Sara R. Turnquist's Blog, page 29

Pre-editing: The Nitty Gritty

Hey, all! So, my writing tends to go in ebbs and flows. What I mean by that is…either I’m doing a ton of writing, or all editing. Two months ago, it was a lot of writing. These last couple of months, it’s all editing. I have a manuscript that is just newly under contract. So, I have to do a round of pre-edits before it’s turned over to my publisher’s team of editors. And I have one I’m self-publishing that I had to self-edit before turning over to my freelance editor. Edit, edit, edit… So today’s blog is about editing. Imagine that.

I’ve talked before about self-editing and the importance of it. Today, I want to get into the trenches with you and discuss some of the nuances of pre-editing. (Self-editing and pre-editing are essentially the same thing, I believe. For me, “self-editing” is what I do every time I look at the novel and that last round before I submit the manuscript to my publisher, “pre-editing” is when I take a fine-tooth comb and the publisher’s list of preferences and go back through the novel again.)

Adverbs

What’s the deal with adverbs anyway? What’s so harmful about a few -ly words? You’ve probably heard all the typical answers: “It indicates ‘lazy writing'”, “there are better ways to say that”, “it’s telling, do more showing”… Mark Twain encouraged writers to avoid them as an exercise in being “simple and straightforward”. Stephen King has quite a bit to say about the use of adverbs. Bottom line – in most cases, they are not needed. Here is a quote from Stephen King’s On Writing:

Consider the sentence He closed the door firmly. It’s by no means a terrible sentence (at least it’s got an active verb going for it), but ask yourself if firmly really has to be there. You can argue that it expresses a degree of difference between He closed the door and He slammed the door, and you’ll get no argument from me … but what about context? What about all the enlightening (not to say emotionally moving) prose which came beforeHe closed the door firmly? Shouldn’t this tell us how he closed the door? And if the foregoing prose does tell us, isn’t firmly an extra word? Isn’t it redundant?

So, check for adverbs in your manuscript. You can do a search for “ly”. Sure you’ll turn up words like “only” that are not adverbs, but it will help you pull out the adverbs more easily. How many should you have?The truth is, there is no “right” answer. That is between you as an artist and your agent/publisher. My publisher’s rule of thumb is one, maybe two per page.

Extraneous Words

These are words that are just that–extra. You don’t need them. But you wrote them. As well you should have. During the first draft phase, you’re writing like a maniac and just putting it on the paper/word processor document. You aren’t thinking about each word and it’s necessity. But now is the time to do that. I’m talking about the “that”s. About the “to her”, “from him”, the dreaded “up” and “down”. Here’s a couple of examples from the manuscript I am working on, my A Convenient Risk,

The silhouette of the figure became visible to her.

The “to her” here is not necessary since we are in her point of view.

“I’ll help.” He knelt down next to the glass and picked up the shards.

The word “down” is not needed here. We understand that he is kneeling on the ground level.

Overused Words

Wait…didn’t we just talk about this? By “overused words”, I’m talking about words that are specific to you. As you read through your manuscript from top to bottom, you may come across a word, or maybe two or more, that you use more than you’d like. Words that may or may not be necessary (i.e. not all are extraneous). I apparently love the words “over” and “toward”. Most of the uses of the word “over” can just be taken out. But I have to replace/rewrite several of the “toward” occurrences. It’s amazing how often I use these words! And, knowing this about myself, I now do a global search during the pre-edit phase for these words to find and hopefully eliminate as many instances as I can.

Holding her chin high, she maneuvered Samuel over to her right hip so she could look the preacher square in the face.

This is but one example of MANY I found in pre-editing where “over” is inserted, but not needed.

Flow

It is important to have good flow, rhythm, and pacing to your manuscript. Flow can be helped by varying sentence beginnings. Making sure you don’t start consecutive sentences with the same word. Or multiple sentences in a paragraph with the same word even. And check consecutive paragraphs to ensure they don’t start with the same word. It just makes things more pleasant to read. It can be very off-putting if every other sentence starts with “she”.

Rhythm and pacing is something that comes with your voice. And that is developed as your write. Think about how you would tell your best friend a story. (It’s way different than how you would testify in court about the same event, yeah?) That’s hitting on your voice. You adjust pacing by shortening and lengthening sentences, paragraphs, and scenes. The shorter the sentence/paragraph/scene, the faster the pace and action.

All Time Good Tips
Read it aloud

You should always, always, always read your manuscript aloud. It’s amazing what you can catch this way. There’s something about the way it rolls off the tongue and to the ear that helps you catch mistakes (especially mistakes in flow and pacing) that you may have missed otherwise.

Use multiple word processors

I write in Scrivener.  That software catches a certain set of grammatical mistakes. My publisher and beta readers speak Microsoft Word. So, I convert it into Word before sending it. But before attaching it to an e-mail, I run another spell check in Word. Because Word catches a different set of mistakes. I also can (and usually do) run it through LibreOffice (another word processing program similar to Microsoft Word) which will catch another set of things. Some of these “catches” of course will overlap, but some will not (i.e. Word will catch things Scrivener did not and vice a versa.

In Conclusion…

I know you are all ready to head out, grab your red pen (or track changes) and tear into your manuscript. Many blessings upon you! Happy editing!!

 

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FEATURED GUEST: Author Elle Marlow

Hello, everyone! I am pleased to welcome fellow author Elle Marlow onto my blog today. She is here today sharing a clean historical romance with us (right up my alley!). If pirates and adventure and romance intrigue you, this seems like the book for you. So, let me get out of the way and let you hear more about it (and the author) from Elle:

Thanks for being on the blog today, Elle. First, can you tell us a little about The Black Raven, White Dove?

I’d love to! The Black Raven, White Dove is a sweet, historical romance with light adventure and suspense. It is about 40k words in length, making it a larger novella. The time period of the story is in the 1700 when Portugal ruled the trades, especially by sea. After doing some research into the coastal area, I was completely taken by the beauty of it, and so, decided that a romance must take place!

There’s always room for romance! Did you always want to be a writer? If not, what did you want to be when you were a child?

When I was a child, I wanted to be a Dallas Cowboy Cheerleader! LOL. But somewhere around my 20’s I started writing. I have written (and lost) more manuscripts over the course of the years, but one of those I kept, and it sat on a shelf for over 15 years until it finally found a publishing home. So, even if you set your dreams aside for a bit, never give up. I’m an example of better late than never.

Isn’t that the truth! It’s never to late to pursue your dreams. I know that, while writing is something we enjoy, that not all of it is roses and sunshine. There are parts of the process we don’t love so much. What about you? What part of the writing process do you dread?

The synopsis. Seriously, dread the synopsis.

I totally understand. Not my favorite either! I have learned myself that we hone our craft through workshops and conferences, but also through reading. Always reading. Some of what we learn about writing is intuitive I think. What are you currently reading?

Right now, I’m reading A.J. Kohler’s romance titled Repeat. It’s fantastic!

I love a good recommendation! Now when I need to get in the mood to write, I need to have the right atmosphere, but I also need the right music to get in the right headspace. What kind of music, if any, do you listen to when you write?

My all-time best selling romance is a contemporary western, Josey’s Mountain. I wrote that novel to country music hottie, Luke Bryan’s song “That’s my kind of night.” Okay, we can argue that he isn’t real country, but that book produced real results, so I kind of love him.

Can’t argue with results

Swag: I Want My Book Cover On Everything

I just had the privilege of celebrating my nine year anniversary with my husband. Yes, it’s been a wonderful, eventful nine years. And I wouldn’t trade him for anything in the world. And I will share an example of why. He knows me so well. As evidenced by the present he gave me: book swag. But not just any swag. Take a look:

Yes, those are bracelets of all my book covers, including the one that will be coming out in the next few months. Isn’t he super sweet and thoughtful? I think so, too!

When I first published, I was just like anyone else…I wanted swag, swag, and more swag…I wanted it all! But that can get quite pricey. So, you have to be really choosey. What’s the biggest bang for your buck? I started with bookmarks and postcards that I could hand out easily at conferences and whatnot (and, of course, business cards). At this point it was all about what I could justify to pass out. The bookmarks were wonderful. I handed those out everywhere. I continued to order bookmarks for every book I published.

Then I added notebooks and notepads. Which quickly turned into some playing cards (for myself). And magnets for my friends and family. I had caught the swag bug. But I was really making stuff for myself, not so much to be passed out…unfortunately. This is not so much the point of swag. But I didn’t care at the time, I wanted my book cover on everything. I was a newbie author. I was proud of my cover!

So, I turned my thinking cap on…what could be passed around that would interest people in my book? Maybe entice them to buy? Then I heard about these handouts that were basically the cover and the first chapter of the book. That, I needed to check out. So, I had some done. They were fabulous. Great pieces to hand out. I even put the blurb for my next book on the back. No harm done, right? I might even interest them in that book as well.

And so I got carried away again. Why shouldn’t my stationary be my book covers? Of course, it should be! So every book cover up to that point became a piece of stationary. It’s a disease, I tell you. It gets in your system and you can’t hardly stop it.

That brings us to bracelets. And I’m now researching pens. My goal is to have swag bags–reasonably priced bags that I can pass out at conferences and other functions which would include some of these things (pens, my business card, the one chapter pamphlet, and other things I might think of).

What do you think? What is your favorite piece of swag you’ve gotten from an author? As an author, what is your favorite piece of swag to have? To pass out?

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“A Convenient Risk” COVER REVEAL!!!

It is that time again, my friends! I am preparing to send another novel out into the world. This will be my second venture in the world of self-publishing and I am very excited!

The Cover. This cover is the work of the very talented Cora Graphics. I will tell you, I can be rather detail oriented and a little on the demanding side, but she is so easy to work with and so very gifted. Just amazing!

The Story. For those of you who are subscribed to my mailing list, you have already had access to the first chapter of this new adventure. If you are not on my mailing list (getting my newsletters), you can subscribe here. But, let me give you an overview of the story:

He never imagined her heart would be so hard to reach.

Forced into a marriage of convenience after her husband dies, Amanda Haynes is determined she will never love again. Not that it bothers Brandon Miller. He needs her husband’s cattle ranch and life insurance policy. She needs financial stability and long-term support for her son and herself. But she never expected to care so much about the running of the ranch.

Butting heads over the decisions of the ranch, adding to her frustration and grief at her loss. Her wellbeing is soon threatened as their lives become entangled with Billy the Kid and his gang. What has she gotten herself into? What kind of man has she married? Is there any way out?

Once love is gone, will it find you again?

Here it is…and so, I have rambled on about all these things. Now, I present to you the unveiling of this cover:

 

http://saraturnquist.com/wp-content/uploads/2017/03/Second-Changes-cover-reveal.mp4

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A LITTLE OFF TOPIC: Why am I soooo tired?

I love these little off-topic posts. I am sorry if you are missing the writing posts…I promise you one on Friday…maybe a cover reveal! But today I wanted to talk about something serious and real. But something that traditional medicine is struggling to catch up with: Adrenal fatigue.

There are a few pieces to this medical puzzle for me. I have a thyroid condition. I have for many years. And have been on medication for it. But I still had symptoms of an underactive thyroid (tired, always cold, hair loss, etc), though my blood work consistently showed I was in “treatment range”.

About a year and a half ago, I was also undergoing treatments for vericose veins. I ended up with a superficial clot in one of my legs. This led to blood thinners, which led to iron deficient anemia, which I still struggle with today, though I’ve been off the blood thinners for more than a year. This does not help with the fatigue situation.

I noticed that whenever I worked out, I would feel bad (NOT sore) for several days. Just fatigued, yucky…low mood. I talked to my doctor…”you’re working too hard”. Well, I’m not huffing and puffing, I’m not even sweating, I’m not sore after, but okay. I’ll lighten up. Even then, I’m feeling terrible after for days. I work through it though.

Fast forward, I mention this to my chiropractor (when I start going to one about two months ago…I’m just waking up to holistic medicine…still got one foot in the holistic world, one foot in the traditional world), she mentions adrenal fatigue. She says especially if I’ve had a thyroid condition for a while, it’s a real possibility. Who knew the two were connected? They are.

So, she gives the names of two supplements I can find several places, including our favorite online retailer. I order them, thinking “I’ll give it a try”. I kid you not, SIX days into taking these supplements, I felt like a new person. SIX days. I will never go back.

I contacted my Primary Care Physician…after all, I do want to make sure these supplements don’t interact with my other medications. “Is it possible I’m suffering from adrenal fatigue?” I write in my e-mail communication. “I’m not familiar with ‘adrenal fatigue’,” he writes back. “I am more familiar with ‘adrenal hypofunction’ and ‘Adison’s Disease’.” Because, of course, if it can’t be seen on a blood test, traditional medicine has a difficult time wrapping their minds around it, right? This is not a criticism, but a recognition of the facts.

They need to be able to quantify. To measure. In order to medicate. And I get that. There is a place for that. But there is a place for the realization that something is not working the way it’s supposed to and it needs help. And you may not be able to quantify that.

I will tell you that my doctor is amazing and is very open to non-traditional approaches to health in general. So, I did schedule an appointment with him to bring in these supplements and talk with him about my symptoms and how these supplements have helped me.

Bottom line: you have to be advocate for your own health. You know your body and you know when something is not right. Don’t give up on yourself. But please have someone that is on your team who, even if they don’t always see eye-to-eye with you, can be your medical expertise and at least give you a professional opinion. Someone you trust and respect. If you don’t trust and respect your doctor, you need to look elsewhere.

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Sara’s Hiatus: Mini Blog Tour and Other Things

Hey, all! I have been out of touch for a bit. Sorry about that. It seems life has really taken me by storm these last few weeks. So, what exactly has been going on, you ask? Well, let me tell you…

Mini Blog Tour for Hope in Cripple Creek

At the end of January and into February, I was on a mini blog tour for Hope in Cripple Creek. In case you missed it, you can check out the links below. Read more about the novel, get some tips on self-editing and becoming a writer from a newbie’s perspective, and find out who I think would win in a superhero battle (and read my answers to other random questions).

http://www.hannahrconway.com/search

http://ellemarlow.blogspot.com/2017/01/today-on-elite-blog-author-sarah.html

http://www.smfordbooks.com/best-words/so-you-want-to-be-an-author

Guest Fox Sara R. Turnquist

http://www.krystenlindsay.com/blog/sara-r-turnquists-hope-in-cripple-creek

 https://authordanaprovo.wordpress.com/2017/02/03/author-interview-sara-r-turnquist/

http://relaxingwithsixpack.blogspot.com/2017/02/twenty-questions-with-sara-turnquist.html

New Cover Design

A couple of my works in progress got new names. And one got its cover!! The sequel to The Lady Bornekova is now titled The Lady and the Hussites. It is in the final self-editing stages and will be submitted to my publisher this month (hopefully this week)!

My most recently completed work, Second Chances, was renamed. Mostly because I decided that this name was too general, not unique enough. The new title is A Convenient Risk. I also added a page to the website for this book (on the left sidebar with my other titles). This novel should make an appearance in the world in the coming months. The cover will be revealed in the coming weeks!

New Opportunities

I have also been booked to teach at the Kentucky Christian Writers Conference this coming summer. And I couldn’t be more excited! I have attended this conference for the last two years and have fallen in love with the people who run it and its mission. It is quite an honor to be asked onto the faculty this year.

And, of course, being sick…

What would “winter” (since it’s 70 degrees in February…can we really call it that?) be without a viral infection? I got the “flu-like” virus everyone has been talking about. It is no joke. I was just relieved that none of my kids got it. But I had my oils (RC and THIEVES diffusing constantly) and some traditional over-the-counter meds for symptoms (why yes, I do have a foot in both worlds).

So, how’ve you been?

The post Sara’s Hiatus: Mini Blog Tour and Other Things appeared first on Sara's Desk.

Sara’s Hiatus: Mini-Blog Tour and Other Things

Hey, all! I have been out of touch for a bit here. Sorry about that. It seems life has really taken me by storm these last few weeks. So, what exactly has been going on, you ask? Well, let me tell you…

Mini-Blog Tour for Hope in Cripple Creek

At the end of January and into February, I was on a mini-blog tour for Hope in Cripple Creek. In case you missed it, you can check out the links below. Read more about the novel, some tips on self-editing and becoming a writer from a newbie’s perspective, and who I think would win in a superhero battle (and other random questions).

http://www.hannahrconway.com/search

http://ellemarlow.blogspot.com/2017/01/today-on-elite-blog-author-sarah.html

http://www.smfordbooks.com/best-words/so-you-want-to-be-an-author

Guest Fox Sara R. Turnquist

http://www.krystenlindsay.com/blog/sara-r-turnquists-hope-in-cripple-creek

 https://authordanaprovo.wordpress.com/2017/02/03/author-interview-sara-r-turnquist/

http://relaxingwithsixpack.blogspot.com/2017/02/twenty-questions-with-sara-turnquist.html

New Cover Design

A couple of my works in progress got new names. And one got its cover!! The sequel to The Lady Bornekova is now being titled The Lady and the Hussites. It is in the final self-editing stages and will be submitted to my publisher this month (hopefully this week)!

My most recently completed work, Second Chances, got renamed because I decided that name is too general, not unique enough. The new title is A Convenient Risk. I also added a page to the website for this book. It should make an appearance in the world in the coming months. The cover will be revealed in the coming weeks!

New Opportunities

I have been booked to teach at the Kentucky Christian Writers Conference this coming summer. And I couldn’t be more excited! I have attended this conference for the last two years and have fallen in love with the people who run it and its mission. It is quite an honor to be asked onto the faculty.

And, of course, being sick…

What would “winter” be without a viral infection? I got the “flu-like” virus everyone has been talking about. It is no joke. I was just relieved that none of my kids got it. But I had my oils (RC and THIEVES diffusing constantly) and some traditional over-the-counter meds for symptoms (why yes, I do have a foot in both worlds).

So, how’ve you been?

The post Sara’s Hiatus: Mini-Blog Tour and Other Things appeared first on Sara's Desk.

Featured Guest: Author Greg Turnquist

For this very special edition of my blog, I have a rather interesting guest. This is an author who has published several technical (computer) books that, quite frankly, I have no interest in. (Sorry, Greg.) But a couple of things have brought him on the blog today: first, he is trying his hand at fiction (sci-fi dystopian fiction, to be exact) and, secondly, he is my husband and I have been so very eager to give my readers a peek into his work. So without further ado, let’s jump right in

FEATURED GUEST: Author John Theo Jr.

Happy Friday! And thank goodness it’s FRIDAY!!!! It has been a crazy busy week for me, how about you all? I am excited to introduce you to my guest today – author John Theo Jr. He is here to talk about his latest release with Clean Reads.

Welcome, John. First, would you tell us a little about your novel?

White Mountains’ False Flag is a conspiracy novel that takes place in the Great state of New Hampshire.

Ransom Doniphon is a Park Ranger working in New Hampshire’s White Mountain National Forest. While on a helicopter search-and-rescue mission he spies a make-shift shelter deep within the woods. When Ransom and his partner investigate there is a shootout leaving three men dead. What at first appears to be a mobile drug lab hidden in the woods turns out to be a home grown terrorist cell with roots that run deep into state and federal government.

What was the inspiration for White Mountains’ False Flag?

I’m a Christian and a Libertarian. This novel was written from a point of view of frustration with both parties of Congress. Many of the storylines in White Mountains’ False Flag are pulled directly from news headlines over the past few years. For example, quantitative easing to infinity, government shutting down monuments and parks to force congress to raise the debt ceiling, spying on citizens using smart technology are just a few of the headlines incorporated into WMFF. I also predict where I think the government over-reach could go in the future such as drone strikes on US soil (against US citizens) by the government. I was also inspired by the great state of NH. It’s literally the last true free state along the northeast seacoast. You drive up there from Massachusetts and it’s vastly different.

I gotta be honest, this is right up my husband’s alley. In fact, I think I’m going to download your book for him right after this interview. But back to you… When did you first realize you wanted to be a writer?

One day in high school, I started writing down a story and kept writing. After I finished I had another story idea, and another. It’s been a long (slow) path but fun.

I always have to ask this next question because I know there are parts of the writing process we all love (or we wouldn’t do it) and parts that we don’t like as much. Is there any part of the process you dread?

Probably the 3rd to 8th round of editing. By this time I’m burnt out of the story. The honeymoon is over at that point, but as the old saying goes, writing is re-writing.

“Honeymoon is over”…that’s a good way to put it! Editing is a necessary evil indeed. Do you have any suggestions to help me become a better writer?

I have two pieces of advice. 1. Find a mentor. It can shave years off your learning curve. 2. Stay out of debt. This will give you a lot of latitude with how you spend your time = more time spent writing. It’s also just a good life lesson.

You are sounding more and more like my husband…he’s a numbers guy and a one time padawan of Dave Ramsey. Tell us something about your newest release that is NOT in the blurb.

Authors are known to vicariously put themselves into their characters, which I’m sure I’ve done. However, I vicariously purchased some fun toys in this novel for the characters. The protagonist lives in a log cabin on the side of a mountain and has a small farm with a trout stream running through it. He drives an old pickup. The firearms he carries and the RV his buddy have are also some cool toys I geek’d out on.

Too funny! Do you have any current projects your working on? Care to share?

I just finished the first draft of a novel that will be the sequel to my dystopian sci-fi Mission Trip.

Well, John, thanks so much for being on my blog today and sharing your thoughts, advice, and inspiration. And with that, I will segue us to what we’re all eager for: more details about White Mountains’ False Flag.

White Mountains’ False Flag

 

Ransom Doniphon is a Park Ranger working in New Hampshire’s White Mountain National Forest. While on a helicopter search-and-rescue mission he spies a make-shift shelter deep within the woods. When Ransom and his partner investigate there is a shootout leaving three men dead. What at first appears to be a mobile drug lab hidden in the woods turns out to be a home grown terrorist cell with roots that run deep into state and federal government.

 

Enjoy an Excerpt

The man outside the tent had a bowie knife in his hand and a 1911 handgun in a kydex holster on his right hip. There was a high probability the guy in the tent was armed as well. It was clear that he would need backup. Ransom started to sneak away. His stomach dropped when he turned to face another man. A third man. He was in his fifties and held a bolt-action deer rifle which he pointed directly at Ransom.

Buy Links

Amazon

Barnes & Noble

Kobo

Smashwords

Also available on iTunes

More about John

John received an MFA in creative writing from Pine Manor College, in Chestnut Hill MA. He has a long publishing history in non-fiction. White Mountains’ False Flag is his fourth fiction novel. John lives in Massachusetts with his family and teaches screenwriting at Endicott College in Beverly, Massachusetts.

Connect with John and his books

Website: www.johntheo.com

Twitter: @Theolotics5

Facebook: https://m.facebook.com/White-Mountains-False-Flag-167654810343975/?tsid=0.24224753457482173&source=typeahead

YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UC_tXTp-mEENYHe2Ex3LJeXg

 

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The Heart of the Matter: Characterology

I have been in the practice of writing now for quite some time. I have been to numerous conferences and sat under the tutelage of very gifted authors, both at these live events and in my study of craft through books and blogs. One of the key things I have come to discover is that character development is pre-eminent in the novel. If the reader doesn’t care about your characters, they won’t hang in there for the story. So, your characters are what drives it all.

Discovering Your Characters

Every author has their own method for character development. I personally think it’s important to take time BEFORE you start writing the story (or even outlining) to get to know at least your main characters (at least those who will have scenes told from their point of view). Some writers “interview” their character. I have a profile sheet that has a list of things I feel I should know about my character (physical appearance, mental abilities, socioeconomic level now and as a child, sibling/parent relationships, etc.). Look up some character profile sheets, come up with your own. But I would recommend including Goals, Motivations, and Conflicts (External and Internal) on your sheet.

Digging Deeper

These are all sort of surface sort of things, however. I also LOVE Susan May Warren’s “Story Equation” (or “SEQ”) where you break down the character’s Dark Moment Story (something significant that happened in their past that made them who they are today). The Dark Moment Story will lead to character flaws, the lie the character believes about him/herself, the character’s competing values, and so much more. These deepen your understanding of your character which makes the character deeper for the reader. Something that is important to note here is that you may not want to put EVERYTHING you develop about your character on the page. It’s a “tip of the iceberg” kind of thing. Whereas you show the tip of the iceberg, but you (the author) know the entire iceberg that is under the surface. This makes the character more three dimensional and more real.

Having Fun With It

I always try to “cast” my characters too. It helps with visualizing my characters throughout the book and makes them more real for me, too. I keep a Pinterest board on each of my books with photos of who I would cast in each of the roles as well as a variety of other photos of places, food, and photos from that period/place that relate to the novel. It’s just fun to play around with. You can find my pinterest boards here.

At the end of the day…

Characters are people too. They are only as real as you make them. And they are only as real to your readers as you make them. It is worth the time and effort to put the work in on the front end (in my experience). Give it a go and see what you come up with!

Happy creating!

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