MFA Lessons: Thesis Writing I

More MFA lessons! These are very short, since the thesis class is very assigned reading oriented, and I spent most of the announcement discussing that, and I'm not including it because I'm not really allowed to show the assigned stuff.

Writing Myths

One writing myth I've encountered is the idea you need to write every single day. Some people are fine writing every day, but for some people, it will just lead to burnout. For myself, I write on the days I have time, and use some days to relax, regroup and get inspired. This allows me to be much more productive when I do write and keep up a much better output. You need to figure out your own pace and what works for you.

Another myth is the idea that you've ever "missed your deadline" for your dream of becoming a writer and there's a "right way" to do it. The wonderful thing about writing is you can do it at any age, and there are multiple ways to reach your dreams. You can have as many tries as it takes, and do it using any method- traditional, indie, self-publishing- and you're doing it the "right" way.

Bushwhacking

Welcome to the third week of the course! Sometimes writing can feel like getting lost in a dark thicket and we've got to try to make a path- it doesn't have to be a perfect one, but we just have to cut through enough of the brambles that we can move forward.

That's what this week's phrase "bushwhacking" is about-- clearing your writing path enough that you can move ahead, whether you're a plotter, a pantser, or someone in-between. Personally, the way I clear my path is by making a few character profiles and a loose outline. I often find that too tight of an outline can hamper my creativity since I want the freedom to go in unexpected directions, but I need a general idea of where I'm going or I'll get completely stuck. Knowing how I want the story to end is the important part.

It's not a perfect method-- I generally need to do major rewrites at some point. For my current novel (which I recently sent out to beta readers after three drafts) I realized at the end of my 45,000 word first draft that I needed to change who the central relationship was (because my main character had way more chemistry with her mentor than her initial love interest). I did some major rewrites for the second draft and ended up with more than double the word count and a much more satisfying plot. But there's no way I could have realized who the best love interest was just by outlining or writing some initial scenes. I needed to work this way- clearing the path enough that I can stumble though my loose outline, then finally making a real path after short, loose rough draft. It means I work slower than some other writers, but I have a stubborn nature and don't mind restarting, so that also means I'm more likely to actually stick with and finish a project than my writer friends who get bored with projects and abandon them quickly.

It's all about finding out what works for you. Whatever anyone tells you, there's no one correct way to write a story, and you can start over as much as you want. However, even if you're a meticulous plotter, I encourage you to be open to your story going in unexpected directions. Don't be afraid to do something new. If you're not enjoying your story, try being self-indulgent. Think of the most dramatic possible scenario you could plausibly put your character in. Or just add something that appeals to you. For me, when I was struggling with my story, I said "I love cats, this story has a talking cat now," and it helped me tremendously. 

Character Change

One thing to keep in mind is your character's "aha" moment- the revelation they have as a result of their character arc. It's the moment in the story you're character realizes something and makes a change. Again, this can be a positive or negative change. Using a well-known example, in Charles Dickens' A Christmas Carol, Ebenezer Scrooge's biggest "aha!" moment is when he sees his own  neglected grave and finally vows to change his ways and become a more generous person. As long as you keep that "aha!" moment in mind, you'll have linchpin to base your character arc around.

This week we're also discussing the mushy middle of stories. Often, writers struggle with the midpoints of their stories dragging, or not having enough tension. In addition to the reading resources, another great article on this is "How to Avoid the Mushy Middle in Any Novel" by Jeff Lyons. He shows how both the classic story engine and the narrative engine can help you figure out how to up the stakes in your novel.

Honing Your Pitch 

This week, you'll all be turning in a pitch for your story that will be workshopped by your peers. And a pitch can be pretty tough to write! You have to pack a lot of your story into a few words.  Fortunately, you can easily find a lot of great examples of pitches out there...a lot of the descriptions ('blurbs') you see on the websites of booksellers online are very similar to a pitch, thought there are a few key differences! Comparing them can help you grasp the assignment. Let's look at the blurb for Iron Widow by Xiran Jay Zhao.

Pacific Rim meets The Handmaid's Tale in this blend of Chinese history and mecha science fiction for YA readers.

The boys of Huaxia dream of pairing up with girls to pilot Chrysalises, giant transforming robots that can battle the mecha aliens that lurk beyond the Great Wall. It doesn't matter that the girls often die from the mental strain.
 
When 18-year-old Zetian offers herself up as a concubine-pilot, it's to assassinate the ace male pilot responsible for her sister's death. But she gets her vengeance in a way nobody expected—she kills him through the psychic link between pilots and emerges from the cockpit unscathed. She is labeled an Iron Widow, a much-feared and much-silenced kind of female pilot who can sacrifice boys to power up Chrysalises instead.​
 
To tame her unnerving yet invaluable mental strength, she is paired up with Li Shimin, the strongest and most controversial male pilot in Huaxia​. But now that Zetian has had a taste of power, she will not cower so easily. She will miss no opportunity to leverage their combined might and infamy to survive attempt after attempt on her life, until she can figure out exactly why the pilot system works in its misogynist way—and stop more girls from being sacrificed.

There are a lot of similarities and differences to a pitch here. Just like a pitch, the first line tells us what genre the story is- it's young adult science fiction, covering both the genre and demographic. Likewise, in your pitch you should directly state the genre, so you can explain where it fits in the publishing ecosystem.  And if your book is Young Adult or Middle Grade, you should definitely include that in your pitch along with the genre. However, unlike a pitch, this does not include a title. You need to include a title when introducing your pitch, even if it's only a placeholder title.

This blurb also includes a comp, or comparison to another story, which we'll be discussing at a later date. You don't have to worry about it right now!

The blurb also tells us the main conflict of the story and why you should root for the protagonist- Zetian is fighting to avenge her sister, and fighting to survive in and expose a system that oppresses women. And the summary also tells us a bit about Zetian's emotional journey- after tasting power, Zetian starts having larger ambitions and becomes more hardened and ruthless. Your pitch should also touch on these things, however, you need to make it short and sweet so you can hook an agent or editor quickly. It shouldn't be as lengthy as this summary is.

For a more direct example of a pitch, here's the one I actually sent to the publishers of my own novel:

In the Way of All Flesh is a Young Adult dark fantasy full of thrills, chills, and romance.

Gloomy teenager Manee Srikwan wears long sleeves and keeps her hands to herself for a good reason–whenever she touches a person for the first time, she sees how they will die. Manee’s weird powers cause nothing but misery and she’s resigned herself to a life of loneliness. But her vivacious classmate, Stephanie Pierce, changes all that. 

As the girls grow closer, Manee’s feelings for Stephanie blossom into love. She yearns to be more intimate but is anxious about breaking her all-important “hands-off ” rule. When she finally gives in to temptation, she sees a terrifying future where Stephanie is murdered — and Manee is her killer! Now Manee has a choice to make— will she fight this fate or let it rule her?

So, let's look at my pitch. I include the central conflict for both the romance and my main character- Manee's going to murder the one she loves! We also have major events (meeting her love interest, falling in love, giving into temptation and seeing a terrible vision) and we can clearly see Manee's emotional journey. She starts of closed-off and resigned to loneliness, Stephanie gets her to open up, and that eventually leads her a crossroads where she has to decide if she will defy fate. I also indicate my genre directly as a romantic young adult fantasy.

Writers Block

Progress isn't always a straight line, though. Eventually, most authors encounter the enemy to progress--writer's block.  Writer's block can stem from a number of places-- burnout, insecurity, loss of focus, or other problems. Fortunately though, there are many way's to deal with writer's block, no matter the source of the block.

[Assigned reading content] You can also write down an overview of your character's backstory. From there, you can list whatever ideas you have for obstacles that could spring up from this plot or backstory without considering previous plans--and see what you come up with. By thinking outside the box like this, you might come up with a gem of an idea!

The Masterclass article "What is Writer's Block? How to Overcome Writer's Block with a Step-by-Step Guide and Writing Exercises" is a great resource as well. I find the technique of describing the story to a friend especially helpful.

Comps

Welcome to Week Seven! It's time to look ahead to the ending of your novels and talk about comps!

This week, you're going to [assignment]. This is so you can get an idea of "comp titles". Agents and publishers often like you to put comp titles in query letters so they can get an idea where your story fits in the publishing ecosystem. 

You also often see comp titles in blurbs! Let's return to the Iron Widow blurb example from Week Five:

Pacific Rim meets The Handmaid's Tale in this blend of Chinese history and mecha science fiction for YA readers.

The boys of Huaxia dream of pairing up with girls to pilot Chrysalises, giant transforming robots that can battle the mecha aliens that lurk beyond the Great Wall. It doesn't matter that the girls often die from the mental strain.
 
When 18-year-old Zetian offers herself up as a concubine-pilot, it's to assassinate the ace male pilot responsible for her sister's death. But she gets her vengeance in a way nobody expected—she kills him through the psychic link between pilots and emerges from the cockpit unscathed. She is labeled an Iron Widow, a much-feared and much-silenced kind of female pilot who can sacrifice boys to power up Chrysalises instead.​
 
To tame her unnerving yet invaluable mental strength, she is paired up with Li Shimin, the strongest and most controversial male pilot in Huaxia​. But now that Zetian has had a taste of power, she will not cower so easily. She will miss no opportunity to leverage their combined might and infamy to survive attempt after attempt on her life, until she can figure out exactly why the pilot system works in its misogynist way—and stop more girls from being sacrificed.

 Here, the blurb compares the novel to another dystopian novel that explores the oppression of women (The Handmaid's Tale) and  to a fast-paced action movie about giant robots (Pacific Rim), which quickly tells readers this is not only a dystopian story that explores misogyny, but an action-packed story featuring giant robot fights. Even if they don't read the rest of the blurb, a reader quickly knows if this story has elements they're interested in. That's how comps are useful for publishers, and you should look for similar comparisons for your own work.

For example, take the novel I'm currently working on, The Supervillain She Needs, about a girl who becomes a supervillain for the sake of her superhero crush. Here's the beginning of the (work-in-progress) pitch:

Samata “Sam” Chandy is a girl who will do anything for love—even become a supervillain. Sam’s best friend and crush, Alyssa, is actually the superhero Whirlwind, and the hero is depressed with no villains to fight in her small town. So Sam secretly becomes the perfect villainous rival for Whirlwind to cheer her up.

For my comp, I could compare it to Marissa Meyer's Renegades Trilogy, which also focuses on superheroes, supervillains and star-crossed romance. All you need to do it look for stories in your genre with similar elements!

Subplots and Side Characters

Subplots and side characters can often trigger important events in the story, like when Wickham and Lydia's subplot in Pride and Prejudice became the catalyst for the main characters, Elizabeth and Darcy, reuniting. Cron's character bios are a great way to approach fleshing out secondary characters. And remember, sometimes, secondary characters will end up being a reader's favorite character or the most memorable part of the book. After all, a secondary character doesn't have the burden of carrying the entire plot that a main character does. They can offer comic relief, or sage advice that endears them to the reader. For example, Marvin the Paranoid Android is a supporting character in The Hitchhiker's Guide to to Galaxy, but his morose attitude and the dry humor that results from it make him one of the most memorable characters in the book, and he's instrumental to saving the day several times.

Subplots can take many different forms. If you want a refresher or quick overview on the forms subplots can take, I recommend the MasterClass article "How to Add Subplots to Your Story: 6 Tips for Writing Subplots" and "The Power of the Subplot" by Meero Shah.

Having It All

In the current economy, very few writers are able to just write full-time for a living. Only the big successes are assured that luxury. It's common to balance writing with one or more other jobs. On top of that, there are other obligations like school, family, and day-to-day living. There's no easy answer to dealing with all this, but there are many things you can try to make things a little easier, many of which you can find in this module's Reading and Resources.

Like [assigned reading], I work three jobs myself, and to be honest, this means I write at a fairly slow pace. But it's something I've learned to accept rather than forcing myself to burn out. I think that's the most important thing to learn about work-life balance-- learn to give yourself a break and do what you're capable of. Nobody can do everything all at once, and if you get exhausted, get some rest and figure out what you can prioritize right now.

One method that's worked for me is trying to devote at least fifteen minutes to my writing career a day- this doesn't mean I write every day. Sometimes it's just looking at agents, or proofreading, or brainstorming ideas, or organizing my Scrivener files. But it means I keep my brain focused on writing, and make incremental progress on my goals. And sometimes when I sit down only thinking I can do fifteen minutes, I end up working for longer. Do one little thing for your writing every day and you'll be surprised how far it takes you.