Riley Adams's Blog, page 167
October 8, 2012
5 Ways to Convey a Sense of Place—Guest Post by Anne Trager
By Anne Trager, the founder of Le French Book, @LeFrenchBook
I recently translated a fun, classic whodunit from French into English for Le French Book. It’s called Treachery in Bordeaux and was written by two Epicurean French men, Jean-Pierre Alaux and Noël Balen. It is set in, well, Bordeaux. When you hear the name Bordeaux, you think wine. In my case at least. And wine is a large part of the story, and a key element in the whole Winemaker Detective series (there are 20 books to date in French).
Yet, as much as the story is about wine, it is also about place, about Bordeaux, city and region, past and present. Here are five of the ways the authors got across that sense of place.
1) Opening with setting. The authors chose to give an immediate sense of place in the opening paragraph. Note the hint of timelessness:
The morning was cool and radiant. A west wind had swept the clouds far inland to the gentle hills beyond the city of Bordeaux. Benjamin Cooker gave two whistles, one short, the other drawn out, and Bacchus appeared from the high grass on the riverbank… The Médoc was still wild, despite its well-ordered garden veneer, and it would always be that way. In the distance, a few low wisps of fog were finishing their lazy dance along the Gironde Estuary.
2) Focusing on details. Notice the use of something everyone can relate to, which immediately puts the readers right there in Bordeaux itself:
As they approached the limits of Médoc, traffic slowed little by little until it stopped entirely on the boulevards. Construction bogged the city down, disfiguring it everywhere with orange-yellow signs that looked like they belonged in a cheap carnival. Cranes stood with empty hooks, and aggressive bulldozers lumbered like large lazy insects. The tramway—silent, shiny and bright—would soon rise from this tangled mess that had mired the city for several months. Some irritated Bordeaux residents honked without any illusions of being able to move along, while others just put up with it silently.
3) Using the senses. The five of them have this way of grabbing the imagination:
The Rue des Faures smelled of lamb. A heavy aroma of spices and grilled meat rose up in thick swirls from the hodgepodge of Arab shops, suitcase salesmen and faded bistros.
4) Juxtaposing disparate elements. After a scene that advances the story, we return to the same street. Notice the modern and historic all mixed together, and the refined Cooker with his greasy sandwich:
When he stepped out of the workshop, he crossed the Place Saint-Michel and bought a lamb kebab from a tiny take-out. Then he went to sit at the base of the bell tower facing the church. Around him, a group of acne-faced teenagers were playing with a soft-drink can. Young Kabyles from northern Algeria formed another group under a basketball hoop near the Gothic bell tower. On the steps in front of the church, a couple of lovers whispered to each other. Nobody paid any attention to Benjamin Cooker. The sun was warm, and no heads turned to see him savor his too-fatty, too-spicy overcooked sandwich that should have ended up in the first garbage can he found.
5) Using dialogue. Not to be neglected to introduce elements of place:
“This is the first time I’ve been here. I had no idea that the development was so spread out,” Cooker noted, thinking it best to change the subject.
“It’s a ghost town, a concrete cemetery, that’s what it has become! And the middle classes get off on moving into a historical area. It’s all being bought up by architects, doctors, lawyers—people who think they know something. They invest in cultural heritage. Some heritage. Just junk!”
The authors use other techniques as well, such as character descriptions that compare and contrast with preconceived ideas readers may have about a place and the use of a painting compared to an actual place. They are particularly skilled at getting across a sense of actually being there, in the city of Bordeaux in transition, but also in the vineyards. I’d feel I were cheating you if I didn’t give you one more quote from among the actual grapevines:
The winemaker took advantage of the moment to get a closer look at the new cabernet franc stock that had just been planted on a small parcel. Tender sprouts were starting to bud; they would not give clusters for another two or three years. He glanced over the meticulous rows of vines, quickly judging the state of the soil composed of thick Gunz gravel, sand and clay and noted with pleasure that the vineyards had just been plowed. His eyes stopped for a moment on the Haut-Brion estate hilltop that dominated the neighborhood.
I’ll leave you to read it for the descriptions of the wines!
Le French Book is having a special promotion ofTreachery in Bordeaux starting on October 9. They are giving away a trip to France, French wine (of course) and lots of other gifts, and dropped the usual list price for a limited time. Check it out:
http://www.treacheryinbordeaux.com
About the authors
Jean-Pierre Alaux is a magazine, radio and television journalist when he is not writing novels in southwestern France. He is a genuine wine and food lover, the grandson of a winemaker and exhibits a real passion for wine and winemaking. For him, there is no greater common denominator than wine. He gets a sparkle in his eye when he talks about the Winemaker Detective series, which he coauthors with Noël Balen. Noël lives in Paris, where he shares his time between writing, making records, and lecturing on music. He plays bass, is a music critic and has authored a number of books about musicians in addition to his novel and short-story writing.
About the translator
The translator, Anne Trager has lived in France for over 26 years, working in translation, publishing and communications. In 2011, she woke up one morning and said, “I just can’t stand it anymore. There are way too many good books being written in France not reaching a broader audience.” That’s when she founded Le French Book to translate some of those books into English. The company’s motto is “If we love it, we translate it,” and Anne loves crime fiction about as much as she loves wine.
Buy links for Treachery in Bordeaux:
Amazon
B&N
iBooks
Kobo
I recently translated a fun, classic whodunit from French into English for Le French Book. It’s called Treachery in Bordeaux and was written by two Epicurean French men, Jean-Pierre Alaux and Noël Balen. It is set in, well, Bordeaux. When you hear the name Bordeaux, you think wine. In my case at least. And wine is a large part of the story, and a key element in the whole Winemaker Detective series (there are 20 books to date in French).Yet, as much as the story is about wine, it is also about place, about Bordeaux, city and region, past and present. Here are five of the ways the authors got across that sense of place.
1) Opening with setting. The authors chose to give an immediate sense of place in the opening paragraph. Note the hint of timelessness:
The morning was cool and radiant. A west wind had swept the clouds far inland to the gentle hills beyond the city of Bordeaux. Benjamin Cooker gave two whistles, one short, the other drawn out, and Bacchus appeared from the high grass on the riverbank… The Médoc was still wild, despite its well-ordered garden veneer, and it would always be that way. In the distance, a few low wisps of fog were finishing their lazy dance along the Gironde Estuary.
2) Focusing on details. Notice the use of something everyone can relate to, which immediately puts the readers right there in Bordeaux itself:
As they approached the limits of Médoc, traffic slowed little by little until it stopped entirely on the boulevards. Construction bogged the city down, disfiguring it everywhere with orange-yellow signs that looked like they belonged in a cheap carnival. Cranes stood with empty hooks, and aggressive bulldozers lumbered like large lazy insects. The tramway—silent, shiny and bright—would soon rise from this tangled mess that had mired the city for several months. Some irritated Bordeaux residents honked without any illusions of being able to move along, while others just put up with it silently.
3) Using the senses. The five of them have this way of grabbing the imagination:
The Rue des Faures smelled of lamb. A heavy aroma of spices and grilled meat rose up in thick swirls from the hodgepodge of Arab shops, suitcase salesmen and faded bistros.
4) Juxtaposing disparate elements. After a scene that advances the story, we return to the same street. Notice the modern and historic all mixed together, and the refined Cooker with his greasy sandwich:
When he stepped out of the workshop, he crossed the Place Saint-Michel and bought a lamb kebab from a tiny take-out. Then he went to sit at the base of the bell tower facing the church. Around him, a group of acne-faced teenagers were playing with a soft-drink can. Young Kabyles from northern Algeria formed another group under a basketball hoop near the Gothic bell tower. On the steps in front of the church, a couple of lovers whispered to each other. Nobody paid any attention to Benjamin Cooker. The sun was warm, and no heads turned to see him savor his too-fatty, too-spicy overcooked sandwich that should have ended up in the first garbage can he found.
5) Using dialogue. Not to be neglected to introduce elements of place:
“This is the first time I’ve been here. I had no idea that the development was so spread out,” Cooker noted, thinking it best to change the subject.
“It’s a ghost town, a concrete cemetery, that’s what it has become! And the middle classes get off on moving into a historical area. It’s all being bought up by architects, doctors, lawyers—people who think they know something. They invest in cultural heritage. Some heritage. Just junk!”
The authors use other techniques as well, such as character descriptions that compare and contrast with preconceived ideas readers may have about a place and the use of a painting compared to an actual place. They are particularly skilled at getting across a sense of actually being there, in the city of Bordeaux in transition, but also in the vineyards. I’d feel I were cheating you if I didn’t give you one more quote from among the actual grapevines:
The winemaker took advantage of the moment to get a closer look at the new cabernet franc stock that had just been planted on a small parcel. Tender sprouts were starting to bud; they would not give clusters for another two or three years. He glanced over the meticulous rows of vines, quickly judging the state of the soil composed of thick Gunz gravel, sand and clay and noted with pleasure that the vineyards had just been plowed. His eyes stopped for a moment on the Haut-Brion estate hilltop that dominated the neighborhood.
I’ll leave you to read it for the descriptions of the wines!
Le French Book is having a special promotion ofTreachery in Bordeaux starting on October 9. They are giving away a trip to France, French wine (of course) and lots of other gifts, and dropped the usual list price for a limited time. Check it out:
http://www.treacheryinbordeaux.com
About the authors
Jean-Pierre Alaux is a magazine, radio and television journalist when he is not writing novels in southwestern France. He is a genuine wine and food lover, the grandson of a winemaker and exhibits a real passion for wine and winemaking. For him, there is no greater common denominator than wine. He gets a sparkle in his eye when he talks about the Winemaker Detective series, which he coauthors with Noël Balen. Noël lives in Paris, where he shares his time between writing, making records, and lecturing on music. He plays bass, is a music critic and has authored a number of books about musicians in addition to his novel and short-story writing.About the translator
The translator, Anne Trager has lived in France for over 26 years, working in translation, publishing and communications. In 2011, she woke up one morning and said, “I just can’t stand it anymore. There are way too many good books being written in France not reaching a broader audience.” That’s when she founded Le French Book to translate some of those books into English. The company’s motto is “If we love it, we translate it,” and Anne loves crime fiction about as much as she loves wine.Buy links for Treachery in Bordeaux:
Amazon
B&N
iBooks
Kobo
October 7, 2012
Reading What You Write
by Elizabeth S. Craig, @elizabethscraig
MorgueFile: xenia
I received an email a week ago from one of my blog readers.
She said that she repeatedly heard the advice that writers needed to read. But, she asked, what should writers read? What’s most helpful to a writer when they’re trying to start out? She said she’d been overwhelmed by the sheer number of books and felt she needed some direction—that sometimes she felt like the books she was picking didn’t really help her learn more of the craft.
It is overwhelming to find a book these days. The number of books in any genre is skyrocketing as writers write faster and publish books themselves.
And there are only so many hours in the day. It’s a good idea for most of us to have a targeted approach if we’re reading to learn more about our genre.
The first thing I’d do is narrow down what you’re most interested in writing. Most genres have subgenres. So, if you’re a fantasy or science fiction writer, are you interested in writing dystopian novels? Steampunk? Space Operas? Urban fantasy?
You could spend a lot of time reading the classics in your genre—but I wouldn’t spend all my time reading my genre’s classics. If you’re writing for a modern market, you’re going to want to see what’s selling now. It’s important to also see how the genre got from its past to its present, but I wouldn’t spend all my time doing that.
So….subgenres, modern books. The next thing I’d do is find the top writers of that genre…writers who have received critical acclaim. The quickest way to do that is to find the awards given for that genre and see who the most recent recipients are. For science fiction, you’re going to be looking at the Arthur C. Clarke award, the Hugo Award, among others.
For romance, you’ll focus primarily on the RITA awards. There’s also the RT Book Reviews awards and reader awards on sites like All About Romance.
For mystery, Agatha, Anthony, Edgar, and Left Coast are probably the biggest.
I could go on and on—but this post would too, so I’m stopping here. :) But there are tons of these awards….Google your genre+awards and see what comes up first (and, obviously, who’s sponsoring it and how prestigious it seems to be.)
Book bloggers are another great way of finding great books (especially the most recently published books that wouldn’t have gotten any awards yet.) This directory of book bloggers (Book Blogger Directory) is a good way to get started.
I request books I’m interested in from my library’s website, reserving them with my library card number. When I really like a book, I’ll frequently buy it and re-read it for years.
Now…that’s a great way to find books that work. You can read those books and note things like: Pace—How quickly is the story moving? What does the writer do to pick up or slow down the pace?
Nuts and Bolts/Structure—How does the book hook you at the start? Where is the inciting incident? Length of the chapters? POV? How are the transitions handled? How was the mood developed? Is there a theme to the book? (In mysteries---when is the body discovered? How many suspects are there? Each genre will have its own specific patterns to look for.)
Characters—How are they described? Developed? What motivates them? How are they used to create conflict? What makes the protagonist compelling? What’s the character arc?
Language—What literary elements are used and how effective are they?
You can learn a lot from a good book, but you can also learn a lot from a bad one—by noticing where it fails. You can see how it didn’t hit the mark with the elements I listed above. It also makes you feel a little more confident as a writer to read a really, really awful book.
How do you find good books in your genre? How do you make time to read them? What kinds of things are you looking at when you read a book critically?
MorgueFile: xenia
I received an email a week ago from one of my blog readers.
She said that she repeatedly heard the advice that writers needed to read. But, she asked, what should writers read? What’s most helpful to a writer when they’re trying to start out? She said she’d been overwhelmed by the sheer number of books and felt she needed some direction—that sometimes she felt like the books she was picking didn’t really help her learn more of the craft.
It is overwhelming to find a book these days. The number of books in any genre is skyrocketing as writers write faster and publish books themselves.
And there are only so many hours in the day. It’s a good idea for most of us to have a targeted approach if we’re reading to learn more about our genre.
The first thing I’d do is narrow down what you’re most interested in writing. Most genres have subgenres. So, if you’re a fantasy or science fiction writer, are you interested in writing dystopian novels? Steampunk? Space Operas? Urban fantasy?
You could spend a lot of time reading the classics in your genre—but I wouldn’t spend all my time reading my genre’s classics. If you’re writing for a modern market, you’re going to want to see what’s selling now. It’s important to also see how the genre got from its past to its present, but I wouldn’t spend all my time doing that.
So….subgenres, modern books. The next thing I’d do is find the top writers of that genre…writers who have received critical acclaim. The quickest way to do that is to find the awards given for that genre and see who the most recent recipients are. For science fiction, you’re going to be looking at the Arthur C. Clarke award, the Hugo Award, among others.
For romance, you’ll focus primarily on the RITA awards. There’s also the RT Book Reviews awards and reader awards on sites like All About Romance.
For mystery, Agatha, Anthony, Edgar, and Left Coast are probably the biggest.
I could go on and on—but this post would too, so I’m stopping here. :) But there are tons of these awards….Google your genre+awards and see what comes up first (and, obviously, who’s sponsoring it and how prestigious it seems to be.)
Book bloggers are another great way of finding great books (especially the most recently published books that wouldn’t have gotten any awards yet.) This directory of book bloggers (Book Blogger Directory) is a good way to get started.
I request books I’m interested in from my library’s website, reserving them with my library card number. When I really like a book, I’ll frequently buy it and re-read it for years.
Now…that’s a great way to find books that work. You can read those books and note things like: Pace—How quickly is the story moving? What does the writer do to pick up or slow down the pace?
Nuts and Bolts/Structure—How does the book hook you at the start? Where is the inciting incident? Length of the chapters? POV? How are the transitions handled? How was the mood developed? Is there a theme to the book? (In mysteries---when is the body discovered? How many suspects are there? Each genre will have its own specific patterns to look for.)
Characters—How are they described? Developed? What motivates them? How are they used to create conflict? What makes the protagonist compelling? What’s the character arc?
Language—What literary elements are used and how effective are they?
You can learn a lot from a good book, but you can also learn a lot from a bad one—by noticing where it fails. You can see how it didn’t hit the mark with the elements I listed above. It also makes you feel a little more confident as a writer to read a really, really awful book.
How do you find good books in your genre? How do you make time to read them? What kinds of things are you looking at when you read a book critically?
October 6, 2012
Twitterific
by Elizabeth S. Craig, @elizabethscraig
Twitterific is a compilation of all the writing links I shared the previous week.
The links are fed into the Writer’s Knowledge Base search engine (developed by writer and software engineer Mike Fleming) which has over 18,000 free articles on writing-related topics. Sign up for our free newsletter for monthly writing tips and interviews with top contributors to the WKB or like us on Facebook.
Try “My WKB”--a way for you to list and sort articles, view your read articles, and see your search history. Read more about it here: http://bit.ly/S9thqS . The free My WKB page is here: http://bit.ly/PV8Ueb .
Have a great week!
Ebook authors shouldn't put all
their eggs in one basket: http://bit.ly/V5pUSa
@camillelaguire
Tips for writing tense action
scenes: http://bit.ly/V7izS2 @JodieRennerEd
@stacygreen26
The use of incorrect first
impressions in crime fiction: http://bit.ly/Sk8Gjv
@mkinberg
Finger pointing between
publishers and libraries: http://bit.ly/SkqXgy
@Porter_Anderson @JDGsaid
10 Excuses for Not Writing -
and How to Smash Them: http://bit.ly/PgLcFd
@KMWeiland
Fantasy Influences: Ancient
Greek Mythology: http://bit.ly/PgLg8a
@fantasyfaction
Thoughts on chapter breaks: http://bit.ly/PgLrA7
The Writer's Block Myth: http://bit.ly/SLX8VN @kkuseklewis
Chart a course to your dream: http://bit.ly/SLXgVf @sarahahoyt
Entries in the character trait
thesaurus: just-- http://bit.ly/PgLWdD and
modest--http://bit.ly/PgLWdE @angelaackerman
Conflict is Key: http://bit.ly/PgM78F @heidiwriter
A free directory of #ebook
pros--for covers, editing, formatting, & more: http://tinyurl.com/3mxg5zt #epub
5 Sentences That Should Save
the Best Until Last: http://bit.ly/PgQL6P
@writing_tips
Writing For Real: http://bit.ly/SM3sfT @AmySueNathan
Write what you don't know you
know: http://bit.ly/SM6gtn @thebookslut
On Genre Categorization: http://bit.ly/PgTiO6 @literaticat
Are you selling your book to
the wrong readers? http://bit.ly/SM6uAJ
@rule17
Pitching your potential: http://bit.ly/PgTw81 @rachellegardner
Using all the senses while
writing: http://bit.ly/PgTEEB @noveleditor
Build A Fulltime Writing Career
Slowly: http://bit.ly/SM6LDJ @goblinwriter
@thecreativepenn
How to Write an Author Bio When
You Don't Feel Like an Author…Yet : http://bit.ly/PgTIUF
@annerallen
Serialising a novel--what to do
when the show is over: http://bit.ly/Ri5ZMw
@dirtywhitecandy
10 Best Science Fiction and
Fantasy Fight Settings: http://bit.ly/Qz7KCl
@lbgale
3 Reasons Why Coercing Readers
Into Newsletter Subscriptions Is a Bad Idea: http://bit.ly/RbGU5W
@roniloren
Ebook Publishing
Platforms:“They’re a Joke”: http://bit.ly/O8ug8b
@Porter_Anderson @fakebaldur
Character Development:
Exploiting Weaknesses: http://bit.ly/POJ2Pm
@ava_jae
The Influence Of History On
Epic Fantasy: http://bit.ly/PNPq9x
@fantasybookcrit
A writer talks about his
experience dealing with depression: http://bit.ly/QsNaq6
@chrisbrogan
How to Write Great Sales Copy
for Your Ebook: http://bit.ly/QDYfVN
@LauraHoward78
The Struggle for Ideas: http://bit.ly/SXdkhN @janice_hardy
How to Be a Writer: 201 Tips: http://bit.ly/QDYsZa
An Indie Author's Up and Down
Publishing Journey: http://bit.ly/SXds0B
@author54 @livewritethrive
Lessons Learned at the Killer
Nashville Conference: http://bit.ly/QDYOij
@kelseybrowning
The Internet: seducer,
scapegoat or serendipity stall? http://bit.ly/SXdDZW
@annerooney
A useful resource for
describing settings, emotions, shapes, textures, and more: http://bit.ly/eIGRMO @AngelaAckerman
What Is An Author Platform and
How Do You Create It? http://bit.ly/QDZhB1
@karencv
Allowing Your Blogging Voice to
Evolve: http://bit.ly/SXdJAy @PatrickRwrites
The most shocking part of the
sock-puppet scandal? http://bit.ly/QDZAfc
@thefuturebook
A Writer's Colony Lesson You
Can Apply to You Career: http://bit.ly/SXdO7q
@alexisgrant
Switching Point-of-View
Characters Mid-Paragraph: http://bit.ly/QDZPqK
@LindaGray_
A WordPerfect World: http://bit.ly/QDZVyH @bookviewcafe
10 Bright Beginnings and their
Promises: http://bit.ly/SXe2eV
The Impact Equation for
Platform Building: http://bit.ly/QE0gRL
@chrisbrogan
Making the Most of Ideas—The
Quest: http://bit.ly/SXe728 @davidbcoe
Charting Your Story's Rising
Action: http://bit.ly/QE0Ajw @JulieEshbaugh
Characters who are impartial
observers: http://bit.ly/SXeCt1 @kid_lit
Google’s Digitizing: Settled at
Last: http://bit.ly/R1daGB @jeffjohnroberts
@EdNawotka @philipdsjones @porter_anderson
Don't Leave Your Characters in
Limbo: http://bit.ly/QE2bG9 @melissatydell
How to Meet Your Writing
Deadlines (Every Time): http://bit.ly/SXeLwD
@krissybrady
How to Weave a Story to
Captivate Your Audience: http://bit.ly/QE2sc9
@SeandSouza
Why we really must kill our
darlings: http://bit.ly/QE2Irn
@kristenlambTX
Change Begets Growth: http://bit.ly/SXeZ70 @BeccaPuglisi
Every Character is Important: http://bit.ly/QE2YH5 @ava_jae
It's a Great Day to Be a
Writer: http://bit.ly/SXf3DG @susankayequinn
Refresh And Reboot Yourself In
12 Easy Steps: http://bit.ly/QE38Oz
@ollinmorales
A therapist gives YA writers
insight into teens: http://bit.ly/SXf5LK
@jeanniecampbell
5 Beatles Songwriting Tricks: http://bit.ly/V7noux @usasongs
Mobile apps for writers: http://bit.ly/PojZAA @DIYMFA @AndGeeks
Dialogue that speaks to you: http://bit.ly/V7nNgw
The trend of intellectual
romantic heroes: http://bit.ly/PoknPE
@ebarrettwrites
Good Endings Are Hard To Find: http://bit.ly/V7ofvj @mooderino
Finding a Mentor-writer—and
What to Do Once You Have: http://bit.ly/PokUku
@carlosinho
Should author photos match
reader expectations? http://bit.ly/V7pcUk
@AnnieNeugebauer
A Blogger Looks at Book
Reviews: http://bit.ly/Polr5Z
@threeguys1book
Dialogue attribution tips: http://bit.ly/V7pI4I
Include Live Contact
Information in Your eBook: http://bit.ly/PolTkQ
@jimhbs
Recent Amazon accomplishments
and innovations show how they've become an industry leader: http://bit.ly/V7qZsB @MikeShatzkin
Tips for writing visceral
reactions: http://bit.ly/V7rnr6
@stacygreen26 @MargieLawson
Develop Your Antagonist: http://bit.ly/V7zwMd @juliettewade
Concept Begins from Line One --
What's the Point of Your Novel? http://bit.ly/V7OKAF
@4YALit
Pitfalls of writing tight: http://bit.ly/SyNTmE @bluemaven
Changing Genres and
Genre-Blending: http://bit.ly/SyOc0P
@stacygreen26 @vickihinze
4 simple steps writers can take
to become better proofreaders: http://bit.ly/Skbnl2
@michellerafter
Why Is There a Surge in Memoir?
Is It a Good Thing? http://bit.ly/SyOncC
@shirleyhs
12 Greatest Science Fiction War
Stories: http://bit.ly/SyOKnm @i09
Going Toe-to-Toe with Rejection
(And How to Keep Writing): http://bit.ly/SkbRYp
@krissybrady
5 Critical Elements of
Successful Work-At-Home Productivity: http://bit.ly/SyOYL6
@lifehackorg
9 Things Authors Do That
Irritate Their Facebook Fans: http://bit.ly/Skc8uf
@chrisrobley
The writer's life: What are you
afraid of? http://bit.ly/SySCVu @gits
Why Writing is Like Laying
Bricks: http://bit.ly/SySVQa @selfpubreview
Encountering Wannabee Writers: http://bit.ly/SyTvNE @bookviewcafe
Can Your Day Job Lead to Better
Writing? http://bit.ly/SyTJnZ
@jessicastrawser
Publish Your Shorts: Now Is the
Time: http://bit.ly/SyTRUA @yaminacollins
Why Do Thrillers Outsell
Science Fiction? http://bit.ly/SyTZDu
@KgElfland2ndCuz
What makes fiction good? http://bit.ly/SyUfCz
Action sentencing: http://bit.ly/SkhpC4 @aliciarasley
3 Great Hashtags for Writers: http://bit.ly/SkiYQB @jemifraser
@writeangleblog
A second book deal – the REAL
celebration: http://bit.ly/SyXc6c
@SaraMegibow
Why books sell: http://bit.ly/SkkthA @JFBookman
7 Steps to Writing a Story in
Scenes: http://bit.ly/SyXBpa @novelrocket
Reasons for having pen names
and tips for choosing one: http://bit.ly/SkkW3v
Tips for Using Apostrophes: http://bit.ly/SyY8HF @mesummerbooks
When is a story done? http://bit.ly/SklZ3n @emergentpublish
25 Rules For Writing And
Telling Stories {lang}: http://bit.ly/Skmiv2
Dealing with Burn Out: http://bit.ly/SyZOAW @booklifenow
7 Surprising Pinterest Insights
Every Marketer Needs: http://bit.ly/PPCm30
@HeidiCohen
Tips for freelancers for
building a portfolio: http://bit.ly/RAHZ7y
@KarenCV
Top 10 Myths of Journalism
School: http://bit.ly/PPCJKO
@speechwriterguy
How To Choose A Copyeditor: http://bit.ly/RAJFOu @livewritethrive
6 steps to developing a writing
habit: http://bit.ly/PPFprN
2 tips for getting started as a
writer: http://bit.ly/RAK3wb @bookviewcafe
Writing Suspense: Meet Them in
the Middle and They Will Come: http://bit.ly/PPFNXa
@DonnaGalanti
Words for Your Writing Toolbox:
Get Rid of "Get": http://bit.ly/PPG8Jr
@SharlaWrites
Science Fiction's Greatest
Failures (And How They Saved Us All): http://bit.ly/RAMHSE
@i09
List of Writing Resources: http://bit.ly/PPK3WG @woodwardkaren
Is the Cliffhanger Ending
Overrated? http://bit.ly/RANa7o @KMWeiland
How to add your ebook to
Goodreads: http://bit.ly/QsUu3r
Things Pros Wish New Authors
Knew About Publishing And Don't: http://bit.ly/QsUP6o
@BryanThomasS
7 Reasons Why New Blogs Fail: http://bit.ly/T2MEl2 @AdriennedeWolfe
Different approaches to getting
an agent: http://bit.ly/QsV8y1
@thecreativepenn
The Writer You Want To Be: http://bit.ly/QsVmVR @kristinerusch
The Importance of Clothing in
Novels: http://bit.ly/T2N6Q5 @wordforteens
Frequently confused words: http://bit.ly/QsVF2O
The Definition of Action: http://bit.ly/T2NqhJ @kid_lit
Publishers Warming To
Cross-Genre Novels: http://bit.ly/QsW4Cn
Creating a Successful App
Without Programming Skills: http://bit.ly/QsWado
@Jasonanthebeast
Waterstones bookseller found
trolling self-published author: http://bit.ly/T2NU7z
@guardianbooks
Freewriting: Discover Your
Inner Voice & Find Inspiration to Write: http://bit.ly/T2NZbz
@writersdigest
A checklist for determining if
profanity fits your story: http://bit.ly/O7cyls
Why Social Media Isn't The Holy
Grail (& Neither is Content Marketing): http://bit.ly/Wo0n4N
@heidicohen
4 parts of a book review: http://bit.ly/Wo4wpl @kimthedork
Piracy, pricing, and ebook
hoarding: http://oreil.ly/O7eURf @jwikert
B&N not carrying Amazon
titles? http://bit.ly/R1egSH
@laurahazardowen @Porter_Anderson
Quality Over Gender In Noir: http://bit.ly/O7f0bG @keithr34
The Deadliest Poisons in
History (And Why People Stopped Using Them): http://bit.ly/Wo4XzK
@i09
Tips for writing body language:
http://bit.ly/Wo5q5a @kalayna
Soon you'll be able to go to
the pharmacy and print a book: http://bit.ly/O7foqw
@paidcontent
Desk exercises for writers: http://bit.ly/O7fvm4
Think outside the box with your
settings: http://bit.ly/O7fy1c
@emergentpublish
6 ways to get your query
noticed: http://bit.ly/Wo5ZMf
Tips for pitching: http://bit.ly/Wo6lTg @rachellegardner
The importance of story: http://bit.ly/Wo6So3 @LisaCron
8 ways to protect your blog
from hackers: http://bit.ly/Wo7iuz
@MarcyKennedy
9 Unfinished Novels by Great
Writers: http://bit.ly/Wo7vht @PWxyz
Using silence effectively in
our writing: http://bit.ly/O7gAKw @diymfa
10 Great Chase Scenes in
Science Fiction and Fantasy: http://bit.ly/Wp9GkV
@lbgale
The Best Space-Travel Science
Fiction Novels: http://bit.ly/O7MoPw
Fairy-Tales: The New
"Thing" in Fantasy Entertainment: http://bit.ly/WpaaYh
@fantasyfaction
Best Opening Poetry Lines: http://bit.ly/O7MAOB @robertleebrewer
5 Tools for Outlining Your
Novel: http://bit.ly/O7MFSv @galleycat
The Weird Side Of Literary
Tourism: 5 Bizarre Book-Inspired Experiences: http://bit.ly/WpaRRf
@kimber_regator
Treating Backlist Like
Frontlist: http://bit.ly/WpblXw
@DavidGaughran
Story outline in relation to a
series: http://bit.ly/O7Nueb @glencstrathy
How a Blog Creates Visibility
for Your Book: http://bit.ly/WpcdeL
@NinaAmir
October 4, 2012
First Chapters—What to Include
by Elizabeth S. Craig, @elizabethscraig
My editor emailed me last week to see if she could get the first chapter for the next book in the series to include as a teaser for the book that’s coming out February 5. Her managing editor said he needed it by November 1.
“Sure,” I answered. This, although I hadn’t started the book yet, and was working on a different project. :) I always say yes to whatever editors want, then figure out the details later.
With a teaser, you end up with a chapter floating around with no anchor—no cover copy to give the set-up for the book. The teaser is functioning solely as ad copy for the series. My editor asks for it to be fairly fixed—I can have some differences between the teaser chapter and my final version of chapter one …but that it not be too radically different.
The character names have got to be the same in both the teaser and the actual finished book. This means I need to have more of a handle on these characters than I frequently do when I’m writing a first draft (since I usually make it up as I go along and change character names when I get to know the characters better.)
Setting needs to be fairly concrete, too. Can’t have the teaser set in a lighthouse and have the finished book set in a remote mountain cabin.
And the general plot set-up has got to be consistent. If the teaser opens with a dead body and the suspects exclaiming over the body’s discovery, I don’t need to change the story to have the body discovered in chapter three. Some readers buy several books in a series at once and read them back to back. Those readers would definitely notice any large discrepancies.
My first chapters usually include (whether they're teasers or not):
Action. Something needs to happen in the first chapter. If there’s a lot of talk and no action, readers may not stick with the book. Sometimes I have a dead body in chapter one. Sometimes I have an argument between the future victim and one of the suspects. The first chapter is a great place to include the inciting incident for your story—the point where it’s no longer an ordinary day for your character.
Minimal character introduction. This is something I’ve learned the hard way over the last few years of writing. Readers won’t be happy if they’re overwhelmed by characters and character names in the first 15 pages of the book.
Limited backstory. I just bring in enough backstory to keep the reader from getting confused. The first chapter isn’t the time or place to just flat-out tell the reader all the character motivation. That gets boring when the reader hasn’t even gotten to know the character.
Minimal setting and character description. I tend to skimp on setting and description, anyway….and it’s really, really skimpy in chapter one. That’s just personal preference. I give enough broad brushstrokes to give the reader an idea what or who they’re looking at. I do provide more detail in following chapters, but still try to space it out.
The story's mood, tone, genre. It’s a murder mystery, so I want to make sure it feels like one from the beginning. I set the mood and tone for the story in the first chapter, too.
Dialogue. Because I’m a fan of dialogue, I usually have a lot of it in my books—and I almost always open with dialogue (despite what a lot of the writing “rules” say.)
What do you include in your first chapter? What do you keep out of it? How do you like to open your stories?
Image—Cohdra : Morguefile
Hope you'll run by Oregon Gifts of Comfort and Joy blog for a giveaway of Hart Johnson's Azalea Assault and my Quilt or Innocence. You only have to comment on the post for an opportunity to win the books.
My editor emailed me last week to see if she could get the first chapter for the next book in the series to include as a teaser for the book that’s coming out February 5. Her managing editor said he needed it by November 1.“Sure,” I answered. This, although I hadn’t started the book yet, and was working on a different project. :) I always say yes to whatever editors want, then figure out the details later.
With a teaser, you end up with a chapter floating around with no anchor—no cover copy to give the set-up for the book. The teaser is functioning solely as ad copy for the series. My editor asks for it to be fairly fixed—I can have some differences between the teaser chapter and my final version of chapter one …but that it not be too radically different.
The character names have got to be the same in both the teaser and the actual finished book. This means I need to have more of a handle on these characters than I frequently do when I’m writing a first draft (since I usually make it up as I go along and change character names when I get to know the characters better.)
Setting needs to be fairly concrete, too. Can’t have the teaser set in a lighthouse and have the finished book set in a remote mountain cabin.
And the general plot set-up has got to be consistent. If the teaser opens with a dead body and the suspects exclaiming over the body’s discovery, I don’t need to change the story to have the body discovered in chapter three. Some readers buy several books in a series at once and read them back to back. Those readers would definitely notice any large discrepancies.
My first chapters usually include (whether they're teasers or not):
Action. Something needs to happen in the first chapter. If there’s a lot of talk and no action, readers may not stick with the book. Sometimes I have a dead body in chapter one. Sometimes I have an argument between the future victim and one of the suspects. The first chapter is a great place to include the inciting incident for your story—the point where it’s no longer an ordinary day for your character.
Minimal character introduction. This is something I’ve learned the hard way over the last few years of writing. Readers won’t be happy if they’re overwhelmed by characters and character names in the first 15 pages of the book.
Limited backstory. I just bring in enough backstory to keep the reader from getting confused. The first chapter isn’t the time or place to just flat-out tell the reader all the character motivation. That gets boring when the reader hasn’t even gotten to know the character.
Minimal setting and character description. I tend to skimp on setting and description, anyway….and it’s really, really skimpy in chapter one. That’s just personal preference. I give enough broad brushstrokes to give the reader an idea what or who they’re looking at. I do provide more detail in following chapters, but still try to space it out.
The story's mood, tone, genre. It’s a murder mystery, so I want to make sure it feels like one from the beginning. I set the mood and tone for the story in the first chapter, too.
Dialogue. Because I’m a fan of dialogue, I usually have a lot of it in my books—and I almost always open with dialogue (despite what a lot of the writing “rules” say.)
What do you include in your first chapter? What do you keep out of it? How do you like to open your stories?
Image—Cohdra : Morguefile
Hope you'll run by Oregon Gifts of Comfort and Joy blog for a giveaway of Hart Johnson's Azalea Assault and my Quilt or Innocence. You only have to comment on the post for an opportunity to win the books.
October 2, 2012
The Purpose of Our Books
by Elizabeth S. Craig, @elizabethscraig
I’m always interested in seeing what my children bring home as English homework.
My daughter had an assignment a couple of weeks ago where she had to identify four different types of writing and then provide examples of each.
The four purposes for writing (according to this textbook, anyway) were to entertain, inform, persuade, and to express an opinion.
My daughter said she thought one of the purposes should be to make money. :) For her, my writing is just another job. I told her it was a way to make money, but not many of us would write only to make money.
So she asked me what the purpose of my books was. I think she was expecting a clear cut answer from just one of those four purposes.
I told her my books were mostly written to entertain. In fact, I put a lot of time and effort (and, yes, even market research) into writing to entertain.
But the books are basically wrapped in ad copy. That would be the cover, the blurbs, and the cover copy. I also have a teaser at the beginning of my Penguin books and some of my books have teaser chapters at the end. So, the book is there to persuade, too. It’s there to look tempting on a shelf or a website. And, with my content, I’m hoping to persuade readers to buy more of my books. I’m persuading my readers to like my characters, to like the story, to keep reading the book. Persuasion definitely plays a part.
I know that the times I’ve wanted to inform as a purpose, I’ve nearly gotten myself into trouble. I’d have a big research session and that temptation is always there—to show what you’ve found out and inform the reader. It’s easy to get excited about your research. But…the reader isn’t there to learn more about blunt force trauma. She’s really not. So we have to be careful about how much we inform with fiction—a little goes a long way. But, yes—sometimes I do try to inform with my writing.
Expressing an opinion, though? I’d like to think I haven’t done as much of that. As a reader, reading what is clearly the author’s opinion (a political rant, for instance, or support of a cause) can be very jarring. The opinion becomes author intrusion when it doesn’t seamlessly fit into a scene or when it doesn’t sound natural coming from the character expressing the opinion. Opinions have to be handled with care in fiction, for sure.
What’s the purpose of your books? Do your books have more than one purpose? How do you keep yourself in check from too much informing or from author intrusion?
Image: MorgueFile—Alvimann
I’m always interested in seeing what my children bring home as English homework.My daughter had an assignment a couple of weeks ago where she had to identify four different types of writing and then provide examples of each.
The four purposes for writing (according to this textbook, anyway) were to entertain, inform, persuade, and to express an opinion.
My daughter said she thought one of the purposes should be to make money. :) For her, my writing is just another job. I told her it was a way to make money, but not many of us would write only to make money.
So she asked me what the purpose of my books was. I think she was expecting a clear cut answer from just one of those four purposes.
I told her my books were mostly written to entertain. In fact, I put a lot of time and effort (and, yes, even market research) into writing to entertain.
But the books are basically wrapped in ad copy. That would be the cover, the blurbs, and the cover copy. I also have a teaser at the beginning of my Penguin books and some of my books have teaser chapters at the end. So, the book is there to persuade, too. It’s there to look tempting on a shelf or a website. And, with my content, I’m hoping to persuade readers to buy more of my books. I’m persuading my readers to like my characters, to like the story, to keep reading the book. Persuasion definitely plays a part.
I know that the times I’ve wanted to inform as a purpose, I’ve nearly gotten myself into trouble. I’d have a big research session and that temptation is always there—to show what you’ve found out and inform the reader. It’s easy to get excited about your research. But…the reader isn’t there to learn more about blunt force trauma. She’s really not. So we have to be careful about how much we inform with fiction—a little goes a long way. But, yes—sometimes I do try to inform with my writing.
Expressing an opinion, though? I’d like to think I haven’t done as much of that. As a reader, reading what is clearly the author’s opinion (a political rant, for instance, or support of a cause) can be very jarring. The opinion becomes author intrusion when it doesn’t seamlessly fit into a scene or when it doesn’t sound natural coming from the character expressing the opinion. Opinions have to be handled with care in fiction, for sure.
What’s the purpose of your books? Do your books have more than one purpose? How do you keep yourself in check from too much informing or from author intrusion?
Image: MorgueFile—Alvimann
September 30, 2012
Taking Characters on a Voyage of Self-Discovery
by Elizabeth S. Craig, @elizabethscraig
I read in the Charlotte Observer recently that there was a new radio station in town…an oldies station. I was glad to hear the news—I remember thinking that there wasn’t really a station that played Motown or the Beatles.
The next time I got in the car, I turned on the radio and turned to the station I’d read about.
I frowned. “That’s strange,” I said to my son. “There’s supposed to be an oldies station here. But they’re playing Prince.”
I glanced over and saw my teen son’s face go carefully, cautiously, diplomatically blank. I kept changing the dial ever so slightly, listening for the Supremes or Otis Redding or the Beach Boys.
Then I realized it. The station that was playing Prince was the oldies station. I’d thought an oldies station would play music from when my parents were in high school…but it was playing music from when I was in high school.
Bleh.
Just like my son let me figure out on my own that 41 year olds aren't spring chickens, sometimes it’s helpful for us to let characters figure things out for themselves. When should characters realize they’re not able to save the world? Or be the perfect parent? Or that they have anger management issues? Or a drinking problem? Or that they’re getting old? :)
One way to prompt the character into introspection is by having the character react to a life event. The event (end of a marriage/relationship, loss of a job, fatal car accident the protagonist walks away from) could make the character reflect on his part in the failure and new awareness of his own shortcomings.
In my books (mysteries), sometimes the characters don’t ever have that epiphany. Instead, they end up murdering another character, or become a murder victim, themselves.
Another way to get a protagonist to reach that moment of self-discovery/awareness is to have another character point out the protagonist's flaw. This can be tricky, though, just like it is in real life. It can make for great conflict.
If another character offers insight into some truth about the protagonist, it offers an opportunity for character development. Does the protagonist get defensive? Analytical? Does he agree or disagree? Does he storm off? Is he hurt? How does it affect the relationship between the two characters?
Something else to consider is the reader. When should you time this moment of introspection for the protagonist (if it’s a secondary character, I don’t think it’s quite as big of a question)? When will the reader get tired of the fact that the protagonist just doesn’t get it? When would you, as a reader, get frustrated that the protagonist is stuck in a cycle, for instance?
Those are the ways that I’ve come up with to make characters come to grips with their own shortcomings (reacting to an event or having another character force them into thinking about it.) Have you got any other ideas? What have you used in your books?
Photo: Flickr—Elkit
I read in the Charlotte Observer recently that there was a new radio station in town…an oldies station. I was glad to hear the news—I remember thinking that there wasn’t really a station that played Motown or the Beatles. The next time I got in the car, I turned on the radio and turned to the station I’d read about.
I frowned. “That’s strange,” I said to my son. “There’s supposed to be an oldies station here. But they’re playing Prince.”
I glanced over and saw my teen son’s face go carefully, cautiously, diplomatically blank. I kept changing the dial ever so slightly, listening for the Supremes or Otis Redding or the Beach Boys.
Then I realized it. The station that was playing Prince was the oldies station. I’d thought an oldies station would play music from when my parents were in high school…but it was playing music from when I was in high school.
Bleh.
Just like my son let me figure out on my own that 41 year olds aren't spring chickens, sometimes it’s helpful for us to let characters figure things out for themselves. When should characters realize they’re not able to save the world? Or be the perfect parent? Or that they have anger management issues? Or a drinking problem? Or that they’re getting old? :)
One way to prompt the character into introspection is by having the character react to a life event. The event (end of a marriage/relationship, loss of a job, fatal car accident the protagonist walks away from) could make the character reflect on his part in the failure and new awareness of his own shortcomings.
In my books (mysteries), sometimes the characters don’t ever have that epiphany. Instead, they end up murdering another character, or become a murder victim, themselves.
Another way to get a protagonist to reach that moment of self-discovery/awareness is to have another character point out the protagonist's flaw. This can be tricky, though, just like it is in real life. It can make for great conflict.
If another character offers insight into some truth about the protagonist, it offers an opportunity for character development. Does the protagonist get defensive? Analytical? Does he agree or disagree? Does he storm off? Is he hurt? How does it affect the relationship between the two characters?
Something else to consider is the reader. When should you time this moment of introspection for the protagonist (if it’s a secondary character, I don’t think it’s quite as big of a question)? When will the reader get tired of the fact that the protagonist just doesn’t get it? When would you, as a reader, get frustrated that the protagonist is stuck in a cycle, for instance?
Those are the ways that I’ve come up with to make characters come to grips with their own shortcomings (reacting to an event or having another character force them into thinking about it.) Have you got any other ideas? What have you used in your books?
Photo: Flickr—Elkit
September 29, 2012
Twitterific
by Elizabeth S. Craig, @elizabethscraig
Twitterific is a compilation of all the writing links I shared the previous week.
The links are fed into the Writer’s Knowledge Base search engine (developed by writer and software engineer Mike Fleming) which has over 18,000 free articles on writing-related topics. Sign up for our free newsletter for monthly writing tips and interviews with top contributors to the WKB or like us on Facebook.
Try “My WKB”--a way for you to list and sort articles, view your read articles, and see your search history. Read more about it here: http://bit.ly/S9thqS . The free My WKB page is here: http://bit.ly/PV8Ueb .
Have a great week!
Bad Habits of Good Writers (Beyond Coffee): http://bit.ly/SErrZ6 @TheresaStevens @Porter_Anderson
Examples of childhood memories as plot elements in crime fiction: http://bit.ly/QyP5qo @mkinberg
Why writing with a book deal is a whole different game: http://bit.ly/T8DhB8 @internspills
3 Tips for Writing When Life is Chaotic and Crazy: http://bit.ly/SEMWcg @jodyhedlund
"Mirror scenes" and how to avoid them: http://bit.ly/T8Dswt @juliettewade
Self-Publishing Basics: Where to Publish: http://bit.ly/SENf6V @susankayequinn
The challenge of discoverabilty in a flooded ebook market (DBW con report): http://bit.ly/QI8nd8 @Porter_Anderson @richfahle @rickjoyce @clintonk
A Writer's Reasons For Falling In Love: http://bit.ly/T8DNz7 @mooderino
What You Need To Know About Writing Video Games: http://bit.ly/T8E30X @booklifenow
When to Hire a Freelance Editor: http://bit.ly/SENM8T @womenwriters
Characterization Skills and Sources: http://bit.ly/SENOO1
Alcohol and the Creative Process: http://bit.ly/T8Ex7n @sianbeilock
6 tips for successful networking: http://bit.ly/SEO8wd @rachellegardner
It's Not Just about the Writing: http://bit.ly/T8EVCW @4YALit
Writing Mistake: Are Your Characters Invincible? http://bit.ly/T8F21a @ava_jae
Ch. 1 Analyses: http://bit.ly/SEOyml @mooderino
Creative Power Tool: Words: http://bit.ly/Qqc4Xz @diymfa
How To Create A Writing Schedule That Works For You: http://bit.ly/Un4laK @authormedia
Full-service publishers are rethinking what they can offer: http://bit.ly/Qqc89E @passivevoiceblg
7 Freelance Writing Scams and How to Fight Them: http://bit.ly/QqcdtR @victoriastrauss @patrickicasas
7 Steps to Get Your Groove Back When You've Lost Your Writing Rhythm: http://bit.ly/Un4GKC @originalimpulse
Watching out for the "wrong" emotion in a secondary world: http://bit.ly/OL7kgi @juliettewade
7 More Ways to Prepare for NaNoWriMo: http://bit.ly/PT8a60 @PYOEbooks
Automated grammar programs: http://bit.ly/OL7HHN @TheresaStevens
The Sensual Writer - Sight: http://bit.ly/PT8GRr
10 Tips for Getting a Staff Writing Job: http://bit.ly/OL83hA @writing_tips
How not to get an agent: http://bit.ly/PT8ZM4
25 Apps to Help You Hack Productivity: http://bit.ly/OL8dpo @lifehackorg
Phases of editing during book production: http://bit.ly/PT9equ @bigblackcat97
Juicing (fraud in book reviewing): http://bit.ly/OL8okv
Sidekicks do NOT need their own stupid sidekicks: http://bit.ly/PT9vts @speechwriterguy
10 Most Epic Love Stories in All of Science Fiction: http://bit.ly/OL8wjT @i09
Make your stress work for you: http://bit.ly/OL8LeU @rachellegardner
A writer vows never to read a 5-star ebook again: http://bit.ly/OL8Uin @BarrBielinski
5 Creepy Social Media Marketing Tactics: http://bit.ly/Qea1D2 @KristenLambTX
Keeping Characters True to Themselves: http://bit.ly/Qe5CzY @stdennard @4YALit
Social Media Will Not Sell Your Book: http://bit.ly/Qlnvzv @hilarydavidson
15 grammatical errors to avoid: http://bit.ly/S4UFzC @bubblecow
What moves you to write? http://bit.ly/QsMDEx
The Influence Of History On Epic Fantasy: http://bit.ly/PNPq9x @fantasybookcrit
How to Overcome Distractions: http://bit.ly/QsMKjE @lifehackorg
Write big or go home: http://bit.ly/PNPEgQ @4YALit @nikkiloftin
Create your own writing retreat: http://bit.ly/QsMNMh
History as Mystery: http://bit.ly/PNPMNn @livewritethrive
How to Become A Literary Agent in 2 Easy Steps: http://bit.ly/QsMUYd @mandyhubbard
Rivet Your Readers with Deep POV: http://bit.ly/PNQavo @JillElizNelson
3 Free Photo Tools for Author Bloggers: http://bit.ly/QsMXDk @jfbookman
Elements of Fantasy: Zombies: http://bit.ly/PNQmLd @fantasyfaction
Using religion to add depth to your fiction: http://bit.ly/QsN3uG
"Setting" the Stage for Storytelling: http://bit.ly/PNQH0h @novelrocket
A writer talks about his experience dealing with depression: http://bit.ly/QsNaq6 @chrisbrogan
Changing senses: http://bit.ly/RawinY @emergentpublish
Working with Startups: 5 Tips for Publishers: http://bit.ly/POI71i @pubperspectives
Using hooks for your scene breaks: http://bit.ly/RawK5m @KMWeiland
Places for finding character names: http://bit.ly/POIw42 @karencv
Why Amazon Must Light a Fire Under the Kindle Fire: http://bit.ly/RawNyg @passivevoiceblg
Subjects you might have avoided in school that could be useful to your writing now: http://bit.ly/POIGbt @BTMargins @gripemaster
How to Write a Short Story No One Else Can Write: http://bit.ly/Rax7go @d_lazarin @joebunting
Character Development: Exploiting Weaknesses: http://bit.ly/POJ2Pm @ava_jae
The 5 Key Personality Traits of Successful Indie Authors: http://bit.ly/POJgWQ @duolit
Ebook Formatting - The Easy Way: http://bit.ly/Raxpny @susankayequinn
Step by Step Guide to Building an Ebook with Calibre: http://bit.ly/RbGJaH @howtowriteshop
How to Keep The Reader Hooked: The Dan Brown Secret: http://bit.ly/QyQf5e @yeomanis
3 Reasons Why Coercing Readers Into Newsletter Subscriptions Is a Bad Idea: http://bit.ly/RbGU5W @roniloren
The Writing Life: The point of the long and winding sentence: http://lat.ms/QyQuNE @LATimes
Animating Songwriting: Making Music That Moves: http://bit.ly/RbH6Ci @usasong
Can Our Social Media Behaviors Destroy Our Social Environment? http://bit.ly/QyQBIY @kristenlambTX
Screenwriting--there's no right way to write: http://bit.ly/RbHikS @gits
Email accounts for your identity as a writer: http://bit.ly/QyQHAs @kit_lit
How caffeine affects your creativity: http://bit.ly/Qz4x5Y @tannerc
Thoughts and Tips for Writing About Sex: http://bit.ly/Qz4Hu3 @wickerkat
Would You Let Readers Watch as You Write Your Book? http://bit.ly/RbVb2u @galleycat
Should you write with a collaborator? http://bit.ly/Qz4YgE @nickdaws
Does Publishing A Novel Change Your Life? http://bit.ly/RbVkD4 @NicholeBernier
Horror--the era of the found footage horror film: http://bit.ly/Qz5nj3
A Writing Taboo: Never Begin Your Story With Weather: http://bit.ly/RbVIl3 @woodwardkaren
Why Creativity Blocks Happen (and How to Overcome Them): http://bit.ly/Qz5w6d @lifehacker
How to speak publisher: E is for editor: http://bit.ly/Qz6Xl3 @annerooney
Pros and cons of pen names: http://bit.ly/Qz74gj @deanwesleysmith
James Bond and the Perils of Product Placement: http://bit.ly/Qz78g6 @davidgaughran
The elements of a successful pitch: http://bit.ly/Qz7iEl @novelrocket
10 non-writing-related ways to become a better writer: http://bit.ly/Qz7p2D @rachellegardner
10 Best Science Fiction and Fantasy Fight Settings: http://bit.ly/Qz7KCl @lbgale
What to Do When People Don't Get Your Story: http://bit.ly/NPmHDh @jodyhedlund
How to Show (Not Tell) Paranoia, Hope, and Other Moods: http://bit.ly/PWCo9G @joebunting
Explaining your story's world… and avoiding exposition: http://bit.ly/NPmYG9 @dirtywhitecandy
Use Setting and Background to Meet Reader Expectations: http://bit.ly/PWCQF1 @beth_barany
Ebook Formatting - The Hard Way: http://bit.ly/PWD13f @susankayequinn
6 Essential Tips for Getting Your Guest Posts Accepted: http://bit.ly/NPndB3
Horror in video games: http://bit.ly/PWQhor
Konrath's Self-Pub Sales Report: http://bit.ly/NPsEjn @jakonrath
The Death Of Genre: Drifting Toward A Post-Genre Future: http://bit.ly/PWSeRR @chuckwendig
The business-savvy writer has a good offense: http://bit.ly/NPtyfO @kristinerusch
How Many Spaces After a Period? http://bit.ly/PWSro2 @writersdigest
Using folklore to create a story: http://bit.ly/NPtCMD @genelempp
TMI Sentences: http://bit.ly/PWSHUf @aliciarasley
Writing Tip: Action! http://bit.ly/NPtMU5 @threekingsbooks
Have writer's block? Try something different: http://bit.ly/PWSZud @emergentpublish
Should You Use A Pen Name? http://bit.ly/QUKiQB @woodwardkaren
Ethical Roulette: http://bit.ly/Ri57rj @JAKonrath
6 Necessities for Your Blogged Book: http://bit.ly/Ri59zr @ninaamir
How One Writer's Social Hestitations Led to Something Great: http://bit.ly/Ri5eTB @khaledcallen
Advice on Writing Mentors: http://bit.ly/QUKEXl
How to write comics: agreements and collaboration: http://bit.ly/QUKTBR @79SemiFinalist
@litreactor
Serialising a novel--what to do when the show is over: http://bit.ly/Ri5ZMw @dirtywhitecandy
5 Things to Consider During Revisions: http://bit.ly/QULcwv
Every Writer Needs a Bio: http://bit.ly/Ri6oib @novelrocket
Engaging Readers Using Social Commentary in Ebooks: http://bit.ly/QULt2y @ddscottromcom
Intellectual Property Considerations for Writers: http://bit.ly/Ri6N3Y @thecreativepenn
Are You Making These 7 Book Marketing Mistakes? http://bit.ly/QULBz3 @JFBookman
10 Inspirational Disabled Characters From Sci-Fi And Fantasy: http://bit.ly/QULF1C @sfxmagazine
How to Take on Writer's Block like a Pro: http://bit.ly/OXI9HF @emilywenstrom
How to Choose When to Use Dialogue (and What Kind) in Your Fiction and Nonfiction: http://bit.ly/QImGOD
What's the best way to cover a speech? http://bit.ly/OXIkCM @michellerafter
Are "sock puppets" really that bad for the book business? http://bit.ly/QImTRV @paidcontent
There's no right way to write: http://bit.ly/OXIslA @gits
Less Distractions, More Writing: http://bit.ly/QImZZP
Applying Picture Book Wisdom to Longer Fiction: http://bit.ly/OXIBFG @annastanisz
4 tips for writing your personal story: http://bit.ly/OXIH07 @rachellegardner
Self-Publishing Basics - Publishing to iTunes: http://bit.ly/QInfZ1 @susankayequinn
Why Write Blog Posts Consistently? http://bit.ly/QInnHN @ava_jae
5 Tips To Help Improve Your Story's Pacing: http://bit.ly/OXJ0Ii
Dominate Your Personal Brand On Google With This 14 Point Checklist: http://bit.ly/OXJrCz
10 Best Closing Lines Of Novels: http://bit.ly/PMDG7E @xymarla
Writers Be-Wary: Electronic Distribution and Control of Creative Material: http://bit.ly/V9P940 @victoriastrauss
Writing in a child's voice: http://bit.ly/V9Q04P @SW_Messenger @angelaackerman
A legal blog for writers--publishing law and copyright counsel: http://bit.ly/PMEo4O @SheilaJLevine
When Do Writers Need Multiple Blogs? http://bit.ly/PgD1ZK @kristenlambTX
An editor reviews common manuscript issues she comes across: http://bit.ly/SLOt5N @behlerpublish
YA readers tell authors what they like to read: http://bit.ly/PgDo6o
30 Synonyms for "Meeting": http://bit.ly/SLOG94 @writing_tips
The 11 Biggest Lies Ever Told By Favorite Heroes and Villains: http://bit.ly/PgDwTC @i09
Is Your Work Day Filled With Unwanted Obligation or a Burning Desire to Improve? http://bit.ly/SLP2MJ @danblank
Novelists Seek Help Fighting Internet Addiction: http://bit.ly/PgDY4b @_thefix
What Should Indie Publishers Be Called? http://bit.ly/SLRJhm @deanwesleysmith
A closer look at new commercial models for publishing: http://bit.ly/PgGO9c @MikeShatzkin @Porter_Anderson
10 Excuses for Not Writing - and How to Smash Them: http://bit.ly/PgLcFd @KMWeiland
Fantasy Influences: Ancient Greek Mythology: http://bit.ly/PgLg8a @fantasyfaction
Thoughts on chapter breaks: http://bit.ly/PgLrA7
The Writer's Block Myth: http://bit.ly/SLX8VN @kkuseklewis
Chart a course to your dream: http://bit.ly/SLXgVf @sarahahoyt
Entries in the character trait thesaurus: just-- http://bit.ly/PgLWdD and modest--http://bit.ly/PgLWdE @angelaackerman
Conflict is Key: http://bit.ly/PgM78F @heidiwriter
5 Sentences That Should Save the Best Until Last: http://bit.ly/PgQL6P @writing_tips
Twitterific is a compilation of all the writing links I shared the previous week.
The links are fed into the Writer’s Knowledge Base search engine (developed by writer and software engineer Mike Fleming) which has over 18,000 free articles on writing-related topics. Sign up for our free newsletter for monthly writing tips and interviews with top contributors to the WKB or like us on Facebook.
Try “My WKB”--a way for you to list and sort articles, view your read articles, and see your search history. Read more about it here: http://bit.ly/S9thqS . The free My WKB page is here: http://bit.ly/PV8Ueb .
Have a great week!
Bad Habits of Good Writers (Beyond Coffee): http://bit.ly/SErrZ6 @TheresaStevens @Porter_Anderson
Examples of childhood memories as plot elements in crime fiction: http://bit.ly/QyP5qo @mkinberg
Why writing with a book deal is a whole different game: http://bit.ly/T8DhB8 @internspills
3 Tips for Writing When Life is Chaotic and Crazy: http://bit.ly/SEMWcg @jodyhedlund
"Mirror scenes" and how to avoid them: http://bit.ly/T8Dswt @juliettewade
Self-Publishing Basics: Where to Publish: http://bit.ly/SENf6V @susankayequinn
The challenge of discoverabilty in a flooded ebook market (DBW con report): http://bit.ly/QI8nd8 @Porter_Anderson @richfahle @rickjoyce @clintonk
A Writer's Reasons For Falling In Love: http://bit.ly/T8DNz7 @mooderino
What You Need To Know About Writing Video Games: http://bit.ly/T8E30X @booklifenow
When to Hire a Freelance Editor: http://bit.ly/SENM8T @womenwriters
Characterization Skills and Sources: http://bit.ly/SENOO1
Alcohol and the Creative Process: http://bit.ly/T8Ex7n @sianbeilock
6 tips for successful networking: http://bit.ly/SEO8wd @rachellegardner
It's Not Just about the Writing: http://bit.ly/T8EVCW @4YALit
Writing Mistake: Are Your Characters Invincible? http://bit.ly/T8F21a @ava_jae
Ch. 1 Analyses: http://bit.ly/SEOyml @mooderino
Creative Power Tool: Words: http://bit.ly/Qqc4Xz @diymfa
How To Create A Writing Schedule That Works For You: http://bit.ly/Un4laK @authormedia
Full-service publishers are rethinking what they can offer: http://bit.ly/Qqc89E @passivevoiceblg
7 Freelance Writing Scams and How to Fight Them: http://bit.ly/QqcdtR @victoriastrauss @patrickicasas
7 Steps to Get Your Groove Back When You've Lost Your Writing Rhythm: http://bit.ly/Un4GKC @originalimpulse
Watching out for the "wrong" emotion in a secondary world: http://bit.ly/OL7kgi @juliettewade
7 More Ways to Prepare for NaNoWriMo: http://bit.ly/PT8a60 @PYOEbooks
Automated grammar programs: http://bit.ly/OL7HHN @TheresaStevens
The Sensual Writer - Sight: http://bit.ly/PT8GRr
10 Tips for Getting a Staff Writing Job: http://bit.ly/OL83hA @writing_tips
How not to get an agent: http://bit.ly/PT8ZM4
25 Apps to Help You Hack Productivity: http://bit.ly/OL8dpo @lifehackorg
Phases of editing during book production: http://bit.ly/PT9equ @bigblackcat97
Juicing (fraud in book reviewing): http://bit.ly/OL8okv
Sidekicks do NOT need their own stupid sidekicks: http://bit.ly/PT9vts @speechwriterguy
10 Most Epic Love Stories in All of Science Fiction: http://bit.ly/OL8wjT @i09
Make your stress work for you: http://bit.ly/OL8LeU @rachellegardner
A writer vows never to read a 5-star ebook again: http://bit.ly/OL8Uin @BarrBielinski
5 Creepy Social Media Marketing Tactics: http://bit.ly/Qea1D2 @KristenLambTX
Keeping Characters True to Themselves: http://bit.ly/Qe5CzY @stdennard @4YALit
Social Media Will Not Sell Your Book: http://bit.ly/Qlnvzv @hilarydavidson
15 grammatical errors to avoid: http://bit.ly/S4UFzC @bubblecow
What moves you to write? http://bit.ly/QsMDEx
The Influence Of History On Epic Fantasy: http://bit.ly/PNPq9x @fantasybookcrit
How to Overcome Distractions: http://bit.ly/QsMKjE @lifehackorg
Write big or go home: http://bit.ly/PNPEgQ @4YALit @nikkiloftin
Create your own writing retreat: http://bit.ly/QsMNMh
History as Mystery: http://bit.ly/PNPMNn @livewritethrive
How to Become A Literary Agent in 2 Easy Steps: http://bit.ly/QsMUYd @mandyhubbard
Rivet Your Readers with Deep POV: http://bit.ly/PNQavo @JillElizNelson
3 Free Photo Tools for Author Bloggers: http://bit.ly/QsMXDk @jfbookman
Elements of Fantasy: Zombies: http://bit.ly/PNQmLd @fantasyfaction
Using religion to add depth to your fiction: http://bit.ly/QsN3uG
"Setting" the Stage for Storytelling: http://bit.ly/PNQH0h @novelrocket
A writer talks about his experience dealing with depression: http://bit.ly/QsNaq6 @chrisbrogan
Changing senses: http://bit.ly/RawinY @emergentpublish
Working with Startups: 5 Tips for Publishers: http://bit.ly/POI71i @pubperspectives
Using hooks for your scene breaks: http://bit.ly/RawK5m @KMWeiland
Places for finding character names: http://bit.ly/POIw42 @karencv
Why Amazon Must Light a Fire Under the Kindle Fire: http://bit.ly/RawNyg @passivevoiceblg
Subjects you might have avoided in school that could be useful to your writing now: http://bit.ly/POIGbt @BTMargins @gripemaster
How to Write a Short Story No One Else Can Write: http://bit.ly/Rax7go @d_lazarin @joebunting
Character Development: Exploiting Weaknesses: http://bit.ly/POJ2Pm @ava_jae
The 5 Key Personality Traits of Successful Indie Authors: http://bit.ly/POJgWQ @duolit
Ebook Formatting - The Easy Way: http://bit.ly/Raxpny @susankayequinn
Step by Step Guide to Building an Ebook with Calibre: http://bit.ly/RbGJaH @howtowriteshop
How to Keep The Reader Hooked: The Dan Brown Secret: http://bit.ly/QyQf5e @yeomanis
3 Reasons Why Coercing Readers Into Newsletter Subscriptions Is a Bad Idea: http://bit.ly/RbGU5W @roniloren
The Writing Life: The point of the long and winding sentence: http://lat.ms/QyQuNE @LATimes
Animating Songwriting: Making Music That Moves: http://bit.ly/RbH6Ci @usasong
Can Our Social Media Behaviors Destroy Our Social Environment? http://bit.ly/QyQBIY @kristenlambTX
Screenwriting--there's no right way to write: http://bit.ly/RbHikS @gits
Email accounts for your identity as a writer: http://bit.ly/QyQHAs @kit_lit
How caffeine affects your creativity: http://bit.ly/Qz4x5Y @tannerc
Thoughts and Tips for Writing About Sex: http://bit.ly/Qz4Hu3 @wickerkat
Would You Let Readers Watch as You Write Your Book? http://bit.ly/RbVb2u @galleycat
Should you write with a collaborator? http://bit.ly/Qz4YgE @nickdaws
Does Publishing A Novel Change Your Life? http://bit.ly/RbVkD4 @NicholeBernier
Horror--the era of the found footage horror film: http://bit.ly/Qz5nj3
A Writing Taboo: Never Begin Your Story With Weather: http://bit.ly/RbVIl3 @woodwardkaren
Why Creativity Blocks Happen (and How to Overcome Them): http://bit.ly/Qz5w6d @lifehacker
How to speak publisher: E is for editor: http://bit.ly/Qz6Xl3 @annerooney
Pros and cons of pen names: http://bit.ly/Qz74gj @deanwesleysmith
James Bond and the Perils of Product Placement: http://bit.ly/Qz78g6 @davidgaughran
The elements of a successful pitch: http://bit.ly/Qz7iEl @novelrocket
10 non-writing-related ways to become a better writer: http://bit.ly/Qz7p2D @rachellegardner
10 Best Science Fiction and Fantasy Fight Settings: http://bit.ly/Qz7KCl @lbgale
What to Do When People Don't Get Your Story: http://bit.ly/NPmHDh @jodyhedlund
How to Show (Not Tell) Paranoia, Hope, and Other Moods: http://bit.ly/PWCo9G @joebunting
Explaining your story's world… and avoiding exposition: http://bit.ly/NPmYG9 @dirtywhitecandy
Use Setting and Background to Meet Reader Expectations: http://bit.ly/PWCQF1 @beth_barany
Ebook Formatting - The Hard Way: http://bit.ly/PWD13f @susankayequinn
6 Essential Tips for Getting Your Guest Posts Accepted: http://bit.ly/NPndB3
Horror in video games: http://bit.ly/PWQhor
Konrath's Self-Pub Sales Report: http://bit.ly/NPsEjn @jakonrath
The Death Of Genre: Drifting Toward A Post-Genre Future: http://bit.ly/PWSeRR @chuckwendig
The business-savvy writer has a good offense: http://bit.ly/NPtyfO @kristinerusch
How Many Spaces After a Period? http://bit.ly/PWSro2 @writersdigest
Using folklore to create a story: http://bit.ly/NPtCMD @genelempp
TMI Sentences: http://bit.ly/PWSHUf @aliciarasley
Writing Tip: Action! http://bit.ly/NPtMU5 @threekingsbooks
Have writer's block? Try something different: http://bit.ly/PWSZud @emergentpublish
Should You Use A Pen Name? http://bit.ly/QUKiQB @woodwardkaren
Ethical Roulette: http://bit.ly/Ri57rj @JAKonrath
6 Necessities for Your Blogged Book: http://bit.ly/Ri59zr @ninaamir
How One Writer's Social Hestitations Led to Something Great: http://bit.ly/Ri5eTB @khaledcallen
Advice on Writing Mentors: http://bit.ly/QUKEXl
How to write comics: agreements and collaboration: http://bit.ly/QUKTBR @79SemiFinalist
@litreactor
Serialising a novel--what to do when the show is over: http://bit.ly/Ri5ZMw @dirtywhitecandy
5 Things to Consider During Revisions: http://bit.ly/QULcwv
Every Writer Needs a Bio: http://bit.ly/Ri6oib @novelrocket
Engaging Readers Using Social Commentary in Ebooks: http://bit.ly/QULt2y @ddscottromcom
Intellectual Property Considerations for Writers: http://bit.ly/Ri6N3Y @thecreativepenn
Are You Making These 7 Book Marketing Mistakes? http://bit.ly/QULBz3 @JFBookman
10 Inspirational Disabled Characters From Sci-Fi And Fantasy: http://bit.ly/QULF1C @sfxmagazine
How to Take on Writer's Block like a Pro: http://bit.ly/OXI9HF @emilywenstrom
How to Choose When to Use Dialogue (and What Kind) in Your Fiction and Nonfiction: http://bit.ly/QImGOD
What's the best way to cover a speech? http://bit.ly/OXIkCM @michellerafter
Are "sock puppets" really that bad for the book business? http://bit.ly/QImTRV @paidcontent
There's no right way to write: http://bit.ly/OXIslA @gits
Less Distractions, More Writing: http://bit.ly/QImZZP
Applying Picture Book Wisdom to Longer Fiction: http://bit.ly/OXIBFG @annastanisz
4 tips for writing your personal story: http://bit.ly/OXIH07 @rachellegardner
Self-Publishing Basics - Publishing to iTunes: http://bit.ly/QInfZ1 @susankayequinn
Why Write Blog Posts Consistently? http://bit.ly/QInnHN @ava_jae
5 Tips To Help Improve Your Story's Pacing: http://bit.ly/OXJ0Ii
Dominate Your Personal Brand On Google With This 14 Point Checklist: http://bit.ly/OXJrCz
10 Best Closing Lines Of Novels: http://bit.ly/PMDG7E @xymarla
Writers Be-Wary: Electronic Distribution and Control of Creative Material: http://bit.ly/V9P940 @victoriastrauss
Writing in a child's voice: http://bit.ly/V9Q04P @SW_Messenger @angelaackerman
A legal blog for writers--publishing law and copyright counsel: http://bit.ly/PMEo4O @SheilaJLevine
When Do Writers Need Multiple Blogs? http://bit.ly/PgD1ZK @kristenlambTX
An editor reviews common manuscript issues she comes across: http://bit.ly/SLOt5N @behlerpublish
YA readers tell authors what they like to read: http://bit.ly/PgDo6o
30 Synonyms for "Meeting": http://bit.ly/SLOG94 @writing_tips
The 11 Biggest Lies Ever Told By Favorite Heroes and Villains: http://bit.ly/PgDwTC @i09
Is Your Work Day Filled With Unwanted Obligation or a Burning Desire to Improve? http://bit.ly/SLP2MJ @danblank
Novelists Seek Help Fighting Internet Addiction: http://bit.ly/PgDY4b @_thefix
What Should Indie Publishers Be Called? http://bit.ly/SLRJhm @deanwesleysmith
A closer look at new commercial models for publishing: http://bit.ly/PgGO9c @MikeShatzkin @Porter_Anderson
10 Excuses for Not Writing - and How to Smash Them: http://bit.ly/PgLcFd @KMWeiland
Fantasy Influences: Ancient Greek Mythology: http://bit.ly/PgLg8a @fantasyfaction
Thoughts on chapter breaks: http://bit.ly/PgLrA7
The Writer's Block Myth: http://bit.ly/SLX8VN @kkuseklewis
Chart a course to your dream: http://bit.ly/SLXgVf @sarahahoyt
Entries in the character trait thesaurus: just-- http://bit.ly/PgLWdD and modest--http://bit.ly/PgLWdE @angelaackerman
Conflict is Key: http://bit.ly/PgM78F @heidiwriter
5 Sentences That Should Save the Best Until Last: http://bit.ly/PgQL6P @writing_tips
September 28, 2012
Organizing a Book and a Time-Saving Technique for Editing
Everybody has a method for organizing a book. It’s important to stick with whatever works for you. For me, the most important thing about organizing a book is that it’s got to be easy. It can’t be time-consuming. Because it would be incredibly tempting to sink your writing time into making the perfect, tabbed notebook with color-coded sections. Believe me, I’d be totally pulled into that kind of time suck.
I haven’t talked about my own method for organizing a book (and it’s pretty basic) for a while, so I thought I’d share it here. It does help me to work through a draft pretty quickly…and the edits, too.
I just finished writing a first draft. So, to help me keep all my documents straight, I have a folder in Word with the working title of the manuscript. Inside that folder, I have a character sheet with character names (full names) and short descriptions. I fill this out as I go so that I don’t have to look back in my document to try to remember character details (I have a lousy memory…)
Sometimes I’m writing on the go, so there will be scraps of paper in places like my car, my purse, etc. Or I’ll wake up with an idea and scrawl an unintelligible note on some paper on my bedside table.
What I’ve learned I have to do, though, is to gather those papers together at the end of the day. If one of the ideas is for later in the story, then I type it into an ideas document in the WiP’s folder on Word. If it’s something related to my current spot in the story, then I add it in.
Keeping tabs on these scraps is important—frequently the ideas that suddenly hit me are better than the ones that I sit down and decide to have. A few times I’ve finished a book, emailed the manuscript to my editor, and found a scrap of paper later that had a really cool twist on it. Oh well!
I've seen other writers use different methods. Some swear by Post-Its on a bulletin board/story board. Some write everything in a spiral notebook, then they type it all onto the computer later. Another way to organize a book is to use an online program designed specifically for writers. My friend, Mike Fleming’s, Hiveword, for example. It sure makes it easier to find all the different components of your book. And helps avoid the sloppiness of Post-Its.
On to editing.
One thing that really helps me speed through a draft is the fact that I don’t edit as I go…although I know plenty of writers who do, and it works well for them.
I, on the other hand, become a disaster when I edit as I go. It messes up my creative flow by making me use a different part of my brain. When my editor hat is on, I feel like my manuscript is a broken mess. It might be, but it’s all fixable. This is something that I don’t need to worry over while I’m drafting.
I do one time-saving thing that helps me organize my to-do list for editing the next draft.
I notice problems as I go. I’ll either jot down a note on a separate document to remind myself to address it later, or make a comment to myself in Track Changes on Word.
If I stop to fix the problem, it just pulls me right out of the story.
I’ll also have a document with extra bits of dialogue and ideas to be worked in later…or discarded.
And I have my list of things to edit after the first draft is done. For mine now, the list is stuff that only I would understand:
Add Corrine’s reward
Short updates from Myrtle in the newspaper
Elaine’s photography
Albums
Freeze the ham.
So…you get the idea. I’m not writing a huge explanation when I jot these notes down. These are just brief reminders to help me remember things I need to add or adjust so that there won’t be continuity errors or plot holes.
That’s really it. Simple stuff, but it helps me move quickly through drafting a manuscript and editing it. How do you organize your writing and editing?
Image: Patricia Fortes, Morgue Files
September 26, 2012
Save the Cat
by Elizabeth S. Craig, @elizabethscraig
I’ve been hearing about the book Save the Cat by Blake Snyder for a long time. Probably the last few years, actually.
It was one of those things where I kept meaning to buy it, kept hearing about it, but I didn’t have a direct buy-link to the book. (So…if you’re like me, here you are: Save the Cat Kindle , Save the Cat Nook , Save the Cat print .
It’s a helpful book. I can definitely see what all the hoopla is about. It’s written by a screenwriter for screenwriters—but the methods are applicable for novelists.
I think another reason I resisted buying this book is because I have my writing method fairly well-developed for my series. I know how I structure a traditional mystery.
The book does offer help for structuring a novel. But the thing I found the most helpful was a very short section where Blake Snyder actually brought up the “save the cat” approach that the title alludes to.
Snyder said that it was incredibly important for your audience (he, naturally, means filmgoers, but it works for readers) to like or at least pull for your protagonist. He casually mentions the importance of making your protagonist do something likeable in one of the first scenes of your film/novel.
This sounds incredibly simple (and is incredibly simple), but I’d never thought of it in such a concrete or deliberate way before.
One of my series, the Myrtle Clover mysteries, has a…well, let’s call Myrtle difficult. She’s a difficult octogenarian sleuth. I love Myrtle. Many readers love Myrtle and write to me about Myrtle and ask me when the next Myrtle book is coming out.
Some readers think Myrtle should be locked in a retirement home and have the key thrown away. They don’t hesitate to let me know this in the reviews. :)
So…you love her or you hate her. I understand this. There are people I know who are similar to Myrtle.
But you want readers to at least pull for your character. You don’t want them to give up on your book. So, Snyder’s advice is to throw in a scene that displays the protagonist in a good light….early.
So, when readers are trying to decide if they want to invest their hard-earned free time with your character for the next few days or week, we’re giving them a reason to stick with them.
Before reading this book, I’d definitely thrown in a scene or two with a softer Myrtle at some point in the mystery. But usually it wasn’t near the start of the story.
Myrtle will continue being difficult, past her Save-the-Cat scene. But I’ll be interested in seeing if she has more converts with this approach.
How do you soften your difficult characters? Have you read Save the Cat?
I’ve been hearing about the book Save the Cat by Blake Snyder for a long time. Probably the last few years, actually.It was one of those things where I kept meaning to buy it, kept hearing about it, but I didn’t have a direct buy-link to the book. (So…if you’re like me, here you are: Save the Cat Kindle , Save the Cat Nook , Save the Cat print .
It’s a helpful book. I can definitely see what all the hoopla is about. It’s written by a screenwriter for screenwriters—but the methods are applicable for novelists.
I think another reason I resisted buying this book is because I have my writing method fairly well-developed for my series. I know how I structure a traditional mystery.
The book does offer help for structuring a novel. But the thing I found the most helpful was a very short section where Blake Snyder actually brought up the “save the cat” approach that the title alludes to.
Snyder said that it was incredibly important for your audience (he, naturally, means filmgoers, but it works for readers) to like or at least pull for your protagonist. He casually mentions the importance of making your protagonist do something likeable in one of the first scenes of your film/novel.
This sounds incredibly simple (and is incredibly simple), but I’d never thought of it in such a concrete or deliberate way before.
One of my series, the Myrtle Clover mysteries, has a…well, let’s call Myrtle difficult. She’s a difficult octogenarian sleuth. I love Myrtle. Many readers love Myrtle and write to me about Myrtle and ask me when the next Myrtle book is coming out.
Some readers think Myrtle should be locked in a retirement home and have the key thrown away. They don’t hesitate to let me know this in the reviews. :)
So…you love her or you hate her. I understand this. There are people I know who are similar to Myrtle.
But you want readers to at least pull for your character. You don’t want them to give up on your book. So, Snyder’s advice is to throw in a scene that displays the protagonist in a good light….early.
So, when readers are trying to decide if they want to invest their hard-earned free time with your character for the next few days or week, we’re giving them a reason to stick with them.
Before reading this book, I’d definitely thrown in a scene or two with a softer Myrtle at some point in the mystery. But usually it wasn’t near the start of the story.
Myrtle will continue being difficult, past her Save-the-Cat scene. But I’ll be interested in seeing if she has more converts with this approach.
How do you soften your difficult characters? Have you read Save the Cat?
September 23, 2012
Discovering What Deights--Reader Feedback
by Elizabeth S. Craig, @elizabethscraig
Photo by AcrylicArtist
Sometimes it takes other people to point out something special.
My daughter recently had a friend over, and I was making the girls some snacks. Our kitchen adjoins an eating area with a bay window that overlooks our backyard.
We have six bird feeders that we keep filled. One, a hummingbird feeder, attaches to the bay window and provides endless entertainment for our cats. The hummingbirds are fun to watch--feisty, fast, voracious. The cats forget the screens are in and try to catch them, leaping at the screens with paws outstretched. We see the birds from early April through October before they fly off to Mexico for the winter.
Much as they entertain us, after a while, they do fade to the background...just like the rest of the backyard. Basically, they become just an attractive wallpaper.
They weren't wallpaper for my daughter's friend.
I was shaking popcorn into bowls when the little girl gasped. "Mrs. Craig! Mrs. Craig!" she ran over to me, wide-eyed with excitement. She grabbed my arm. "Look!"
I figured there must be a large snake outside, so I didn't even glance in the direction of the feeder. "No, look!" she said, pointing to the hummingbirds.
Through her eyes, I saw the wonder of the amazing little creatures again.
Of course I told her how glad I was she thought they were special. I explained what they were and gave a little information about hummingbirds. She avidly watched them for a long while.
Sometimes we lose perspective with our stories, too. The plot and the characters become wallpaper to us. We know we need an extra set of eyes to find the problems with our book--the plot holes, the echoes of repeated words, the loose ends we forget to tie up.
But it's just as important to have that extra set of eyes to find what's right with our story--what's special. A turn of phrase, a genuine character, a well-drawn villain. The hours of editing can make us lose perspective on the good parts, too. We need to know what works so that we can provide more of it.
What are the hummingbirds in your story?
Photo by AcrylicArtist
Sometimes it takes other people to point out something special.
My daughter recently had a friend over, and I was making the girls some snacks. Our kitchen adjoins an eating area with a bay window that overlooks our backyard.
We have six bird feeders that we keep filled. One, a hummingbird feeder, attaches to the bay window and provides endless entertainment for our cats. The hummingbirds are fun to watch--feisty, fast, voracious. The cats forget the screens are in and try to catch them, leaping at the screens with paws outstretched. We see the birds from early April through October before they fly off to Mexico for the winter.
Much as they entertain us, after a while, they do fade to the background...just like the rest of the backyard. Basically, they become just an attractive wallpaper.
They weren't wallpaper for my daughter's friend.
I was shaking popcorn into bowls when the little girl gasped. "Mrs. Craig! Mrs. Craig!" she ran over to me, wide-eyed with excitement. She grabbed my arm. "Look!"
I figured there must be a large snake outside, so I didn't even glance in the direction of the feeder. "No, look!" she said, pointing to the hummingbirds.
Through her eyes, I saw the wonder of the amazing little creatures again.
Of course I told her how glad I was she thought they were special. I explained what they were and gave a little information about hummingbirds. She avidly watched them for a long while.
Sometimes we lose perspective with our stories, too. The plot and the characters become wallpaper to us. We know we need an extra set of eyes to find the problems with our book--the plot holes, the echoes of repeated words, the loose ends we forget to tie up.
But it's just as important to have that extra set of eyes to find what's right with our story--what's special. A turn of phrase, a genuine character, a well-drawn villain. The hours of editing can make us lose perspective on the good parts, too. We need to know what works so that we can provide more of it.
What are the hummingbirds in your story?
