The Kid in You

Strong-man poses by Kieran (right) and two of her siblings. This is the way kids see themselves - strong and fierce!

Have you ever met a boring kid?

No.

Seriously.

Every single kid is interesting.

If you’re unaware of this fact, get yourself to the nearest elementary school and meet  a classroom full of them. They’re fascinating. They’ll make you laugh and they’ll make you cry.

They’re little walking, talking beacons of truth. Truth wrapped in story–and sometimes peanut butter and jelly or spit balls, but still.
Beacons of truth. Compelling ones.

Art Linkletter knew this was true. In the 50’s, he had a television show called House Party. And at the conclusion of each episode, he’d interview children, asking them off-the-cuff questions and getting back hilarious and often poignant replies. Later, Bill Cosby followed up with his own show, Kids Say the Darndest Things, in which he employed clips from Linkletter’s interviews with kids.
We can’t get enough of kids and their unique perspectives on life.

Why am I bringing this up?

Because you’ll write better stories if you relate to The Kid In You.

Yes, my friends, there’s a person lurking in the shadows of your life, a wise, sensitive, original person who can take your writing from blasé to blazing, green to great, from flimsy to flat-out spectacular.

What a shame you’re ignoring The Kid in You.

I would never ignore anyone! the kind writers among us are insisting right now.

Well, you are. You’re just as guilty of turning your back on The Kid in You—this all-powerful, untapped writing resource–as the rest of us heartless, ignorant schmucks who decided to become storytellers.

Whether you had a good childhood or not, if you’re reading this right now, you had a childhood. We all did.

Obviously.

But what you may not be doing is talking to that child—that funny blabbermouth or shy genius or sensitive survivor who’s going to make your writing shine–as you write.

Even those of us who do look back tend to do it from an adult’s perspective. We categorize. Look for logical answers and patterns. Use all the wisdom gleaned from living over our lives to make sense of our childhoods. But I promise you, you’ll never know why Mary Kaputnik pulled your chair out from under you in fifth grade! Or why Cousin Joe refused your apology. Or why your late mother cried two days after Christmas, every year, without fail, even though she insisted she was happy.

But it’s adult of us to try to make sense of all that stuff, isn’t it?

Yes. Adult and once-removed.

Once removed from the feelings.

But there’s a reason for this. It’s because the feelings alone are so powerful, you’re practically lifted out of your shoes just going back in time to that Kid In You, which is why you’re Mr. or Ms. Smarty Pants Professor Sensible Person while you travel down Memory Lane most of the time (unless you’ve had too many margaritas or are in the presence of a relentless therapist).

A lot of us tend to write our stories removed from the feelings. It’s our status quo state when we get to the computer. We write as if we’re outside a scene, watching the characters, recording, and trying to make sense of what’s happening—

Because we should.

Because everything’s kinda gotta be logical.

Right?

And fit together.

Sigh!

Like pieces of a puzzle.

Yawn…

So we can protect ourselves.

From ourselves.

Because we’re dangerous when we feel too much. Dangerous and damned intuitive. Dangerous, damned intuitive, and alive. Ignore the goosebumps on your arms because you just remembered how powerful you are and listen to me: being that alive is uncomfortable when you’re a grown-up used to putting up walls to defend yourself, when you’ve spent years putting up a million social filters. It’s exhausting, quite frankly, to connect with The Kid In You.

You’ll think of all kinds of reasons to put a lid on the Kid.

But you’re a writer. You have to write the truth, and the truth can hurt. The truth can throw you for a loop. The truth can chew you up and spit you out—the fake part of you anyway. The real you will be left, gasping for breath, reminding you that nothing you write matters if you aren’t writing from the deepest part of you.

The truth demands you pay attention to The Kid In You.

Now, unless you were severely traumatized, to the point that going back is going to make you want to jump off a bridge, and you’ve been told only to do so under the supervision of trained professionals, I want you to consider doing an exercise with me:

1) Close your eyes.

2) Breathe in and out.

3) Get onto the Star Trek transporter deck of your memory and go back to The Kid In You, at the age that resonates with you most, maybe between 8 and 10.

4) Remember something—something you had feelings about.

5) Feel it.

6) Really feel it. Sometimes this means metaphorically holding onto The Kid In You’s hand or putting your arm over The Kid In You’s shoulder and following along. Stay in imaginary physical contact as much as you can. Don’t observe. Dwell. Ask The Kid In You how he or she is doing. Ask The Kid if he or she has anything to say to you about your story.

7) Come back to the grownup you.

Write.

9) Whenever you get stuck, ask The Kid In You to help you out. Even when it comes to grown-up subjects, The Kid In You will come up with something, a great zinger or a pithy truth that will get you going again.

10) If you stop feeling as you write, stop writing. Reconnect with The Kid In You. Remind yourself you used to feel first, think second. Indulge in some Kid behavior. Play putt-putt. Watch the Brady Bunch. Read a favorite childhood book. Interact with kids.

11) Poke the grownup you every time you forget to feel as you write your story.

That’s it. I hope you’ll find that channeling The Kid In You is like rediscovering your very best friend. Haywood Smith, the author of the Red Hat books, reminded me of this a couple of years ago. She told me she’d learned to go to a place in her head where she’d invite her inner child to sit on her lap. And she’d hug that child close.

I’ve always been connected with my own inner Kid—I think that strong connection helped get me published–but Haywood’s advice reminded me more than ever that there’s something special neglected in our lives.

Ourselves.

The deepest, most vulnerable, intuitive part of ourselves, the part that hides and watches yet yearns to be heard and loved.

Channeling The Kid In You can bring back all kinds of emotions, some of them not easy to handle. But you know what? Those feelings mean you’re still alive. The Kid In You reminds you of that. Most important of all, the Kid In You begs you to be you. No one else can.

I think that after you reacquaint yourself with The Kid In You, you’re going to be surprised at how your characters and plotlines take on new energy and feeling. Something will hum there, something bigger than your story. It could be a truth you may have forgotten about. Or a truth you may have been supressing, intentionally or not. Or perhaps it’s a truth that draws you back over and over, like a sparkly jewel.

That’s your Voice.

Cherish the Kid.

Cherish your Voice.

And tell us a story. Tell us something that will make us lean closer to the fire, so we don’t miss a word.

Kieran is offering a Regency-inspired porcelain tea bag rest along with some “tea time” goodies and a signed copy of CLOUDY WITH A CHANCE OF MARRIAGE to one commenter at Romance University!

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How do you cherish the Kid inside you? How do you find your voice? How does it help your writing?

Join us on Wednesday when Josh Lanyon, talented author of M/M romance and gay fiction, joins us to discuss how to make your male characters in your M/M romance more realistic.

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BIO: USA Today best-selling author and double-Rita finalist Kieran Kramer writes lighthearted Regency historical romances for St. Martin’s Press. IF YOU GIVE A GIRL A VISCOUNT, the fourth and last book in her Impossible Bachelors series, will hit the shelves in November 2011. Her new Regency series, House of Brady, premiers in 2012. A former CIA employee, journalist, and English teacher, Kieran’s also a game show veteran, karaoke enthusiast, and general adventurer. Find her on Facebook, Twitter, and at www.kierankramerbooks.com <http://www.kierankramerbooks.com/> .

Without further ado, here’s Jennifer!

When writers talk about ‘effective storytelling’, they often use the ‘style’ and ‘voice’ words, because both are so critical to memorable stories.  Unfortunately we all seem to disagree about what they are, so I want to work with you on clear definitions.  Naturally these are MY definitions and you don’t have to listen to me. But let’s see if these make sense for you….

STYLE is the writing technique that we CHANGE, depending on the nature of project we’re writing. A cozy mystery reads differently than erotica.  A short contemporary reads differently than a Y.A. or a paranormal story.

Naturally, each genre is defined by a lot more than just style—but style gives us INFORMATION about the required language for each one.  Style is about adjectives and adverbs, the length of sentences, the choice of words.  Every book or story you write has a style—and YOU’RE in charge of it.

From the first line in a book, you start making PROMISES to the reader—it’s how you build trust and a relationship with a reader—and those promises are all delivered through style.  If you start out with a short, snappy opener, then your reader will expect short, snappy language throughout.  If you started out with eloquent description, you essentially promised your reader that she’ll experience that nature of eloquence through the story.

Style also has a direct effect on content.  You might think of style as the DOORKNOB that opens the door to the story’s content.  For instance, if you start a cozy mystery with an erotic, spit-swapping kiss that involves nudity and four letter words, I strongly suspect the reader will quickly put down the book.  That reader might love erotica, but at that moment, if she’s in the mood for a cozy mystery, she’s expecting the tone and language (the STYLE) of a cozy mystery.

Style is craft.  It’s nothing you were born with.  It’s something you learn and apply.  And one of the side effects of style is that it’s your primary tool to CONTROL PACING AND TENSION.

Ever have an editor say “where’s the tension’ or ‘you lost the conflict here’ or ‘moving too slow in this section’ ?  If you’ve ever had such criticism, consider this.  Pacing isn’t about speed.  It’s about the IMPRESSION of speed.  The words you use in different scenes create that impression.  The delivery system is STYLE.  It’s ALWAYS style.

Now onto VOICE….Voice is the opposite.  It takes no work, no craft, nothing you have to fight for.  Voice is what you bring to every single thing you write.  It’s your gut.  Your truth.  It’s your vision of the world that no one else has…and no one else can duplicate.

When you hear that saw about ‘it’s easy to write; all you have to do is open a vein’—that blood pouring out, that’s VOICE.   When you hear writers talking about hanging out there naked—the naked part, that’s VOICE.

I can explain this easiest through example.  We only have space for a couple.  From FLAWLESS, by Joshua Spanogle:  “The heat woke me.  I became aware of perspiration through my scalp, of a rusty orange glow behind my closed lids.  I opened my eyes and saw crisp light dance through a palm tree outside.”

Hear it?  The ‘rusty orange glow’ and ‘crisp light’ are images you recognize as describing fire—but those aren’t images that you and I would likely think up.  They’re unique to that author.  It’s what the author sees that we don’t.  It’s what an author offers us that we can’t offer ourselves.

Another example, from Toni Causey’s BOBBIE FAYE’S VERY VERY VERY BAD DAY.  “You know how some people are born to Greatness.  Well, Bobbie Faye Sumrall woke up one morning, kicked Greatness in the teeth, kneed it in the balls, took it hostage, and it’s been begging for mercy every since.”

I don’t know what YOUR takeaway from that voice might be, but this is what I heard—a Southern voice, a voice that was a church goer (probably Baptist), a voice that was raised in a home where the mom didn’t work but could make biscuits from scratch.  If your takeaway is different than this…it’s fine.  That’s one of the unique aspects of voice.  The reader offers us something of herself…and we readers each takeaway something personal that makes sense to us.

Now…to sum up.  STYLE is the flavor of the story.  VOICE is the food itself, the nutrition, the take-away.

Is one more important than the other?  Of course not.  They’re a package.  You need both to have a great book, a memorable book.  But one of the keys to creating a great book is understanding what those two elements are, and how they work together.

Hope this has made those two elements a little clearer…and I’d be glad to discuss them with you, or answer questions!

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Thanks, Jennifer!

RU Readers, do you have a better understanding about the difference between voice and style? Be sure to ask Jennifer any clarifying questions you may have!

Join us again on Monday when author Heather Weber discusses cross-genre books.

Jennifer’s bio:

Join RU this week as we chat with Katharine Ashe, Build-a-Blog, Tracey’s view on Nationals, and Jennifer Greene.

Mon, 8/9 – Crafting Your Career – Come and chat with author Katharine Ashe to find out why she–a smart, accomplished woman–writes romance.

Tue, 8/10 – We’re coming into the home stretch, as Carrie Spencer tackles and subdues the middle of the dashboard into submission, in post five of her six part series, WordPress for Non-Techies.

Wed, 8/11 – Anatomy of the Male Mind – Stop by and find out about the RWA conference in Orlando. What did Tracey Devlyn learn about being a writer in today’s market?

Fri, 8/13 – Four time RITA® and Nora Roberts Lifetime Achievement award winner Jennifer Greene defines the difference between voice and style, and discusses why they’re so important to a writer’s career.

All Romance University lectures are generously provided by our Visiting Professors. RU is a tuition-free zone!

Best regards,

Tracey Devlyn, Carrie Spencer, Kelsey Browning & Adrienne Giordano

PS  - Want RU’s weekly lecture schedule in a cool new email format straight to your in-box? Sign up on RU’s homepage or any of the lecture posts!

Please read on to learn more about how Lori successfully writes in two distinctive voices and the many ways she gives back to the community and her readers.

Here’s Lori!

Tracey: Since you were first published in 1996, you’ve sold over 70 books, most of them being contemporary romances. What led to your decision to venture into urban fantasy (The Servant series) and time travel (My Man, Michael)?

Lori: The urban fantasy was something I’d wanted to do for a long time. My favorite movies are scary, whether cheesy B movies or blockbusters. The scarier the better. Action flicks are my 2^nd fave. Once I had established a name in romance, it made sense, to venture off to a genre I love. There’s still plenty of romance in my urban fantasy stories, and in fact, my 2^nd Servant book, Servant: The Acceptance, was named Amazon’s 2008 #1 Editors’ Pick in romance.

With My Man Michael, what can I say? My muse made me do it. Almost from the time Michael came on the scene, I saw him in a futuristic setting. He was such a macho, sexist type guy, that the idea of him in a world where females ruled and men were protected really amused me. I had such fun with that book, that I wouldn’t mind venturing in TT again, but I don’t have it planned for the immediate future.

Tracey: We hear from time and again that an author’s voice is what grabs her readers’ attention. How does your voice transition from one subgenre to another?

Lori: No matter what I write, I tend to gravitate to non-traditional families and plenty of banter. Humor almost always plays a role, too. It’s my outlook on life that shines through.

The big difference between my L.L. books and my straight contemps is the focus. For romance, the focus is always on the relationship between the two main characters. External plotting is just to enhance the romance either through conflict or resolution. But with my darker, edgier L.L. books, the focus can be divided between the relationship of the characters, and the threat involved. The external plot plays a much bigger role, and there can be more danger, more bloodshed.

Tracey: What challenges have you faced writing under two names (Lori Foster, LL Foster)?

Lori: The biggest issue has been in properly representing what the urban fantasy/edgier books really are. Some readers think that I’m writing vampires or shapeshifters, when in fact the paranormal elements in my stories are more cerebral than physical. Mind manipulation, enhanced vision, that sort of thing. Still humans, but with some added ability.

Also, too many readers thought that My Man Michael represented my urban fantasy side. They couldn’t be more wrong about that, because MMM was definitely pure romance, just in a different setting.

Tracey: Can you share your thoughts on the state of contemporary romance? What does it take these days to break in to this subgenre in today’s tight market?

Lori: You know what? It’s always been tough. Before I sold, I wrote 10 complete novels and shopped them around to every publisher I could find. I got rejection after rejection, and it ended up taking me over 5 years to finally make a sale.  In some ways, because of the economy, a first sale is difficult. But now, there are so many more sub-genres strongly represented under the romance umbrella. Most notably of course are erotica, urban fantasy, and Inspirationals. Some category lines have closed, but others have opened.

For anyone hoping to break in, I’d give some very simple advice: Never try to follow a trend. You should always be writing what you love to write. That enthusiasm shows through and gives an edge to your manuscript. Forget “rules.” If you write a really good book, the rules won’t matter. And when you’re writing, don’t tiptoe through. Jump into your book with both feet. Holding back, worrying about what is or isn’t allowed, just stymies an author and removes that special something that she needs to get noticed.

Tracey: What do you love best about your agent? Your editor?

I’ve been incredibly fortunate to have some of the very best editors in the biz. Each of them has played a large role in making me a success. I can’t credit them enough for the terrific influences and guidance. Any time I’ve switched editors/publishers, it’s been because of contract negotiations, not personal conflict.

I was with Kate Duffy at Kensington for a long time, and every day was a joy. Kate’s insight into publishing taught me more than I can say. For me, Kate was the best part of publishing. I will always consider her a friend.

I’ve worked with Cindy Hwang at Berkley for quite a while now, and Cindy is one of those editors who knows the biz inside and out. She actually talked me into writing my first single title. After so many years of rejections, and a stable career in category, I didn’t want to rock the boat. But I’d written some novellas for Cindy (The Winston Brothers) and she wanted me to do the 4^th brother as a single title. We were in the backseat of a car, at a conference, and she literally talked me into it. Since then, I’ve never looked back. I will always cherish that memory, and be grateful for the nudge she gave me.

After my Feb 09 book with Berkley, I’ll be moving to Hqn and working with Margo Lipschultz. I met Margo recently at the “Reader and Author Get Together,” and I already know I’m going to adore working with her. She young and enthusiastic and candid. 2010 ought to be interesting! I can’t wait to get started with HQN.  

And my agent…Karen Solem is my 4^th, and we have a terrific relationship. Sometimes authors switch agents too quickly. It’s easy to blame an agent when things aren’t going quite as well as you’d like. But for me, I would always prefer to tell my agent what I want, and what my expectations are, before I make plans to switch. So often, the grass looks greener on the other side, but the truth is, finding the RIGHT agent for you is more difficult than making a sale. Unqualified agents pop up left and right. Anyone looking for an agent should do a lot of research first. Make out a list of what YOU want in an agent, and then, if an agent offers representation, go over that list. Twice. With the agent.

You can’t talk to him/her enough, trust me.

Just because an agent will have you, or is nice, shouldn’t factor in.  The agent works for you, which means when you have a grievance, you should put on your professional hat and discuss things before jumping ship. If it can’t be resolved, then it’s time to look around.

I’ve seen authors bail without valid reason, and I’ve seen authors stay with an agent when they should have never signed with that agent in the first place. It’s a tricky maneuver to get the right agent. I feel fortunate that I’ve had several really good years with Karen Solem, growing my career, being friends, and enjoying the entire process.

Tracey: For the past five years, you and Dianne Castell have hosted a Readers and Authors Get Together in June. Can you tell us a little about the event and why you started it?

Lori: The event is my way of giving back to the community that has given me so much success. My friend Dianne Castell cosponsors the event with me, and another good friend, Barnes and Noble Community Relations Manager Linda Keller handles the book fair. We have some incredible volunteers who help make it all possible.

With over 300 attendees this year (our 5^th event!) we had a fantastic array of authors in every stage of publishing; publishers both big and small; publicity and promotion groups; and New York agents and editors. In a very relaxed atmosphere, attendees can mingle throughout the weekend in the ballroom, take photos, get books signed and trade older titles. Readers can get to know authors, and vice versa. Everyone is very approachable and friendly, and it’s so casual, that everyone is at ease. There are a few presentations put on in boardrooms by our special guests, and editors and agents are available for “pitches.” There’s literally something for everyone.

We make money for our causes with the hundreds of baskets donated to raffle off to attendees. In the early years, we donated the raffle money to the Hamilton Co. YWCA Battered Women’s Shelter. But I wanted to do more for them, so with the permission of my publisher, Berkley, I invited authors who I respect and admire to join me, and we put together an anthology titled “The Power Of Love.” Authors and their agents donated all of their proceeds, including a sizeable advance, directly to the shelter.

My hope is to organize a special “benefit anthology” each year. For 2009, author and agent proceeds from “The Tails of Love,” June 2009, will go directly to the AAF – Animal Adoption Foundation – www.aafpets.com ; a no-kill animal shelter in my area.

The book for next year (I’ve already chosen the authors) will benefit the Conductive Learning Center, a local school for children with spina bifida and cerebral palsy.

It’s fabulous that my publisher allows me so much (unheard of) control with the books, and my intent is two-fold. I love that, through special contracts, the advance and all subsequent authors’ royalties go directly to the charity. But it’s also nice that I can invite brand new authors to take part, and in doing so they get added exposure and name recognition with a well-known publisher, in a book with New York Times bestselling authors. And then of course, the readers get a book they love, that they can feel good about buying because in doing so, they’re taking part in helping a charity.

I’m thrilled with how the “Reader and Author Get Together” has grown over the years. For only $50 registration fee, attendees get a Friday night pizza party, and a Saturday continental breakfast, buffet lunch and buffet dinner. They get to play and have fun with like-minded people, published and unpublished alike. It’s a ton of work, but I love it.

More information is on my website at www.LoriFoster.com under the community link. Registration for the 2010 event will open around January. Everyone is welcome! Hope to see you there.

Lori Foster is a Waldenbooks, USA Today, Publisher’s Weekly and New York Times bestselling author of over 70 novels. During her career she has received the Romantic Times’ “Career Achievement Award” for Series Romantic Fantasy and Contemporary Romance; Amazon’s top-selling romance title for  Too Much Temptation; Amazon’s Top Ten editors’ picks in romance for Causing Havoc; Waldenbooks’ second “Bestselling Original Contemporary” romance for  Say No To Joe; the BGI group’s “Bestselling Original Contemporary” romance for the The Secret Life of Bryan & “Bestselling Romantic Comedy” for Jude’s Law; and Amazon’s #1 Editors’ Pick in Romance for Servant: The Acceptance.

As well as writing a variety of romances in all lengths for multiple publishers, Lori has a successful urban fantasy series under the name L.L. Foster.  www.lorifoster.com  and www.llfoster.com

On Wednesday, Kelsey introduces Psychotherapist Dr. Debra Holland, who will discuss whether or not women should hunt the elusive bad boy or just admire him through the trees.