Captain Obvious

© Chrisharvey | Dreamstime Stock Photos

You know those moments in TV shows or movies where you find yourself saying to friends, “I totally called that,” or “Finally! I could see that coming a mile away!" It can be so aggravating – not only are we no longer entertained (because we already know what happens), we also get pulled out of the story itself and wind up disappointed and let down.

The scary thing is it can happen with writing too. And, though it might seem painfully obvious while reading other people’s work, it can be downright tricky to find in our own.

Here are a few tips on spotting (and fixing) common “Captain Obvious” trouble areas.

1. The “Trying Too Hard”
Authors do this when they have a REALLY BIG SECRET to hide from the reader. The problem is they tend to have lots of characters hinting at something mysterious in ways that aren’t actually subtle at all – questions that people refuse to answer, dialogue that amounts to “If I told you, I’d have to kill you,” or “You just wait…something big is coming.”

It’s like flashing a neon light at your plot twist. While trying so hard to disguise a big reveal, you can end up taking all the fun and mystery out of it. Plus, this approach comes across as unrealistic and heavy-handed. Think of it this way: if James Bond walks into a hotel, he doesn’t pat his black briefcase three times and tell the front desk, “I’m here on very important business. You might want to clear the entire floor next to my room because some pretty serious stuff tends to go down around me.”

The Fix: When people have something to hide, they work hard to hide it. That often means lying. Instead of having characters refuse to answer questions, let them answer…with something that points in a completely different direction than your reveal. When other characters are sniffing too close, use dialogue to evade or ask counter-questions.

 

2. The “Crystal Clear Killer”
Ever read a murder-mystery, only to throw it across the room because the killer was obvious from page one? Don’t let that happen with yours!

The Fix: The key here is often in building up the backstories and motivations for your cast of characters. Everyone should have some combination of motive, means or opportunity. It keeps the reader guessing. I know a lot of mystery writers who claim they didn’t know who the killer was until they wrote the ending. Put on your detective hat and think, “If I had to make it look like Character A did this, how would I do it?” Then, go down the line with all your characters. The same thing works for a guilty party who’s not technically a killer – could be a thief, a two-timer, etc.

 

3. The “Predictable Escape / Romance / Fill-in-the-blank”
If two characters are being chased through a river warehouse district and they reach a dead-end with a balcony, what do they do next? We all know the answer. They jump into the water. We see variations of this all the time in movies, TV and books. You can maybe get away with it once or twice, but it gets old (and predictable) fast!

The Fix: First, keep the tension high. A fast pace keeps readers from focusing too hard on what’s coming next, so even if the water escape is predictable, it still feels surprising. The better fix is to write the opposite solution of what first comes to mind. Instead of having your characters jump into the water, have them hear one of their pursuer’s boats downriver and scale the balcony to the roof.


4. The “Impending Betrayal”
This one is kind of like the predictable escape route, except it deals with emotions instead of actions. Betrayal is a huge plot device and can be brilliant when used well, but if the betrayer is obvious, then the act of betrayal loses its punch.

The Fix: Find the 1-2 characters least likely to betray your MC. Make one of them betray your MC. And give them a legitimate reason to actually carry it out (or come darn close). This plot twist hurts – it’s supposed to, and it can only hurt if it’s coming from an unexpected source. If you must go with the obvious candidate as your betrayer, give them reasons to help your MC first. It’ll endear them to readers and throw off suspicion later on.

Now that you know the signs, go out there and do battle with “Captain Obvious.” Good luck!

 

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Talk to Me, Goose

Have you ever worked yourself into a corner in your writing? We all do it. We write one of those great climax moments where everything is coming to a head, it’s working, it’s fitting, the tension is high and the stakes are out of this world. We know readers are going to perch on the edge of their seat, salivating with every page turn.

…except we’ve created SUCH a good climax we don’t actually know how to get our character out of it.

It doesn’t have to be the end either. I’ve had it happen at smaller plot points elsewhere in the book, too. But for whatever reason we get momentarily stuck. We realize we’re not exactly sure WHAT our characters will do next.

We can’t yet see the brilliant solution that (no doubt) will come to us in a flash of inspiration and make everything okay again. We start to doubt our skills as writers. What if we can’t make the plot work? What if we can’t get our characters out? What if it all falls apart?
At times like these, I think of Top Gun.

Yes, that’s right. Tom Cruise in all his serenading fly boy glory. Remember the last dogfight, when he’s scared to re-engage? Everyone’s screaming at him to do something! And he whispers, “Talk to me, Goose.”

Sometimes I feel like doing the same with my characters. Talk to me. I know you’ll figure this out. I just have to close my eyes, listen and let you show me the way. What’s your next move? C’mon, talk to me.

It feels strange to pause and wait for a fictional character to provide the clarity and guidance for our next scene…but sometimes that’s exactly what we need.

Have you ever had a “Talk to me, Goose” conversation with your characters?

And just for fun...

Piecing Together a Plot

Ever feel like your plot is sliding out of control?

No matter how intricate and twisty our plots are, plot holes will inevitably rear their ugly heads. Whether it’s a saggy middle, a loose end or a need for higher stakes, we’re bound to face trouble areas. Thought I’d share some of my favorite insights and exercises to help us through.

 

Identify and heighten the Goal, Conflict and Stakes

• Go through your novel and write these three words at the top of every chapter.
• Now, define them for every chapter.
• It helps identify trouble areas and highlight “soggy middle syndrome.”

Use questions and exercises to fix the trouble areas you ID’d

• How can you make your MC’s problem personal? This creates emotional power.
• How can you make it matter more than life?
• What’s the moment that your MC realizes there’s no turning back? Do readers get to see that scene?
• How can your MC’s problem get worse? Once you think you’ve made it as bad as it can be…ask this question again.
• What will be lost if your MC fails?
• Heighten your story’s turning points through action, dialogue and emotion
• Do you have a mix of internal and external tension? How can you add one or the other?
• Are your characters emotional or active? How can they be both? Can their actions and emotions be at odds?

Nail the timeline and logistics

• Know what ALL your characters are doing at any given moment, even if they’re not on scene. I did a guest post on this topic for Sommer Leigh’s Tell Great Stories a while back. MG author Janice Hardy also has some great tips on her blog.

So, there you have it. Not a perfect plot solution, but enough questions to keep us busy and scheming away on our next twist!

Handling the “I don’t know what the pirates do” Moments

“When the going gets tough, the tough…I don’t know what the tough do. I don’t know what the pirates do. I don’t know what anybody does.”

Joan Wilder, anyone? I admit I love Romancing the Stone! This quote comes from its sequel, Jewel of the Nile, when romance novelist Joan Wilder is bemoaning her writer’s block for a scene in her latest book (Involving pirates. I know, shocker, right?). She’s worried her career is over.

“I don’t know what the pirates do” moments describe that gut-clenching fear that comes when:
            a) You have no idea what happens next
            b) You realize you’ve lost all interest in your characters
            c) You’ve discovered a gaping plot hole and don’t even know
                where to start fixing it
            d) Some variation on one (or all) of the above

Raise your hand if you’ve ever felt that way. *raises hand*

So how do we pick ourselves back up and find our mojo again? I’m guessing most of us won’t be traipsing off to the Nile to do a documentary piece on a psychotic zealot like Joan did. Here are a few more down-to-earth tricks we can try:

Breathe
When the muse disappears and self doubts rear their ugly heads, you’ll want to cry or scream or throw things, and that’s fine, good even. Let it all out. Just don’t forget to breathe, too.

Go for a Walk
Getting outside does three excellently helpful things during “I don’t know what the pirates do” moments: 1) gives you fresh air, 2) gives you exercise, which gets the blood flowing and can spark inspiration, 3) gets you away from the computer where you might be evilly tempted to press delete on your momentarily-stalled Work of Awesomeness.

Do Something Outside Your Comfort Zone
There’s something to be said for the shock factor. If you put yourself in an unknown situation, not only does it pull your mind completely away from writing, it also gives you a new venue for ideas. Plus, you’ll probably have fun doing it, and fun leads to mojo…it’s a proven fact. So strap on that parachute, go to a movie alone, visit that new museum exhibit, whatever puts you in fresh surroundings.

Put on Your Favorite Tunes and Sing Along
Um…you don’t want to know how often I’ve pulled out the Bon Jovi air guitar during Livin’ on a Prayer. There’s something about music that acts like a salve. We connect with the lyrics, sing them at the top of our lungs, and suddenly all seems right in the world again.

Read a Great Book…Outside Your Genre
Nothing revitalizes my love for writing more than reading. Curling up with a great book flexes my imagination, heightens my emotions and energizes me! The key is to steer clear of anything that’s too similar to what you’re currently writing. I’ll still read fantasy, for example, but if I’m writing in third person, I’ll generally pick a fast-paced, first person novel to relax with. That way, you avoid all those nasty comparison traps we writers are so tempted to fall into.

Have Faith
A few years ago, I was in the midst of a crazy busy, frustrating time at work. I hadn’t written in weeks (a sure-fire way to make me uber cranky), and I couldn’t pull inspiration out of my ass if my life depended on it. One night, after staring at a blank screen for what seemed like forever, I sank to my knees in front of my laptop and sobbed, “It’s over.” I could just feel that dream slipping away from me. Within a week, I heard back (after 7 months) from a publication that accepted one of my short stories…my very first one. That was exactly the boost I needed.

This is a wacky business, but with a little trust, a lot of work, occasional wine breaks and good friends, we can beat the “I don’t know what the pirates do” moments. Never doubt it!

How do you handle your toughest writing moments? Bonus points for anyone who adds a favorite quote from Romancing the Stone or Jewel of the Nile!