The Orca Limelights website is now live, featuring a video book trailer by Limelights author Tom Ryan. Please share the trailer with bookseller and booklovers everywhere!
The Limelights series is creating a buzz among booksellers, too. I’m happy to report that the series will be featured in the 2013 Books For Everybody holiday catalogue coming out this fall. Yippee!
Most people in the publishing world will admit there’s no magic formula for creating a great story. The art of storytelling is difficult to pin down, hard to teach, and challenging to perfect.
Perfecting story is a continual task for most writers – a never-ending quest for excellence. That’s why being able to analyze one’s story – to determine what it’s doing well and where it needs revision – is essential.
For years now, I’ve been exploring the teachings of screenwriting experts to help me better understand story. A long-time favourite is Hollywood story consultant Christopher Volger. In June, I had the pleasure of learning from him in person at his weekend seminar on the Essence of Storytelling. The seminar covered essential story structure, the hero’s journey, major character archetypes, and strategies for deepening the audience’s involvement in the story. It was great fun to attend with fellow writers Anne Laurel Carter, Lena Coakley, Jennifer Gordon, Gwynn Scheltema, Rebecca Upjohn Snyder, and Erin Thomas.
At the seminar, Volger proved himself to be an expert at analyzing story. Here are two particular aspects of story analysis that I found useful.
Organic Storytelling
Vogler suggests that story connects with the body, that it can have a physical effect on the organs of the body. For example, we talk about how a story chokes us up or warms our hearts. Somehow, stories are hardwired into the human body.
That’s why Vogler has this rule: If a story is not making two or more organs of your body squirt fluid, the story is no good.
By observing our bodies as we experience story, we can better determine what makes an effective story.
Story Structure
Throughout his career, Vogler has sought to understand the hidden rules of storytelling through analysis of story structure:
What is the expected story structure that a reader will intuitively anticipate?
How can we use unorthodox story structure to give readers fresh, original stories?
How does structure punctuate a story, heighten key moments, and invite the audience to breath at the pace set by the writer?
Volger explains his twelve-stage template for story structure in his book The Writer’s Journey (based on the writings of Joseph Campbell and his book The Hero with a Thousand Faces). Basically, Vogler has developed principles to analyze stories, building a writer’s toolbox from which to select tools to use in a particular story.
Of course, Vogler’s story structure is a guideline of a classic story structure, and many variations on it exist, from the tightly formed mystery genre to avant-garde and non-linear storytelling. Any story structure serves as a model only, and writers need to trust their stories to tell them when and how to vary a model.
Using Intuition and Logic
It interests me that Vogler marries both intuition and logic to analyze story, although it’s no surprise that both are needed. It explains why there are no hard-and-fast rules to storytelling and why no publishing expert can regularly identify which books will be the next bestsellers.
So if you’re looking to expand your writer’s toolbox, Vogler may be of help. You can check out either The Writer’s Journey or his newest book, Memo from the Story Department: Secrets of Structure and Character.
Maybe Vogler’s thinking will shake up your view of storytelling. Maybe it will validate it.
I often get emails from teens and parents asking about upcoming writing workshops. This summer, Toronto teen writers can find inspiration and hone their craft with some cool local writers.
Open to teen writers ages 12 to 19. Submission to the Toronto Public Library’s 2014 Young Voices Magazine of teen writing and art is encouraged!
Who: Karen Krossing (me) When: Thursday, July 11, 2:00 to 4:00 pm Where: Toronto Reference Library, 789 Yonge Street
Network with a published author and with other teen writers; discover teen-friendly publishing opps. Do some writing, some reading, and have a bunch of fun. An informative and friendly workshop for teen creators.
Who: Karen Krossing (me) When: Monday, July 22, 4:00 to 6:00 pm Where: Agincourt Branch, Toronto Public Library, 155 Bonis Avenue
How can real life inspire story ideas? Explore how moments such as an early memory as a child, a conversation overheard on the bus or your family history can spark fictional or memoir writing. With fresh and inspiring story-starters, you’ll create captivating scenes, learn creative writing techniques and get constructive feedback on your writing.
Use Your Words: Summer Workshops for Emerging Writers
For young writers aged 16 to 30.
Who: Dalton Higgins (Vibe, The Source) When: Saturday, July 13, 2:00 to 4:30 pm Where: Toronto Reference Library, 789 Yonge Street
Dalton inhabits the worlds of digital culture, hip hop and popular culture – and combines them in a potent mix. One of Canada’s foremost experts on hip hop.
Who: Emily Pohl-Weary (Kiss Machine, Girls Who Bite Back) When: Saturday July 20, 2:00 to 4:30 pm Where: Toronto Reference Library, 789 Yonge Street
Executive Director of the innovative “open source” learning centre the Academy of the (Im)possible, Emily’s novel Not Your Ordinary Wolf Girl will be published this fall by Penguin.
Who: Sheila Heti (How Should a Person Be?, The Chairs are Where the People Go) When: Saturday, July 27, 2:00 to 4:30 pm Where: Toronto Reference Library, 789 Yonge Street
Sheila’s book How Should a Person Be? was chosen by The New York Times as one of the 100 Notable Books of 2012. Contemporary culture is her beat.
I have nothing but respect and admiration for Orca Books‘ editor Sarah Harvey. Working with Sarah on my novel The Yo-Yo Prophet in 2011 was a delight, and I was keen to work with her again. Sarah is an astute editor and, in case you don’t know, she’s also the author of at least ten books for kids and teens, so she knows both sides of the editorial process. (You can check out Sarah’s books here, including both novels and non-fiction titles as well as a picture book.)
In June 2012, Sarah emailed a number of authors about her idea for a new Orca series. Since young teens have become obsessed with the performing arts, shown in part by the popularity of such TV shows as American Idol, Glee and So You Think You Can Dance, why not publish a performing arts series of short, contemporary novels aimed at 11- to 14-year-olds?
It was an idea that caught my attention right away. With a lifelong love of theatre and two daughters at a performing arts high school, I began playing with possible premises. Now, I’m pleased that Cut the Lights will be one of three debut titles in the Limelights series this October, with many more titles coming from a slew of talented authors over the next few years.
Here’s a glimpse into Sarah’s ideas about the series and her personal fondness for the performing arts:
In the new Limelights series, Orca Book Publishers presents novels about the performing arts for ages 11 to 14. Singing, acting, directing, dancing – this series promises to enlighten and entertain teens who love performance.
I’m pleased to be publishing one of the first three novels in the series with Robin Stevenson and Tom Ryan in Fall 2013. Here’s a sneak peek:
There’s more to ballet than pink pointe shoes and tutus.
Cassie just wants to dance, but the atmosphere at her summer intensive at a prestigious ballet school is much more competitive – and nasty – than she’s used to. Not wanting to put a target on her own back, Cassie keeps her head down and concentrates on her dancing. But when she sees real harm being done to the other visiting summer students, she finally speaks out – and finds out just how far some girls will go to succeed.
Is the play cursed or is Briar just a lousy director?
Briar may have a vision for the one-act play she’s been chosen to direct at her performing arts high school, but nobody seems to share it. Not her cast, not her crew, not even her best friend, who wrote the play. As Briar struggles to motivate her cast and crew, she learns some important truths about the fine art of directing – and about herself.
When you step into the spotlight, you have to expect some heat.
Neil plays guitar with his family’s band, the Family McClintock, even though he can’t stand Celtic music and he isn’t as talented as the rest of the family. Or is he? When his buddy Bert convinces him to form a rock band and enter a local talent show, Neil’s playing improves. Everyone notices, including a girl who shares his musical interests. After years of standing at the back of the stage, Neil realizes that he might have what it takes to step into the spotlight.
Attitude 
