February 2016

The

GLAMOROUS

LIFE

of a Writer

Romancing the Villain

How Writing a Great Villain can supercharge your plot

AUTHORS MAGAZINE | 1

ditor

A message from the

Must 2016 is now well on its way and with the arrival of February, we turn our attention to Valentine’s Day. A day that is both celebrated and scorned across the globe. The fourteenth brings about a broad spectrum of emotions, from the girlish giddiness synonymous with young love, to the cynicism of those who criticise Valentine’s Day for its commercialism.

Being a girl who adores the romantic sentiment, but who is also educated enough to realise that paying three times the usual amount for a long-stemmed rose doesn’t make it smell any sweeter, I tend to experience conflicting emotions on this ‘Hallmark holiday’. Also, being a lover of books, even roses pale by comparison to the sweet smell of the pages of a shiny new paperback. My advice to men who aren’t certain what to buy their significant other this Valentine’s Day, is simple: when in doubt, buy a book! And for those of you who will be spending Valentine’s Day as singletons, fear not, for it is a well-known fact that book lovers never go to bed alone.

In honour of February being the month of love, we interviewed acclaimed romance novelist Tracey Garvis Graves for our cover profile. Garvis Graves, who resides in Des Moines, Iowa, skyrocketed to stardom with her self-published debut novel, On the Island. Within nine months of its release, On the Island hit the New York Times bestseller lists and Tracey signed a sevenfigure publishing contract with Plume, an imprint of the Penguin Publishing Group. She has gone on to write six more books, specialising in contemporary romance and women’s fiction, and is currently hard at work on her seventh which is due for release in May this year.

2 | AUTHORS MAGAZINE

Love Books

Our February issue also features some fabulous writer’s tips, such as how to go about plotting your novel, and how to tackle writing a series of works, whether it be a trilogy, a saga, a tetralogy or a series. Dave de Burgh, author of Betrayal’s Shadow offers writers advice when tackling such a monumental project. On the other end of the spectrum, we delve into the world of flash fiction – the ultimate extreme in short stories. If you think you have the metal for these short bursts of creativity, be sure to read the in-depth article by Ian Tennent.

This month I will be reading romance novels galore, starting with Nicholas Sparks’s latest offering, The Choice. Call me sentimental, but as Valentine’s Day looms I tend to embrace the gloriously vulgar affair and yes, I even hold out for those longstemmed roses, which would adorn my bedside table beautifully, along with my ever-growing to-be-read pile. One of my all-time favourite romance novels is Shanna by Kathleen Woodiwiss.

I read it in high-school, tucked behind my English notes as my mother stalked the halls, and it is still one of my guilty-pleasure go-to books.

From all of us at Authors Magazine, to all you, we wish you a wonderful Valentine’s Day, filled with flowers, chocolates, wine... and of course, books!

Which book is your guilty pleasure? Tweet us @authorsmag and let us know!

Melissa Delport

Contents COVER FEATURE

04

TRACEY GARVIS GRAVES From bucket list to bestseller

ARTICLES

PUBLISHER Lesiba Morallane ASSOCIATE PUBLISHER Sardia Mustapher MANAGING EDITOR Shalate Davhana EDITOR Marion Marchand ASSISTANT EDITOR Joan Hack ADVERTISING COMMUNICATION Dineo Mahloele

12 14 16 22 26

WE NEED TO TAK ABOUT PLOTTING ROMANCING THE VILLAIN THE GLAMOROUS LIFE OF A WRITER SERIES, SAGAS AND -OLOGIES A FLASH OF BRILLIANCE

REGULARS A Message from the Editor.........................................................02 Sallys Sanity The Parenting God that is Google...............................................18 On the Couch.....................................................................................21 Justin Fox Out of Blixen’s Africa.........................................................................28 Recommended Reads...................................................................30

LAYOUT AND DESIGN Apple Pie Graphics Tel: 079 885 4494 CONTRIBUTORS Melissa Delport Dineo Mahloele Sally Cook Ian Tennent Justin Fox Monique Snyman Dave de Burgh

AUTHORS MAGAZINE: PO Box 92644, Mooikloof, Pretoria East Email: team@authorsmag.com To advertise online please email team@authorsmag.com or contact Ms Dineo Mahloele on 084 299 6812 DISCLAIMER The views and opinions expressed in this magazine are intended for informational purposes only. Authors Magazine takes no responsibility for the contents for the contents of the advertising material contained herein.

All efforts have been taken to verify the information contained herein, and views expressed are ont necessarily those of Authors Magazine. E&OE

AUTHORS MAGAZINE | 3

From b

Tracey Garvis Graves needs no introd debut novel, On the Island, spent 9 wee is in development with MGM and Tem Think of You, Cherish and Heart-Shape The wife and mother of two from Des Moines, Iowa, is also an inspiration to independently-published authors around the globe.

In September 2011, after receiving no less than fourteen form rejections from publishing houses, Tracey self-published On The Island – a contemporary romance novel about two castaways stranded on a deserted island. Just nine months later, Penguin offered her a seven-figure publishing deal.

Publishers

4 | AUTHORS MAGAZINE

took

notice

bucket list to Bestseller

duction. She is a New York Times, Wall Street Journal, and USA Today bestselling author. Her eks on the New York Times bestseller list, has been translated into twenty-seven languages, and mple Hill Productions for a feature film. She is also the author of Uncharted, Covet, Every Time I ed Hack. when On the Island broke into the top 10 on major best-seller lists but it was the Penguin Group who ultimately secured the rights to the book. By this time, Garvis Graves had sold more than 360,000 copies through Amazon, Apple, Barnes & Noble, Sony, Kobo and other self-publishing platforms and had broken into the New York Times bestseller list. In order to capitalize on the phenomenon that On the Island had become, the publishing giant rushed the book into print under their Plume imprint in July 2012.

On the Island was followed by Covet, which formed part of the two-book deal, and the e-only companion novella to On the Island, Uncharted.

Since then, Tracey has released Every Time I Think of You, Cherish and HeartShaped Hack, and is currently hard at work on her seventh novel.

Melissa Delport of Authors Magazine was delighted (and admittedly a little star-struck) to be able to interview Tracey for our February Cover Profile.

First and foremost, how is the writing going at the moment?

It’s going great! I’m hard at work on White-Hot Hack, the sequel to HeartShaped Hack. I just returned from a book research trip to Virginia, which will be very helpful in allowing me to provide an extra layer of detail I would

by Melissa Delport

not be able to otherwise. It’s always so fun to visit the places I’m writing about.

You have released six books in four years and are currently hard at work on your seventh. That’s pretty impressive!

How do you manage it?

I’m fairly disciplined when it comes to my writing schedule, and I’m also fiercely protective of my writing time.

My husband and kids are out of the house Monday through Friday from approximately 8:30-3:00, so I try not to do anything other than write during that time. I have the best job in the world because I truly enjoy what I do.

You are a huge advocate of social media interaction. How do you juggle motherhood, a manic writing career

AUTHORS MAGAZINE | 5

Excerpt READ AN

Ian took off his glasses and slid them into the pocket of his jacket.

“I like those,” she said. “Put them back on.”

“They’ll only be in the way when I kiss you.”

“Who said we were going to kiss?”

“I did. Katie, you must pay closer attention. Besides, this is the end of our first official date. Why wouldn’t we kiss? Sharing a kiss is quite common at this stage.”

“I know how dating works.” Although truthfully, she was a bit rusty and hadn’t kissed anyone since Stuart.

“This hallway is awfully bright. I would prefer more romantic lighting, like the kind inside your apartment.”

“You don’t get to come in again until the second date.”

“The only thing I took away from that statement is that we’re going to have a second date.”

Kate smiled.

It really was incredibly bright in the hallway. Kate almost wished Ian hadn’t told her he was going to kiss her and that it was a bit darker, because she was suddenly hit with a bout of first-date-kiss nerves that made her fidget.

“I’ll just wait until you stop moving.”

She made herself stand still. He slid his hands underneath her jaw, and his fingers came to rest behind her ears while his thumbs grazed her cheek. His first kiss was soft and gentle and only lasted a few seconds. He pulled back a few inches and came in again, giving her another soft kiss. The third was firmer, more aggressive, and he dipped his tongue lightly into her mouth.

The fourth was soft again, leaving Kate in a heady and intoxicating state of anticipation about what the next kiss would be like. Number five was almost her undoing because Ian pressed his body closer to hers and gave her a deep, openmouthed kiss while circling her tongue with his. When he finally pulled back, it took her a moment to regulate her breathing. She was holding on to his neck rather tightly because her legs felt like Jell-O. “You seem a bit wobbly, Katie.”

“I’ve got to hand it to you. Your kissing skills almost make up for your shortcomings.”

“I have shortcomings? Really?”

“A couple, yes.”

“I’d promise to work on them, but we both know I’m not going to.”

6 | AUTHORS MAGAZINE

and still manage to find the time to chat with your fans?

Actually, I’m not as active on social media as I could be—by choice. I don’t tweet often, I forget to post pictures on Instagram, and my blog posts are fairly infrequent (usually only when I have specific information to share). I try to limit social media to three times a day: first thing in the morning, while I’m eating lunch, and before I log off for the night.

I think it’s more important to spend my writing time on writing books, not social media posts. I am, however, fairly active on my author Facebook page and respond to all visitor posts. I also try to respond to every comment as long as it’s a manageable number. I feel like this is a great way to interact with my readers and build authentic relationships. Seeing the names of readers who comment on a regular basis makes me smile. They may not realize it, but they’re the ones I’m writing for.

Why writing? Did you study anything in particular, or was this just the evolution of a voracious reader?

I have a business degree from a small, private college, but I took a couple of fiction writing classes for my electives and absolutely loved them. I’ve always been a voracious reader, and I think at some point everyone who loves reading wonders if they might have what it takes to write a novel. Ultimately, I decided to try writing a novel so I could cross the item off my bucket list. On the Island was the result.

You received fourteen form rejections for On the Island before you opted to self-publish. Fourteen flat-out rejections, with not even one request for further material to soften the blow.

Did you ever consider throwing in the towel, or did you always know you would self-publish regardless?

When the rejections started pouring in, I was crushed. I really wanted at least one of those agents to ask for the partial or full manuscript. When that didn’t happen, I knew the only option for sharing the story with readers would be to self-publish it. I’m so glad I did.

Let’s talk about On the Island. I stumbled across it early in 2012 when it hit the kindle Top 100 bestseller list and I loved it! Can you tell our readers a bit about the book?

I’ve always loved the desert island premise, and since I was really just writing the book for myself (and to see if I could do it), I decided to write the book I wanted to read. I enjoy survival stories and I love romance, so I knew I wanted to combine the two. I thought it would be a really great challenge to put two people on an island—two people who would not normally want to be together—and make them fall in love.

I wanted readers to believe in the love

story and to cheer when Anna and T.J. rode off into the sunset together, so to speak. It was a gamble, but it seems to have paid off.

While I was reading it, I drew a natural comparison to The Blue Lagoon, the 1980 film starring Brooke Shields. Did the movie influence the book at all?

Yes, absolutely. I love that movie and have seen it more times than I can count.

There has been some debate about the fact that you used the desert island trope within the confines of the book, although the originality of your plot stands out regardless. What is your personal view on using tropes throughout your writing?

I think tropes are here to stay in genre fiction, especially in romance. The trick, really, is to put a new spin on them so they feel fresh and original.

Let’s talk about the Amazon Big Deal promotion. I’ve heard you mention that this was the turning point for On the Island, although from what I’ve read, it was enjoying great success even before Amazon featured it. Why do you think Amazon selected On the Island for the Big Deal promo and was there ever any doubt you would accept their offer to include it?

I was told by Amazon that On the Island had a high click-through – a large percentage of the people who sampled it went on to buy it. It also had a fairly high rating. I wasn’t a big fan of the $0.99 price point Amazon would be using for the promotion, but there was never any doubt about accepting their offer to include my book. I knew it was exactly what I needed to push the book over the edge in terms of visibility.

In March 2012 On the Island rocketed to the number 7 spot on the Kindle

bestseller list. You were outranked only by the Fifty Shades of Grey trilogy and The Hunger Games trilogy. How did it feel being ranked alongside these household names as a debut indie author?

It felt incredible and very surreal. It was not something I ever imagined happening.

On the Island remained in the Top 10 for over two months following the Big Deal promotion and Jane Dystel of the Dystel & Goderich Literary Agency reached out to you. How did you feel, having been rejected by the same agency only months before?

We laugh about it now. I bear no ill-will toward any of the agents who rejected me. This is not an easy business and if there’s one thing that helps build a thick skin, it’s the querying process. Because of its fairly risky premise, On the Island would have been difficult to sell to a publisher because there would really be no way to predict if readers would embrace the storyline or shun it. So to an extent I did understand that agents would probably not see anything in my query that would prompt them to ask for more material. That didn’t do much to soften the sting, though.

It seems by this stage the offers were rolling in! In April/May of 2012 you were approached by Temple Hill for film rights. I believe that MGM has actually optioned the rights for a feature film and screenwriters have been invited to pitch the studio. What went through your mind when you realised you might see your book on the big screen?

Had you even considered this as a possibility?

I had no idea in my wildest dreams that anyone would ever purchase the film rights for On the Island (it is still the most surreal thing that’s ever happened

AUTHORS MAGAZINE | 7

to me). Honestly, even after I signed the paperwork and received the check, I didn’t think anything would ever come of it because Hollywood options books all the time. But the script is now finished (I haven’t read it, but I’ve been told it’s terrific). The screenwriters are Marc Silverstein and Abby Kohn, who also wrote the upcoming feature film How to Be Single with Dakota Johnson and Rebel Wilson. I’m not sure if or when Anna and T.J.’s story will actually hit the big screen, but I never thought the project would make it this far so I’m going to remain cautiously optimistic.

I know authors have no say in casting, but if you could, who would you cast to play the roles of Anna and T.J? Every time I pick someone for T.J., he ages out of the role. I joke that the actor who will end up playing T.J. is probably currently starring on one of the Disney Channel shows my thirteenyear-old daughter watches. I think there are several actresses who could play Anna—Minka Kelly is my top choice.

You seem to be one of those rare

8 | AUTHORS MAGAZINE

authors who can switch genregear. You write across two genres – contemporary romance and women’s fiction. Do you have a particular preference and how do you think this impacts your brand as a whole?

Romance and women’s fiction are the two genres I read the most, but what I wanted to do with my own writing was combine elements of both. I recently worked with my cover designer on a branding package. I picked the colors, images, patterns, and logo I felt would best describe the type of book my readers could expect from me. I also came up with a tagline: Contemporary fiction with a happily-ever-after. I want my books to have the journey-focused storylines you find in women’s fiction, but I also—unapologetically—want the happily-ever-after love story too.

After completing your contractual obligation to Plume, you opted to revert back to independently publishing your titles. May I ask why?

The biggest reason was that my contract had been fulfilled and I was looking

forward to no longer being under a deadline with a publisher. I also knew that Every Time I Think of You, the romantic suspense novel I was about to write, would not be a good fit for the Dutton imprint, which is a hardcover, publicity driven boutique imprint. To be honest, I really wasn’t sure which publishing model was the best for me; I just knew I wanted to focus on the writing process and not worry too much about who would publish the book. I did receive an offer from Random House for my latest release, Heart-Shaped Hack. It was from an editor I’d really love to work with someday, but the offer came in after I’d already set a release date, and I would have had to finish writing the manuscript about a month earlier than I’d planned. I didn’t want to put myself in a position where I’d have to rush anything, and I suppose we could have pushed back the release date, but that wouldn’t have made my readers happy. I also wasn’t sure this particular imprint was the best fit for my brand, so I opted to continue with my plan to selfpublish.

When I self-publish, I can offer my readers a lower price point. I can also shorten production times, which means I can release the books a bit sooner. I polled my readers last year and found that a large percentage of them are no longer buying paperbacks, so having my books on the shelves in brick and mortar stores isn’t as important to me as it once was. If someone does want a paperback, they can order one from Amazon or The Book Depository, or they can buy a signed copy on my website.

Because my readers are my customers, their happiness is really the only thing I should be considering when choosing how to publish my books.

How do you find self-publishing has evolved since you first started out four years ago?

Self-publishing has changed so much since September of 2011 when I published On the Island. Some of the changes are very positive: more books are available that might not have made it through traditional-publishing channels for a variety of reasons that

have nothing to do with the story.

Publishing is so market driven and there will always be great books that are passed over because they don’t fit the current hot trend. That’s never going to change.

When I first started out, one of the main criticisms lobbed at self-publishers was their lack of good editing. The actions of a few resulted in self-publishing as a whole being painted with the same broad brushstrokes: if you couldn’t land a publisher it was because you couldn’t grasp the basics of story structure, sentence construction, grammar, and spelling.

While I will always choose a compelling story over a flawlessly written but uninspiring one, in the current selfpublishing market I see more emphasis being placed on certain trends or character “types” than on storytelling and copyediting. This concerns me because I feel like self-publishing has actually lost some of the gains it worked so hard to make in product quality. Due to market saturation, I also think 2016

is going to be the year when many selfpublished authors stop writing.

On a more personal note, there is something I’ve been dying to ask you.

Garvis Graves... is it your full surname or a combination of two names?

It’s a combo. My maiden name is Garvis and my husband’s name is Graves. I kept both as I felt they rolled off the tongue fairly easily since they both start with a hard G. I’m not so sure that’s true because usually when I’m asked for my full name, I have to repeat it several times and spell it as well.

Has your husband read any of your books?

Yes, he reads everything I write, usually before anyone else. If I’m pressed for time, he might read the manuscript at the same time my betas are, but his feedback is invaluable. He provides the male perspective but is always quick to point out that he’s not my typical demographic. He isn’t harsh with his critiques, but he’s honest. He’s also very good at listening during the writing

AUTHORS MAGAZINE | 9

process if I need a sounding board. It’s not uncommon for me to give him a verbal synopsis of the book and ask him if certain plot points make sense. That’s invaluable because it saves me from spending time writing something that will later need to be heavily revised or discarded.

in any content I put online, and it’s been a long time since I’ve written a blog entry in the same vein as my older posts. I put more emphasis on writing content for my website and it’s primarily focused on book news and release information. I do miss those blogging days, though (that mailman post was pretty funny).

You were writing your blog before you tackled On the Island, and even after the book’s release, you blogged frequently and freely. I screamed with laughter at your “My mailman smokes crack” blog post! How, if at all, have you changed the style of your blog since your skyrocket to fame? Do you feel that you need to be more careful, or filter your thoughts?

What’s next for Tracey Garvis Graves?

What can we expect in 2016?

When I first started writing fiction, some of my blog readers asked me if I would write a “funny” book. It wasn’t until HeartShaped Hack that I really tapped into the humor I used to focus on with my blog. I do feel that I need to be a bit more reserved

After the release of White-Hot Hack (I’m shooting for late May), I’ll be writing a book called The Girl He Used to Know, which is a second chance romance loosely inspired by the Dan Fogelberg song, “Same Old Lang Syne,” the one about running into your old lover in the grocery store on Christmas Eve. I’m really excited about that one.

Finally, as I mentioned, you are without a doubt one of the ‘poster children’ for aspiring authors around the globe. What is the best advice you can give them?

Learn as much as you can and don’t rush the process. When I think back to my early attempts at getting the opening scenes of On the Island down on paper, I cringe. They were so bad. I wasn’t starting the story late enough, I really didn’t know how to write fiction, and I remember feeling very overwhelmed.

Being willing to scrap what I’d written and start over as well as continuing to revise the sections that were working ultimately got me over the hump.

There were so many times during the writing of On the Island when I was simultaneously teaching myself the rules of fiction writing.

To find out more about Tracey, please visit her website: traceygarvisgraves. com. You can also interact with her on Facebook and Twitter (@tgarvisgraves)

FUN FACTS “I write on a laptop while sitting in one of two chair/ ottoman combos. I have one in my home office and one in the family room.

One of my dogs is usually squished in beside me and the other sleeps in a dog bed next to the chair. I also must always have hand lotion, lip balm, and something to drink on the table next to me. “

10 | AUTHORS MAGAZINE

about Tracey

1. Your favourite author/book?

The Stand by Stephen King. I still have the mass market paperback my dad gave me in 1979.

2. Your favourite quote?

“No tears in the writer, no tears in the reader.” Robert Frost.

3. Music or movies? Music would slightly edge out movies, but I love both.

4. Tea or coffee? Coffee.

5. Hats or shoes? Hats.

6. If you weren’t writing, what would you be doing?

I would love to learn about filmmaking.

7. If you were stranded on a desert island, what would be the one thing you couldn’t live without? Sunscreen.

Happy Valentines Day Loads of love from all of us at Authors Magazine

AUTHORS MAGAZINE | 11

ARTICLE

We need to

PLO

12 | AUTHORS MAGAZINE

o talk about

OTTING

by Monique Snyman

The Winging-It writing technique might be great if you’re one of those rare writing prodigies who aren’t easily distracted with shiny things and funny cat videos on Facebook. For us normal folk though, outlining can save a lot of time and tears. Yes, yes, it sounds very vanilla for a writer to try and box up his or her creativity, but plotting has many advantages in the long run. For example, an outline helps weed out tropes before they’ve been written down, say goodbye to those migraine-inducing plot holes, your chances of writing yourself into a corner has been decreased, and best of all: say hello to efficient writing.

There’s a plotting technique to fit every individual’s personal tastes, and each one is as relevant as the next no matter how silly it sounds. Your mission, should you choose to accept, is to find a plotting device that works for you.

have a semi-legible plot line you can work with. It’s so simple a kid can do it.

BEGINNING, MIDDLE, END

VISION BOARDS

Your English teacher, undoubtedly, tried to teach you the importance of outlining your essays by suggesting you come up with an impactful beginning, middle, and end, before you start writing. You, quite possibly, ignored your English teacher because you were still a hormonal teenager who thought with your no-no place rather than your brain. This quick, basic technique will help you to keep your thoughts in order while you write, and it’s a good place for you to start before you branch out to more complex plotting methods.

CHAPTER-BY-CHAPTER The Chapter-By-Chapter method is the saucier, sexier version of the Beginning,

Middle, End technique. With this method you can decide how many chapters your novel will be, write down all the juicy sequences for each chapter in your outline, before later adding your flair to the work. It’s a little wilder than the Beginning, Middle, End technique, but not so much that you’ll worry your conservative side.

MIND MAPS So you like it just a tad dirtier, huh?

Well, mind maps will certainly give your naughty side that oomph you crave.

All you do is write down your working title in the centre of a page, branch out to some characters, branch out some more to explain their purpose in the story, and more, and more, until you

If you’re one of those uber-creative people who think in pretty pictures rather than words, there’s a technique for you, too! Collages and vision boards sometimes works for some people way better than words do, so find a box of old magazines, scour for images that speaks to you and reminds you of your story, cut them out and paste them on a piece of cardboard. Believe it or not, but that’s all there is to it.

WHITE BOARD The White Board technique will speak to armchair detectives and CSI enthusiasts on a higher level of consciousness. Think of your novel as a murder to be solved, and then outline

AUTHORS MAGAZINE | 13

the so-called case. Who are the suspects (characters)? What was the murder weapon (climax)? What was the killer’s motive (reasons for the protagonist doing what they do)? You can paste pictures against the white board, write some stuff, play a detective, and get some work done. It sounds like the best of all worlds, doesn’t it?

THE STORY BIBLE Notebooks aren’t just for doodling and procrastination. Surprise! Notebooks can also be used to create an outline for your novel, commonly known as The Story Bible, which is filled with everything related to [enter your novel’s title here]. Want to draw a map of your fantasy world? Go right ahead and draw it! Saw a super cute dress on Angelina Jolie that’ll make your heroine look stunning when the prince takes her to a ball? Cut it out and paste it in. Saw a quote that rocks? Write it in. The Story Bible is your novel’s haven. Go big, folks.

MICHAEL CRICHTON’S SHOEBOX TRICK The trick to this one is to write down every idea or inspiration for your novel on an index card – before you forget it – and dump the card(s) into a shoebox at the end of the day. When the box is full, you spread them out and try to put them into some semblance of order. Walk away from it for a while, mull over the proposed outline for as long as you dare, and soon you’ll be able to add on to it. Eventually, according to some online sources, the outline will be completed and the actual writing part will commence. Considering Michael Crichton sold millions upon millions of copies of his books, this technique might just be the one you’ve been looking for.

14 | AUTHORS MAGAZINE

THE SNOWFLAKE METHOD For the overachiever, The Snowflake Method is a perfect way to show off how serious you are about the craft.

Beautiful in its intricacy, this method makes it almost impossible to stray off the chosen path. Its complexity is, however, also difficult to master if you don’t have the patience or time to wrap your head around the various facets of the technique. On the upside, if you’re willing to spend some cash, there’s actually software available for The Snowflake Method to make the whole thing easier.

BEAT SHEET So you still want to be seen as an overachiever, but The Snowflake Method isn’t your cup of tea? Well, the Beat Sheet might be exactly what you need in your life. This technique basically means you write out the entire story’s plot, omitting most of the dialogue and the fun, frilly, fantastic narrative you’ve adopted as your writer’s voice.

The abovementioned options are merely a few of the plotting methods proposed to help writers keep their heads on straight while writing. There’s also really no right or wrong way to go about outlining.

Some authors, typically the purists, tend to stick with one method, while other authors like to combine techniques in order to suit their individual needs.

What works for one won’t necessarily work for the other, it’s simply a fact of life. This means, it’s up to you to find a method you like.

Google is your friend, fellow writers.

Use it.

Romancing the

Villain How Writing a Great Villain can supercharge your plot

by Melissa Delport

There is no arguing the fact that a well-written villain can dominate, or at the very least, contribute magnificently to your plot. Some of the best villains are the ones you least expect – the ones you don’t see coming.

During the course of my research I stumbled across a delightful tongue-incheek description on urban dictionary, which read; “Villains are exceptionally powerful beings who believe in the absolute truth of natural selection.

They are joyful fellows who love to laugh a lot (like mwhahahahaha) Despite their physical and mental capabilities and their desire to rule the world, they always tend to fail, because the directors are always setting them up in the end.”

Entertaining, yes? Accurate, I think not. Authors are not that foolish.

The villain, also known as the antagonist, is the “bad guy” – and he or she tends to have a negative effect on other characters. (I am going to refer to the villain from here on out as “he” to simplify, but it goes without saying that it could just as easily be a “she”). The villain is typically at odds with the hero, and is your principal bad character.

CONTINUED ON PAGE 24 AUTHORS MAGAZINE | 15

The

of a Writ

by Melissa D

There is nothing quite like one’s own family to keep you grounded. I started my writing career with big dreams about radio and TV interviews galore, glossy double page spreads showcasing my beautiful home and me, in a gorgeous linen trouser suit, with adoring husband at my side and 3 exquisite children at my knee. People would stop me in the shops, asking me for advice, inspiration, and of course, my autograph.

how

WITHO 16 | AUTHORS MAGAZINE

Let me start by saying that none of this has actually happened. I am not sure when I realised that writing is not as glorified as I expected, but possibly it all started way back when I wrote my very first book. I printed out sections of my manuscript as I went along, beautiful pages of New Times Roman, printed on the best quality print paper and ready for my initial read through. Later, I went around the house searching for self-same pages, painstakingly straightening out crumpled up bits, trying to read through a rainbow riot of felt-tipped scribbles and of course, unfolding about fifty paper aeroplanes.

ter

Delport

“This is mommy’s work!” I yelled, tears pricking at my eyes. “My hard work! Do you know how important this is to mommy!” To which of course, the answer from my six-year-old was, “Mom, Presley’s pooped in the bath.” And my threeyear-olds subsequent: “Eeeeuw, dissss-gusting!” I looked to my husband, beseeching him with watery eyes and he looked vaguely alarmed, before leaping to his feet and pointing a finger half-heartedly in their general direction. “You know you shouldn’t touch mommy’s things,” he scolded. His supposed support would probably have been far more effective if, in vacating his seat, he hadn’t revealed a wad of manuscript pages, on which he had been playing hangman with my eldest.

Things went from bad to worse. Short of wet wipes, manuscript pages were used to clean up unmentionable things. Realising my two-year old had taken to doodling on the tiles, the kitchen cupboards and the walls, in absence of her favourite drawing material – I gave her as many pages as her little heart desired.

Eventually I conceded defeat. I stopped printing and worked digitally. Everything was done on my laptop, which all three of my children know to never, ever touch. When my editor sent me a memo asking if “She dived aside, the cargsjgadsyrdyardgbshnbdkajdbmasssssssssbj missing her by inches” was a deliberate sentence, I realised that the sanctity of my laptop had been violated.

“This is Mommy’s computer!” I roared. “It’s very expensive and you are not

allowed to touch it!” Unfortunately, in my desperation to prove a point I was holding it out to show them. My two year old promptly stuck out a chubby finger and smeared Nutella across my screen.

And then there was the fame that I had dreamed of. My first ever newspaper interview came to fruition. I spent about three hours meticulously straightening my hair, and applying impeccable war paint. Of course the inevitable scuffle broke out in the lounge and I padded down the passage to resolve it. Then I started making notes, just in case, and asked my neighbour to please watch my kids for an hour. Reluctantly, she agreed. Half an hour later, I graciously greeted the journalist assigned to my interview, laying out a beautiful platter of snacks and a pot of tea in teapot I borrowed from my mother in law. All went well, apart from a few curious glances at my face, which I put down to reverent curiosity. Halfway through the sounds of screaming emanating from next door had become impossible to ignore. I rolled my eyes and whispered conspiratorially, “My neighbours kids.”

would a writer survive

OUT THE LOVE AND SUPPORT OF FAMILY AUTHORS MAGAZINE | 17

Waving her away a short while later, I chest bumped myself in the mirror. I had done it! I was on my way! Only three hours later did I realise I had only made up one eye.

Determined to act as cool as a cucumber, I refrained from calling to find out when my “piece” would appear in the paper. Then, one day I got a text message form my friend saying “Hi Michelle!” with a smiley face. To my horror, my article was out. They.called.me.Michelle. The whole way through. My family thought it was hilarious. My husband tried to call me Michelle in the bedroom.

I almost punched him in the mouth.

I actually have been stopped in the shops, my hair scraped back in a frazzled bun, wearing dirty, scruffy jeans and a toddler hanging on each hip.

“Excuse me,” a timid, breathless voice asked.

I straightened up, beaming. This was it! I had been recognised! It was inevitable really – by this stage I had appeared in no less than four obscure community papers. I quickly dropped the kids.

“Yes,” I turned, beaming. Thank goodness I had been perfecting my smile in the mirror for weeks.

Slightly taken aback, the pretty brunette stepped away from me.

“Um… it’s just that I think your child dropped this.” She held up an empty BarOne wrapper. My six-year-old disappeared faster than a Hogwarts house-elf disapparating.

“Oh no,” I replied smoothly, “that’s definitely not mine. My children don’t eat chocolate.” Her gaze slid from me to the two toddlers I had just released, their entire faces covered in brown slobber. “Look, I’m very busy, is there anything else you wanted to ask?” I waited smugly for a request that was never forthcoming. I keep a pen in my bag, just in case. I think it’s dried up.

All in all, being an author is far from glamorous.

Being a mother to three young children, even less so. But doing both? I’m living my dream, six-page spread aside. *****Note: I did try to buy the “suit” that was to be my own brand of classy chic. I couldn’t squeeze my arse into the linen trousers.

18 | AUTHORS MAGAZINE

The Paren

I’m not sure that I’d have survived my seven years of paren Google. Actually that’s not entirely correct. I’d probably b perhaps. More of a lush. Ok, so a full-blown lush. Less able account of being a full-blown lush. My children would be wrec fit for society. Not fit for much.

For knowledge, advice and reassurance, I’ve consulted the oracle of the internet every lurch along what I describe as my scenic route of motherhood. Which is basically a euphemistic way of saying that most of the time I’m lost, with no cooking clue about any of the paths I should stumble along next. I’m not built with that earth mother gene in my DNA. I find it all rather rough. All the mess and the mayhem. When my kids bleed, I want to bolt. I’m not worried about blood, mind. Blood doesn’t faze me. Neither does any other human effluent. I just don’t like the mess. Or the stains.

I’m not a natural problem-solver either. I prefer to whine about an issue for a helluva long time before it remotely enters my head to try and solve it. It’s not ideal. It’s not very mature.

It’s just how I deal. Once I’ve given a good tonk on the selfpity drum, I turn to millions of nameless, faceless individuals around the world. I turn to those who’ve experienced my drama. I turn to those who’ve found a solution. I turn to Google. And here not only do I find a plan of action, I find a space where there’s no judgment. No one who’ll call social services or question my ability to parent one child, let alone three. And I don’t need to cushion my question either. I simply ask. Unflinching. Unapologetic. And with as graphic a detail as I can possibly muster. And I’m not shy when it comes to graphic.

We all know that.

Do my daughter’s extreme temper tantrums suggest a brain condition? Or sociopathic tendencies?

According to my research, it’s too early to tell whether she has Oppositional Defiant disorder, which is characterised by defiant

enting God that is

nthood thus far without be ok. A little wonkier, to drive anywhere... on cked little creatures. Not disobedient and often hostile behaviour toward adults and authority figures primarily.

So, to rephrase, basically time and more tantrums will tell.

My six-year-old plays with his penis. A lot. I worry he’ll break it. Just how much is too much?

According to an article I read, clinical psychologist Lawrence J. Cohen, Ph.D., author of Playful Parenting (Ballantine, 2001), says that you should expect that your child will play. “That way, you’ll be more relaxed, nonjudgmental, and matter-of-fact when you catch him in the act.”

Dr. Cohen also says. “It’s crucial not to make your child feel ashamed.”

Empathise with his desire to do something that feels good, but gently tell him that it is a private activity that he should do in his own room. If he is doing it constantly and seems unable to be comforted by anything else, Dr. Cohen says, consider the possibility that he’s stressed, bored, lonely, or anxious.

I had to laugh at this. I am never relaxed,

by Sally Cook

I’m rather judgy and to be honest the whole business does freak me out a little.

But I’ve restrained myself from telling him to leave his bits be. I’ve been very diplomatic. I do know that the chap isn’t stressed, bored, lonely or anxious, which is good - for me, as his mother. So his constant fiddling with his willy is simply due to his male-specimen-ness. He can’t help himself. Apparently he can’t break it, either. Which is good - for him.

How common are twins after you’ve just conceived twins?

Common. If you have conceived fraternal twins already, your chance of having another set quadruples.

We avoided a train wreck then. Going from two to four children would’ve been a challenge I fear that neither I, nor Google, could conquer.

Can you die from morning sickness?

Medically - it’s not very likely. But it’s serious if you become severely dehydrated.

To me, morning sickness feels as though you are going to die. Every single minute, of every single day, for what feels like

eternity. Dying seems an attractive option if living involves heaving worse than your worst hangover every couple of hours. Sans having enjoyed the merrily-tipsy stage that rendered you this useless or being able to obliterate your consciousness with drugs.

Can you vomit out your foetus?

No. Despite a freakish healthy number of search queries related to this question - I cannot find anyone who wretched so hard, they brought up their baby.

I honestly believed I’d be the first case where this happened.

Can an existing c-section scar burst open with the pressure of full-term foetus?

C-section rupture is possible, but very uncommon.

Can you squeeze milk spots on an infant? What if you do?

No. Don’t. You can cause scarring. It’s not a pimple.

I tried to squeeze a few. I couldn’t help myself. It looked bad - especially on my newborn. And people knew I’d done it.

What happens when a three year old

AUTHORS MAGAZINE | 19

eats contraceptive pills?

The child may experience vomiting or diarrhoea, but will live.

Just don’t make a habit of leaving them on your bedside table. Cheap lesson that my daughter can pop pills out of their foil packaging. Cheaper lesson to ensure I always have additional contraceptives in store.

Best way to remove frozen corn stuck in a toddler’s nostril?

Wait for corn to melt, then encourage nose blowing.

And caution toddler that entire cob will sprout from nostril if such nasal-stuffing behaviour is repeated. And that this scenario applies to all vegetable, fruit or toys.

What does chicken pox look like on an infant?

Small red bumps that develop into clear fluid-filled blisters on a pink base.

It’s not meningitis. Or herpes. Or any other such horrors.

Can a 6-month-old die from chicken pox?

Very unlikely. For healthy babies, chicken pox is usually more of a nuisance than a real threat to life.

Besides the concern about the threat to life, I was very disturbed by how chavvy the pox looked. I wanted to have a little badge made for him that read “I have chickenpox. I don’t always look like such a minger.”

Do you get more stupid after each child?

According to a Huffington Post article I found, although we may feel as though we’ve shipped our brains to the bogs after our babies are born, there’s no actual science to back this up.

Robyn Stremler, assistant professor at

20 | AUTHORS MAGAZINE

the Lawrence S. Bloomberg Faculty of Nursing at the University of Toronto says that a lack of sleep is the easiest link to make to attribute to our feelings of porridge brain. “...If you miss out on sleep, your brain does not function as well.”

Apparently, minor bumps and bruises are an unavoidable part of developing motor skills and independence. As long as your child is under adult supervision and his play area is free of ungated stairs, sharp edges, and other hazards, most falls will not cause serious injury.

Stremler points out that missing out on just a little bit of sleep over a long period of time has also shown to cause cognitive difficulties, particularly with complex “executive” brain functions (like multi-tasking, planning, taking in a lot of different pieces of information and organising them).

Also, apparently I don’t drink enough wine to render him incapacitated, which could be attributed to his clumsiness. I blame the gargantuan size of his noggin for his falling about. He inherited his cranium from his Dad. So I blame his Dad.

I was too tired to read the rest of the article and the washing needed hanging out, my child’s nappy was rank and there was a deliveryman at the door - but this makes complete sense to me. And after three kids, I’m a dimwit. So that’s saying a lot.

How much wine can you actually drink when nursing?

The official advice from the NHS is that “moderation is key”. Research shows that occasional drinking, such as 1-2 units once or twice a week, is not harmful to your baby while you’re breastfeeding.”

I was so thrilled to read the moderation part until I actually read the moderation part. The NHS website states: “Research shows that occasional drinking, such as 1-2 units once or twice a week, is not harmful to your baby while you’re breastfeeding.” A small glass of wine (125ml) glass of wine comes in at 1.5 units, a medium glass (175ml) is 2.1 units, and a large glass (250ml) is 3 units.

So I’ve exceeded my weekly wine quota by double, virtually every day.

My baby falls and hits his head a lot.

Like everyday. Could he be drunk? From wine perhaps?

Infant ate half a tub of Sudacrem. Can he die?

No. Most likely will have a sore tummy and some interesting nappies.

Thank goodness for that. Mine actually ate a little more than half a tub.

So cheers to you, Google, and all your help in my many times of need. I’m even ok with you profiting off selling sneaky little ads to advertisers based on my searches and the emails I send. It would be pointless for me to have any beef with you over privacy even if I wanted to.

You’ve got a mother-load of dirt on me.

I mean literally - a mother-load. I ain’t gonna be messing with you, oh wise and powerful one. Not any time soon. Not least until my beasties are of age, out of the house and no longer need their mother for basic survival. Until then - it’s you, me and the meta-masses.

*Originally posted on So Many Miles from Normal blog.

Couch on the

The corner couch focuses on celebrities - their reading habits and the books that have shaped their lives.

with Nozizwe Cynthia Jele

by Dineo Mahloele

Nozizwe Cynthia Jele’s novel ‘Happiness is a four letter word’ will be turned into a movie starring Khanyi Mbau, Renate Stuurman and Mmabatho Montsho in lead roles. Jele is the first black woman to have her novel turned into movie and it will hopefully hit cinemas later this year. This is a far cry from when the same novel won the 2011 Commonwealth Writers Prize for Best First Book, Africa Region and the M-Net film prize at the 2011 M-Net Literary Awards.

losing a family member. As a family, they do not always see eye-to-eye, in fact there is a lot of resentment and blame, but everyone realizes they put aside their differences to bury their loved one. I’m fascinated by relationships between family members and how they relate to each other, how some are more functional than others.

Do you think it’s important to read and why?

Describe your relationship with books and how they have influenced you as a woman?

I have always been a reader. As a child I read everything that I could lay my hands on—newspapers, magazines, comic books. We didn’t have books to read for pleasure back then, so there was no luxury of Cinderella and Snow White. Reading books as a woman has taught me many things about being a woman, especially how connected we are in our struggles and triumphs. Books have introduced me to many strong female characters whom I identify with and, to an extent, look up to.

Tell us about your latest book? Would you say it captured what you wanted to communicate?

I’m nearly finished with the draft of a currently untitled novel.

The story revolves around a family coming to terms with

It seems like a cliché that reading opens up a world of possibilities but it’s true. A few years back I read a book called ‘The Memory of Love’ by Aminatta Forna, set in post civil war Sierra Leone. Up until then my perception of Sierra Leone was gloomy, I imagined a country deep in war and poverty. As I was reading the book, a new positive picture began to emerge. Yes, the country was trying to reconstruct itself but there was life in Sierra Leone.

Please share with our readers 5 books that have had an impact in your life.

1) I heard The Owl Call My Name by Margaret Craven 2) White Teeth by Zadie Smith 3) Bridget Jones’ Diary by Helen Fielding 4) Talk Before Sleep by Elizabeth Berg 5) Purple Hibiscus by Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie

AUTHORS MAGAZINE | 21

Series,

Sagas and -Ologies

by Dave de Burgh

One of the most important facets of being a writer and storyteller is that you are also a reader; it goes without saying, really. And, being a reader -whether you read Fantasy, Science Fiction, Horror or mainstream Thrillers and adventures- you’ve seen the series’ which fill up shelves from authors such as James Patterson, Clive Cussler, Piers Anthony and many, many others.

You’ve also seen sagas, trilogies, duologies, and many other -ologies, and hopefully you’ve begun to realise that there are differences, which should go a long way to informing the choice you’ll make regarding the ideas for stories you’ve had.

I’m not one of those writers who believes that there is a saga, series or trilogy (at least a trilogy) hidden in every story idea. I do, however, think that your reading habits and your list of favourite authors has a good chance of influencing what you write and the length of what you write. Before I get into that, let’s go into some of the differences (as I understand them) between series, sagas and -ologies.

Series: Let’s use James Patterson as the example here: If you look at the body of work the man has generated and read the blurbs of all of his books, you’ll understand that his characters don’t have a pivotal climax-point they’re moving toward.

22 | AUTHORS MAGAZINE

Let’s look at Alex Cross; each of the novels he stars in have climax points, for sure, but there’s no discernible climaxpoint which the reader can see the series is building toward. The character undergoes status-quo changes – for example, respected to reviled, employed to unemployed or retired, non-addicted to addicted, husband to widower, etc.

The character also gets older, and the world changes around the character in terms of technology, laws, celebrities, that kind of thing. Some novels will give the reader a deeper insight into the character’s motivations (such as what Lee Child did with the Jack Reacher novel, “The Affair” and Jo Nesbo did in “The Bat”). But there’s no impending, approaching climax.

A series can, then, best be explained as many stories featuring a specific (and probably dwindling and then changing) cast of characters who face a new danger in each novel. Yes, the characters evolve as they go through each challenge and their circumstances change, but they’re

not moving toward a series’ ending climax-moment. Which also explains how some characters continue to appear in new novels after the writer’s death – best example of that is Sherlock Holmes.

The main character in a series is meant to endure, despite each and every test thrown at them, and theoretically they cannot be killed off – even Holmes had to be resurrected, after all.

Sagas: Sagas are, to my mind, a melding of both the important aspects which characterise a series and the structure of a tale. So, the writer knows that what they’ll be writing will probably extend past, let’s say, seven novels, telling a bunch of usually-linear tales starring a core of important characters working toward a specific goal BUT even the structure of this saga has a beginning, middle and end.

The best examples of sagas I can think of are Robert Jordan’s ‘The Wheel of Time’

,

(fourteen novels plus a prequel novel) and Steven Erikson’s ‘The Malazan Book of the Fallen’ (which comprises ten core novels; add the two trilogies he plans to write, Ian Esslemont’s five-book ‘The Malazan Empire’ and the novels Ian is preparing to add to the saga, and you’re looking at around twenty-four novels).

Writing a saga takes meticulous planning and patience and *slang-expletive term for testicles* – every novel in the saga (doesn’t matter how many novels comprise it) has to work as an exciting addition to the unfolding masterplot while deepening the mysteries and exploring the characters in more nuanced ways. And most writers of sagas usually don’t know how many novels they’ll be writing. Robert Jordan initially planned ‘The Wheel of Time’ to comprise six novels, but the series grew as the plot unfolded to become fourteen novels (plus the prequel).

To add to what I mentioned earlier, sagas need to have a structure, too – not only to make it possible for the reader to follow along, but probably also so that the writer doesn’t go mad writing it. And

to make things even more difficult, each novel in the saga has to be engaging, exciting and at the very least on par with the previous novel (if not even better), which also makes the first novel of a saga a hair-pulling exercise in storytelling, since you’ve only just begun to work towards that incredible climax and you can’t give anything away.

signed for three books and hit the end of book three while not ending the trilogy, you’ll have to be a damned good writer for that to be okay with your agent and publisher. (Publishers really aren’t in the business of being forced to publish something; they don’t like being forced, so don’t force them).

-Ologies:

You’ve seen and probably read plenty of -ologies, because they offer great immersion into the writer’s world and style, usually tell cool stories which adhere to the three-act storytelling structure, and are easier for agents and publishers to push because they begin to build a brand and take up shelf-space in stores. Some writers of -ologies even end up expanding their tales into what could be considered sagas, but actually aren’t.

While much easier than sagas, -ologies are a different kettle of fish in comparison to the novels in a series. For one thing, you’ve got a set amount of books to tell your tale in – if you reach the end of the first book and you’ve told the entire tale but have signed for three books, you’ll be in trouble. And if you’ve

You’ve seen duologies, trilogies, quadrologies, pentologies, etc. You’ve probably only heard of duologies and trilogies because most marketing folks in the publishing industry don’t like using those words. They’ll work with a ‘four-book series’ or a ‘five-book series’, and so on. And most of the time, a new

In short, you really have to know what you’re doing if you’re planning to write a saga. If you’re writing your very first novel and you think you might already have a saga on your hands, well, good luck to you. I sincerely hope you pull it off. The chances are, unfortunately, that you won’t, because only experienced writers and storytellers attempt (or should attempt) the writing of a saga.

AUTHORS MAGAZINE | 23

CONTINUED FROM PAGE 15

author (especially someone writing in Fantasy or Science Fiction) will write a trilogy – probably because the three-act story structure is so ingrained in society that it’s doable and comfortable. You know, beginning-middle-end. Duologies will usually be attempted by more experienced writers who come to learn that they don’t have to write a trilogy to get their tale out of their heads; in fact, a third book would probably be more difficult for them, since they planned for a duology.

Now, let’s get back to the kind of tale you’re imagining (and have probably already begun to write, or at least outline): you need to think about what the core story is. You need to focus on the story you want to tell. I tell people that if they can tell a good joke then they can write a good story – it’ll probably be a funny story, I guess (since people who tell plenty of jokes usually have quite the sense of humour, developed over time), but they instinctively know what a good story comprises of: the hook, the hold and the release. (How the idea exists in my head) Think about your story in those terms and you’ll be able to begin to see the core of your story and where you can expand or shrink it down.

What is the hook which will not only pull the reader in put keep them twitching on the line?

What is the hold – what’s happening in the story to keep them guessing, intrigued and excited?

When does the release come into play, and what happens in the release?

Overlay these concepts into a series, and you’ll see that each novel in a series consists of the hook, the hold and the release. And as you continue to read the series you’ll come to understand that there isn’t a larger three-act structure in play. There are plenty of changes, but no movement toward a final climax

24 | AUTHORS MAGAZINE

moment. Sure, the writer can end the series with such a climax moment but when that happens it feels forced and rushed, precisely because the idea was conceived of as a series and not as a saga or -ologie.

Bring the hook, the hold and the release into -ologies and you’ll see where the three acts come into play, even if you’re reading a duology or quadrology. In the first act, the world / characters / conflict is introduced; in the second act the conflict is deepened and the characters are tested almost to their limit, and in the third act the characters undergo their biggest challenges before the climax or resolution is reached.

And by now I’m sure you understand that using the hook, the hold and the release in a saga is a much more difficult and intense task, because every novel in your saga needs all three while also having all three spread throughout the saga.

The best way for you to know what you’re going to write is to know what your story is about: If you’ve got one fully formed tale in your head which doesn’t need to be expanded into an -ologie or saga (and might actually suffer from you trying to do that), then you probably have a series-idea. If you can expand the tale by going into more depth and have a firm three act structure in mind, then chances are good that you have one of those -ologies. And if you can see your tale stretching over a number of years, involving hundreds of characters and many sub-plots, then begin making notes and buy plenty more note books to write in because you’ll need to consciously and meticulously plan your saga before attempting to write it.

Whatever you decide, no matter what kind of story you have in mind, remember that only you can tell (or write, in this case) that tale, so go for it!

Happy writing!

In general literature there are no set rules to creating a villain. If we look at some of the greatest villains of all time – Jack Randall, Shere Khan, Captain Hook, The White Witch, Tom Ripley, Count Dracula, Lord Voldemort, Cruella de Ville –what do these villains have in common? Absolutely nothing. As creators, we do not put our villains in a box. There is no mould, no hard and fast rule to creating an exceptional villain. There is only you, the writer, and a character that you breathe life into. That you craft as passionately as you do your hero.

Of course a villain doesn’t have to be human, in fact, you don’t even need a villain to make a novel work. In some instances the environment or society itself can be the villain. Having said that, though, let me suggest that evil becomes more evil when it is personalised.

Readers can connect with a human villain on a more intimate level. A memorable antagonist can supercharge your plot. In a traditional romance novel, boy and girl fall in love. Pretty standard. A bit boring even, if I may be so bold.

But throw in a good villain and your reader becomes far more emotionally invested.

In any story telling, character development is crucial.

Characters should never be simple or just plain black and white. The more layers, the more depth, the more shades of grey you weave into your characters, the more believable

they become. This holds true when writing your villain.

to be evil at all. Sometimes he or she can be the direct opposite.

While the villain is typically the antagonist of your story, what about the notion of the villain as the protagonist – the hero? Many readers love the “bad boy” archetype. Often, they secretly hope he will win out in the end. When I wrote the first book in the Legacy Trilogy I created a fabulous villain. A narcissistic, power-hungry dictator who I loved to hate. Reflected by two heroes, between whom my protagonist was torn, Eric Dane was the epitome of evil. And yet, my readers were horrified when he met his demise.

2. A credible villain needs motive.

He should be a man with a plan, an evil plan in most cases. Something is driving your villain to act – lust, greed, the enjoyment of violence, a personal demon. It could be anything. In plot driving, this ambition or action is often what triggers your protagonist into action.

Ben Nova, author and journalist, states in his tips for writers: “In the real world, there are no villains.

No-one actually sets out to do evil.

Fiction mirrors life. Or, more accurately, fiction serves as a lens to focus on what we know in life and bring its realities into sharper, clearer understanding.

There are no villains cackling and rubbing their hands in glee as they contemplate their evil deeds. There are only people with problems, struggling to solve them.”

Food for thought. The villain isn’t doing bad stuff so he can rub his hands together and snarl. He may be driven by greed, or the conviction that his cause is just, but he’s driven by something. Not unlike the hero.

So, how do we write a good villain?

1. We avoid clichés. The other woman, the evil stepmother – these characters have become easily identifiable. Use them, by all means, if you are able to put an original spin on the character, and don’t let your reader see them coming. I would, however, advise you to steer clear of the clichéd archetype.

Bear in mind, your villain doesn’t have

3. Give your villain depth, back-story, history, and more importantly, make sure he is flawed. Tap into the human element and your villain becomes more real. Nobody is born evil. Why has he become like this? His upbringing?

Witnessing the murder of his parents?

It could be a single defining moment or a lifetime of suffering. We need to know our villain in order to connect with him.

Whether you want your reader to love or hate him, those emotions can only be invoked through connecting with the character. It is difficult to feel anything for a character we don’t know.

stone. There are no rules and in any case, rules are made to be broken, particularly in the creative sphere. In Rainfall, I created a situation where my hero and my villain were quite literally the same man, through the medium of a psychological condition known as dissociative identity disorder. It was a very unique concept and required a huge amount of fleshing out, invoking a broad spectrum of emotions towards a variety of characters who were essentially the same person. My readers, however, separated them exactly as I had hoped: loathing one, pitying another, adoring the hero and abhorring the villain. They connected with each character. Romance, in particular, has to do that. Love and hate walk a fine line and when they collide, it makes for exceptional entertainment.

Be fearless in your writing. Be bold.

Write the hell out of your characters, and give your readers a villain they love to hate.

4. Your villain should be constant. Once you have established the many layers of this personality, you cannot completely change their character at a later stage.

It is not believable. Your reader will call you out on it.

5. Make your villain redeemable. Give him a redeeming feature to make him more believable. Nobody is entirely saint or sinner. Having your serial killer help a little old lady across the street both humanises him and makes him more repugnant.

6. Your villain should be adaptable, intelligent or crafty. You buffer this character against your hero – speaks volumes about your hero if your villain is a fool.

These suggestions are not cast in

AUTHORS MAGAZINE | 25

A FLASH of Brilliance

by Ian Tennent

They say that writing poetry is ‘weightlifting for writers.’ It builds artistic muscle.

If that’s the case, and I don’t doubt that it is, then writing Flash Fiction must surely be CrossFit fused with Taekwondo—it trains you to analyze every word you write, to pack a punch in your prose and to cull dead wood mercilessly. All told it’s an incredibly effective workout for the modern writer.

So, what exactly is it? In a nutshell Flash Fiction is a form of extreme short story.

How extreme? Generally, anything shorter than 1000 words is considered flash fiction these days. But this broad umbrella term is sub-divided further, along sometimes vague and increasingly eclectic lines. And so we now have micro fiction (300 words or less), nanofiction (55 words), twitterature (140 characters), postcard fiction (can fit onto a postcard), smoke-long (can be read within a one smoke timeframe), uber short short story, and the list goes on. The definitions are, quite frankly, irrelevant. The point is, it’s short. As a writer, all you need to know is how much

26 | AUTHORS MAGAZINE

word ammo you’ve been given to work with. The objective remains to give your reader an immersive experience, just a very brief one.

What is surprising for many is that flash fiction is not a new fad. The discipline has been around since the dawn of recorded time, however it is enjoying a remarkable resurgence at present, with some commentators attributing this popularity to our short attention spans in the current age of information overload.

This, combined with the proliferation of electronic devices such as laptops, tablets, e-readers and smartphones which all lend themselves to viewing shortened prose, especially that which can fit onto a single screen, has provided a perfect petri-dish for us authors to experiment with.

The above notwithstanding, extreme short fiction was already popular before the digital age as evidenced by the following six word piece, often attributed

to Hemmingway, which spawned a whole movement dedicated to six word memoirs.

“Baby shoes: for sale. Never worn.”

Whether Hemmingway was the author or not pales into irrelevance when one considers the emotion inherent in those six words. The raw power of which should be ample evidence that flash fiction is not simply a dumbed down form of prose aimed at the lazy reader.

With Flash Fiction, as with most things writerly, nothing is set in stone, everything is grey and rules…well, rules are for sissies. But this is all part of the allure, like being asked to create a Michelin starred dish in the MasterChef kitchen, armed with 15 minutes, a brinjal and a cigarette lighter. For me it boils down to creativity. How creative can you be, given the constraints you’ve been set?

Typical Flash Fiction competitions provide the entrants with a prompt of some sort. It could be anything from a sentence, to a paragraph, to a graphic, to a combination thereof or something else entirely. A maximum word-count is established as well as a deadline, and that’s it. Beyond that, the literary world is your oyster. Although, nowadays, there does seem to be a tendency for Flash Fiction to follow the conventional storytelling structure of having a beginning, middle and end with conflict, obstacle and solution (even if these elements are merely hinted at rather than appearing in the actual story); as opposed to a vignette form, which is effectively a snapshot of a character or scene or situation. It seems that modern readers of flash want context. In other words a complete story arc rather than a pretty description of something.

However, as mentioned earlier, there are no hard and fast rules and good flash will stand out regardless.

So, why do we need it? What’s in it for you, the author?

Make no mistake, this is an art form. And like any art form, it takes a lot of time and practice to master. The word-count constraint is tough. It forces you to think, to evaluate every word. You’re aiming for maximum impact with minimum resources. I believe good writing boils down to two things: imagery and tension. With a 200 or 300 word wordcount it’s a tall order to hit both those targets.

But, before dismissing it as a waste of precious writing time, consider the following:

• First and foremost, it’s fun. A form of instant gratification. The adrenalin buzz from producing a piece of flash that you’re proud of can be utterly addictive.

• It gets you writing. It really does get the creative juices flowing. You’ll be amazed at what you can come up with, after you’ve discarded your first three clichéd ideas.

• It teaches you to write to a deadline.

• It teaches you to evaluate every word you write and encourages you to discard words that don’t add value. In effect, it tightens up your prose.

• By entering a FF competition, it can help with overcoming “fear of submission”— you have less to lose. You may even receive words of praise which could encourage you with your longer work.

• Having a collection of FF pieces acts as an instant reference guide to your writing style. It allows anybody browsing your author website, for example, a quick and easy window into your storytelling ability.

This in turn may encourage readers to try your longer works.

If you’re interested in this narrative form, social media platforms such as Facebook are the perfect place to start.

Competitions abound where you can post your FF stories and receive instant feedback —the good, the bad and the ugly—from your peers and possibly, the judges.

Short Story Day Africa is one such Facebook group where the goal is to showcase African literature from through-out the continent. They host a bi-monthly FF competition (with a word limit of 200) under the banner

#writerprompt. You can find out more on their Events page.

If international competition is what you’re after then maybe give the Bath Flash Fiction Award a go. It’s a “rolling flash fiction competition that runs every four months, with a total prize-winners purse of £1400. The current Award closes Midnight UTC February 14th 2016. They charge for entries but it is also possible to earn a free ticket into the competition by winning their weekly micro competition, Ad Hoc Fiction.

National Flash Fiction Day or NFFD is another flash fiction initiative that typically runs sometime around the middle to end of June. The below example comes from their annual FlashFlood anthology. It’s included here with kind permission from the author, Kevlin Henney and first appeared in FlashFlood 2014. Enjoy.

‘In Love and Debt’ by Kevlin Henney Middle age. Like mortgage. Like marriage.

It began with M, ended with age.

Middle age brought the feeling there must be more. Divorce brought the realisation of less. Friends he had thought of as theirs turned out to be hers. The house they had bought together became hers with separation. The children were caught in the middle, but on her side of the middle, together in the house.

But the debts, they were his. He held onto them all the more tightly. Like impressions left on sheets in the morning, they showed where the body of his life had been.

AUTHORS MAGAZINE | 27

TRAVEL

Karen Blixen’s Nairobi is no more. The dusty colonial outpost has become a sprawling Afropolis that has swollen to engulf the farm made famous in her book Out of Africa (1937). But it’s still possible to find vestiges of Blixen’s world if you know where to look.

The farmhouse itself has been preserved and is now a museum dedicated to Blixen memorabilia. In 1931, after her coffee plantations failed, she was forced to leave Kenya. Out of Africa was born of her nostalgia for an idyllic period in her life and a colonial moment that was drawing to a close.

I walked up the driveway on a bright summer’s morning, scenes from both the book and the Hollywood movie spooling through my head. I imagined the large coffee roaster in the corner of the garden being fed after the harvest; the full-moon ngoma dances when the lawns were filled with 2 000 guests;

the arrival of Karen’s lover, Denys Finch-Hatton, on horseback after a long hunt. I thought, too, of her own grand entrance, fresh off the boat from Denmark, coming up the gravel drive to be greeted by 1 200 field workers who’d turned out to meet the new ‘lady of the manor’.

Over to my left, I could see the knuckles of the Ngong Hills, ‘crowned with four noble peaks like immovable darker blue waves against the sky.’ Behind them, the land fell away towards the Great Rift Valley.

The house itself was an elegant fieldstone manor that came with good Swedish furniture and a fully stocked library, which delighted Karen. There were wide verandas, stone mantels and mahogany panelling. Views from the windows offered rolling lawns, forests and Ngong vistas.

OUT OF

Houses live and breathe with their occupants. A museum house is a dead thing, the carcass of former hopes, happiness and heartache. It’s difficult for the imagination to re-people it. I wandered through the echoing rooms, trying to place the characters, hear the voices, feel the warmth of habitation.

When I closed my eyes, I could just make out the clip-clop of Lulu, the tame bushbuck, on the tiles, the clatter of Karen’s Corona typewriter and the cuckoo clock, whose chime thrilled the Kikuyu children of the farm.

Was that Denys and Karen reclining by the fire on a leopard-skin rug, her telling tall tales and him sipping wine.

Or was it Meryl Streep and Robert Redford, whose interpretations have imposed themselves on the original?

I entered the dining room and imagined the seated two lovers, Karen in a taffeta dress cut low to show

Blixen’s Afric

28 | AUTHORS MAGAZINE

off her shoulders, and Denys in his favourite velvet jacket. An adjacent room was crammed with photographs, some from the movie, others from the Blixen estate. There were pictures of the dogs, a biplane, Karen wearing two hats against the African sun, and one of her with Marilyn Monroe and Arthur Miller. In the bedrooms were props left behind from the movie: Streep’s boots and jacket, Redford’s hat and trousers.

In such ways are cultural memory lines blurred.

By the late 1920s it was clear that the farm was not economically viable: planting coffee at such high altitude had been a costly mistake. Karen prepared for the inevitable. Her feeling of melancholy is the tone that informs the book.

In a sense, Out of Africa is a lament for a way of life and a relationship with the land that was passing. Within a short

ca

time, her farm would be swallowed up as a suburb of Nairobi, the great herds would be decimated by hunters and the wide plains over which she had flown would be criss-crossed with roads and fences. One biographer compares Blixen’s Kenya to the Paradise Lost of Romantic myth, a past which saw humans and nature in harmony with one another. In this light, the book is a modern pastoral.

Out of Africa is also about death. Just before Blixen left for Europe, FinchHatton was killed when his plane crashed in Tsavo. Karen oversaw the funeral and picked the spot for his grave in the Ngong Hills.

I found a taxi driver who knew the way and we wound up a gravel road, the plains stretching away behind us to the grey smudge of Nairobi in the east. Finch-Hatton’s grave is marked by an obelisk and surrounded by a

garden paved with stones from Blixen’s driveway.

In Out of Africa the burial is recounted in elevated, tragic terms. After the funeral, Karen was gratified to hear that a lion and lioness had begun using the grave as a vantage point to spy out the herds below. It fitted perfectly with her romantic notion of the slain warrior.

For Blixen, it was time to depart. She left her beloved house and watched the Ngong Hills dissolve behind her. The train that had borne her up the line to Nairobi 17 years earlier carried her back to Mombasa where a ship for Europe awaited. Her love affair with Kenya was over, but the seed of a great book had been planted. Although Karen never returned to Africa, in her heart she never left.

Justin Fox visits Nairobi to peer between the pages of one of the most popular books ever written about the continent.

AUTHORS MAGAZINE | 29

Reads recommended

Title: Tricky Twenty-Two Author: Janet Evanovich Comedy Thriller

Title: The Choice Author: Nicholas Sparks Contemporary Romance Description: Travis Parker has everything a man could want: a good job, loyal friends, even a waterfront home in small-town North Carolina. In full pursuit of the good life - boating, swimming , and regular barbecues with his good-natured buddies -- he holds the vague conviction that a serious relationship with a woman would only cramp his style. That is, until Gabby Holland moves in next door.

Spanning the eventful years of young love, marriage and family, THE CHOICE ultimately confronts us with the most heartwrenching question of all: how far would you go to keep the hope of love alive?

30 | AUTHORS MAGAZINE

Description: Stephanie Plum might not be the world’s greatest bounty hunter, but she knows when she’s being played. Ken Globovic (aka Gobbles), hailed as the Supreme Exalted Zookeeper of the animal house known as Zeta fraternity, has been arrested for beating up the dean of students at Kiltman College. Gobbles has missed his court date and gone into hiding. People have seen him on campus, but no one will talk. Things just aren’t adding up, and Stephanie can’t shake the feeling that something funny is going on at the college—and it’s not just Zeta fraternity pranks.

As much as people love Gobbles, they hate Doug Linken.

When Linken is gunned down in his backyard it’s good riddance, and the list of possible murder suspects is long.

The only people who care about finding Linken’s killer are Trenton cop Joe Morelli, who has been assigned the case, security expert Ranger, who was hired to protect Linken, and Stephanie, who has her eye on a cash prize and hopefully has some tricks up her sleeve.

Title: The Guilty Author: David Baldacci Suspense Thriller Description: Will Robie escaped his small Gulf Coast hometown of Cantrell, Mississippi after high school, severing all personal ties, and never looked back. Not once. Not until the unimaginable occurs. His father, Dan Robie, has been arrested and charged with murder.

Father and son haven’t spoken or seen each other since the day Robie left town. In that time, Dan Robie-a local attorney and pillar of the community-has been elected town judge.

Despite this, most of Cantrell is aligned against Dan. His guilt is assumed.

To make matters worse, Dan has refused to do anything to defend himself. When Robie tries to help, his father responds only with anger and defiance. Could Dan really be guilty?

With the equally formidable Jessica Reel at his side, Robie ignores his father’s wishes and begins his own desperate investigation into the case. But Robie is now a stranger to his hometown, an outsider, a man who has forsaken his past and his family. His attempts to save his father are met with distrust and skepticism . . . and violence.

Unlike the missions Robie undertook in the service of his country, where his target was clearly defined, digging into his father’s case only reveals more questions. Robie is drawn into the hidden underside of Cantrell, where he must face the unexpected and possibly deadly consequences of the long-ago choices made by father and son. And this time, there may be no escape for either of them.

Title: All The Light We Cannot See Author: Anthony Doerr Historical Fiction Description: WINNER OF THE PULITZER PRIZE From the highly acclaimed, multiple award-winning Anthony Doerr, the beautiful, stunningly ambitious instant New York Times bestseller about a blind French girl and a German boy whose paths collide in occupied France as both try to survive the devastation of World War II. Marie-Laure lives with her father in Paris near the Museum of Natural History, where he works as the master of its thousands of locks. When she is six, Marie-Laure goes blind and her father builds a perfect miniature of their neighborhood so she can memorize it by touch and navigate her way home. When she is twelve, the Nazis occupy Paris and father and daughter flee to the walled citadel of Saint-Malo, where Marie-Laure’s reclusive great-uncle lives in a tall house by the sea. With them they carry what might be the museum’s most valuable and dangerous jewel.

In a mining town in Germany, the orphan Werner grows up with his younger sister, enchanted by a crude radio they find. Werner becomes an expert at building and fixing these crucial new instruments, a talent that wins him a place at a brutal academy for Hitler Youth, then a special assignment to track the resistance. More and more aware of the human cost of his intelligence, Werner travels through the heart of the war and, finally, into Saint-Malo, where his story and Marie-Laure’s converge.

AUTHORS MAGAZINE | 31

NE XT

IS S

UE

AUTHORS

MAGAZINE

MARCH 2016

AMANDA PROWSE