Knitting Scenes into Stories: Nah, I'm Way Too Rigid

Knitting in writing. Do I? Have I? Should I?

~slaps knee~

Oh, dear Readers, I have attempted the great "write scenes as they come to you, then knit them together into a cohesive story."

Such. A. Disastrophy.

My analytical brain had apoplexy. It shrieked. It flailed. It gave me a two-week migraine to ensure I never, ever, ever pulled a stunt like that again. The time it took to write that story was years longer than it should've been. The isolated scenes I'd written never made it into the final story. Worst of all, the plot and pacing of the book never recovered from trying to incorporate those pre-written islands. That is a 300k under-the-bed book that will never see the light of day.

The pole up my butt is way too stiff to let me do patchwork story writing. I am too much a girl of process and flow. A, then B, then C. My clunkiest stories are ones I didn't plot. Trying to warp a plot around pre-written scenes is 10x worse for me and the reader because it's obvious I'm trying too hard to make Fetch happen. You might think having a plot then writing the isolated scenes would make them easier to incorporate. Dear Reader, you'd be wrong. 

My method of writing requires Ch 2 to build off Ch1 and to set up Ch 3. Ch3 builds off Ch 2 and sets up Ch 4. Rando chapter out there, holding up a boombox playing "Don't You Want Me, Baby" will never fit. It'd be like a tangle of dog hair laundered into your sweater. It's not the right texture or color. It's got strands that waggle beyond the warp and weft; it's a total distraction....that gets removed.

What about developmental edits that ask me to move pieces around?

~scratches blossoming rash~

That--that's a rewrite of the whole fucking book. Knit one, purl two. If you purl one, knit two in the middle of the back piece you've got to undo everything that came after and re-knit. Or you live with the glaring flaw. Thems your options. 

Admittedly, there are many successful authors who can and do beautifully knit scenes into great stories. I'm not saying you shouldn't; I'm saying I can't. So, do I knit? Not literally. Not figuratively. 

Not much for weaving...

This week's subject asks a rather significant question: Do you Weave?

In this case, weaving means to go back to a story and add in scenes to change the tale. Now, sometimes that men's in a situation where you're repairing a tale. In other cases the real question is Do You work in a linear or non-linear fashion.

I'm linear. I HAVE had to weave in repairs, but I don't like to do it.  know the beginning, the middle, and the end of a story before I start. it might change as I go along, but it's incredibly rare for me to add in a scene after the fact.

It's a matter of structure and a matter of how my mind works I've had a few occasions where something wasn't work was writing it, but in most cases that meant deleting part of the book stopping what I was doing ad rewriting a block of the tale before I ever got close to finishing it.

The one serious exception was SERENITY FALLS, which is easily the largest piece I ever wrote. The first version of the book was 300,000 words long and came out as a single volume When the paperback version came out it was decided by the publisher to make it a trilogy. In order to make that happen, I added 40,000 words of story and shuffled quite a bit of the book around to guarantee easy story flow.

No, that's not a typo. I added half a novel worth of work in the weave. It was necessary in order to make the story as seamless as possible and meant adding well over a dozen new scenes. I do not regret any part of that work, just for the record.

Still, I'd rather not is my point.

Do You Knit... or WEAVE?

Our topic at the SFF Seven this week is... knitting? Did our calendar guru pick this for Mother's Day week, or is it a coincidence?

Anyway, it's not the knitting you think. (Or not the knitting *I* thought.) We're asking each other if we write scenes piece by piece and knit them together, or if we have ever had to knit-in scenes?

I am not a knitter. If I go for a textile metaphor, I'd say I'm a weaver. I line up all the threads, begin at one end with nothing but a lot of colors and textures, and then I weave them gradually into a tapestry. That said, I've occasionally had to weave scenes, themes, and clues into the finished story - which is probably what the topic poser is getting at here.

It just doesn't feel like knitting to me.

For example, for developmental edits on THE FIERY CROWN (out in only two weeks!! preorder now!! Eeee!!!), my editor Jennie Conway asked me to add in some scenes early in the book. She wanted to see some of the secondary characters sooner. She also wanted discussion of a later issue to happen sooner. So I ended up adding two scenes and fleshing out a couple of others.

The thing is, this isn't like patching a tire or splicing a soundbite into a podcast (which I've learned to do!). Nor is it like reworking some part of a painting. That's why I think of it as weaving. In order to add scenes and characters to an earlier point in the tapestry, I have to adjust the warp and weft before that to accommodate them. Then I have to alter the pattern of the threads thereafter, to keep the texture even and the pattern tight.

It was all for good reasons - and made for a better book - but yeah... I don't knit. Either in my writing or in real life!

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Let's Make My Science Fiction Rock Star Romance into a Musical!

Our topic this week at the SFF Seven is "Your book as a musical: which book would you choose to have made into a musical and which composer/lyricist/songwriter would you have score it?"

No problem answering this one – I wrote a science fiction rock star romance so let’s make that one a full blown musical! Here’s the story of Star Cruise: Songbird: Grant Barton, a Security Officer on the Nebula Zephyr, is less than thrilled with his current assignment to guard an Interstellar singing sensation while she’s on board the ship. It doesn’t help that he and his military war bird Valkyr are dealing with their recent separation from the Sectors Special Forces and uncertainty over their future, with their own planet in ruins.

Karissa Dawnstar is on top of the charts and seemingly has it all – talent, fame, fortune and devoted fans, but behind her brave smile and upbeat lyrics she hides an aching heart. When a publicity stunt goes wrong, Karissa finds herself in the arms of the security officer assigned to protect her – and discovers a mutual attraction she can’t ignore.

Trouble continues to plague the pair, driving a wedge between them and leaving Grant certain that Karissa is in more danger than she realizes, from overzealous fans and her own management. Grant is determined to protect Karissa whether she wants his help or not. Can he discover the truth behind what’s going on before he loses Karissa or is there someone else plotting to keep them apart – permanently?

I love the rock star romance genre and among my favorites are Nalini Singh’s Rock Kiss series, J T Geissinger, Liora Blake…plus movies such as “The Bodyguard” and “Beyond the Lights”.  That, and my fascination with any number of behind the scenes documentaries about rock tours, helped influence me when I was writing this book. I think it’d be fairly easy to turn the storyline into a musical, with Karissa, the rock star in question singing full out production numbers during the stage shows and a pensive ballad or two when the romantic hard times occur. I’d love to have someone create the pulse pounding finale song, which Karissa has written as a tribute to her love for Grant.

Can we get the antigrav dancers too? Oh and the two alien birds?

I’m not too up on composers and etc. I like what I like and I don’t analyze the details too much. Probably if one of the current rock stars could be interested in creating songs for the movie, we’d be in great shape! Katy, Taylor, Beyonce, GaGa….I kind of rattle around in my musical tastes from vintage rock to Disney tunes to 1930’s and 1940’s musicals to Rodgers & Hammerstein to country to Backstreet Boys to certain current artists to…well, you get the picture. So I say let’s put together the movie deal and see what happens! Let’s make a musical!

(Too bad the composer of the "Fireball XL-5" full theme song isn't available...)

Now if we wanted a musical that was more about the dancing, Star Cruise: Mystery Dancer would be ideal and could feature different dance production numbers from the audition montage to the finale, as well as a ballad or two for those moments when the heroine reflects on her tragic past or the destiny facing her or the impossibility of her love for the hero (but of course we all know that turns out fine by the closing curtain)…

Here’s the plot: Tassia Megg is a woman on the run after the death of her elderly guardian. She needs to get off the planet in a hurry when chance directs her to an open dance audition for the luxury cruise liner Nebula Zephyr’s resident troupe. One thing Tassia can do is dance.

Security Officer Liam Austin is suspicious of the newest performer to join the Comettes. She shows all the signs of being a woman on the run and seems to fit the Sectors-wide broadcast description of a missing thief, accused of stealing priceless artifacts. As he gets to know Tassia during the cruise, he starts to wonder if she’s something more – a long vanished princess in hiding from deadly political enemies of her family perhaps?

And what’s the story with the three eyed feline companion other crew members swear Tassia brought aboard the ship? Does the animal even exist?

As the ship approaches its next port of call, all the issues come to a boil and Liam must decide if he’ll step in to help Tassia or betray her. F’rrh the alien cat is the key to the mystery and Tassia’s fate.

A science fiction romance take on the Anastasia tale...

If it seems like I’ve had it too easy answering this week’s question, I’ll offer you a third choice that doesn’t ‘star’ a singer or a dancer – Trapped on Talonque.

Here’s the plot and then I’ll explain my vision for the musical: Will an alien sleeping beauty awaken to save him, or to destroy everyone around her?

Space Marine Nate Reilly and his Special Forces team are in deep trouble. Prisoners on a backward alien planet, they're brought before an alien 'goddess', sleeping in her high tech seclusion. Nate is astonished when she awakes and establishes a psychic link with him. But her news is not good--he and his men must win a brutal challenge set by their captors, or they will die. She'll give her aid, but in the end their courage and strength must win the contest.

Bithia sleeps in her chamber, as she has for thousands of years, since her own people unaccountably left her there. Viewed as a goddess by her captors, she must hide her ancient secrets to survive. But only the bravest of men may free her. Can she use her psychic powers to keep Nate and his men alive long enough to help her escape, or will her only hope of freedom die with them?

I could envision some really heart rending duets, with the trapped alien heroine and the stalwart human Special Forces soldier, as they meet in dreams, and of course a triumphantly happy one at the end of the book. I could see a certain sporting event set to music, lots of quick cuts and pulse pounding rock beats…the soldier vowing revenge after one of his men is murdered in their captivity, which could make for a powerful song of defiance and determination…perhaps one of the scenes with the planet’s inhabitants conducting a ceremony which would allow for a fantastic set piece…there’s a sort of light hearted village dance toward the end…of course a love song, on the beach…and a rousing instrumental anthem as the happy ending is achieved (no spoilers from me).

I’m not as excited about this one, probably because I never envisioned it as a musical but hey, if Lord of the Rings can be done as a stage musical, why not?

Happy reading!

Note: All book covers done by Fiona Jayde.

True Love, High Aventure, and Explosions: The Musical!

When I think of the musicals I've seen and the ones I've been in, I think of grand sweep tales (the ones I've seen) and the utterly silly (the ones I've been in). We won't talk about the show where I was painted blue and singing about a unicorn. Or the show where I sang a rhapsodic song about my pink Airstream trailer.

Anyway.

Musicals. I'm not sure how you score a science fiction romance. I mean. I suppose if someone could score Victor Hugo, there out to be a rousing score for Enemy Within. So long as it didn't end up sounding like Pirates of Penzance. I admit that like Alexia, I see SFR in a more cinematic ligh - - - WAAAAIT.

I write Space Opera. What if - stay with me here - WHAT IF I could get a Warner Brothers Bugs Bunny and Elmer Fudd What's Opera Doc adaptation of Enemy Within?? SIGN. ME. UP.

Do I see my book as a musical?

Hmmm….which one of my books would I turn into a musical? Tough topic this week, SFF Seveners! 

It shouldn’t be difficult though, right? I mean, I’ve never been to a live musical. The closest I’ve been would be South Dakota State’s production of Capers and I don’t remember there being music other than some background stuff…I’d label it comedy satire, excellent comedy-satire.

No live stuff, though I am a fan of some classic movie-musicals: My Fair Lady, Seven Brides for Seven Brothers, The Greatest Showman, and about every Disney movie ever. 

But turning one of my books into a musical? I think I’m in Vivien Jackson’s camp on this one…I don’t see it. 

Sci-fi thrillers just don’t make good musicals. When I write sci-fi I definitely see what I’m writing, exactly like a movie. Sometimes when I’m writing I even lean back in my chair and enjoy the show…I just need to remember to make some popcorn when I do that.  

On the other hand...my fantasy writing could be turned into musicals. Awakening the Blades would be equated to Pride and Prejudice and Zombies, a lot of parallels there. But that movie ended up being a horror/action flick, which I’m totally down for! My second fantasy could be compared to the Lord of the Rings, very epic, large cast of characters, and the balance of the world depends on a single choice. So, I guess if you can picture Gandalf the White belting out tunes then we’ve got somethin’. 

Personally, I’d rather stick to imagining my writing as blockbuster movies. They already play out that way in my head and the music I listen to as I work is 99% instrumental. 

Wait…instrumental…that’s big in musicals too, right? I mean, there’s music everywhere in a musical. It’s happening when the curtain’s shut. It’s chiming when you’re supposed to be sitting down! It’s crescendoing as the scenes are being changed over!! Nooooooo!!! My books could be musicals one day!!!

My panic aside, do you have a favorite read or book that you’d LOVE to see as a musical?  

Robot Kissing: The Musical? Nah

So this week we are imagining a book of ours... as a musical. And while I think this musicalization thing worked out really well for Buffy, I can't see my stories on stage at all. I think that's because I'm not a super visual person, and when I'm writing I try to focus more on the other senses, whereas theater is principally visual? Or because I did too much musical theater in high school and am still scarred by Li'l Abner?

Anyhow, when I was writing Wanted & Wired, I did have a playlist, so maybe that counts. It was a lot of of AC/DC (all of Back in Black, which is one of two albums I consider the best ever, fight me), The Killers, and Prince (because Prince works as mood music for everything). Some Foo Fighters, Bikini Kill, and other random stuff. I added The Eagles' "Desperado" for Perfect Gravity -- because, hello cowboy -- and Bowie's Ziggy Stardust album for More Than Stardust (shocking, I know). Queen's "Fat Bottomed Girls" is my personal theme song, so it comes up from time to time, too.

So I guess you could score my books like that? Dunno. I still don't "see" it.

Right now I'm writing to the persistent and violent lullaby of my kids' multitude of remote-learning videos. I can tell you one thing: that stuff? Not inspiring.

Dream Team for Scoring The Hanged Spy: The Musical

If one of my books were to be made into a musical, The Hanged Spy would probably be best suited to the stage for the sake of sets and how the magic can be shown with creative lighting. It'd also lend itself wonderfully to audience inclusion in both staging and effects.

Who would I have score the show and wrangle the lyrics? Lzzy Hale (of Halestorm) and Maria Brink (of In This Moment) would be amazeballs. Not only do they both write songs that shove you into potent pockets of emotion, but their music also takes listeners along a journey of highs and lows necessary for storytelling. Maria's live shows are rich with theatrics, so she gets how songs and staging need to work together. Lzzy is the queen of collaborators across genres, so penning music that enhances the uniqueness of the diverse factions is totally in her wheelhouse.

I would love, love, love to hear what these metal powerhouses would compose for Bix's personal anthem and for the soul-crushing duet with Bix and Tobek. Oh, and they can do sinister so well that the antagonist might end up with the show-stealer. Then there'd be the insouciant ditty for Drew the draugr. Earworm stamped all over it.

~shuffles playlist and gets back to writing~