Author Archives: Kim May

It doesn’t matter if you’re an outliner or a seat-of-the-pants writer. We’ve all done it. We’ve had an awesome idea that will make the story so amazing! But when we follow that awesome idea to its end we realize that it changes everything. All the neat plot twists you originally planned to write won’t work anymore and you have no idea how to get your characters out of their new predicament. You’ve backed yourself into a corner and there’s no sign of salvation.

Well, not quite.

The way I see it there’s two ways to get out of this mess. The first is to become a rabid badger. I know. It’s not very attractive and there’s that whole rabies thing but it does have a tendency to scare away the plot bunnies. It doesn’t make it any easier to solve the plot problems you still have but it sure is entertaining to watch. The other option is to light the bat-signal and ask your non-rabid badgers-in-arms for help.

Remember when I said “we’ve all done it”? Few people understand this kind of hopelessness and desperation better than fellow writers and few can help you get out of it better than fellow writers. Ask a non writer for help and they’ll say “you’re not trying hard enough” or worse. Only writers will give you a sympathetic nod before dispensing with advice. Better yet, ask writer friend that knows you and your process. Their advice is more likely to be exactly what you need. If you’re not close enough to any local writers or aren’t part of a writing community (local or online) you can still avoid the rabid transformation. There’s sites like this one, online writing communities that are always looking for new members, and wonderful podcasts like Writing Excuses that you can turn to for advice. If a favorite author is coming through your neck of the woods on tour you can ask them for help too. All the pros I know are more than happy to answer writing questions.

When these things happen it can be hard to hard to reach out for help but don’t let that stop you from doing it. The only shame in being stuck is if you allow yourself to remain stuck. No writer is going to think you’re an amateur or stupid for asking. Actually the opposite. This is how we learn, this is how cool stories are finished, and this is how we grow closer as a community.

Grief and Method Writing

July 13, 2015

Kim May

Conflict Kim May Reader Investment & Empathy Submissions No Comments

Method acting (using memories of your own painful experiences in order to convey that same emotion in a performance) is a subject that actors often have opposing views on. Either they think it’s the only way to effectively convey strong emotions or they think it’s a cheat that does more damage to the actor’s psyche then it’s worth.

Oddly, method writing doesn’t have the same stigma. Maybe it’s because it’s incredibly hard to create when we’re feeling strong emotions like grief. It could also be because some of those experiences were so painful that we don’t want to revisit those memories for any reason. However, if you are able to string words together in the proper order when those painful moments arise you can use them to add depth and authenticity to your writing that it may not otherwise have.

Last year I attended the Anthology Workshop that Kristine Kathryn Rusch and Dean Wesley Smith do every winter. It’s very intense and requires a lot of prep work; most of which is writing six short stories for six specific themed anthologies, each edited by a different professional editor, in six weeks. I was determined to write all six. Not only did I want to get the most out of the workshop (it’s not cheap) but I also didn’t want to let Kris and Dean down since they were kind enough to let an unpublished writer (me) into the workshop.

Unfortunately the day I started writing the first story my cat stopped eating. She was almost nineteen years old and her mobility had been declining for several months. In fact I had to place the giant tackle box I store my make-up and hair pieces in (old theater habit) next to the bed so she could use it as a stair. Having watched her brothers go through a similar decline prior to their deaths, I knew what was coming.

I had so much invested in the workshop that I was hesitant to pull out, especially since I didn’t know exactly how long she had left. She outlived her eldest brother by a decade so I kept writing in the hope that she would hang in there long enough for me to finish the last story. All of this weighed heavily in my mind when I wrote Blood Moon Carnival, which is in the anthology pictured above. All of the sadness, fear, and grief I felt I poured into that story. It wasn’t easy but the end result was definitely worth it. Without that experience the protagonist’s reactions wouldn’t have right. Grief for a friend or grandparent, while intense, is different than grief for a spouse or child — something I didn’t realize until I experienced it.

As I said before, because it’s hard to create when intense emotions like this take over your mind you shouldn’t feel bad if you can’t utilize them in the moment. I think the only reason it worked for me was that I did it prior to her death. I certainly couldn’t have done it right after her passing. If you’re not able to use the experience while the memories are still fresh, you can draw on them later. These kind of memories don’t diminish with time.

Good Writing Gets Noticed

June 29, 2015

Kim May

The Writing Life No Comments

I know. It seems like a no brainer. Of course good writing will be noticed. Good writers get the award nominations, the six figure publishing contracts, and interviews on morning talk shows.

That’s true some of the time. Those are the things that popular writers get. Sure, most of them are also good writers but sometimes hacks receive those accolades, to the bafflement of many, and the definition of what good is will change from audience to audience, genre to genre, and reader to reader. Favorable reviews in publications like Publishers Weekly and Locus are fantastic and can curry favor with the lords and ladies of publishing but that doesn’t necessarily translate into sales because those publications are primarily read by people in the industry. They’re (generally) not read by the people who buy and read your books — and their opinions and reviews are what influence sales.

So how do you know if your writing is good enough to please the readers? Well you can send your work out into the world and wait for the Amazon and Goodreads reviews to appear. Some have found success that way. However, I’ve always thought of it as a Hail Mary pass. Your effort is spiraling through the ether and you’re praying that the right person will catch it so you can ride home on a sea of applause. In my opinion depending on divine intervention and luck isn’t a good business plan. They don’t hurt and I’ll take as much of both as I can get but there is a lot that writers can do to improve their writing.

A lot of writing blogs will tell you if you want to be a good writer do this, or don’t use pronouns, or sacrifice a latte to the this deity. Some of the advice is really good, some of it won’t apply to the genre or style you’re writing, and some of it is worthless bunk. Which advice falls into what column is all up to you. That said, there are three bits that I find are universally helpful.

1) Know your target market. If the people who read your genre devour action packed pulse pounding adventures, then you might want to replace that love triangle with a few more fight scenes. If the people reading your genre tend to be young moms needing an escape from reality then you might want to keep your chapters short so they can read one while the kids are napping.

2)Don’t try to be something you’re not. We can’t all be Hemingway or Tolkien. Be you. Find your voice and don’t be afraid to use it.

3) Become a better writer. Find out what your weak points are. Is your dialogue choppy? Are your characters one dimensional? Do you use the same plot twist over and over? Once you know that you can study and practice in order to turn them into strengths.

Lonely Writer Is Lonely

May 12, 2015

Kim May

Kim May Writing Tools No Comments

Yes, this is the best bonus track ever. Yes, this song is a bit creepy at the end but it illustrates what it’s like being a writer. We sit alone in room, lit only by the computer monitor, typing away. At some point the company of our imaginary friends isn’t enough. We start to crave the companionship of a breathing human being as much as we crave writing another chapter. And of course, we don’t want too much company because introversion and all that but we still crave a little people time. Thankfully we can satisfy both cravings at the same time!

If there’s a writing community where you live, meet up with them for some writing time. That’s right, you’ll be among a group of writers who occasionally talk to one another but mostly you sit in a coffee shop or library and write. It doesn’t matter if those around you are writing in the same genre because you’re all fulfilling the same dual need.

Now I hear some of you saying “But I live in the smelly nether region of nowhere! There aren’t any creative types to hang out with!” And I hear others saying “I can’t write outside of my sacred writing space.” Well for you, my friends, there is the internet. Yes, it’s often a distraction (darn you, cat videos!) but when used wisely it can be a useful tool.

Mary Robinette Kowal introduced me to Google +. I know, say what you want about the site itself but video chat is the most wonderful way to get some writing done without leaving your creative space. It also allows you to get to know writers from all over the world, while being productive. The way Mary runs her writing hangouts is that everyone chats for fifteen minutes and then writes for forty-five minutes. At the end of the writing time the cycle starts over and repeats until everyone has to depart for other things. You can also do this on Skype and FaceTime and the length of writing vs. socialization time can be adjusted to fit your/the group’s needs.

Another option is a chat room. One of my mentors introduced me the online writing group that she belongs to. It’s a private group of professional writers, which is why I’m not naming it or the site, but the group logs in to a site that they created for this purpose. It doesn’t have any fancy graphics or features. It’s just a chat room. However, like the G+ hangouts the main focus of the group when in the chatroom is to socialize, work out plot problems, and get writing or editing done. The members hail from all over the world so no matter what time of day it is, there’s usually someone logged in. Now what makes this unique, other than the privacy, is that the members have friendly writing battles.

I know. “friendly” and “battle” are words rarely seen in the same sentence and for good reason. In this case it really is the truth. We set a time frame, usually thirty minutes, and we write as much as we can during that time. When time is up we share our word counts and congratulate everyone on how much they accomplished. It doesn’t matter if a member got 1,000 words down or 100. They receive equal praise from the group. If a member is in the midst of edits they’re welcome to battle with the writers by editing as much as they can in the given time frame. Again, it doesn’t matter if they completed edits on two pages or two sentences. The progress is equally praised because everyone in the group has a family to take care of, or a day job, or both in addition to being an author. There’s a mutual understanding of how life can get in the way of creativity so any progress on a story is an achievement worthy of praise. It’s a wonderful way to work.

Whichever site you choose to try, if it doesn’t work for you, don’t give up. Maybe video chat is too intimidating. (Watching yourself write can be weird at first.) Try writing with your camera off, try other sites, find or create a group with dynamics that feel right to you. It can take a few tries to discover exactly what kind of and how much interaction you need. This is a big world. No matter what your needs are, online there’s a place and people who can fulfill those needs without additional cost or inconvenience to you.

Happy writing!