence ask yourself if this is the simplest way you can say this idea. While it’s nice to have some voice in your synopsis it isn’t always required. You want to get as much information out there as cleanly as possible. If you have to sacrifice some voice to do it that’s okay. The purpose of a synopsis is to tell the reader what your book is about start to finish. It’s to show you have a complete character arc and story. To prove your book doesn’t have holes in it and to show where things go. You don’t have to reel the reader in like you do with a query.

• Ask yourself if each sentence is carrying the story/plot forward. When you write the book, each sentence of a synopsis should carry the reader to next time, place and/or incident that drives the plot and character arc. The same should happen in a synopsis only on a tighter scale.

• Say what happens. When you write/edit you try to eliminate the X saw, heard, felt, etc. All those sense words you can show without saying the character turned and saw something or heard something because you are already following them or in their head. As you would make something happen in your story, do the same in your synopsis. Make it happen don’t say X heard Y, or A saw B do this, just say B did it.

• Make sure the synopsis shows how the character changes, or if they don’t change what they learned and why they decided to stay the same. Synopsis should show what changes over the course of the story.

• Subplots. You will have some subplots in your synopsis but limit it to one or two that really compliment or add to the main arc in some way. More than that and you start getting bogged down in details.

• Keep travel to a minimum. In most cases, unless it affects your plot/conflict we don’t need to know how the characters got from point A to point B just that they are there and something happens.

• Keep mentions of time passage to a minimum. Phrases like two weeks later, and the next day are empty in a synopsis. They offer nothing. Show what’s happening. In the synopsis it’s usually not important to know how long it took, just that it happened or is happening at that point in the story.

• Don’t repeat. If you’ve already said something don’t bring it up again or rephrase. It’s not necessary and it takes up precious space.

• Realize the reader doesn’t need to know everything. Give enough to eliminate confusion and help them connect the dots from point A to point B. Nothing more, nothing less.

• Use active verbs. This will help you move the story along quickly and concisely. It really helps show what’s happening. It also helps the voice of your synopsis. In most cases you shouldn’t need to be verbs in a synopsis because you’re telling what happens not what is.

• Avoid descriptions. In most cases in a synopsis we don’t need to know what the character looks like or what a place looks like. Unless it’s critical to the plot/conflict cut it.

• Avoid filler words and adverbs. This cuts out on a lot of space, words like that, just, even etc. aren’t necessary. Most adverbs aren’t either.

• Cut back story and setup. You don’t want to info dump in your manuscript and you certainly don’t want to do it in your synopsis. Unless the character’s past is critical to the plot or conflict leave it in the past.

• Avoid clichés. Enough said there I think.

• For every character you introduce in your synopsis (and it shouldn’t be every character in your book) make sure their motivations are clear. Also make sure they somehow contribute to the overall plot and/or conflict.

• Avoid the “and then and then and then” syndrome. While a synopsis is telling what happens as the story progresses, you want to avoid saying and then this happens then they go here and then they do that. Try to weave the story as if you were telling it in person to someone who has never read it. If you just keep saying then this happens you’re going to lose their attention, so make it interesting.

• Transitions are key! They can make or break your synopsis. Just as you don’t want to say and then over and over again you want to make sure your synopsis has flow. It eliminates confusion and it shows how the story is progressing.

• Get feedback. Both from people who have read and haven’t read your book. It should be clear to someone who hasn’t read your manuscript what is going on. Likewise for someone who has, they should be able to pinpoint anything major you left out. Both types of critiquers should be able to help you identify things you don’t need in your synopsis.

By this point hopefully you are seeing a pattern in the tips. If it doesn’t contribute to the plot and/or conflict, it has no business in your synopsis. That’s how you determine what’s critical and what’s not. Simplify Simplify Simplify.

Do you have synopsis tips and tricks you want to share? Please post them in the comments!

Am I the exception?

The short answer is no your aren't the exception to the rule. So how do you know if that writing advice directly applies to you and your manuscript? Odds are it does. However, there are times you may want to ignore that tip. But should you?

When it comes to writing and subjectivity there is no quick yes or no answers, but there are some things you can ask yourself to see if you should make use of that tip.

1.) Are you doing it deliberately?
If you are making a conscious decision to ignore a writing rule and you know why you are choosing to do so, you might be the exception. MIGHT. However, just because you are aware of what you are doing doesn't mean it puts you in that small percentage. Make sure you check with your critique partners as well as people who aren't familiar with your work to see if your choice works. Ask yourself if making that choice really makes your writing stronger.

2.) Does it fit your character/setting/plot/story?
Think about the rule and how it will affect your characters/setting/plot/story. Does this rule honor those things or does is seem contradictory. If the rule seems to ruin an important aspect of your story you might consider ignoring that writing advice.

A good example of this is grammar in dialogue and thoughts. Not everyone speaks properly or is grammatically correct all the time. So there may be situations where you would ignore the rules of grammar. But again, going back to number one, make sure if you break the rules, you are doing it deliberately and you know why.

3.) Is it part of your voice?
Consider the advice, and then look at the voice of your work. Try editing a section using the advice. Did your voice disappear or diminish or did your work get stronger? If it got stronger then you should definitely follow that advice but if you lost the essence of your voice then you may want to consider ignoring the rule.

4.) Are you happy with your work?
Above everything else you have to be happy with what you've written. If you don't like it, you can't expect other people to like it either. So do what feels right. Write the best story you can and don't stress too much over all the rules. You aren't going to follow every rule all the time. It's not possible. But don't blindly break the rules either. Even if you still aren't sure whether or not you are the exception (and sorry but you're still probably not), at least you are aware of what you did. Make the conscious decision to ignore that rule, and know why you need to deviate from traditional advice.

Does anyone else struggle with whether or not to follow certain pieces of writing advice? Is there a time you ignored a rule or writing advice and your work was stronger for it?

Feedback Fatigue

*yes this is my dog Sophie :)

 

How do you know when you've gotten enough feedback on your work? Or even worse, when you've gotten too much feedback and you are so over-saturated with advice that you are drowning in it! Basically when do you stop asking for critiques?

Well the obvious answer is when you are happy with your work. But let's face it, we crazy writers are almost never happy with our work. Some of us, myself included will edit ourselves to death. We keep asking for feedback in hopes of finding some new angle to fix. And then sooner or later you are reaching the point of over-saturation. You have so much advice, you don't know which end is up.

I know! Because I'm there!

I've had so much feedback on my query and first page that I'm almost lost. I feel like a yo-yo. I'm constantly going back and forth between modifications and I can't seem to please everyone. Which is fine because I shouldn't try to please everyone. I should try to clear up any confusion I'm seeing from multiple readers, polish it off, and hopefully find my happy place... hopefully. Because if I don't Feedback Fatigue may be the death of me... literally!

So how do you know if you have the dreaded Feedback Fatigue?

If you've reached the point of confusion and have multiple options on your query letter and first pages, and they are all just slightly different you've probably gone too far. A few minor tweaks here or there is probably not going to make or break your query or first pages. So take a step back, take a deep breath, and relax.

If you've reached the point where you change something and then get a comment that makes you want to go back to your previous revision. You might also have gone too far. When you start yo-yoing on your edits and constantly waver between two options, you've either gotten too much advice or you aren't listening to your gut. Not every piece of advice is meant to be followed and if you do follow everything it will make you crazy. So just stop, take a deep breath, and find what resonates with you, then ignore the rest.

If you've had so many people comment on your work that you've lost count, you've probably had too much feedback. When it comes to feedback sometimes less is more. Using a small group of trusted (key word trusted) critique partners instead of the masses can sometimes be in your favor. Will that group see every issue? Probably not, but they will catch a majority of the major stuff and it will save you the insanity of trying to sort through comments that may or may not be helpful.

So writers, stop beating yourselves up and driving yourselves crazy. Writing is never going to be perfect, so stop trying to make it that way. Do the best you can, find the happy place, and avoid the wicked Feedback Fatigue.

Have any of you ever experienced feedback fatigue? And if so how did you deal with it?

What I've learned from Writing Contests

Over the past month, I've entered a couple of writing contests that involved the possibility of agent requests. Even though I started out with a lot of heartbreak, I learned quite a bit. In fact, I think I learned the most from all the negative feedback. And even though it's hard to hear, okay more than hard, it's gut wrenching, tear inducing, self doubt filled with stress, it's important to consider the critiques seriously. The knowledge gained can mean the difference between good writing and stand out writing.

The supportive nature of the writer community
This is actually something I learned long before I had a finished manuscript, but entering into contests really reinforced this. There is nothing better in the world than having your fellow writers there to root you on and being able to do the same for them in return. Knowing that someone has your back and is on the crazy train right alongside you makes the journey feel a little less daunting. Writers might all be crazy, but finding that same level of insanity in your fellow writers makes it much easier to continue on. The positive reinforcement is what gives you the ability to brush yourself off and keep on writing despite wanting to drop everything and quit. Having writers struggle with you and cheer you on makes the lonely craft feel a lot less so. And in entering contests, I've met some truly amazing writers.

The domino effect
More often than not while reviewing my own entry as well as others, I'd see one person mention an issue in an entry. The next thing I knew, there would be chain reaction of additional comments alluding to the same problem. I thought long and hard about why this was, especially when it was happening to me, because it felt like I was getting ganged up on. All it took was one person identifying an issue, and that opened the flood gates for others to see the same problem. While it seems like everyone jumping on the bandwagon that's not actually what's happening. It goes back to the whole idea that people can often spot a problem in a piece of writing but they can't always identify the cause. In a group setting however, one person mentioning the driver of the issue is enough. Everyone else that comes after, has a name for it right in front of them. The very name they may not have known had the person before them not mentioned it first.

Early on I blamed the domino effect on the open critique setting, saying it's so easy to just point out what other people are already mentioning. But really I was doing myself an injustice. Unfortunately, I didn't realize what was going on until it stopped happening. In all honesty, the domino effect doesn't happen when the issue isn't present. When you've corrected a problem, you might see one comment that doesn't seem to match the others and this is because of the subjective nature of the craft. But when you see everyone jumping on board, it's cause to stop and take a deeper look at what people are picking up on in your entry. As difficult as it is to hear, you probably have an issue that needs to be fixed.

What did others do right (or wrong)
In looking through entries that moved forward, I learned quite a bit. While they weren't always grammatically perfect and they often broke rules, they had something about them that made me want to read on. It could have been anything from an interesting concept to a character I wanted to know more about. The entries grabbed my attention in an authentic way and took me for a ride in the story, leaving me wanting more than want was on the page.

It's also equally important to see what mistakes others make. In critiquing other entries, I was often able to identify issues that I might not have otherwise been able to see. I developed a highly critical editing eye that I could turn onto my own writing. With common mistakes in mind, I could use them improve my entry.

Finding your voice (and being yourself)
Writers hear about the importance of voice all the time, but for me, it's been one of the hardest things to understand. There isn't a concrete definition of voice, or not one that I can find. I do however know, that when something has voice, you sit up straight and take notice of the words on the page. And when writing doesn't have voice, it can look phoney. I know because my first couple of contest entries were exactly that, phoney. I'd tried to use a gimmick to get people's attention and while it did grab the readers eye, it also created confusion and hesitancy, which is the last thing you want. And the worst part about it was, I knew I was doing it and didn't want to stop. The problem is, when you try to fool your reader into your story they take notice pretty quickly. As a writer you are far better off being yourself, and letting your writing show that. No amount of gimmicks, shocking lines, or other tricks are going to do that for you until you find your own true voice. It's not an easy journey but if you are true to yourself your voice will come out.

Starting in the action (or with what really matters)
This is another thing writers are constantly told but not something I didn't fully understood until I entered contests. I thought I was as close to the action as possible, but I soon found out how wrong I was. While I had whittled down my opening very close to the inciting incident, I still wasn't quite there yet and it showed. When they say start with the important scene, they mean it. They don't mean start the day before, the hour before, or even the minute before, they mean throw your character into what makes them special, and make every word that describes it count. If you are saying well if you just read to page x you'll see what's happening, or on page x you really get to the good stuff, then you are starting in the wrong place.GUARANTEED! If the "good stuff" is on page x, why wouldn't you start there? If that's what you want people to read, put it right in front of them starting on page 1.

The importance of perseverance
The process of finding an agent is grueling. It's a downright emotional roller coaster. Making it to the next round in a writing contest is no different. And no lies, I wanted to give up during some of these contests, sometimes as frequently as multiple times a day. If it wasn't for some amazingly encouraging critique partners, I might have. And if I had I wouldn't be in the agent round of the latest contest I entered. In fact, I had submitted multiple variations of my query and first page when I finally broke through the barrier, and it was because I never stopped trying. I took the advice I was given to heart, I thought about it, and I applied it to my writing. After countless revisions to my query and first page, so many in fact that I lost count, I finally have something that works, that I'm happy with, and that is true to me as a writer, as well as my story. I learned from each revision, improved my craft, and it paid off. So if you take the feedback seriously, and keep trying, you can do it.

Entering contests is not easy. It's difficult to put yourself out there. Even worse it's hard to learn you might not be ready, or you might not have the right starting spot in your story when you think you do. But contests can be great resources of information and feedback if you are open to the advice and willing to apply it. The things you learn can be invaluable. What have you learned about your writing from entering contests?

The Fine Art of Critiquing

Critiquing is a fine art and a balancing act. Writing is so subjective that it's often difficult to give constructive feedback, especially if you don't like what you are critiquing. But it's extremely important to realize that there are ways to point our problems in someone's writing or story without being rude and/or completely crushing their spirit. Do you need thick skin as a writer? Most certainly! There are times where someone will critique your work and it will make you angry, and odds are it's because they are dead on in their feedback. But as a writer you should never feel like you are being attacked or even worse be the person doing the attacking.

I'm one of those writers that loves when people tear my manuscript to shreds so that I can put it back together and let it really shine. That said, I don't enjoy feedback that attacks me or my writing, or is just generally rude and unprofessional sounding. I think a lot of writers have had a horribly mean critique at some point, so I've developed a list of tips on how to provide positive and negative feedback without crippling your fellow writers.

1.) Always start with a positive
All writers have their strengths and weaknesses. Even in the most horrible piece of writing, there is something the writer does well. It could be any number of things from dialogue, to descriptions, to concept, to good grammar etc, but make sure you start with pointing out the good. It's important to build up your critique partners, not shut them down.

2.) Ease into the parts that need work, if possible
Similar to how you should start your critique with something positive, try to start the negative with something that is on the positive side. This is where you almost have to use those hanging.... buts.

Statements like:
While I see what you were trying to do here, I don't think it's working because...
I think this is okay, but if you add x, this scene would affect the reader more deeply.
This sentence is good, but if you use a more powerful verb it would have a larger impact.

are good ways to "break" the bad news.

Do you have to sugar coat your feedback? Definitely not, but you should try to keep it upbeat.

3.) Focus on one problem at a time
Each comment should focus on a single issue. If you start lumping multiple problems together, not only does it quickly become confusing but it also feels like an attack. If you focus on one thing at a time, it gives the writer time to digest the issue and then move onto the next one.

4.)  Be suggestive, don't attack
The quickest way to shut a person down is to give a laundry list of every possible thing they did wrong. This is where giving constructive feedback is really important. You should be honest but you should do it in a way that isn't ordering the person around. When you make abrupt statements you come off as blunt and rude. This makes people uncomfortable and tends to put them on the defensive. So rather than saying fix this, you did that wrong, and this sucks, make suggestions like maybe if you do X, Y will be much better or clearer.

5.) Give reasons
It's really easy to say this is awkward or this isn't working, however if you can say that and explain why, that's infinitely more valuable to a writer. Not only does it help the writer visualize the problem, but it also helps ease the pain of the negative. Giving reasons helps to put the writer one step closer to the solution which makes the bad not seem, well, as bad. Do not however, give a long list of reasons something isn't working. This can quickly tread back into the attacking side of things. But a quick example or two can often really help a writer see the issue more clearly.

6.) Offer possible fixes
It's very helpful to your fellow critique partners if you not only point out what you think needs work, but also point out possible suggestions on how to fix it. Sometimes a writer knows there's something wrong but doesn't know how to make it better. By offering a possible fix this can help the writer even if it merely sparks another idea. You don't however, always have to offer fixes, in fact you shouldn't offer a fix for everything you see, especially if this is a common issue. But do occasionally give an example here and there how to possibly improve on things. Help your critique partners learn.

7.) Remind your critique partner that your advice is just that, ADVICE
It's really important for your critique partner to know that what you are offering is suggestions and advice. They are under no obligation to use everything you tell them, if anything at all. This is an especially important reminder if you are working with new a critique partner.

8.) End on a high note
Just as it's important to start with a positive, it's equally important to end the same way. Leave the writer with something positive because this is the last thing that will stick with them. So even if they are upset with the feedback you wrote, they will still know that you care and think they have strengths because everyone does.

As you critique it's important to remember that not every critique partner is right for you. If you aren't resonating with their feedback or aren't finding it helpful, it's okay to break things off. Do realize that just like dating, you can grow apart from a critique partner. If this is happening, it's okay to end the trading of work. But as always remember to be polite and thank them for the journey.

So how do you like to give your critiques? Do you have any additional advice for providing constructive critiques? Have you ever received some particularly harsh feedback? If so how did you react to it and move forward?

That Evil First Line

I hate first lines. Probably more than the dreaded blank page, because it's the ultimate blank page, they very beginning. But you have to start somewhere. For me however, the good first lines usually don't come until well into the editing process. And for sometime now I've wondered why that is.

Stories have to start somewhere. When I get that great idea it always seems like I'm off to the races trying to get it down on the page as fast possible. I don't care how the story started I just want to get it out of my head and onto the page. But sometime around the middle of my draft that first line starts to bother me. The more I write and the deeper I get into edits, the more that first line stares me down. So much so, that I want to leave my horrible draft on the computer and go hide in the corner. Okay not really but as I edit, that awful first line is always sitting on the edge of my consciousness waiting to be fixed, constantly nagging me to be brilliant. Because let's face it, if your opening line isn't at the very least intriguing, who is going to read the line after it?

The funny thing is, the first line is usually one of the last things I come up with. I think it's for several reasons. The first being that I may not have started my story in the exact right place. In fact, I almost never do. My writing usually starts out as some kind of summary and I have to come back and beat it into submission later. Yes, I'm violent with my edits. I use heavy machinery like chainsaws and get ruthless cutting every possible thing I can without jeopardizing the understanding of the story.

The second reason the first line is so difficult and comes toward the end of the process is because sometimes to find the exact right way to start my story, I need to see it framed in it's entirety. I need a completed draft to guide me to the exact right beginning. I know it sounds silly but it's kind of similar to how you can't put the cap on the soda and send it out to the store until the liquid is inside. If you try to cap your story too soon, you could end up with an empty bottle, or the wrong size cap i.e. the wrong opening line. But, if you know where your character is at the beginning and then how they change at the end, then you have a better chance of finding the right opening line.

Even still, it usually takes a huge stroke of inspirational genius to pull the right first line out of my ass. Yes I said it, my ass. I never know where the good first lines come from or when they are going to arrive but they show up when they are good and ready and I have zero control over it. In fact, I'm waiting for the perfect opening line right now for my WIP. (You hear that Orion??? **hint hint nudge nudge**) And it's always a giant source of frustration for me until the exact right line comes to me.

I wish there was some trick to finding the right first line. Maybe there is and I just haven't found it yet. If you figure it out let me know.

So how do all of you get the right first line and at what point of the process does it arrive for you? Any tips or tricks to share?

Writing With Both Sides of Your Brain

Most people think writers are clearly right brained. The right brain after all, is responsible for creativity. So why is it that we frequently see so many classically "left brain" thinkers like myself and other logical, problem solvers diving head first into writing? The short answer? Because writing is so much more than just creativity.

Sure an idea is what sparks a novel, but there's so many other things that go into writing a story. Stories have to be well plotted, have conflict, contain story arcs as well as emotional arcs, and they have to have a logical flow. Did you see that word logic I slipped in there? But that's not the only place logic comes into play. There is no denying that writing is a pure stream of creativity especially early on in the process when the ideas are flying, but the more you hone your writing and your idea, the more the left brain factors in.

*brain by TZA http://www.flickr.com/photos/tza/3214197147/

Even at the very beginning of the writing process, one could argue the use of the left brain. In fact, I tend to use my left brain a lot in the planning stages of my writing. If I don't have some sort of outline to work with I'm sunk. And in planning an outline, I'm very methodical (imagine that for an engineer). I start with the beginning, a very logical place to work from, and I write small paragraphs about what I want to happen in each chapter. I organize my thoughts into a step by step progression of how I want the story to unfold. Does this organization change as I write? Most certainly, but it gives me a place to start and a good guide as I go.

I was however, extremely surprised to find that outlining is something a lot of writers struggle with. Surprising to me, because I find it so easy. When I get a bunch of ideas, I can clearly see how all the puzzle pieces fit together almost right off the bat. But I think the fact that most writers have a difficult time with outlining, also explains why a lot of writers like to "pants" their novels. Because they would rather the creative side take over and just write. I think this is one of the reasons why I have a very hard time with the blank page.

Blank pages are my nemesis. That little blinking cursor loves to mock me as I stare at the blinding white screen. Which is why I would rather rip apart my entire story, completely rewrite and rearrange it before putting it back together than start from scratch. And this is my left brain talking. I'm a problem solver so I work well with puzzles. I find editing is often like a puzzle that has to be solved. What are the missing pieces? (plot holes, character depth, scene descriptions, world building etc.) And what are the extra pieces in the box? (too much detail, extra characters, abused words, excessive dialogue etc.) This is where my problem solving skills really shine. Granted creativity doesn't get thrown out either because it takes a lot of creativity to work yourself out of a plot corner, but it also takes a lot of rearranging, adding, and the ability to see a clear path to the finish.

So while I love the "shiny new idea syndrome" that takes over and creates a flurry of typing, nothing beats the feeling after a good problem solving edit.

What do you think are you strengths and which side of your brain do you tend to favor?