Conflict, Keep It Up Front, WAY Up Front

Conflict in a story is like the match that starts a fire. When that match strikes is left up to the storyteller.

The number one lesson I've learned from writing, reading, workshops, conferences, teaching--you name it I've done it--is this: conflict should happen early and often. Most writers present conflict in the first chapter, some writers unveil it on the first page. But there are a few writers, admired and neglected, obscure and renowned, who weave conflict into the first sentence. First sentence! 

Check out these opening sentences brimming with conflict.

"I found him in the garage on a Sunday afternoon."  --Skellig, by David Almond

"I was thirteen when my dad caught me with Tommy Webber in the back of Tommy's Buick, parked next to the old Chart House down in Montara at eleven o'clock on a Tuesday night." --Story of a Girl, by Sara Zarr

"That morning, after he discovered the tiger, Rob went and stood under the Kentucky Star Motel sign and waited for the school bus just like it was any other day."  --The Tiger Rising, by Kate DiCamillo

"He began his new life standing up, surrounded by cold darkness and stale, dusty air." The Maze Runner, by James Dashner

"It was almost December, and Jonas was beginning to be frightened."  The Giver, by Lois Lowry

Not only are these sentences laced with conflict, but the authors' voices are apparent. These openings set the story in motion right away. Some of these writers pull back after the first sentence, but the conflict--the catalyst--is in motion. The fire has started, but there's gallons of more gas to throw on it. In traditional story structure this is known as the inciting incident--the event that ignites the story. This event always confronts the main character with some degree of conflict and sets the real story in motion.  

Name for WAY-up-front-conflict: Inciting Incident. Fire Starter.           

         

Author Leslie Margolis

Leslie's newest book

Leslie Margolis visited our school last Friday. She's an alum and just happen to be wrapping up a book tour, so she offered to swing by and talk to students. She presented to the fourth and fifth graders, missed those two talks. And then she dropped by my classroom at lunchtime to talk informally to middle schoolers, including my 7th/8th grade creative writing class. She shed light on her path to publication and her writing/revision process. Here are some interesting facts I gleaned from her:

• She learned a lot about writing mysteries from ghostwriting Nancy Drew books.
• Carolyn Keene (supposed Hardy Boys author) never existed.  (I already know this, but it's always funny to see kids' faces upon hearing the news)
• She shoots for 1,000 words a day. (I'm at 800-1,000 recently)
• She treats writing like a 9-5 job.  (I wish)
• She writes in the Brooklyn Writers Space.  (cool place)
• Her publisher is really getting behind her new book. (A Maggie Brooklyn Mystery: Girl's Best Friend)
• Publishers don't always get behind books. (Shhh...)
• She started writing stories in the school breezeway. (gotta start somewhere)

Thanks for coming by, Leslie. Nice meeting you and good luck.

The Absolute Trend

Congrats to all of the recepients of the 2010 National Book Awards. A special congrats to Kathryn Erskine, author of Mockingbird, the winner in the young people's literature category.

Erskine's next book is The Absolute Value of Mike (Philomel, 2011). This brings up a trend. I'm calling it the Absolute Trend. To prove my point, check out these titles:

• The Absolutely True Diary of a Part-Time Indian
• The Absolute Value of -1
• The Absolute Value of Mike
• Absolute Death
• Absolute Power
• Absolute Fear
• Absolute Risk
• Absolute Brightness
• Absolute Zero
• Absolute Boyfriend
• Absolutely Normal Chaos

The list goes on. Thank you, Amazon. This makes you think, what is the meaning of absolute, what is absolute in life? Death and taxes, we know that. But what else is absolute? Here are a few, please add to the list:

• waiting in line at the post office
• driving behind an idiot
• running into a teacher outside of school and realizing that teachers really don't sleep under their desks
• stepping in mud
• eating something and spitting it out
• crying
• goosebumps
• weather
• breathing
• going to the bathroom

Words of Wisdom - Stephen King

If you write or have ever wanted to write, then do yourself a favor and read this.  I don't care if you write nursery rhymes, how-to articles, recipes, obituaries, or 700 page novels. I don't care if the only writing you ever do involves Facebook updates about your dog's poop. Read it.

Everything You Need to Know About Writing Successfully: in Ten Minutes.

Kids Reading Books, In Books

Literary allusion plays a major part in middle grade and young adult books. What is it? It's a reference in a literary work to another literary work. Here are some of my favorite examples, past and more recent:

1. The Outsiders, by S.E. Hinton 

• Ponyboy is reading Great Expectations (Charles Dickens) in English class. He and Johnny read Gone with the Wind (Margaret Mitchell) to pass time at the church. There's also Robert Frost's poem "Nothing Gold Can Stay."

Nature's first green is gold,

Her hardest hue to hold.  

Her early leaf's a flower;  

But only so an hour. 

Then leaf subsides to leaf.  

So Eden sank to grief, 

So dawn goes down to day. 

Nothing gold can stay.

2. When You Reach Me, by Rebecca Stead 

• Miranda carries around a copy of A Wrinkle In Time (Madeleine L'Engle).  She argues with Marcus about the specifics and possibilities of time travel.

3. One Crazy Summer, by Rita Williams-Garcia 

• Delphine keeps Island of the Blue Dolphins (Scott O'Dell) closeby and roots for Rontu to outlast those wild dogs. 

Can you think of any more examples of literary allusions? 

Starring Blondie, As Waldo...

Yesterday Nathan Bransford announced he'll be leaving the literary agenting world and stepping into a new role at CNET. As of this post, his announcement has elicited 287 comments from his 4,676 followers. The literary community is small. It's not the size of say, the American Cornhole Organization. But a lot of people like and respect him, as they should. He's professional, understanding, patient, and knows what he's talking about. At least that's what I garner from reading his posts. Over the years I've scoured his site religiously while trying to learn the ins and outs of publishing. How to Write a Query Letter. How the Publishing Process Works. How to Find a Literary Agent. He'll still be around, but things won't be the same.

And then there's Blondie. She stole my Halloween costume and paraded around the house. And you get to see the results. Her eyes are actually blue, not red. Write on.

UP, DOWN

UP
the world goes
DOWN
and around it
SPINS
on its head
MAKES
no sound

WE
have no
DRESSES
it makes
US
frown

UP
the world goes
DOWN