Author: Casey Wyatt

Walking the Tight Trope

| Casey Wyatt

Tropes are unavoidable in the world of genre fiction. In fact, readers expect a certain level of “tropiness” in storytelling. However, one could also argue that the reader doesn’t want to notice the trope. If it smacks them in the face, well, they might just toss the book across the room, labeling it derivative nonsense. 

Not sure what a trope is? Trope = a common or overused theme or device.

Such as: Boy meets girl. Boy loses girl. Boy wins girl back. Practically every romance novel or romantic comedy written in the twentieth century had a bit of this trope in it. Sure, it may vary. Girl loses boy instead or Girl tells boy to shove off, but the basis of all romance is providing the reader with their Happily Ever After.

One of the most common tropes EVER is the orphan child destined/thrust into greatness or, at the very least, part of an interesting event. With this one trope, I could be describing the hero or heroine from hundreds, if not thousands, of fantasy, middle grade, science fiction, literary fiction, comic books and a zillion movies.

Don’t believe me? The devil is in the details. And as a writer, the details and inner life you give the character is what is going to elevate your story beyond the usual cliches.

For argument’s sake, let’s make the orphan a boy. But, this isn’t enough. Let’s give him more, shall we?

  • Cruel relatives. If I give him a wand and send him to a wizard school – poof – Harry Potter. If he enters a giant magical peach – James and the Giant Peach. Or forget magic – his own sister (basically all the women around him) treat him badly and he comes into his fortune because he helped an escaped convict – Pip (Great Expectations)
  • Caring relatives. Raise him on a world with two suns and hand him a light saber  – Luke Skywalker. Or, he’s an alien from outer space, his planet long dead and behold – Superman! Or his parents are gunned down in alley before his eyes. Bam! Batman! If he lives in a hole in the ground and is bequeathed a magic ring – Frodo Baggins
  • No relatives. Poor or living on his own, surviving with his wits – Oliver Twist, Huckleberry Finn, David Copperfield, James Bond.
  • Animal relatives. Throw in a jungle and some apes – Tarzan is born. Or, if you like historical myth, two orphans raised by a she-wolf – Romulus and Remus – founders of Rome.  Oh, but wait, if the animals talk  then it could be Mowgli from A Jungle Book.

And don’t think there aren’t any orphan girls. Let’s not forget: Cinderella, Heidi, Dorothy Gale, Snow White, Pollyanna, Jane Eyre, Anne Shirley, Little Orphan Annie.

Oh my! The list goes on and on!

One thing these characters have in common besides their orphan status – these are all considered classic characters either in film or literature (sometimes both). The trope was merely the stepping off point to their greatness. Their creators went beyond the cliché. Made us care about these characters and turn that page (or watch the movie again and again).

So, a word to the wise. Go beyond the trope. Really, your readers will thank you for it.

Where Art Thou?

| Casey Wyatt

Newbie writers often receive this bit of wisdom – You have to know the rules before you can break them.

I’ve heard this before. I thought I understood it, and at some level, I do. But it took an artist to drive the lesson home. Being a visual person, I often stare at paintings before I start writing. Something about the images, the colors, bring me to a happy place. I especially enjoy trees.

This is a painting of trees in autumn. Pretty straightforward, right? Clearly, this artist can realistically render a forest.

Recently, I purchased a Kindle App – Impressionism HD because I love impressionist paintings. What most people don’t always understand is that artistic endeavours don’t happen by magic. Often years of study, practice and knowing the rules are required to produce “art”. And, even then, like the Impressionists, that art may not be appreciated in that person’s lifetime.

The Impressionists broke “da rules” twisting light and colors into surrealistic landscapes and images. At the time, I imagine, the art “experts” concluded that these people weren’t any good at all. Many of them were unappreciated in their lifetime.

The same is true with writing. We have to know the rules of grammar and storytelling before we can do our own thing. Which brings me back to the forest above. Go ahead, take another look. I think it’s lovely and pleasant to look at.

Won’t you be surprised when I tell you the artist’s name?

Vincent Van Gogh. Yup. He could paint “correct” trees. Van Gogh knew the “rules” of painting.

And then he broke them. Thank goodness for that!

The Cat Gods Must be Crazy!

| Casey Wyatt

Somewhere in the universe, the cat gods must be laughing at me. Or I have a sign only cats can read pointing to my house that says “sucker for strays.”

In any case, a few weeks ago, I discovered this little guy in my recycle bin, licking a soup can. So, I fed him. Then, the next day he came back. And never left. He was friendly, wanted love, affection, and a warm house to stay in. We started calling him Pip (as in pip squeak or Pippin).

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A magical force must have been at work because hubby, who initially balked when I wanted to adopt Ariel (and he totally loves her now) didn’t say a word when we carted another cat into the house.

As can be seen, he wasted no time making himself at home.

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How could I say no to this guy? He is super sweet and loves to be handled. We’ll never know his real name or origin but it doesn’t matter. He decided we’re his. Maybe the cat gods know what they’re doing.

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My Other Blog is a TARDIS! Happy 50th to #DoctorWho!

| Casey Wyatt

After eight years of resisting the inevitable, I have finally taken the Doctor Who plunge. Thanks to Amazon Prime and the insistence of my close friend Lisa G – I started watching the show.

I had a good reason to avoid Doctor Who – despite the stellar praise. Despite the fact I was missing a show I knew I would like. All my close friends watch the show (and I am referring to the new Doctor that started in 2005 . I’ll get to classic Who eventually). It was because once I started watching, I knew I wouldn’t be able to STOP!!

And yes, that is exactly what happened. But, I’m not alone in the madness – also sucked into the Whoniverse – my two sons. Hubby is next. He just doesn’t know it yet.

Of course I picked the near moment when all the 50th anniversary programming is hitting its peak. As expected, I didn’t get much writing done because I’m hooked on Doctor Who. And this Saturday, we’ll be watching “The Day of The Doctor.”

But, I haven’t been a total slacker. Lachlan’s Curse is at the mid-point (@40,000 words). And, even better, I got two thumbs up from my beta readers for Mystic Hero.

For those of you wondering what the fuss is about, check out this trailer.

So Doctor fans, what is your favorite episode (or who is your favorite doctor)? At the moment, Blink is the family favorite. 

Frosted #Loki Charms – He’s Maniacally Delicious!!

| Casey Wyatt

I took a break from writing this past weekend and caught Thor: The Dark World.

While I am a fan of the luscious Chris Hemsworth, I must admit (and I’ve said it before) that I love the bad guy – Loki! Largely due to Tom Hiddleston’s fun and charming performance, I only wish they’d give Loki his own movie.

In my opinion, nobody does it better!

Now, I hate to blog and run, but I have another book to finish before 2013 ends. So, I leave you with this burning question and a funny video clip- Who is better: Thor or Loki? 

Me and The Doubt Monster – At Jill Archer’s Blog

| Casey Wyatt

Stop by and say hello! I’m guest blogging at Jill Archer’s today. I’m sharing my tips for dealing with doubt.

Cats do fear the Doubt Monster
Cats do not fear the Doubt Monster

Misfortune Cookie Cover Reveal!

| Casey Wyatt

Feast your eyes on the cover of  Misfortune Cookie! Another outstanding design from Rae Monet!

In other news – Mystic Hero is done (well, the first draft) and is in the hands of my beta readers.

But don’t think I’m sitting around doing nothing. Next up – completing Lachlan’s Curse. I hope to finish the first draft by the end of November.

Wish me luck!

MisfortuneCookie

Friday Favorites – Beer Bread Recipe

| Casey Wyatt

I never thought I’d be typing these words – the first draft of Mystic Hero is finished! It’s not pretty, but it’s done and will be heading to my beta readers shortly. Whew! Just in time for NaNo (which I usually unofficially participate in), so I can finish my other manuscript – Lachlan’s Curse.

IMG_1187To celebrate, I’m sharing a recipe I recently re-discovered. When I was a teen, my mother used to whip up a loaf of beer bread and, man, was it delicious. And super simple to make. After my sons were born, I made it a time or two (using non-alcoholic beer) then I kind of forgot about it.

I’m not sure what triggered the desire for beer bread. Maybe it was the stew I was making at the time. After a quick search of the internet, I managed to find one that replicated my mother’s recipe at Food.Com. If this one doesn’t tickle your fancy, there are dozens of variations out there in cyberspace.

A note about flour. This recipe uses either all-purpose flour or self-rising. If you use self-rising, omit the baking powder and salt.

Also, I don’t actually sift my flour (you can if you want to). Instead, I stir it first (in the bag), then scoop it into the measuring cup and gently level it off. This is the proper way to measure flour.  Never tap the measuring cup against the counter or scoop flour directly from the bag using the measuring cup. If you do this, your baked goods will resemble a dense brick. Don’t say I didn’t warn you first!

Enjoy!

Classic Beer Bread:

Ingredients:

3 cups flour (see note above about proper scooping) OR self-rising flour

3 tsp baking powder (skip it if you use self-rising flour)

1 tsp salt  (skip it if you use self-rising flour)

1/4 cup of sugar

1 – 12 oz of beer (I used Sam Adams because that is what hubby had stashed in the cellar. If you don’t want a strong beer taste try something paler)

1/4 to a few tablespoons melted butter (Mom never used butter so you can skip it. But try it. You might like it).

Oven temp: 375 degrees

Grease the bottom of a 9″ loaf pan.

1. Combine all the dry ingredients with the beer.

2. Put in the loaf pan. (I’ve heard of people mixing ingredients right in the pan, but I don’t see how without making a big mess).

3. If using melted butter, pour over the top (this will make the crust crispy).

4. Bake 1 hour. Remove from pan and cool about 10-15 minutes. Try not to skip the cooling step. Otherwise the bread will fall apart when cutting (Not that it stops my husband or older son!)

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Anyone else love beer bread? Have any variations to share or other simple bread recipes?

Work At Home Tips and Tricks

| Casey Wyatt

Writers get asked a lot of interesting questions . One of the more popular ones is – “where do you find the time?” Often followed by comments like “I would write, if I had the time.”

IMG_1715Well, guess what? People do have the time, they just aren’t using it to write. Sugar Jamison covered this topic on Monday (over at the 7 Scribes site), so I am not going to elaborate on finding time. See her excellent post here.

Instead, I’m going to share my twenty years experience as a work at home employee of a large national company. These tips and tricks can apply to writers as well as anyone.

1. Get up in the morning, like you would on a work day for an outside employer and bathe. Yes. Get out of your pajamas and wash yourself.  Go to your designated work space and report for duty.

2. Remember to eat breakfast. Again, in case you haven’t heard this before: it’s the most important meal of the day.

3. Develop a mindset that this is a job. Create the same mental head space/attitude you would if an employer was paying you. Writers – if you are under contract – yes, you have an employer who is paying you. If you are aspiring to publication, best develop a solid work ethic now. It will serve you well when you land that contract.

4. Have a schedule. For example, I will write from the hours of 9:00 – 12:00. Or midnight to four am. Whatever fits. And during this time, I am working. No social media, no television, no phone calls, etc.

5. Tell yourself – “I do NOT have all day to get it done.” See # 3 & #4. You don’t have all day. I know it seems that way, but if you want to work at home (doing any job, not just writing) you have to be professional and get your work done during scheduled hours.

6. Dirt doesn’t matter. Leave the dishes, killer dust bunnies and monster laundry piles alone. Believe me, they aren’t going anywhere. You can deal with them later. Like you would if you went to a day job outside of your home.  If you are bothered by these things, sorry, but you have to get over it. Or find a place to work outside of the home.

7. Take a lunch break. See #2. Eating in important to the body and brain’s function.

8. Drink lots of water. Why? So you don’t sit in your chair until your muscles atrophy. Every time you take a bio break, drink some more liquid.

9. Exercise. Especially important if you are staring at  a blank screen or hating your job. Take 10 to 30 minutes and walk (or whatever exercise does it for you – lifting your arm to aim a remote doesn’t count).

10. If you aren’t writing a story, you should be plotting your next one. Use every minute allotted to writing time to advance yourself.

This is the cat's office chair!
This is the queen’s office chair!

11. Fake it till you make it – if your day’s writing is crappy – who cares! It can all be fixed later. That’s what editing is for.

12. Schedule down time. All work and no play, make a writer grumpy and not very good at their job. Granted, if you have a full-time job (like many of us do), then allow yourself a day of rest (or even a few hours). I did this recently – see here.

13. Have fun. Remember, you’re doing this because you wanted to be a writer!

Anyone else have any tips to share?