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National Novel Writing Month WINNER!

FROM THE EDITOR

This time of year, I reflect on the past and build toward my future. After being laid off my day job a couple months ago, I feel I've been traveling in time. I have much to be thankful for during the past year, I try to live each day in the present, and I look forward to the future and make plans to move ahead in my writing.

Besides working to find another job, I've taken time to work on my writing, I continue to develop writing courses, and I've begun submitting to short story contests. One short story was submitted to an online publication, a first for me in fiction.

In searching for ways to grow my writing business, I'm seeking out websites that contain information about freelancing and telecommuting positions.

As 2002 comes to an end, I have much to be thankful for, and I'm working on developing my writing goals for 2003.

Happy Holidays to all!

Waiting at the crossroads,

June

FEATURE ARTICLE:
The Multiple Personality
of
Writing Soaps/Serials:
Plots, Characters, Genres

© 2002 by P. June Diehl

WHAT IS A SOAP/SERIAL?
Radio soaps first played in the 30s, moving to television in the 50s, and finally to nighttime TV in the late 70s. Today online soaps and serials are popular with many people.

Classic television soaps were composed of moralistic stories, modeled on traditional Victorian theatre melodramas such as Maria Marten and the Red Barn and Sweeney Todd the Barber.

A soap is a group of characters and plots whom the writer follows over an extended amount of time. There is usually a general plot that holds the entire cast of characters together, along with multiple subplots and characters. Soaps reflect certain aspects of real life, people we can relate to and care about, or characters we love-to-hate.

Why this long time popularity with the soap? Soaps are mostly about people, their lives, their loves, their tragedies. The writing of soaps has evolved over time; the themes seem to remain much the same.

PLOTS
The writer of a soap or serial can experiment with multiple plots and subplots all tied together by a general, overlying plot.

Storylines will overlap, and while there might be a long term concluding episode, with multiple endings will occur along the way.

The general plot needs to be wide in scope, so it can help to carry the cast of characters through the story, over an extended amount of time. Subplots can build and resolve, within the framework of the overall plot.

NOTE: I often keep a "cheat sheet" of the ongoing storylines.

CHARACTERS
Characters are presented with problems created by the writer for them to solve.

Storylines overlap with no end in sight to the general premise of the soap.

Stock soap characters might include:
a. The heroine - a woman who is good and deserving (and don't forget beautiful).
She might come from a poor or disadvantaged family, but if she is wealthy, she is not swayed by money.
b. The villain - usually an older man who is evil, wealthy, and heartless. He plots the downfall and ruin of the heroine and her family.
c. The villainess - a counterpart of the villain, who might work with him or alone. She's exotically beautifully, sometimes rich, from a powerful family, and wants the hero for her own. She will sell her soul to the devil to defeat the heroine.
d. The mother - a good woman, who may be ill or widowed or unprotected in some other way. She protects her daughter from the advances of the villain.
e. The poor brother - a good young man, who does anything for his sister to protect her against the villain.
f. The hero - a good man, often of low social status, who battles through for the love of the heroine, no matter what. His motives are often misunderstood.

Sound familiar?

There can be more characters and more plots in a soap or series than you would normally find in a novel.

NOTE: I have another "cheat sheet" of the cast of characters. Who's related to who, who works with who, and who's friends.

GENRES
Genres can vary in soaps the same as in fiction. Remember DARK SHADOWS? This was not the typical day-time soap, but one that focused on the supernatural, with elements of horror, fantasy, science fiction, and mystery.

Subplots (storylines) don't necessarily have to follow the same general genre.

Within a traditional romantic melodrama, one might find other storylines that touch on comedy, mystery, suspense, the supernatural, horror, fantasy or SF. Mix and match and have fun.

Remember the late night TV melodrama SOAP or MARY HARTMAN, MARY HARTMAN? These both include a variety of genres and subplots within the primary focus of the story.

FINAL NOTES:
Soaps can be melodramatic. This is not always true, but it can be fun to write this way, if you're not use to this type of writing. Experiment - and always! - HAVE FUN!

I find that it's easier to start with a few characters and plots and to build up over time.

ASSIGNMENT:

1. Define your General Plot and three subplots (or more if you wish). This can be done as a PREMISE - try to keep each to no more than 28 words.

2. Create characters and relationships. (Do at least ten, if you can - more if you want).

3. Write an episode involving at least five of the characters. You don't have to have all the characters be in the same scene. Since there are at least five characters involved in this episode, you could have up to five scenes. Scenes can be a couple paragraphs to a page long. Divide your scenes in some way (with asterisks, by numbering them, etc.).

Remember to start in a dramatic manner for the beginning of the episode. End the final scene with the biggest hook. (I sometimes write a couple scenes for an episode, then decide the order, as sometimes the order of the scenes within an episode does not matter, ending with the biggest hook.)

EXAMPLE

I'll use one of my segments (same as an episode) from I HOOK BY NIGHT - A CROCHET SOAP. This is a little further along in the story, but you can see that the scenes are short and how the hooks are used.

I Hook By Night -- A Crochet Soap Segment 30

© Copyright 2002 by P. June Diehl

Lori drove on automatic pilot. She glanced at the clock and realized that she would be an hour early for work. Unable to sleep, she has showered, dressed, and left for work early.

The light turned red. She stopped, barely noticing the other cars on the road.

Her meeting with Edward was not until 9 am. How could she bare to wait? What exciting results had he discovered about the old letter? What would the translation reveal?

The honking of a horn from behind her brought her back to the present. The light was green. Only a couple of block to go and she'd be at work. Guess I'll get some crocheting done before I start to work at 8, she thought.

***

As she dressed Rebecca, Janice worried about her mother. Helene was a stubborn, determined woman. The thought of her own mother putting down her love of crochet was heart-wrenching. This was not the first time mother and daughter had discussed crochet. Janice knew exactly her mother's feeling about the matter.

A sigh escaped, and she talked to Rebecca, telling her how adorable she was in her new crocheted dress with matching drawstring bag. The dress and bag were made with fingering yarn, all soft and lavender. She had used her favorite stitch, the crossed double crochets, making up the pattern as she went. I'll need to go back and write it down for the Night Hookers, she thought. Some of them had children and grandchildren of their own and would probably delight in having a new pattern in their collection.

"It's time to go see Grandma," Janice explained to her nine-month old daughter, picking her up from the bed.

Rebecca began her chant of "Go! Go!" as she put her daughter down.

"Give me your hand, Rebecca." Janice took a deep breath, dreading this meeting with her mother.

***

Randy finished emailing his business contacts, stretched, and wondered what his sister was doing today. Finding more treasures for him at the auctions she would attend?

He had finished unpacking the books she had sent in three boxes and they were stacked on the counter in the back room of his bookstore. Each contained countless treasures, and now that the last phone call was made and the last email sent, he could get back to exploring these wonders.

Randy took the first book from the stack nearest him, and opened to see what wonders were locked inside. This one should be fun, he thought. It was from the 1950s and contained some pretty wild potholder patterns. He laughed at the sight of some of the cute patterns.

One was a squat, orange pumpkin with a funny face. Another was a gingerbread man, with arms and legs hanging wildly from a fat body. The fruit potholders were delightful and he paused to glance over the patterns. Not bad, he thought. I might make some of these as presents.

He laid the potholder book aside, and glanced through the first stack until he came upon a small hardback book. I must be old, he thought as he slid it out of the stack. Tenderly opening the cover, he searched for a copyright date. There it was on the page behind the title page: 1861. Excited, he explored the worn pages of the book, treating each page as a spiritual treasure. Patterns for afghans, fancy capes and shawls, head coverings, and others wonders filled the pages.

On the last page he noticed handwriting on the inside back cover. He strained to read the tiny, neat words and wondered to whom the author was referring. Who were Elizabeth and Catherine?

***

"I'll not have this going on!" shouted Mrs. Pachet, leaning over Ms. Hastenings ancient wooden desk.

"Have a seat, Mrs. Pachet, and we'll discuss the matter."

Mrs. Pachet continued from the edge of her seat. "This is most improper. Young girls should be doing something more constructive with their time. Crochet is NOT a proper activity for any girl here. It's not done!"

Leaning back, observing Mrs. Pachet, Ms. Hastenings searched carefully for the right words. "My dear Mrs. Pachet. I do value your opinion in this manner, but I fail to see what harm can be done. Julia and Nancy have formed a wonderful friendship and their crocheting seems to be a part of that friendship. They both are making top marks, so I fail to see the problem."

"Problem... Well, it's indecent for our young women to take part in such an activity. It's not a suitable activity for our students and I want it stopped before it spreads any further."

INSPIRATION:
Reviewing 2002 Goals and Building Towards 2003

Is 2002 ending so soon? It can't be, you say?

Look back through your stories, poetry, novels, and articles. What have you accomplished this year? What did you start? What was completed?

What contests did you enter? Did you have your work published? What writing classes have you completed?

Do you belong to a writing group? How did critiquing the group's writings help you to grow in your own work?

Email your answers and they might be included in a future edition of Writer's Crossing. writerscrossing@hotmail.com
Subject: Inspiration, December 2002

LINKS FOR WRITERS:
Just About Write Just About Write is a newsletter for writers, poets, and readers. Another newsletter, you ask? Yes, and this one is full of creative, useful information for writers at all levels, in a flexible format that inspires us to grow in our writing. The Submission Guidelines state: "This newsletter hopes 'To Inform and Encourage Writers, Poets, & Readers,' to showcase authors and publicize their works, and to give readers a chance to contribute, too."

The editor is Nann Dunne, a published author, and you can check out her personal website at:
http://members.aol.com/nannogran/

Just About Write is looking for you to submit articles, reviews, interviews, reflections, and poetry.

Check out the latest issue online!

Subscribe for this free newsletter at:
Just About Write: http://www.justaboutwrite.com

WRITING CONTEST NOTICE

The Writing Contest is on hold until I'm once again employed! If you have any questions, please email me or write to me at:

I Write For You
PO Box 1672
Fredericksburg, VA 22402-1672

JULY 2002 WRITING CONTEST WINNER

NO MORE
By Lea Schizas

EDITOR'S NOTE: This contains some strong language. RATED PG-13

'As I stepped into my office, a stranger was sitting at my desk' is what Linda experienced every day since her liberation. A stranger, living a simple secretary's life where once only a thought, a wish, to escape the torment she endured with him.

Patrick had labeled her his property. Tagged and branded her with his fist marks every day for three years. 'Till death do us part.' Well, no more.

Waking up one night to find herself soaked in what she had first thought of as a 'pee accident', only to discover blood surrounding her thighs, was a rude awakening to say the least. His icy blue eyes were looking down at her, his fist opening and closing like a broken down hinged door, yelling that she woke him with her sobbing. That stabbing sensation she experienced in her abdomen wasn?t part of her dream but his brutal thrusting jabs into her previously bruised stomach.

"I'm bleeding." Her words related more a statement than terror.

"Shut up! I have to get up in two fuckin' hours for work and you wake me up with your goddamn crying. I've told you, stay on your side of the bed and don't move!"

"I'm bleeding."

"Then get off your ass and go to the bathroom before you ruin the fuckin' mattress! Goddamn it, Linda!"

Looking out her office window, Linda spotted a young couple walking, hand in hand. The young lady staggered at one point and her man gently swooped her in his arms, held her close to him kissing her on the lips. This triggered her memory once more to that fateful night.

As she stood up from the bed, the room became a carousel, spinning faster and faster all around her. Several times she had staggered holding on to any piece of furniture nearby.

"You're getting blood everywhere!"

He approached her angrily - digging his nails into her shoulder - shoving her against the wall. Bouncing off, she narrowly missed hitting her head against the corner of the night table.

I hate you she had yelled silently.

"I'm o.k."

"What?"

"I'm o.k." Linda remembered saying those words, more to herself, as a building block for a strength that would follow.

Inside the bathroom, Linda had removed her blood-soaked nightie, stepped into the bathtub and began washing herself. The pain was excruciating. She discovered the blood was coming from the belt marks left by the beating two nights ago.

"So? You still bleeding?" He had eyed her up and down like a john checking out a whore. "If so...I'm awake now..."

What transpired next had come out during her trial, jolting her suppressed memory.

Patrick had begun fondling her, kissing her breasts while guiding her hand to a place she did not want to travel to. When he grabbed her by the hair and said, "Now give daddy an apologetic kiss and make it all better," is when Linda remembered anger soar through her veins, energizing a strength that was dormant and needed to be released. With one shove, Patrick flew out of the bathtub, knocking his head against the toilet, killing him instantly, leaving Linda alone for hours yelling "No more, no more," till the police were called by neighbors.

Self-defense, not guilty, was the verdict two years ago today. Linda's memories are rehashed less and less with each passing day as her confidence in herself grows.

Yet, she thinks, "As I step into my office who is this stranger that sits in my chair. Certainly not someone I knew a long time ago."

Lea Schizas, mother of five, is a member of the National Association of Women Writers (NAWW), Writers Village University (WVU), and Editor-in-Chief at AuthorsEdge http://www.authorsedge.net/ She is currently working on a children's fantasy novel, as well as several children's picture books.

NOTE: The next issue will contain the winners from the August 2002 Writing Contest.