I’ve been a big fan of the Lego video games since the first one came out. My husband and I have played almost all of them: Lego Star Wars (all 6 episodes), Lego Batman, and Lego Indiana Jones (1 and 2). (Don’t worry, I have Lego Harry Potter on my list too.)
They are my kind of video game—heavy on the puzzles, light and fun, and better when played with a friend.
The other night, Tracy and I finishing playing Lego Indiana Jones 2: The Adventure Continues, and I got to thinking about the lessons I learned from Indy and his whip and how I can apply them to writing.
1. Good games take teamwork.
Tracy is a big gamer—has been his whole life. And while I don’t play a lot of video games, I love watching him play. When I’m watching, sometimes I can see something he has missed while he’s knee-deep in the action. I often help figure out the puzzles. I can help him remember the way of mazes, or which character he should go talk to next.
Writing can take teamwork, too. My writing group helps me see what I have missed. They help me figure out solutions to tricky scenes. They point me in the right direction when I feel I’m lost in a maze of words. Even though the actual process of writing is individual, I know I can’t do it alone.
2. Sometimes you have to solve one puzzle in order to solve the next one.
I love puzzling games. I love figuring out how to get past obstacle A in order to get item B which will help me conquer obstacle C. And sometimes puzzles take two people. Switches that have to be pulled in unison, or two buttons that require two people to stand on them to activate a door.
It’s the same way with really good stories. Characters need to face multiple obstacles before achieving their goal. And sometimes what they are doing right doesn’t seem like it’ll help the overall goal, but it has to be done. They have to put out the fire to get the shovel to dig up the switch that will lower the ramp that leads to the treasure chest. I wonder sometimes: Have I given my characters enough puzzles to solve? Maybe they could use a few more . . .
3. Some characters have specialized talents.
Everybody in the Lego games has a specific talent. Some characters can use guns (from pistols to bazookas), some characters carry books and can decipher ancient languages, some characters can jump higher or run faster than others, some wield wrenches and can fix things. (Indy, of course, has the best whip skills in the whole game.)
It makes me look at my characters—do they all have a special talent? What are they good at? Have I given them a chance to jump higher than someone else, or take aim with a pistol, or uncoil their whip in the story? If not, why not? They have talents and skills for a reason—I should celebrate their uniqueness and give them a chance to shine. After all, Indy without his whip would just be some guy in a hat.
4. Practice makes perfect.
I’m a bad driver in video games. I tend to hit the gas and never look back. Brakes are for losers. And while it’s a lot of fun to careen wildly around the screen, sometimes you need to drive with precision and care to complete a puzzle. I never get those right the first time. But I try hard. And I practice. And sometimes, eventually, I get it right. (Other times, I just make Tracy do it.)
Sometimes writing is hard. It takes practice to get a scene just right. And sometimes I have to start over and try again. And again. And again. But eventually the scene starts to take shape and I end up with something worth keeping. So when I feel like I’m stuck in a writing rut, I try to hit the gas and never look back.
5. When in doubt, blow stuff up.
In the game, you have to collect 30 bricks (10 red, 10 blue, 10 green) per level and each set of bricks unlocks a special talent you can buy: Score x2; Fast Build; Invincibility (to name just a few). Those bricks are hidden all along the board and it can take persistence, patience, and sometimes just plain dumb luck to find them all. And when all else fails, shoot whatever you can with a bazooka and hope for the best.
Writing takes persistence, patience, and sometimes a hint of luck to find your voice, develop your characters, or pace your plot. And when all else fails—when writer’s block rears its ugly head and you don’t know what to do—blow stuff up. Put your characters in a new situation. Make them suffer. Throw in an unexpected arrival. Kill someone off. Pull the rug out from underneath the story and see what is left standing. You might be surprised at the treasure you’ll find.
Some days are better writing days than others. And even though I had big plans to write all weekend, I hardly touched my book other than to jot down some brainstorming notes and a few transition paragraphs. Considering weekends are my primetime writing time, I recognize I may have set myself behind schedule. And that makes me worry.
And yet, I also recognize that you can only force creativity so far. Yes, writing a book is work and sometimes you just have to sit down and do the work even if you don’t feel like it. But sometimes it’s better to step away and let the story rest for a moment (or even a weekend) because when you come back, both you and the story can have a fresh perspective.
That’s what happened to me this weekend. I feel like I’ve poked and prodded at the beginning of Forgotten Locket so much that it was starting to poke back. I knew if I forced myself to fight with the story, we’d both end up getting hurt and I’d just have to redo a bunch of work later. So instead, Tracy and I saw Inception; we celebrated my Dad’s birthday; we played some games. We slept in on Saturday. And Sunday afternoon, I saw my story with new eyes and figured out some important relationships and storylines. I feel like I’m back on track—and a better track than before.
So was it a wasted weekend? Not at all.
(And for the record, Inception is AMAZING! It’s been a long time since I’ve seen a movie that smart, challenging, and breathtaking—well, probably since the last Christopher Nolan movie. J)
Tracy took me to see Despicable Me on Friday night. A few months ago, I didn’t think there would be a chance in the world that not only would I willingly go to see the movie, but that I would be there opening night and pay extra to see it in 3-D.
Blame the marketing.
When the first teaser trailers for the movie came out, it was the scene where the loud, fat American tourists visit the Great Pyramids and the bratty little kid runs through the barricades and up the ramp, until—whoops!—he falls off the edge and the entire pyramid deflates. Oh, no! An evil villain has stolen the pyramid. Then there was a list of all the famous people who were going to be voices in the movie.
Not interested.
I hated the stereotypical “ugly American” tourists. I still didn’t feel like I really knew what the movie was about. And I hate it when an animated movie touts their voice power instead of their story power.
Then another batch of trailers came out. But this time it was all about Gru trying to break into Vector’s stronghold. Though the idea of battling super-villains was better . . .
Still not interested.
And then a new batch of commercials started running that showed Gru with three adorable little girls. There was also a new tag line: “Most people call him the world’s greatest super-villain. They call him Dad.”
And just like that, I was interested.
The commercials showed what felt to me like a completely different movie. One with a story about a character who is trying to be the world’s best villain but doesn’t always succeed and the three little girls who complicate his life. (Of course, it didn’t hurt that most of the commercials showed the little girl begging for the stuffed unicorn at the fair with this line: “It’s so fuzzy I think I’m gonna die!” It might not be too far of a stretch to say that that single line was what made me see the movie on opening night.)
So what made the difference? What changed my mind?
Easy: A really good hook.
The lesson I learned once again is how important it is to have a great hook for your story and to be able to deliver that hook in a “movie poster tag line” format. I tried a lot of different tag lines for Hourglass Door before I settled on this one: It’s a love story with a mystery that dates back to Leonardo da Vinci. I use it all the time at my book signings when I want to introduce people to my book. It’s quick enough to say while handing out a bookmark, but seems to be intriguing enough that people will stop and want to know more.
The best part of seeing Despicable Me was that the movie delivered on the promise offered up in the tag line. And while the opening sequence was still the bit at the pyramids (a bit I still didn’t like), the rest of the movie was a delightful story of a character trying to juggle being a villain and being a Dad. The movie had heart and soul (not to mention some awesome minions). It made me root for Gru to best Vector. It made me laugh. I’d give it five fuzzy unicorns out of five.
(or things I already knew, but it was nice to have a reminder…)
1. Songs sung at sunset are beautiful.
2. Water balloons that are filled too full too soon pop too fast.
3. If a giant bucket of water is too heavy to lift, then it’s probably too full to throw.
4. Hamburgers taste awesome topped with a little pancetta and melted mozzarella cheese.
5. Rush is still my favorite band—ever.
6. Being willing to go where the story takes you can lead you in some unexpected directions.
7. Cleaning up the house with someone is way more fun than cleaning it alone.
8. A wet cat is not to be trifled with.
9. If someone brings a hose to a water balloon fight, you have no chance of winning.
10. I love fireworks, America, and homemade apple pie.
11. I love to play Settlers of Catan—even if it takes 3 hours to play. And I still lose.
12. I can’t wait for Mad Men to start its fourth season later this month.
13. Bouncing on a trampoline with a couple of kids keeps you young at heart.
14. When my writing group gives me conflicting advice, I have to listen to my heart to know what to do with my story.
15. Wishes made at Tammy’s birthday party always come true.
16. Sleeping in, while highly recommended, means that sometimes you miss the perfect sunrise.
17. It’s scary to let other people read your story, but sometimes you can’t wait to show it off.
18. The stars are beautiful at midnight.
19. Sometimes falling into a good story feels like falling in love.
20. It’s okay to delete huge chunks of a chapter if what you write in its place is way better.
21. Talking shop with my mom never gets old.
22. It is possible to have three BBQs in three days and still enjoy a slice of cold watermelon.
23. There is no one I’d rather spend my eternity with than my husband.
24. It’s never too early to start planning a trip to Disneyland.
25. I think every weekend should be a three-day weekend.
One of my most frequently asked questions is: “Will there be a movie made of Hourglass Door?” I’ve always said, “Maybe someday,” but I know how slow the gears of Hollywood churn and I haven’t been holding my breath. I’ve just been enjoying what had once been the impossible dream of seeing my name on the cover of the book. And while my answer is still “maybe someday,” after some recent events, I feel less and less compelled to qualify that answer with “maybe.”
BEA was held in New York the last week of May, and while my publisher was there, a copy of my book found its way into the hands of an agent from the APA Talent and Literary Agency in California. She read the book on the flight home, loved it, and before I knew it, the papers were signed, sealed, and delivered. My book is now out in the big world of Hollywood movers and shakers, looking for a home.
When I heard the news that I had an actual, honest-to-goodness film agent shopping the rights around to my book, I just about flipped. And while a studio hasn’t optioned the rights or announced a release date or anything like that, I feel like I’m at the party. I feel like I’m standing by the punch bowl, dance card in hand, waiting to see who’ll ask me to dance.
(When I told my brother that analogy, he said, “No, no, no. You are not at the punch bowl. You are Marty McFly, playing ‘Johnny B. Goode’ on stage at the Enchantment under the Sea dance while Marvin Berry calls his cousin Chuck to say, ‘You know that new sound you’re looking for? Well, listen to this.’” That’s just one reason why I love my brother: he knows a pop culture reference for every situation. *grin*)
So, yes, I have my own Marvin Berry out there, telling people “You know that new story you’re looking for? Well, read this!” Will anyone bite? Will Hourglass Door become a movie? It’s entirely possible. I’m certainly at the party, and trust me, I’m not leaving until I have a chance to dance.
Writing can be a solitary pursuit—no one but you can take the story out of your head and commit it to paper—but being an author can be surprisingly social. During the Writers and Illustrators for Young Readers writing conference last week, I was invited to the evening party at the King’s English. Aside from loving that awesome bookstore, it was a wonderful evening to visit with some authors I hadn’t seen in a while and meet some new ones. Sometimes, during events like that, I take a moment to step back, look around, and marvel that somehow I managed to write a book and end up included in such an awesome group of people. And to the person who brought the chocolate chip cookies—they were delicious. *grin*
And then on Saturday I had lunch with my good friend and fellow author, Ally Condie. She is an amazing writer and I love it when we can get together and talk shop. It’s great to have someone to bounce ideas off of, someone to be in your cheering section, someone to celebrate your successes. And it’s even better when you can be that person for someone else. (BTW, I can’t wait for Ally’s new book, Matched, to come out this November; it’s brilliant!)
I love seeing the shape of the story. I love it when I’m watching a movie or reading a book and I can see clearly how the story is connected, how a line of dialogue is filled with subtext, how a character arc travels from point A to point B.
And it doesn’t hurt when that story also has some explosions to go with it.
Such was the case with The A-Team.
I grew up watching The A-Team on TV (Murdock was always my favorite, for some reason), and when I learned they were making a movie, I thought it would be like all the other movies based on my fond childhood memories—somewhat painful and a little unnecessary. I had low to non-existent hopes for the movie. At best, I thought it would be like G.I. Joe, which was wildly stupid and yet still a lot of fun.
To my surprise, I found it to be a smart movie with an interesting story and a lot of humor. I thought they did a great job bringing established characters to life with some originality. And while, yes, the story did require some occasional suspension of disbelief, I left the movie theater ready and willing to turn around and buy another ticket.
One of my favorite parts of the movie was actually the opening introduction of Hannibal. We see him cuffed and being beaten by some thugs. After they leave him to die at the teeth of some guard dogs, we see him slip a firing pin out of his sleeve, pick the cuffs open, and then disappear into the shadows, the dogs right behind him. I thought we’d hear a tussle and then the gunshots of him shooting the dogs, but instead, there is a tussle, a yelp or two, and then the dogs run out into the light—handcuffed together by the collar. Hannibal strolls out, tucks his gun into his waistband, and lights up his cigar. In just a few moments, we know everything we need to know about him as a character. And what’s more—we’re totally on his side. (It reminded me of the introduction of Jack Sparrow in the beginning of Pirates of the Caribbean, which is still one of the best character moments I’ve ever seen.)
People often ask me about my inspiration for Hourglass Door, and I always say it’s Dante’s Divine Comedy, which is true. But I’ll be honest—when I came up with the idea for why Dante would be sent through the time machine, I thought to myself, Maybe he was sent through for a crime he didn’t commit. And right then, I heard the theme music of The A-Team in my head. So, yes, it’s true. I found my inspiration from Shakespeare, Virgil, Auden, and Dante as well as from Hannibal, Murdock, Face, and B.A. “I love it when a story comes together.”
June 7, 2010
So I know I’ve missed a couple of Monday morning blog posts. I’m really trying to get into the groove of blogging, but it’s been surprisingly difficult. But some good things have happened lately, so here goes.
Good Thing #1: My books found a home on what a friend dubbed “the awesome author” shelf at Walmart. The retailer chose to shelve the paperback of Hourglass Door and the hardback of Golden Spiral on the featured bestseller display in approximately 3,000 stores across the country. It’s been an exciting few weeks as friends and family have written to tell me that they saw my book or picked up a copy at a Walmart in Georgia or Iowa or Texas. They’ve sent me pictures where my book is between the new Vampire Academy novel and Oprah’s biography. Me. My little book is rubbing shoulders with the big-time books. I still can’t quite believe it. The promotional period runs until June 14th, so if you haven’t picked up your copy, there is still time to grab one from Walmart and tell them thanks for believing in my books.
Good Thing #2: Hourglass Door was honored with the YA Book of the Year award from Foreword Magazine. Wa-hoo! This came as a complete surprise to me. The finalists had been announced weeks ago, and in all honestly, I had forgotten I was even in the running. On Monday, May 24, I had a fleeting thought, “Hey, whatever happened to that Book of the Year award? Oh, well, I guess I didn’t win because otherwise I probably would have heard about it by now.” But then just two days later, on Wednesday, I received an e-mail from my publisher who was back in New York for BEA. The e-mail simply said: “Lisa! You won GOLD! Call me!” I was in shock. I immediately called and learned the exciting news: I was officially an award-winner, taking home the gold medal as the YA Book of the Year. Shadow Mountain had only won the honor three times before in various other categories, and never for YA until Hourglass took home the prize.
I don’t know that the repercussions have sunk in all the way yet. I do know that I can’t stop smiling whenever I see that shiny gold sticker on the front of my book.
And then, because of my win, KSL-TV called to interview me for their nightly news broadcast. Last Thursday, I met reporter Carole Mikita at the Flagship Deseret Book store in downtown Salt Lake City and held a mini-book signing and was interviewed for the news. A couple of my superfans (and friends) came down to support me and to be interviewed: Amy Cyr, Lizzy Hughes, and Rachel Bird. (Thanks again, guys! You were awesome!) The story ran twice that night on KSL news; if you missed it, you can catch it here.
Good Thing #3: I was able to attend the Teen Writer’s Conference on June 6 at Weber State University as a presenter and a panelist. I love going to writer’s conferences and visiting with other book-obsessed people, but there is something special about a conference just for teen writers. It was so much fun to visit with old friends and get to know new friends. I presented a class on how to write dialogue, and the kids were wild and energetic as we built plots and characters around just a few lines of dialogue. I know it got my creative juices flowing about my own plots and characters.
I also got to visit a bit with fellow authors Julie Wright, Dan Wells, Nancy Allen, Janette Rallison, and Josi Kilpack—to name only a few who were there. Seriously, if you are between the ages of 13 and 19 and you like to write, this is one conference you don’t want to miss!
Good Thing #4: I just found out today that both Hourglass Door (paperback) AND Golden Spiral (hardback) are going back for second printings! Yay!