Writing it Right, by Lisa Wysocky

As equine authors, we all want to get not only the story right, but also the horse part of it right, too. Everyone here is an experienced horse person, and has a broad base of knowledge that we incorporate into our books to share with our readers. However, it is amazing the number of little facts that creep into the story line that need to be researched, not once, but several times. We need to be thorough on our research because, if we get it wrong, at least one reader will step up to call us on it.

I think we’ve all read a book where the author gets a basic fact wrong and it takes us out of the story. That should never happen. Even in fiction, there are facts: a horse is measured in hands, a hand is four inches, there is no palomino color in the Thoroughbred breed. If we as authors get it wrong, we have done our readers a huge disservice.

I showed Appaloosa horses for many years, and the question of their point system came up in my newest Cat Enright cozy mystery, The Fame Equation. I knew how it worked. Or did I? After reviewing the current rulebook and a number of websites, I finally went to the source and called the person at the Appaloosa Horse Club who was in charge of their points system. Yes, I was right. But if I had not been, I would have alienated a lot of readers, and worse, my readers would have lost trust in me.

Quincy is a solid colored registered Appaloosa, but he looks so much like a

Thoroughbred that even his vet and farrier worked with him for

three years without realizing his actual breed.

Authors can never assume.

That is the real concern. If a reader cannot trust an author to get a basic fact correct, what about everything else the author writes? How many other mistakes, factual errors, or misconceptions are there in a given book? I write both equestrian fiction and nonfiction and am sure to find at least two credible sources for every fact I am not 1000 percent sure of. That is maybe a little over the top, but I have written a number of horse books and no reader has yet called me on a fact. I’m sure that day will someday come, and when it does, I will welcome it, for readers are truly the final authority.

• • •

Lisa Wysocky is an author, clinician, and registered PATH instructor who helps people learn about themselves through horses. Find her at LisaWysocky.com.

Winter Writing Wonderland

Okay, I'll admit it. I'm obsessed with weather. I have weather applications on all mobile devices, a state-of-the-art weather forecaster in my kitchen window and an amazing barometer/temperature reader in the barn. You see, it's not enough to know I feel cold, I want digital proof! Just this week I feel it in the air and see it in the changing leaves and slowly darkening days. Autumn is upon us with winter not far behind. Full disclosure--winter is not my favorite season, but this year I am going to try and take a different tact and embrace the season instead of fighting it.  I derived a lot of satisfaction in preparing for it yesterday as we mended the barn's front door so it will close properly come time and replaced broken fence boards. I'll get in a good store of hay and pick up my cleaned blankets. I'll be ready, but more than that. I'll stop trying to do what I can't in the winter (and feel bad about it) and instead use the time to do other things. And be OKAY with that. First and foremost on the list of those "other things" will be writing. When the siren call of the outdoors has lost it voice, yes, I'll be putting butt in chair, fingers on keyboard (or notebook) and finishing the first draft of what I believe is a very promising work in progress. And hopefully more.

Like preparing for the winter season, I'm now likewise preparing for a writing season. I've outlined (and I'm NOT a planner) key scenes in the work, drawn up character profiles, worked out timelines, and even attempted to learn a new word processor--Scrivener. I've researched historical background and even cut out inspiring pictures. I'm laying in the proverbial "firewood" to stoke up a blaze when I sit down and hammer out the ending. And edits, and more edits. The winter is almost here. How will you spend the season?

Back to School and Fresh New Starts

Although the weather is still hot and dry here, the subtle (and not so subtle) signs of autumn are all around me: the burning bush is turning red, the stores are displaying Halloween decorations, and the kids are back to school. I don't know about you, but I always equate the autumn with new beginnings, a fresh start, a chance at a new adventure. When I started each new school year with a stack of blank notebooks and sharpened pencils, I vowed to myself that this year would be different. This was the year I was going to (fill in the blank here.) Depending on the given year, it could be get better grades, be more outgoing, try out for sports, or as simple as not procrastinate. Usually by mid-October, however, the shiny new promises I made myself were as scuffed and neglected as my back-to-school shoes. Walking around in life puts a few smudges and dirt on those idealized vows.

Nonetheless, I still make new plans and search out new opportunities in the fall and this year is no different. Since I've been struggling with my present work in progress (or WIP for short), I'm tempted to jettison the tiresome task for something fresh and new. There is nothing like starting out a new work, be it a short story, novel or poem, when the fire of inspiration is on you. The words seem to fly like electricity from the brain cells through the arms to fingers, words of sheer genius madly spilling across the computer screen or notebook page. Then you hit the slump, the saggy middle, the problematic plot stopper, the self-critical editor...the mid-October blahs. What then? How do you get that "back-to-school" new beginnings promise back into your work? Do you buy a new, fancy pen and notebook? Do you look through pictures to inspire or turn to your writing manuals on plot and characterization? Sometimes. Or, do you jump ship and start a new project and just pray that the old one will come to life again in the future? Every writer has a different answer to this same dilemma.

I'll tell you what I'm doing now with the old WIP when I'm sorely tempted to fall in love with a fresh, new project instead. I'm doing something to help me become intrigued by my old characters, to re-discover and re-invent the theme that originally inspired me, and to get back to the "butt in seat, hands to keyboard" discipline that any writer needs to not only succeed but just finish a book! Not unlike bringing a horse back into work which has been laid off due to sickness or injury, I've had to start slow and review the basics. At first I took my story which had been on "stall rest" and lost all its muscle out for a ride and found it just couldn't keep up, so I went back to the barn and did a complete assessment of where the weaknesses were. Having identified two-dimensional characters, stilted scenes, plodding plot points, I fixed or eliminated these "lamenesses" by drawing up entire profiles of my main characters or by painstakingly mapping out timelines or sequences of events. Surprisingly, by doing these "fundamental exercises" I not only improved the story I had, but also became excited about it again. I gained new insights into the characters' motivations, I saw new ways to keep the suspense turned up, and I fell in love with this old WIP in the season of new beginnings. I guess those old, scuffed shoes still have a lot of miles of adventure left in them after all. What's going to inspire you this fall during the season of starting over?

Horse Personality and Characters

A non-horsey friend remarked to me recently that she was amazed to learn that horses have individual personalities. It had never occurred to her. We who spend our lives with horses would respond, "Of course they do! What did you think?"  Indeed, we who know and love horses have no doubt run across certain ones who suffer from, shall we say, an excess of personality! (Dear Red Mare of mine, I'm thinking of you.)

No two horses I've owned have ever been alike.  Sure, they all had their individual strengths and weakness as far as training and talent, but more than that, they each had their own quirks, favorite treats, fears, and games they'd play with me or each other. I had one little grade horse who loved those horrible, chalky valentines candy hearts so much he would come running across a ten-acre field when he heard the box shake. Another, a huge ex-racer (pictured above), would roll on one side and instead of rising to his feet or flipping to the other side, usually sat up on his butt and walked his front feet across in order to collapse on his other side. The first time I witnessed him doing this, I ran into the field, certain that he had broken his pelvis or something.

I'm sure every horse lover reading this is conjuring up some kooky or endearing habit of a favorite horse. So now I have to ask, why are horses in books devoid of individual personality? Yes, they are often bold and generous and courageous or forgiving, but how about less lofty, abstract traits in favor of more concrete ones? Full confession, I feel now that I was remiss in not giving my horse characters in my novel more unique personalities. So, what do you say out there readers? Can you give me some experiences you've had with quirky, crazy, funny horse traits or have you known a real horse character who is crying out to be in a novel of his own?  Would love to hear from you!

Picking a Winner

Everyone loves a winner. Fresh on the heels of American Pharoah's win at the Belmont Stakes and capture of the Triple Crown--an honor which has eluded horses for over three decades--that love is stronger than ever.  American Pharoah's name will be captured in the record books, his story will live on, and his image will be instantly recognizable. But amidst the hoopla over what is undoubtedly a great sports history story, I still wonder about the horses whose stories will fade into the mists of history. I wonder about horses like Frosted or Sham, who might have been the winning favorites if they had just not been born in the same year as a super horse. I also wonder about the ones which almost made it--Big Brown, Funny Cide, and Silver Charm-- the ones which carried the hopes and dreams of a fickle public, only to lose in the last leg, their names generally forgotten,  and have faded into the hazy public memory by all except true racing fans. But they all had their stories to tell, winners, near winners, and ones who trailed the pack. Stories about the horses, the trainers, the owners, the grooms and everyone who helped give them a shot at the Triple Crown all have their tale to tell. But these are not the stories the public wants to hear--or what the media thinks the public wants to hear--if they are not the winners.

I can't help but equate this same message to the stories told in books. According to a recent post by fantasy author Ursula K LeGuin in The Guardian, http://www.theguardian.com/books/2015/jun/03/ursula-k-le-guin-amazon-bs-machine?CMP=share_btn_tw
she accuses Amazon's marketing approach of sell it fast, cheap, and move on of having changed the landscape of both readers and publishers. Books are offered and promoted only if they are a safe bet commercially, then those books are heavily marketed until their sales wane, and it's on to the next one. Readers are left with fewer choices. This also leaves little hope for the books with slow but steady appeal (and sales) or for ones that don't conform to the model of commercial success.  I'm not sure how the Indy author can or will affect this trend, but I would hate to think that good stories don't ever get a spot in the starting gate just because they don't have the look and feel of a commercial break out novel. Like the horses which aren't the fastest, they all still have a story to tell.

Photo credit: "The horse, the legend" at www.photopin.com; Creative commons licenses.

photo credit: <a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/74031909@N00/1120222622">The horse, The legend</a> via <a href="http://photopin.com">photopin</a> <a href="https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/2.0/">(license)</a>

Making Words Count: Don't Be Boring!

by Toni Leland

A few years ago, I had a great Skype session with my then-13-year-old granddaughter, who is an avid reader and was a great help to me with a YA book I was trying to write.

Anyway, she asked what the next few scenes would be and I mentioned that my main character would be taking a trip to another state. She nodded, then leaned forward so I could see her expression on the Skype screen.

"Well, okay, but leave out the boring stuff."

This caught me off guard. What would a young teen find boring about a trip? So I asked her, and she didn't hesitate at all.

"You know, sitting in the plane, taking off, all that stuff. If you use the plane trip, make it exciting. Like, if the plane crashes and she's the only survivor!"

Okay, I can see that this child will not be fooled by filler. And if she isn't, then neither will the thousands of other young readers we hope to woo with our tales.

So, back to boring. In the early stages of my fiction-writing career, I attended a workshop given by a successful writer in which she outlined the parts of a novel and their importance. She focused on the "sagging middle" because that's where many authors have problems. She talked about breaking up the story into mostly equal word counts to achieve the final goal, and how to dole out the story points through the whole thing.

Could I keep my mouth shut? Nope. During the Q&A session, I mentioned that my story was finished, but I only had 65,000 words and the required count was 85,000. How could I fix it? Without missing a beat, she said, "Come up with more story." It was the right answer, but what she didn't include was HOW to do that. I had to learn that on my own.

A story arc has three "acts" made up of scenes. Each scene should tell the reader something new and move the story forward smoothly. A story outline can give the author a map to follow and, like a road trip, should include some scenery and attractions along the way. Building the story world is one way to expand word count, but add too much and you'll have readers skipping through the narrative. Extensive character description can also expand word count, but most readers prefer to visualize a character themselves rather than read about all the physical details. Hair and eye color, body structure, any quirks – those are good, but the rest is filler. Dialogue is one of the best writing techniques for carrying a story, but make every word golden. Lots of dialogue is good and provides plenty of white space on the page that gives one the feeling of reading quickly. But dialogue that tracks every reply and grunt and "Hi" and "Yeah" and "Fine, how are you?" is boring! We write stories not about real life as it boringly is, but real life as it is interesting. Conflict is the foundation of every story, so use it to the fullest. Make your characters work for their goals and desires; give them obstacles.

Know ahead of time what your genre expects for word count and include it in your initial story plan. I found a great explanation of word counts; it made life much easier for me. To figure out how to achieve your desired word count, look at each scene or plot point and ask yourself, "What else can happen to make this more interesting?" This is how you "come up with more story."

Now, about that plane crash...

Trying Too Hard

by Lisa Trovillion

I’ve recently had a few hands-on lessons in the old adage: Tell a gelding, but ask a mare. My mare, Dorrie, because of past physical problems, has been a study in patience and correctness. What do I mean by this? She is physically unable to go forward without being straight and needs a lot of help from the rider to find this straightness and maintain it. Here comes the patience part. It has been so hard for me to understand that I was a large part of her problem–why she would curl in a ball, flatten ears and not go forward? Why would she bow out in the opposite direction of our turn? Why does she drag and break to walk? What was happening? I’m not THAT bad a rider, am I? After all, my other horse goes along just fine. Learning the hard way—my personal specialty—I discovered that I was in fact shoving at her with my seat and nagging with my legs to go. Doesn’t work. I would creep forward, pinching with my thighs instead of sitting back with legs open. Makes her slow or stop. And I was not centered, but was instead dominating one side, which caused her to shift her weight and bow out. And all of this was so subtle that it took an instructor with a keen eye to detect it. That being said and acknowledging my riding faults, Dorrie is not a horse to meet you half way --or at all. You have to ask and you have to do it right. She’s like a giant, red “correctness” meter that clearly tells you when you're screwing up. And most of the time when I wasn't getting it right, it was because I was trying too hard.  Shoving, clamping, forcing, willing something to happen doesn't necessarily make it so. Same with writing. I'm in the slumping hammock depths of a novel right now that I'm afraid is not living up to its great beginning and planning surprise ending. Every word I write, I'm evaluating as junk. So now I'm shoving at the page, nagging at the sentences, and endlessly fidgeting with the wording so that the story is fed up, shut down, and pinning its ears at me. It's time to let go. Take a breath. Open and relax and just write as if no one will ever read it and I am free to tear up the pages as soon as they are written. That's the only way I'll go forward into that sought after zone of "self-carriage" where the words come, the characters speak, the creativity flows and the rhythm of the story moves with perfect cadence so that I'm just along for the ride! 

Why Amazon Rating Stars Are Like Dressage Scores

by Lisa Trovillion

When my book came out I compulsively checked the reviews on Amazon, tracking the number of stars.   Phew! Still in the 5-star range...that's good.  Or is it?  Star ratings are highly subjective, and like a numbered score for a movement in a dressage test, they are an artificial indication of what the rater wants to impart. You've got to read the narrative.

I've seen star ratings range from very low to five without much written to support the score.  And that's where the real meaningful information is found.  A less than five rating in Amazon may be accompanied by one of the best reviews your book has ever received.  There is something to be said for a book that is receiving ratings that run the gamut; It's more likely they were written by real readers and not just "friends and family."  Like it or not, we can't please them all!

Similarly, I would snatch my dressage test after a ride and immediately run my eyes down to the bottom right corner to check the final score.  Okay, that's human.  But what I was missing was the insightful and often helpful comments accompanying the score for each phase of the test.  Those comments, often complimentary, may have received only a luke warm score.  The horse showed promise and was executing the movement correctly--only lacking impulsion or some other fine point that could be corrected in the next go around or the next show opportunity.  Same as the criticism of a story.  Take heed, because sometimes the more critical comments have something to offer (as much as we all hate to hear it.)

Although dressage judges are professionals who have studied in order to wash away all subjectivity and to produce scores based on a standardized ideal, since they are human we know this standard does not really exist.  How many of us have chosen to show before a particular judge because she likes your type of horse or because she is generous with the "nines"?  I'll admit it.  As for readers, well, there's no real standardized ideal story, but there are elements of each and every novel that a reader will look for: conflict, characterization, pace, setting, making them care, etc. If they don't find it, they might call you out on it, and sadly, we can't always pick our readers/reviewers like we pick our judges.

I'm giving myself this lecture because I know I need it.  I need to grow a thick skin and possess a brave heart.  Putting a novel out there for any and all to review is scarier than riding down center line for a tough judge on a horse fresh off the racetrack.

Turning a Passion Into a Penny

by Toni Leland

My love affair with horses goes way back, just like most of the horse-lovers in the world. The difference for me is that I was able to take that passion and use it to earn a living!

In the beginning, there were horses in my mind and on my walls and in every sentence I spoke. This is the plight of an 8-year-old horse-crazy girl. Eventually, I actually got a horse and that was even better. But the affliction is one that can get in the way of futures and plans that others (parents) have for you, and so, many years passed before I was able to return to my first love.

In the mid-eighties, I realized the dream of having my very own horse farm. Arabian Horses, to be exact. Of course, the mid-eighties was exactly the wrong time to be getting involved in Arabians, but hey, I was on a roll. Along the way, we acquired a beautiful Morgan Horse mare and expanded our breeding program.

Our first little filly,  Pizazza

Fourteen horses (several of the mares expecting babies) equates to a lot of feed, hay, horseshoeing, and veterinary services. Horses – even really good ones – don’t always earn their keep right away, and the prospect of those yearling sales was a long way off. Time to get a job, but I wanted to stay on the farm, so I began promoting my graphic design capabilities to horse farms and breeders. Soon, I was bringing in a modest salary designing commercial advertising and writing copy for stud services, horses for sale, farms for sale, and promotional pages in breed magazines. That work led to more work and, soon, I was spending less time in the barn. But the horses were eating well!

Fast-forward to the mid-nineties. Much as I loved them, raising horses wasn’t working for me, but serving the horse community was. My beautiful horses found wonderful homes, and I focused on building my business. I continued to write and design well into the New Millennium, and in 2002, I expanded my vistas and dipped my toe into the waters of creative writing. About horses, of course.

Now – eight novels later – I can’t imagine doing anything else with my life. My first book, Winning Ways, was born of nostalgia for the horses I'd been privileged to own. The books that followed brought many issues into play, as well as creating human stories about the people who love horses. Yes, they are like anyone else – they fall in love, they have accidents, they lose loved ones, they follow the wrong path – but the common denominator is an undying love for that wonderful creature, the horse.

Eight and counting...

Feels Like The First Time

My first novel went through many forms over the years of development, as first novels do. Initially, it only existed in my head. That's where most first novels start and end. They never make it onto a hard drive.

I was still young when I began the writing process, but I was in my later teens, and so my original concept of a YA series had shifted to a more adult perspective. Many things changed. The concept became edgier and more complex. My intended protagonist was demoted to a bit part, a walk-on. New characters took the scene and made me fall in love with them. This was a commitment I would keep.

When I started my novel, I didn't even have a computer of my own. I wrote at the public library as time allowed. The process took years, but when I got my own laptop, I wrapped up the book in a comparatively timely fashion. I had a novel, and a monster of a novel at that. Over 700 pages of character development, drama, romance, and equestrian sports. Over 700 pages that represented the road to growing up.

I never wrote for a specific audience. I wrote for myself, and I tried to write as well as I could. I tried to keep it fresh, and convey emotion. Then I looked for an audience. Finding an agent can be difficult, and I wasn't willing to compromise my story to fit the mold. When the traditional route failed to pan out, I took the reins and self-published my debut, Training Harry. Surprisingly, there was a market. Not everyone appreciated my very adult, very contemporary equestrian saga, but the majority of the reviews were encouraging. I had achieved my goal of writing an entertaining, edgy read full of the true heart of the horse. Some critics complained about the strong language or argued that the book could use editing - what first novel doesn't? - but the consensus was that I knew what I was talking about it when it came to horses.

Blame it on my lack of the internet. I grew up off the grid, and horse magazines were my version of time-wasting on Facebook. Instead of whiling away my hours on BuzzFeed quizzes and clickbait, I read articles. Case Reports, training articles, recaps of the Olympics and the WEG. I was an equal-opportunity horse nerd, and all that reading served to make me an all-around armchair expert. Coupled with my physical knowledge, the muscle memory gained from years of riding, my magazine binge-reading gave me an excellent knowledge base. My research was practically done before I ever started writing.

There's nothing like your first novel. No outlines, no expectations, no clue what you're doing. Even if the end result is a little raw, even if there's work to be done, even if it doesn't work out exactly like you wanted, at least you can say you have achieved something. Because at the end of the day, you are one of the few whose first novels actually made it onto paper.

                                

What's Your Book About?

Whenever someone learns I’ve written a novel, usually the next question out of their mouth is, “So, what’s your book about?”  I have met that question with much trepidation and fear.  Don’t get me wrong—I’m delighted that potential readers want to hear more, but I find it so hard to sum up “what it’s about” in the course of a casual exchange. 

And that is exactly what we are asked to do as writers—to provide a one-sentence synopsis of the story, to boil down all the themes into a tag line or a pitch.  So, I go for the obvious and throw out a few bare bones facts concerning the plot: “There’s this girl who wants to qualify for a prestigious, big horse show against incredible odds.”  With this, the literary agents, small publishers and maybe even a few readers stifle a yawn and think, “Girl and her horse story. It’s been done to death.” 

We might all have faced that dilemma—striving for a fresh way to tell an old tale.  Seeing that I’m losing them, I quickly add, “But this girl’s horse may have at one time been a world class show horse that ends up in a cheap auction’s kill pen.”  Perhaps a few readers prick up their ears with some interest.  “But more than that.  It’s really about the girl facing her own limitations, her fears, her insecurities.”  I see some lights come on in my listeners’ eyes, which encourages me to press on.  “You see, it’s really about the nature of desire.  How what you want in life can either twist you up and make you miserable, or liberate you and fill the void in your life.”  The thing is, the book is about many more things: family dynamics and how wounds perpetuate themselves, its about fear of failure, its about finding one’s calling, it’s about how to let go without giving up. 

Now, how do I get that all into one catchy line?