A True Immortal on Earth

Have you heard of HeLa cells?
Have you heard of Henrietta Lacks?

Way back in medical school, I'd learned was that HeLa cells were originally taken from the cervical cancer cells belonging to a young, black woman named Henrietta Lacks in 1951. That they were the first human cell line that grew like crazy in cell culture, and were used to create the Polio vaccine which saved countless lives. In fact, so much research has been done on HeLa cells that chances are, every person has benefitted from Henrietta, in one way or another. I remember we all chuckled over the fact that over twenty tons of HeLa cells had been produced over the last several decades. Twenty tons of Henrietta!

But after the laughter died away, I was haunted by the idea that somehow, in some way, Henrietta was still alive. And that the story was a little too simply told.

What I didn't know then was this: that the cells were taken without Henrietta's consent. And that the family was kept in the dark while her cell line was sold and distributed throughout the world.

So while we writers and readers consider immortality, non-consensual scientific experimentation, and the oppression of the vulnerable in our sci-fi and fantasy books, it's important to note that these things aren't all fiction. They trace their imaginary roots in some very real history. 

This was one of the best books I've read this past year, mostly because it's not just a book of facts--it's a story. It's about Henrietta, her family, and the tumultuous relationship between the author and Henrietta's daughter, Deborah. And what's most important, it opens up an extremely difficult dialogue about ethics, race, and science.

For more information, check out the Lacks Family Website, Wikipedia on HeLa cells and Henrietta Lacks, Rebecca Skloot's website, and this recent CNN article that reminded me to write this post. :)

Scientific Proof: Writers Use Mind Control

I read an article about how writing and hearing stories affects your brain. Brains are a pretty intriguing thing on their own, but throw writing into the equation? You know that's going to be some great info. Check out this gem:

Scientists have also found that telling a story can plant emotions, thoughts and ideas into the brain of the listener. In studies at Princeton University, the brain activity of a woman telling a story and her listeners was monitored and as she told her story, her listeners' brain activity went into sync with hers.

This means that writers have the ultimate power to influence others. With a powerful and evocative story, you can activate your readers' brains and make them feel like they are experiencing it first-hand, influencing the emotions you want them to feel.

(Source: Memolition)

photo credit: "lapolab" via photopin cc

Fascinating, no?

I figure there are two ways to look at it-- as a reader or as a writer. Take your pick.

As a reader:
Haven't you always wanted to get inside the head of your favorite author? Scientists have shown that you've actually been doing it all along! Every time you read a book and experience any emotion with it, your brain is in sync with the author's, and you both are experiencing the same emotion.

As a writer:
Did you see what it said up there? Writers have the ultimate power to influence others. Ever want to take over the world? There's scientific proof that you already are.

Terrifying Tuesday: Implanted Memories Edition

So scientists at MIT have found a way to implant false memories.   In mice specifically, and the memories are memories of pain--probably because pain is the easiest to observe, but also probably because the scientists at MIT are mad scientists that electrocute everything in sight.

So, to incept something, you inject a protein called channelrhodopsin-2 (which I think is the channel on my TV that the miniature train show is always on) and then use a fiber-optic cable to trigger cellular activity.  At the same time you trigger pain activity on the mouse's feet.  The scientists were then able to trick the mice into believing that the pain had happened in one box and not another--even when the mouse was put in a variety of different boxes, his false memory of the first held true. 

To me, what's exciting about this is that science fiction has predicted the ability to implant false memories for quite some time.  Philip K. Dick's "We Can Remember It For You Wholesale" (also known as the short story that became that Arnold Schwarzenegger movie which then became that Colin Farrell movie) is an early example, but there's also Inception, Dark City, Vanilla Sky, and our own Angie Smibert's Memento Nora...like the invisibility cloak, false memories are an idea canvassed by fiction decades before the reality.  

If you can dream it, you can build it (or electrocute it.)

Writer Friends

Writers tend to have writer friends.
 
There are innumerable reasons for this, not the least of which is that we share a specific skill set: Understanding Writer Crazy. When writers connect strictly on a craft level, we speak the same language. After we've been in the publishing business for a while, that language takes on nuances and dialects that make communication trickier. 

Ah, the good old days of the unpublished side of publishing. Long nights filled with the possibility of creating a story that would be beloved by all, the joy of playing with a world that belonged completely to me, and all that WANT. I wanted everything. To finish, to get an agent, to sell.  Desire is a strong motivator. 


I've discovered it's only outweighed by fear.   


After five years in the business of publishing, I wrangle fear every day. It's not a thing we really talk about, or maybe it's a thing we don't identify, but I am a writer who has writer friends, so I know it's A Thing. 

I've had quite a few friends who've sold recently. They've signed their deals and then become disoriented when everything isn't instantly kittens and cupcakes. I liken these friendships to parenthood - you see the struggles coming, you want to take them on FOR the newbie because you know how to handle them, you give solid advice that you've learned through experiences - but eventually you sit back and watch your loved ones learn to crawl, to cruise, to walk. And pray they don't break anything or end up with a limp. We go from owning our stories to owning our experiences.


Publishing is serious business. It's almost like MATH, because it involves problems and projections and expectations and numbers. You have to deal with embezzlement (piracy), promotions (awards or best seller lists), sales (freaking Bookscan), and teamwork. 


Hold up. Teamwork? Isn't writing a solitary profession done by introverts who wear yoga pants and drink coffee and have friends who live in their computers? 


Well, yeah, maybe writing is like that. But publishing isn't. That's where fear butts in

 ​, and that's when you need friends who get it​

. 


There are people you need to please. Agents, editors, reviewers, readers. By agreeing to put your words between two covers, you make a promise (or you should) that you'll deliver the very best story you can. 

​Y​

ou risk disappointing others if you fail. Th

​at risk is also​

 a strong motivator. 


​So you try, as hard as you can, because writing stories is what you love. Pleasing even one person is worth the fear. ​Remembering how you were so certain the grass on this side was greener, possibly velvet, and fertilized by unicorns, helps you remember that the other side wasn't easy either. 


So you make your stories, you let them go, and then you lean on your friends. 

  

Myra McEntire is June's second Affiliate Blogger. To find out more about our guest author positions here at the League, click here.

Myra McEntire knows the words to every R&B hit of the last decade, but since she lives in Nashville, the country music capital of America, her lyrical talents go sadly unappreciated. She’s chosen, instead, to channel her “mad word skills” into creating stories.

She’s an avid Doctor Who fan and will argue passionately about which incarnation is the best.

Hourglass

Timepiece

Infinityglass

by Myra McEntire

More info

For seventeen-year-old Emerson Cole, life is about seeing what isn't there: swooning Southern Belles; soldiers long forgotten; a haunting jazz trio that vanishes in an instant. Plagued by phantoms since her parents' death, she just wants the apparitions to stop so she can be normal. She's tried everything, but the visions keep coming back.

So when her well-meaning brother brings in a consultant from a secretive organization called the Hourglass, Emerson's willing to try one last cure. But meeting Michael Weaver may not only change her future, it may also change her past.

Who is this dark, mysterious, sympathetic guy, barely older than Emerson herself, who seems to believe every crazy word she says? Why does an electric charge seem to run through the room whenever he's around? And why is he so insistent that he needs her help to prevent a death that never should've happened?

Research, Brainstorms, and Organization

I am a huge fan of knowledge, especially random historical facts. Did you know Lord Byron loved to swim, had a clubfoot, and preferred oranges over every other fruit? That info interested me way more than his magnum opus, Don Juan. If not for the cuteness of the English profs at my college, I do believe I would’ve been a history major.

Because I wanted to keep the time-related abilities of my characters from the Hourglass series as close to reality as I could, I did a lot of research. Learning new things releases Dopamine, the same chemical our brain produces when we reward ourselves with sleep, food, or … other enjoyable activities. The cause of research leads to an effect of good feelings. I’m all in on that one.

Writers always hear the advice “write what you know,” but we should write what we’re interested in.

Chase your interests down. Let’s say you have a base knowledge of Vikings because you studied them in world history class. Maybe the only thing you remember about them is that they discovered North America, and inhabited it, way before Columbus. That fact always fascinated you, and you still wonder about it. Chase that thread. Read articles online. Search for documentaries on Netflix/Hulu/You Tube. Look for used books at Goodwill or garage sales (some of my biggest research scores have happened this way). You never know what reading updated (or even outdated) information might lead you to discover.

Brainstorm with your findings. You want to know who else might have discovered North America prior to Columbus. Recent research indicates the Polynesians were here first. Think about that, write down your what ifs, and don’t hold back. The craziest questions can lead you to remarkably compelling answers. You have to follow the trail to get to the end, but sometimes the trail … veers. This is the time you get to wander.

Find a brainstorm buddy. Poor, poor Jodi Meadows. I HAVE TO talk plot ideas through, and Jodi is always willing to get on gchat or FaceTime and listen. She knits, I talk. She nods occasionally, and that’s really all I need, but quite frequently she throws out one idea that solidifies another, or asks a question that squashes ideas that are too crazy. I make notes during our Facetime convos, but should you choose to do this via Gchat, either save the transcripts for reference or copy and paste the pertinent parts into an email.

Once you’ve hunted and gathered lots of information, narrow your focus. You can research forever, but you shouldn’t. The story I’m working on now has been in process for over five years. You can turn research into rationalized procrastination. Don’t. I finally gave myself a “No More Research” deadline. Stop reading other people’s words and create your own. This doesn’t mean you should ignore information that really tugs at you, even if you don’t know why. Serendipity is half the joy of writing.

Organize your information AS YOU GO. There are a few ways I do this. I use gmail, and I have a folder for each project with the name of my working title. Some of those folders have subfolders, such as character names or settings. This helps when I’m out and about and struck with an idea. I email myself, and tag the subject line with what the idea pertains to so I can file it appropriately later. I used to have a bookmark folder on the web that served the same purpose, but I couldn’t add notes, it didn’t transfer if I wasn’t working on my computer, and eventually it just got confusing.

My most favorite discovery is tumblr. I have no idea at all how to use it for social networking, but I have a private tumblr where I store links, photos, and videos. I love it because you don’t have to write a description of exactly what links contain, but you can tag each post so you can pull similar ones up at the same time. (I love this idea so much I considered keeping the suggestion to myself. Bad writer.)

Don’t write off pencil and paper. I have a worldbuilding notebook for each project, as well as one for each character. Look for back to school closeout sales. You can find thin, spiralbound notebooks for pennies. I even try to give each character a color, so I can color coordinate when I make notes on index cards or highlight character arcs in word processing programs.

Now that my freak flag is free and flying, I’m going to wrap up.

After research and brainstorming, the next logical step involves outlining or summarizing, and that’s up to you to suss out. I’ve tried it all, and nothing works 100% for me yet. I do love Blake Snyder’s Beat Sheet, because it doesn’t require a lot of information and therefore doesn’t hem me in when I’m still trying to build worlds and plots.

I would also suggest Scrivener for lots of reasons, especially the way you can store and organize information, but you can find all kinds of evangelists who will do a better job explaining it than I will. I’ve also heard lovely things about Evernote, but I’ve yet to explore it.

What about you? How do you organize?

  

Myra McEntire is June's second Affiliate Blogger. To find out more about our guest author positions here at the League, click here.

Myra McEntire knows the words to every R&B hit of the last decade, but since she lives in Nashville, the country music capital of America, her lyrical talents go sadly unappreciated. She’s chosen, instead, to channel her “mad word skills” into creating stories.

She’s an avid Doctor Who fan and will argue passionately about which incarnation is the best.

Hourglass

Timepiece

Infinityglass

by Myra McEntire

More info

For seventeen-year-old Emerson Cole, life is about seeing what isn't there: swooning Southern Belles; soldiers long forgotten; a haunting jazz trio that vanishes in an instant. Plagued by phantoms since her parents' death, she just wants the apparitions to stop so she can be normal. She's tried everything, but the visions keep coming back.

So when her well-meaning brother brings in a consultant from a secretive organization called the Hourglass, Emerson's willing to try one last cure. But meeting Michael Weaver may not only change her future, it may also change her past.

Who is this dark, mysterious, sympathetic guy, barely older than Emerson herself, who seems to believe every crazy word she says? Why does an electric charge seem to run through the room whenever he's around? And why is he so insistent that he needs her help to prevent a death that never should've happened?

More Resources for Writing

If you read my post on writing craft books yesterday, you know I have a slight addiction problem. It’s so huge, that I had to split the post in two. Here’s the second part!

Audible Recs

Since I started writing, I’ve found the easiest way for me to actually enjoy a book is to listen to it. Audible’s met that need for me. They have craft books, but they also have workshops. Two of my favorites are:

Screenwriting for Hollywood by Michael Hauge

 

This covers basics like character development story structure (which differs from Blake Snyder and Save the Cat but just by a smidge), but the most valuable and provoking part for me involved the ways to illicit emotion from the viewer (or reader). I listen to this one repeatedly.

The Hero’s Two Journeys by Michael Hague and Christopher Vogler

A new favorite. Not only do we learn about the outer journey a protagonist needs to take, including character arc and a fast, tight plot, we learn about the hero’s inner journey. Emotion is what connects readers with characters, and this workshop helps the writer connect with the deeper psyche of a main character.

Writer Mental Health Recs

The War of Art by Steven Pressfield

Stephen Pressfield is bossy. No, really.

He’s not going to take any excuses, and he’s not going to let you make them, either. Fear is not an option, and neither are any other barriers to creativity: procrastination, self-doubt, or laziness.

After you finish this book, you WILL feel like a writing ninja. Just be careful with that sword.

The Creative Habit by Twyla Tharp

“In order to be creative, you have to know how to prepare to be creative.”

Twyla Tharp is a dancer/choreographer, yes, but don’t let that dissuade you. We all get creatively blocked, whether we’re dancers, painters, writers, or musicians. There’s a definite “show up and do the work” attitude throughout this book, and there are exercises to help. Discipline is key, according to Tharp, and her work ethic reminds me of:

“Sister Mary Responsibility kicks the muse’s ass every time.” – Nora Roberts

The Craft Books I’m Reading Now

Fire in Fiction by Donald Maass

The things I have been promised by champions of this book: 

How to capture emotional depth, create living, breathing characters readers care about, turn magic real, and create a compelling voice.

I’m chasing down emotion and how to pull it out of a character and when I find out how to make it happen I’m going to club it and drag it back to my office by its hair.

Progressive, I know.

The Anatomy of Story: 22 Steps to Becoming a Master Storyteller by John Truby

Things I have been promised by champions of this book:

A lot of crying? I mean, a book like that shouldn’t fall into the “Must Read” category for me, but allegedly the tears are worth it?

The skinny is that this book takes you deep inside your story and makes you acknowledge all the layers you have an opportunity to expose. Another book that focuses on character emotional growth, and gives suggestions such as, “come up with a list of every scene” to weave a tapestry, “figure out a web of symbols” to communicate different aspects of the story, etc.

It sounds cerebral and layered, and I hope it’s as challenging as I’ve been promised!

Your turn! I want to know which craft books/helpers you love and why. I always need a fix.

  

Myra McEntire is June's second Affiliate Blogger. To find out more about our guest author positions here at the League, click here.

Myra McEntire knows the words to every R&B hit of the last decade, but since she lives in Nashville, the country music capital of America, her lyrical talents go sadly unappreciated. She’s chosen, instead, to channel her “mad word skills” into creating stories.

She’s an avid Doctor Who fan and will argue passionately about which incarnation is the best.

Hourglass

Timepiece

Infinityglass

by Myra McEntire

More info

For seventeen-year-old Emerson Cole, life is about seeing what isn't there: swooning Southern Belles; soldiers long forgotten; a haunting jazz trio that vanishes in an instant. Plagued by phantoms since her parents' death, she just wants the apparitions to stop so she can be normal. She's tried everything, but the visions keep coming back.

So when her well-meaning brother brings in a consultant from a secretive organization called the Hourglass, Emerson's willing to try one last cure. But meeting Michael Weaver may not only change her future, it may also change her past.

Who is this dark, mysterious, sympathetic guy, barely older than Emerson herself, who seems to believe every crazy word she says? Why does an electric charge seem to run through the room whenever he's around? And why is he so insistent that he needs her help to prevent a death that never should've happened?

My Top Craft Book Recommendations

When I first decided to write seriously, I went to the library to check out some books about the subject, as you do.

My youngest son was still a toddler, and we managed to make about three trips before we got kicked out, because he was in his stroller, singing. Softly. To his toes. Apparently, you can’t sing to your toes in this library unless you’re in the children’s section.

Yes, I have considered going back to that library, plopping down in the easy readers, and singing to my toes. Instead, I just go to a different branch.

You learn to pick your battles.

But I did get to check out a few craft books before we were banished, and that was the beginning of a love affair – the obsessive, unhealthy kind. I can never get enough craft books. EVER. I read them between projects and edits. I read them at the pool. I even listen to them to fall asleep (more on that tomorrow). For now, here are my top six, in no particular order:

How I Write: Secrets of a Bestselling Author by Janet Evanovich

This was the first book on writing I picked up. I’d discovered Janet Evanovich (Stephanie Plum series) while living in Florida, and I’d never laughed out loud at a book until hers. I figured if anyone could make the process less intimidating, or at least funny, it was Janet.

I was right! The advice is well organized, easy to understand, and the reader doesn’t feel overwhelmed or like the process is insurmountable. It’s definitely a “get your feet wet” instructional book. Lots of basics, and lots of laughs.

Plot and Structure by James Scott Bell

Okay, I’m going to try to keep my evangelizing of this book to a minimum, but if you are new to the craft, or even revisiting it after an extended vacation, you want this book. James Scott Bell not only instructs, he becomes the voice of encouragement that whispers in your ear. He tells you that you CAN do it, and then tells you HOW to do it. This book is college curriculum worthy, but don’t think it’s dry or stuffy. There’s humor, there’s warmth, and most of all, knowledge a writer in any stage can apply.

Bird by Bird: Some Instructions on Writing and Life by Ann Lamott

Anytime I get mopey or neurotic or discouraged, I pull this book out. For me, the charm lies in the life lessons. It’s less about writing, and more about the writing life. Something different speaks to me every time I read it. One of my favorite quotes:

“Don’t look at your feet to see if you are doing it right. Just dance.”

As wonderful as this book is for the novice, it’s even better for those who might have PPTSD (publishing post traumatic stress disorder), and who need a reminder of the joys to be found in creating books.

Save the Cat by Blake Snyder

I have read this book no less than twenty times. I’ve also read Save the Cat Strikes Again, and Save the Cat Goes to the Movies. The knowledge here is logical, solid, and basic, and it’s actually a screenwriting book, but my very favorite thing about it is that is provides BOUNDARIES. I need boundaries for my first drafts, or they get all kinds of patchwork quilt crazy, and Snyder’s Fifteen Beats give them lines to color inside, even though I don’t have to (Google 15 Beats and be prepared for the awesome, and then buy all the books).

The Writer’s Journey: Mythic Structure for Writers by Christopher Vogler

This is based on Joseph Campbell’s The Hero’s Journey, which (everyone probably knows) is what George Lucas used to build the Star Wars stories. Thing is, Campbell’s a little bit of a wingnut, and there’s a lot of philosophy in his works. Read them, most certainly, but if you want those principles broken down into manageable chunks, this is your book. It’s a doorstop-sized, but worth every page. It’s also a screenwriting book, but don’t let that put you off. We’re all telling stories here. 

The Emotion Thesaurus: A Writer’s Guide to Character Expression by Angela Ackerman and Becca Puglisi

This is one of my most recent finds, and I love it so much it goes everywhere with me in my computer bag. It lists seventy-five emotions and gives you body language/internal thoughts to go with EVERY ONE. I am so glad I bought a paper copy, because I’ve written all over this thing, making notes when I think of my own examples! It makes me feel smug and proud (while I cross my arms and tilt my chin).

WARNING: Check your surroundings before reading this book in a coffee shop, because without fail, I read the body language suggestions and then act them out. The good news is, it’s a really easy way to get the table by the electric outlet.

More tomorrow!

Myra McEntire is June's second Affiliate Blogger. To find out more about our guest author positions here at the League, click here.

Myra McEntire knows the words to every R&B hit of the last decade, but since she lives in Nashville, the country music capital of America, her lyrical talents go sadly unappreciated. She’s chosen, instead, to channel her “mad word skills” into creating stories.

She’s an avid Doctor Who fan and will argue passionately about which incarnation is the best.

Hourglass

Timepiece

Infinityglass

by Myra McEntire

More info

For seventeen-year-old Emerson Cole, life is about seeing what isn't there: swooning Southern Belles; soldiers long forgotten; a haunting jazz trio that vanishes in an instant. Plagued by phantoms since her parents' death, she just wants the apparitions to stop so she can be normal. She's tried everything, but the visions keep coming back.

So when her well-meaning brother brings in a consultant from a secretive organization called the Hourglass, Emerson's willing to try one last cure. But meeting Michael Weaver may not only change her future, it may also change her past.

Who is this dark, mysterious, sympathetic guy, barely older than Emerson herself, who seems to believe every crazy word she says? Why does an electric charge seem to run through the room whenever he's around? And why is he so insistent that he needs her help to prevent a death that never should've happened?

JULY: Polly Holyoke

- See more at: http://leaguewriters.blogspot.com/p/guest-authors.html#sthash.yqg8Tuau.dpuf