 For Authors: May 09, 2018 Issue [#8893] |
  For Authors
This week: Writing Yourself Into Your Stories Edited by: Jeff  
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"Do not over-intellectualize the production process.
Try to keep it simple: tell the darned story."
-- Tom Clancy
Trivia of the Week: If you're an author who likes to write himself or herself into your stories, you're in good company. Other writers who have made appearances in their own work include: Stephen King, Bret Easton Ellis, Clive Cussler, W. Somerset Maugham, Philip Roth, David Wong, and screenwriter Charlie Kaufman.
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WRITING YOURSELF INTO YOUR STORIES
Have you ever read a story where the author writes himself or herself into the actual fabric of the story? Charlie Kaufman rather famously did this with his adaptation of Susan Orlean's book The Orchid Thief, in which he made a movie about the process of adapting that book into a movie, complete with himself as the main character. He even titled the film Adaptation and featured Meryl Streep in a cameo as Susan Orlean. In the book world, Clive Cussler's most famous protagonist, Dirk Pitt (who himself is said to be reminiscent of Cussler), frequently gets assistance from a character named... you guessed it... Clive Cussler.
The literary technique of writing oneself into their own work is called author surrogate. An author surrogate can be as explicit as an actual character carrying the author's name and acting as the author would, or it could be more subtle and simply be a character based on the author that has another name or even some significant variances.
The downside of using the author surrogate technique is that, when done poorly, it can come off as extremely self-indulgent and really confuse the reader or pull the reader out of the story. The upside, when done will, is that it can be a clever way of surprising the audience and giving them something they don't expect. This can be particularly effective if you're a recognizable author personality. The more memorable you are as an author, the more memorable your author surrogate will be in the story (and the more your readers will appreciate seeing you make an appearance). Author surrogates aren't for every story, and in fact I'd argue that they should be used very rarely, except when there is a clear purpose and design to the inclusion. And that in and of itself can be an entertaining challenge if you're looking to try something new.
If you do decide to include an author surrogate, what role will they play? A popular choice is to embody some kind of deus ex machina where the author character helps the protagonist save the day. Other options include an author surrogate as someone who presents a key piece of information to the protagonist along their path, is a side character along for the ride, or in some cases might even play for the antagonist's team! There are a lot of options out there for author surrogates for those writers who are bold enough to try including them.
All that said, though, by far the most common form of author surrogate is the one that embodies a portion of the author without necessarily being the whole person. Some authors will infuse different characters with different aspects of their personality. A character's difficulty relating to his or her family might be something the author shares and works through in the course of the narrative. A character's sociopolitical views or religious beliefs or opinions about a particular topic might be an author's way of exploring their own feelings on a subject. An author might even write characters who oppose one another on a central issue that represent the author's own mixed feelings about a situation. When it comes to author surrogates, it doesn't always have to be a character with your name breaking the fourth wall. Sometimes, an author surrogate is as subtle and simple as infusing your work with the aspects of your own personality that are important to you.
The author surrogate literary technique is an unusual one that can be used to great and memorable effect. It can also be overused and seem self-indulgent if it's handled poorly. If you're looking for a writing challenge, give it a try one of these days and see if you can make it work. Or, at the very least, give some thought to how you might already subtly be treating your characters as author surrogates. 
Until next time,
Jeff
If you're interested in checking out my work:
"Blogocentric Formulations"
"New & Noteworthy Things"
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This month's official Writing.com writing contest is:
I also encourage you to check out the following items:
EXCERPT: Once upon a time, at the end of the eighteenth century, there was a handsome man called Charles-Henri Sanson. He was French. According to writings from the time, he was tall, dandy, and sensible. He was named by others "Monsieur de Paris" - gentleman of Paris. Although some said that Sanson was a very nice man, most citizens of Paris hated being by him. That was because of his profession. He was a loyal royal worker. His job was known as an executioner.
EXCERPT: You might want to be an author, but do you know what it takes to actually be an author? I will be publishing two books at the end of this month, so I know what becoming an author takes. Specifically there are only a few things that you need, and they come from inside of you. In this post I will be discussing these four things: Determination, Strength, Support, and Imagination and Creativity.
EXCERPT: Since the beginning of time, societies from all over the world have developed both on their own and with the help of others. First people formed villages, then towns, and then they laid the foundations of the world we know today. If you have visited modern cities in both western and eastern countries you must have noticed that they are quite similar, especially when it comes to their business districts: tall office building and speeding cars are a familiar sight in many a nation. But how similar were these countries back when the East started trading with the West? In this essay I will compare Nara and Amsterdam.
EXCERPT: A literary-minded witch gives you a choice: with a flick of the wand, you can become either an obscure novelist whose work will be admired and studied by a select few for decades, or a popular paperback author whose books give pleasure to millions. Which do you choose?
EXCERPT: Growing up in a Latino household, I was taught both English and Spanish, and I was fluent in both. My parents would use English and Spanish in the same sentence, and I developed an ear for thick accents and mixed verbiage. When I entered my teen years, however, I lost that connection to my family. I learned French in middle school and lost interest and fluency in speaking Spanish. I lost that connection to my family, but that does not make me any less Latin. I hear it from my parents all the time: "You should learn Spanish so you can talk to your grandma;" "You should learn Spanish; it's part of your culture." I feel distanced from them, and I feel like I'm valued less as a member of my family. While not speaking Spanish does create a barrier between me and my family, it does not diminish my connection to my heritage or my experience as a hispanic woman. Heritage is not something that you can lose: you're born with it, and I was born a Latina.
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Feedback from "For Authors Newsletter (April 11, 2018)" about taxes for authors:
Quick-Quill  writes: "DEATH and TAXES come to us all. When I published I got all my ducks in a row and then nothing happened. I spent more money on stuff than I made. What's the point of pointing it out to the Government. They aren't getting any money, so I keep my writing at the hobby level unless I become the next Dan Brown. (ROL)"
If you're spending more than you're making, those expenses should still count as deductions. Of course you don't have to make deductions if you don't want (and with the new tax law it might be more beneficial for a lot of people to take the revised standard deduction than itemizing), but if deductions save even a few bucks, I consider it worth the effort to report them. 
Brandiwyn🎶  writes: "Great tips! Regarding your advice to not go crazy, my mother (who happens to be a CPA and my accountant) says, "Be a pig, not a hog." In other words, deduct EVERYTHING you can think of that's deductible... but also be reasonable. One biggie you left off the list: mileage. Driving to book signings, book festivals, conferences, even the bookstore, the office supply store, or anywhere you get supplies should all be tracked. The 2017 deduction rate for mileage is here: https://www.irs.gov/newsroom/2017-standard-mileage-rates-for-business-and-medica... On a related note, if you can't afford a tax professional, irs.gov is a great resource for current tax laws."
Thanks for all the supplemental info! And you're totally right, non-commute mileage is also a deduction. It's amazing how many places there are to save a bit of money if you have a tax professional who knows where to look.
🎼 RRodgersWrites 🎶  writes: "Thank you for the tax tips! It is helpful to have a list like that to guide my record-keeping for 2018. I can't believe I forgot to include payments to an editor for this past year, but live and learn! Thanks again!"
You're very welcome! I'd also highly encourage you to find an accountant who knows the creative business really well. Someone who's knowledgeable about both tax law and the ins and outs of being a creative professional can be a lifesaver!
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