Jack Cavanaugh's WORD FORGE

The Life of a Novelist: A True Story

It was one of those perfect moments. I was living every novelist’s dream.

There we were, sitting at a table in a restaurant in Nova Scotia overlooking Halifax harbor. Just me and my publisher. We were attending a conference for Canadian booksellers. I had delivered the keynote speech earlier that afternoon. It went well. So did the book signing that followed. I was feeling good.

Little did I know that things were about to get…

Suddenly, The Earth Began to Shake

Legendary film producer Samuel Goldwyn said, “Open with an earthquake and build from there.”

Good advice given our culture’s insatiable appetite for action. “It was the best of times, it was the worst of times,” might have resonated with Charles Dickens’ readers, but it wouldn’t work today.

So, being a student of storytelling, I’ve collected novel openings from more modern bestsellers. Here are some of my favorites—

Of Pottery and Characters

Have you read a novel written by someone you know?

It’s fun. And a little spooky.

As you read, you catch glimpses of the author — mannerisms, habits, preferences,  figures of speech— wedged into the lines of text. My sister-in-law insists that when she reads one of my novels, she hears my voice reading it to her.

It's as though a piece of the author's spirit dwells inside every one of his books.

Thoughts of a Citizen of Multiple Realities

Non-fiction writers keep their feet firmly planted in this present reality. Novelists, on the other hand, are citizens of multiple realities.

Think about it. How can a novelist entice a reader to leave this present reality and enter the fictional world of his story if he’s never been there himself?

But it comes at a price.

Two Pats on the Back and A Swift Kick in the Pants

Surprise!

…the key element of humor.

You lead your reader down a familiar path. Just when they think they know where you’re going… you pull the rug out from beneath them. Works for slapstick, works for word play, and everything in between — two pats on the back, and a swift kick in the pants.

That’s where clichés come in. Remember yesterday when I told you to save all the clichés your overzealous editor ripped from your manuscript? This is where you put them back in, this time with a twist. They’re great fodder for humor.

Why?

Whoever Said Life Was to Be Taken Seriously?

Have you started your collection of humor?

Yesterday I suggested you get a file folder, and write “Makes Me Laugh” on the tab.
   Whenever you read something funny, make a copy of it and toss it into the folder.
      Whenever you hear something funny, jot it down and toss it into the folder.

Here’s why—

1. You’ll begin to realize that your funny bone is susceptible to a particular kind of humor, this is your humor style.

2. The authors of these tidbits are going to become your mentors. They’re going to teach you how to hone your humor skills.

I once watched a documentary of the M*A*S*H television show. One of the younger writers was asked about her experience. She said the best piece of advice she’d ever received came from one a veteran writer. He said to her: “You don’t have a right to laugh until you know why you’re laughing.”

Read through your collection of humor. Do you know why you’re laughing? Once you do, you’re on the road to harnessing the power of humor.

In your quest to find your funny side, what do you look for?

What Every Writer Ought to Know About Humor

Humor is powerful. How powerful?

Business: There are seminars that teach CEOs how to laugh. Why? Because it’s been proven that comedy exercises the mind and improves decision making. On the other side of the picket line, it’s just as powerful. Prospective employees that laugh during interviews are hired more often than their humorless counterparts.

Health: Laughing is good for you. The Bible says humor is like a medicine. Scientists agree. They’ve documented that the endorphins released through laughter are just as good for you as those released during exercise.

Communication: Humor breaks down barriers and defuses tense situations. When Pres. Reagan was touring Japan, his hosts kept pressing for more favorable trade agreements. They even resorted to guilt. “We never bombed one of your cities,” they said. To which Reagan replied, “Yeah? What about Detroit?”

So if humor is so powerful, why do writers shy away from it? Fear, mostly. What are we afraid of?

It's Time To Stop Being Afraid of Humor

Why are so many writers afraid of humor? It’s an essential tool in any writer’s toolbox.

Maybe if we debunk a couple of myths regarding humor—

The Golden Pen: A Writer’s Essential Tool

Be yourself.

Victor Hugo said, “A lion who copies a lion is an ape.”

The same can be said for writers.

Read other authors.
   Analyze other authors.
      Learn from other authors.
But write like yourself.

C.S. Lewis is our teacher today....

How to Write Like a Heart Attack

Do you listen to your manuscript before sending it to a publisher?

James Michener did. Eight times. Imagine that. Here’s a man known for his Hummer-size novels, yet before sending a manuscript to his publisher he read it aloud, or had it read aloud to him, eight times.

Just thinking about it makes my lips ache.

Yet, there’s something magical about the sound of good writing.