Writer Unboxed

(Happy Friday the 13th!)

Missed parts one and two of WU’s interview with Jeri Smith-Ready? You can catch up HERE and HERE. In this, our final chunk-of-the-chat, we talk about POV, dialogue and writing screenplays, among other things. (Did you know that Jeri’s romantic comedy script, Between the Lines, made it to the quarterfinals in one of the world’s largest, most competitive screenwriting competitions in the country, Scriptapalooza?) We also chat about her relationship with LUNA, cover flap flap, and the best advice she’s ever received. Enjoy!

Part 3: Interview with Jeri Smith-Ready

Q: Eyes of Crow is told exclusively from protagonist Rhia’s point of view. What benefits and challenges did this choice bring? Was it an easy decision to make?

JSR: I’m generally a big fan of single-person POV stories, both as a reader and a writer. I like the emotional and psychological intensity it provides.

But the choice depends on the novel. For a coming-of-age story like Eyes of Crow, it felt appropriate. Voice of Crow, which has a larger scope in general, has four POV characters (and Wings of Crow will have six–wheeee!!). The POVs are very deep, i.e., there’s no omniscient, authorial voice, and even the narrative portions are from the unique perspective of that particular character, describing things as he or she would.

For example, the two Wolf POV characters (Marek and Alanka) experience the world primarily through scent and sound, and being from Kalindos, their “tongue” is more casual and clipped than Rhia’s. Filip, a Descendant from an upper middle-class family, uses more sophisticated language even in his thoughts. And unlike the others, he thinks of an animal as “it” instead of “him” or “her.”

More importantly, each character has his or her own journey. I wouldn’t add a POV for just a scene or two for the sole purpose of imparting story information or another “camera angle,” because to me character is always paramount.

As to the challenges of single-person POV, I can think of several.

Switching points-of-view gives the impression of a faster pace and can add excitement. If your sole POV character is not in the thick of the action in a scene, you have to find a way to convey that action in a way that holds an impact for that character. For instance, though Rhia isn’t on the battlefield, she sees the results up close in the hospital tent, and I gave her an opportunity to get a view from above, just in time to witness the worst event of all.

I’ve never tried omniscient POV, because I want a reader to sink into a character’s mind, not be reminded of my authorial presence.

I could go on all day about POV, obviously.

Q: The dialog (and overall chemistry) between lovers Rhia and Marek really moves the story along. Did you find these sections easier to develop?

JSR: Yes, definitely. Dialogue is my favorite element of writing, and the interaction between lovers (or potential lovers) flows very easily for me. (Read Requiem to see what I mean.) If I could write anything I wanted, it would be romantic comedies. One of these days there’ll be a market for them again.

Q: Did your time working with screenplays help you to develop dialogue skills?

JSR: I think it was the other way around–I gravitated to screenwriting because of my dialogue skills, and because I hate Hate HATE writing internalizations (unless they provide a counterpoint to the dialogue) and descriptions. What’s a character feeling? Let the actor show it on his face. What does the living room look like? Let the production designer figure that out. Screenwriting is so freeing in that respect.

Perhaps my strength in dialogue comes from my theatre background. In college, I avoided reading novels (perhaps because English-major novels are boring) and preferred plays. Dialogue is even more important in theatre than on the big screen, because the actors are literally trapped in a few basic setting. The most you get is a helicopter landing or a chandelier falling–and even then, only if you’re Andrew Lloyd Webber.

So for anyone looking to convey more character through dialogue, I recommend reading screenplays or plays.

Q: Tell us about your relationship with LUNA. Will they be publishing the next two books in your trilogy despite cutbacks?

JSR: Luna has been great to me. They’ve allowed me enormous creative freedom. They’ve also given me the opportunity to have a lot of influence in the cover design and cover copy (something most publishers don’t do at all), and have made me feel like my opinion matters. It really feels like a partnership. And Stacy Boyd, my editor, is responsive and insightful–not to mention a fantastic person to work with.

The next two books will be released on schedule (Voice of Crow in October 2007, Wings of Crow in Fall 2008). It’s true that Luna has cut select series and authors, but they’ve kept many more than they’ve cut. They’ve even bought new books from a few of their current authors, so there’s still growth there.

Why am I optimistic when other series have been cut short? By the time Luna released Eyes of Crow, they had the benefit of three years’ experience in producing and marketing fantasy fiction and were able to adjust their expectations. Because of this industry’s returns system (where bookstores get full credit from the publisher for books they don’t sell), the key to publishing success is not the raw number of books sold, but how well an author performs compared to expectations. It may seem contrary to common sense, but we newbies can be a less risky venture for a publisher than a big-name author, because our advances and print runs tend to be lower.

The cutbacks at Luna have taught me the importance of supporting the authors you love. I rarely buy a used book unless it’s out of print, and if I get a book from a library and enjoy it, I’ll usually buy my own copy. Each sale doesn’t just put a dollar in an author’s pocket–it can make the difference in the viability of the next contract or even an entire career.

Bottom line: if you want to see more books from the authors you love, then buy their books new, and tell your friends how wonderful they are.

(Confession: In order to afford books by new authors, I borrowed the Harry Potters from my mom. Forgive me, Ms. Rowling!)

Q: I try to forget any telling information on the back flap of a book once I begin reading it, because sometimes secrets are revealed. “She was born to die again and again” could be seen as undercutting one of your story secrets, revealed mid-book. How do you feel about that?

JSR: Generally I agree with you about cover flap information, but I think that particular example intrigues more than it spoils. If anything, it maintains a tension through the end of the book (will she die again?). Besides, just about every review gives away the secret in question, that and the crucial event from Chapter Five!

Q: Which authors inspire you? And what are your favorite craft books (if any)?

JSR: I could name dozens, but the two who come to mind are Madeleine L’Engle and Stephen King. L’Engle of course wrote the phenomenal Time Quartet, but she’s also written some amazing works on writing and spirituality. Her humility and grace are an inspiration. I’m inspired by all the obstacles King had to overcome (poverty, addiction, getting run over by a van). He’s also completely devoid of pretension and bullshit. I respect that.

Favorite writing books:

Walking on Water: Reflections on Faith and Art, by Madeleine L’Engle
Writing from the Inside Out: Transforming Your Psychological Blocks to Release the Writer Within, by Dennis Palumbo
Self-Editing for Fiction Writers: How to Edit Yourself into Print, by Renni Browne & Dave King
Stein on Writing, by Sol Stein
Plot and Structure, by James Scott Bell
Dare to Be a Great Writer, by Leonard Bishop
On Writing, by Stephen King (the audio version is particularly worthwhile)
The Writer’s Journey, by Christopher Vogler
How to Write a Breakout Novel, by Donald Maass

Q: What’s the best piece of advice you ever received about the industry?

JSR: Whatever it was, I probably ignored it. I’ve always stubbornly gone my own way, which has led me to make mistakes, but also helped me avoid bad advice, such as:

• Don’t cross genres
• Don’t write about religion or politics
• Don’t e-publish, because it’ll ruin your chances for “real” publication forever
• Don’t write in present tense

I even heard one author telling a group of aspiring writers never to revise. Gaack!

Any of these bits of advice were correct from one perspective, and might be correct for some people (except “never revise,” which was offered by a very jaded author who told me in private that everyone who deserved to be published already was). But not for everyone.

If I could give one piece of advice, it would be: Beware of advice. Every writer has his or her own history and agenda, and most of them are happy to share them with you–disguised, of course, as Cold Hard Fact.

However, if you see the same piece of advice in many places, coming from many different sources, it’s probably solid. Things like:
1. Read widely
2. Write often
3. Let a first draft sit for 4-6 weeks before revising it
4. Take care of your body
5. Be a good person
6. Don’t let the bastards grind you down

Everything else, you have to discover on your own what works for you. Don’t try to cram your creativity or career path into someone else’s pattern.

Thank you, Jeri Smith-Ready, for a great interview, and best of luck with your blooming career!

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