The value of non-fiction, for a fiction writer
At the Oregon Christian Writers Summer Conference, an agent I spoke with commented journalism is a great place for novelists – fiction writers – to start. I agree in many ways.
In journalism, you learn to write concisely, use vivid, moving quotes, hook your reader from the very start, and follow the stylebook to the letter. One problem, however, is the differences in writing style. For instance, journalists use the AP Stylebook while CBA publishers use the Chicago Manual of Style. There are many key differences that after four or five years as a journalist, I find difficult to switch to. Spelling out all numbers, among other things, are habits I’m learning to change.
Knowing how to write a good article goes beyond basic mechanics. Like with a novel, you build characters through dialogue, description and detail. One of the main changes is the use of tools such as deep POV and descriptive dialogue tags. After three solid years of only using “he said” or “she said,” it was strange to realize those weren’t as desirable throughout my 70,000-word manuscript.
My first real “article” was in my introduction to journalism class at college. In high school I had helped start the high school newspaper and done a few other articles, but they were so raw and elementary, I hardly consider them anything worth remembering. In college the mechanics of a newspaper article came to light and I took hold. For my feature article, the final assignment for the course, I wrote about a young girl named Katie at a therapeutic riding center and her connection to her horse, Kurt.
“Astride a golden horse whose black, round eyes reflect his gentle nature and docile temperament, 14-year-old Katie sits tall, clutching the soft, worn out leather of the reins while gently pulling the horse to a stop. Her head, covered with a white helmet dips slightly as she looks down at her steed and unleashes a radiant smile.
“Katie leans forward carefully, able to smell the dust and leather scent emanating from the horse, and patting the thick, rich fur of her faithful companion, a 14-year-old horse named Kurt.
“Katie has been riding for five years. She is autistic.” Published – Northwest Horse Source July 2006
Read the full article about Katie and Kurt.
This story sealed my fate. I was further hooked on journalism, on writing. I was no longer telling stories I pulled from my imagination. This was a real, gripping tale of a young girl overcoming the odds. You can’t fake a story that powerful.
Reading and writing feature articles further enhanced my appreciation of fiction. Despite technical differences, the writing is the same, the emotion is the same, the result is the same.
The Northwest Therapeutic Riding Center: http://www.nwtrc.org/index.php?section=home
A second article I wrote on the NWTRC: http://www.nwtrc.org/pdf/KlipsunMagazineArticleNov2007.pdf
Read MoreBeyond the hairspray…
This week, the 141st Clark County Fair takes over the small town of Ridgefield, Wash., and erupts into a 10-day flurry of wild rides, cotton candy, elephant ears, dozens of vendors, animals of all shapes and sizes, demolition derby and monster trucks. All the good, traditional fair activities aside, the Clark County Fair lands near to my heart. Apart from having shown horses at the fairgrounds for most of my life, I represented the fair across the Pacific Northwest in 2004. I was a Clark County Fair Court Princess.
Yes, I know what you are thinking. Oh. One of those girls. Well, I was. However, the world of rodeo queens stems far from the typical beauty pageants.
For me, the equestrienne court was a chance to practice public speaking and travel the state, all from horseback. I landed my first published clip because of the court, guest writing an article for the Columbian (Vancouver, Wash.) about life in the court. At the time, that was huge for me!
The court serves as ambassadors to local events, parades and rodeos to promote the Summer’s Best Family Party – the Clark County Fair. We rode in grand entries for dozens of rodeos, waved to crowds at countless parades and mingled with other local and state royalty at luncheons and pageants. We spent all 10 days of the fair living on the grounds—signing autographs, judging various contests, doing grand entries and so much more. Early mornings, late nights, lots of fair food and hair spray to keep those curls intact. It was heaven.
I went on to compete in another pageant and was crowned the 2005 Miss Teen Rodeo Washington. Another year of priceless experiences.
Recently, I’ve realized how my years as a rodeo queen helped me later in life. After dozens of interviews, I hold a new respect and perspective as I entered journalism as a major. Only when you have been misquoted in print can you truly understand the importance of accuracy and due diligence.
Giving impromptu speeches and thinking on your feet has paid off time and time again. In college, I served as the editor in chief of the newspaper and magazine. I led class discussions and taught reporters—four years earlier I wouldn’t have seen myself quite that confident.
Finally, at writers conferences and more, the goal is to sell yourself and your work, thus do your own PR. Posture, etiquette and eloquence all come into play and while I can credit my parents with laying the groundwork, the finishing touches came from two years of hair fluffing, sparkling rhinestones and high-speed grand entries. Yee haw!
Learn more about current rodeo royalty:
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