Faye Fite's Blog, page 11
August 10, 2018
Tips for Depicting Violence, Swearing, and Sex in Christian Fiction
When other writers learn that I write Christian speculative fiction, one of the most common responses is:
"Wow. That's great. I could never do that. It would be too difficult to work with all the restrictions in Christian fiction."
While I understand and completely respect this point of view, it always makes me chuckle a little bit. Because sure, Christian fiction can be difficult, confusing, and disconcerting, especially when it comes to deciding what type of content to explore. While it does take a lot of prayer and a lot of thought and a lot of guts, Christian fiction doesn't have to be as difficult as people make it out to be. There are a lot of different angles to consider, but let's talk about the three most debated subjects:
Violence. Sex. Swearing.
Yep. We're going to tackle those today. If you aren't a writer of Christian fiction, some of these tips still absolutely apply to you, so stick around. We'll all learn something.
Before I take each of these three topics separately, let's take them all collectively. Here are some questions you should ask yourself when writing Christian fiction:
Question 1: Who is my audience? If you're writing KidLit, your books shouldn't have explicit swearing, sex, or violence in it. This goes for any type of writer, not just Christians. You need to take your audience into account. If you're writing for a mature audience, you can explore more topics that you would otherwise. This is a very simple concept, so I won't bother explaining it further.
Question 2: Am I being honest? Look. People have sex. They swear. And violence of every kind is rampant in our world. If your story doesn't allude to any of this, then you need to be careful. Christian writers have created a massive problem by perpetrating this concept that, if you believe in God, things magically get better for you. This is an incredibly harmful lie...one that has led to poor fiction, shallow faith, and feelings of pain and betrayal by those of us who have been faced with the realization that God is not, in fact, a magician who exists to make all of our problems go away. So please, please, please: STOP. Stop lying.
The world is a dark place. Acknowledging this fact does not lessen our God. And you know what? Being honest will help way more people than trying to cover the truth. If you read the Bible, you will see raw honesty in its pages. There are chapters that cover incredibly hard topics, even ones that may be considered indecent by some. They are tackled head-on because to keep hard topics in the dark is to give them more sway.
So, as you write, you need to ask yourself: Are you being honest? If not: Why? Are you skirting around topics because you are afraid of them? If so: That is not any way to write a story. Be honest.
Question 3: What will explicit content add to my story? Okay. First, let's explain what explicit content is. That would include uncensored swearing, realistic depictions of violence (yeah, including blood and varying levels of gore), and on-page sex.
Got it?
Alright. Now. Why are you inclined to add (or not add) these to your story? Maybe it doesn't fit into the context of the book. That's fine. But what if it does fit? What if you're writing a fantasy novel with swords, or your gritty dystopian has a character who would naturally be inclined to swearing and sex? Then you need to ask: Are you adding explicit content to titillate your readers, appear 'hip,' or be lazy? Or are you doing it in an purposeful, thought-provoking manner? Everything you write should be intentional. Explicit content is no different.
Question 4: Am I taking the "stumbling block" verse out of context? Let me answer that question for you: Yes. You probably are. If you were to write a book with a lot of swearing and then gift it to a person who you know is bothered by foul language, then yes, you are being a stumbling block. But if you were to write a book with a lot of swearing and market it as the type of story that will have gritty language, you are not being a stumbling block. You are being upfront about the type of story it is and people are making the decision to spend money on said story. You did what you could (wrote and marketed according to your conscience). If purchasers are then bothered by the content, that is on them. They have a responsibility to themselves to monitor what they buy and consume.
It's not a hard concept, people. Stop abusing that verse.
Question 5: Am I following God's plan for my writing? You need to pray long and hard about the stories that you write. And you need to be reading your Bible, studying earnestly, and holding honest discussions with fellow Christians. If you aren't doing this, your story will stray. As will you.
Okay. Now let's tackle each topic individually:
What about violence?
Christian fiction does this weird thing where gore and violence is fairly rampant and supposedly totally acceptable. I am 100% convinced that this is because people point at the Bible and say, "Look! Look at how violent some of the passages are! If it's in the Bible, it can be in my book!"
*facepalm*
The idiocy, you guys. It's killing me.
Is there violence in the Bible? Yes. Does God like violence? NO.
So yes, violence can be present in your books. But you absolutely should not be glorifying it. Your characters should feel deep pain upon taking a life....Unless you mean to show that they've become numb to this pain, in which case you should be showing the negative effects this can have.
With that said, how much violence is too much? Well. Ask yourself: Does this need to be here? What's the point? Do you need to show intestines spilling from somebody's stomach? Or brain matter splattering against a wall?
Maybe. If you are writing for a mature audience and are attempting to show darkness with the intent of magnifying light and salvation, then okay. But remember: The more gore you use, the less of an impact it has. So use it sparingly. And be damn sure that it's necessary and not just there because you're too lazy to write about darkness creatively or thoughtfully.
What about swearing?
Ah. This one drives me insane. You can have a Christian novel with violence, but your character better not utter an expletive. Ever.
Errrr. What?
Let's address why people (specifically Christians) believe that swearing is a no in fiction:
1) It's lazy. Just use other ways to show this emotion. So, I get this one, but it's not always realistic. If you are writing a gritty character, he/she is going to swear. And no, you can't just not write these types of characters because these people do exist and to erase them from fiction falls into the dishonest realm I discussed in Question 2.
2) The Bible has all those verses about controlling your tongue and only letting wholesome things come out of your mouth, so obviously that means no cursing in fiction. Whoa. That's quite the logic leap you took there. I'd be impressed if I wasn't so annoyed.
It is true that swearing is often an expression that reveals problems of the heart. However, for a character to have an arc, they are supposed to have problems inside. If a character is the type that would swear, then to write them otherwise is to instantly make your character fake. You are being inauthentic, which drives away some readers and invites others to lead shallow, unexamined lives.
But how much swearing is too much? Like with gore, the more swearing you use, the less it means. So use it intentionally.
Are there some words you just shouldn't use? As for words you shouldn't use: Much of this depends on the audience and context. For example, the F word can be used in a lot of different ways: To show surprise, anger, lust, or sexual aggressiveness. The first two instances? Realistic. The last two? Realistic, yes, but also unnecessary and lazy because those are issues that need to be handled much more carefully than something as simple as anger or shock. Examine the context in which you would use profanity to see if you are using it as a way to add authenticity to the story, or as a way to brush over severely problematic character behaviors.
What about sex?
This one's tricky. Or is it?
Sex is not a bad thing. It is something beautiful, but also something that God intended to take place between one man and one woman who are married to each other. Any sexual acts that fall outside of this specific scenario is in defiance of God's plan.
However, these acts still happen. And we as Christian writers can't just pretend that they don't.
What about explicit sex? There is no reason for on-page sex. Sex is a private gift shared between a married couple. To show it on-page serves no purpose to the plot and puts both yourself and your readers in a voyeuristic position.
This same concept applies to on-page sexual acts that stop short of actual sex. While it may be necessary to show some of this for plot/character purposes, you need to be careful enough to do so in a manner that isn't voyeuristic and that is portraying a healthy relationship (or showing the dangers of an unhealthy one). A tall order, but you took that upon yourself when you decided to write Christian fiction, so step up.
But what about implied sex? As mentioned before, there's nothing wrong with sex. So if you have specific reason for showing your characters kissing and then heading off to have sex off-page, sure. But do so thoughtfully, and please, please don't make your story: "And then they got married, had sex, and now their relationship is magically perfect and beautiful." ???? No. That's not how this works. Be real. There is more to a relationship than sex. Acknowledge this in your fiction.
What about implied sex between unmarried couples? The same logic for married couples pertains here, too, but with an added caveat: Remember that this act goes against the intended way of things. It does happen, yes, so you can be honest and explore this in your book. But you also need to be all. the. way. honest. Pre-marital sex exists, but at what cost? There are many emotional, physical, and relational problems that can come from this, so you should not be glorifying pre-marital sexual relations. Just as you need to be honest about sex existing in our world, you need to be honest about the ramifications of abusing it.
Aaaand I think we're done here. I'm can feel all the questions and disagreements coming at me, so let's hear them! What are your thoughts, questions, or concerns on the matter? As always, you are free to disagree with me, but please keep the comment section logical and kind.
Related article:
8 Problems in the Christian Fiction Genre (And How to Fix Them)Darkness in Fiction: 7 Tips for Writing Dark StoriesKeeping it Classy: When is it OK to Use Profanity in Your Fiction Writing?
Enjoy this post? Take a look around. If you like what you see, don't forget to subscribe by email for a new post every Friday!
Some links are Amazon affiliate. Thank you for your support!
"Wow. That's great. I could never do that. It would be too difficult to work with all the restrictions in Christian fiction."
While I understand and completely respect this point of view, it always makes me chuckle a little bit. Because sure, Christian fiction can be difficult, confusing, and disconcerting, especially when it comes to deciding what type of content to explore. While it does take a lot of prayer and a lot of thought and a lot of guts, Christian fiction doesn't have to be as difficult as people make it out to be. There are a lot of different angles to consider, but let's talk about the three most debated subjects:
Violence. Sex. Swearing.
Yep. We're going to tackle those today. If you aren't a writer of Christian fiction, some of these tips still absolutely apply to you, so stick around. We'll all learn something.
Before I take each of these three topics separately, let's take them all collectively. Here are some questions you should ask yourself when writing Christian fiction:
Question 1: Who is my audience? If you're writing KidLit, your books shouldn't have explicit swearing, sex, or violence in it. This goes for any type of writer, not just Christians. You need to take your audience into account. If you're writing for a mature audience, you can explore more topics that you would otherwise. This is a very simple concept, so I won't bother explaining it further.
Question 2: Am I being honest? Look. People have sex. They swear. And violence of every kind is rampant in our world. If your story doesn't allude to any of this, then you need to be careful. Christian writers have created a massive problem by perpetrating this concept that, if you believe in God, things magically get better for you. This is an incredibly harmful lie...one that has led to poor fiction, shallow faith, and feelings of pain and betrayal by those of us who have been faced with the realization that God is not, in fact, a magician who exists to make all of our problems go away. So please, please, please: STOP. Stop lying.
The world is a dark place. Acknowledging this fact does not lessen our God. And you know what? Being honest will help way more people than trying to cover the truth. If you read the Bible, you will see raw honesty in its pages. There are chapters that cover incredibly hard topics, even ones that may be considered indecent by some. They are tackled head-on because to keep hard topics in the dark is to give them more sway.
So, as you write, you need to ask yourself: Are you being honest? If not: Why? Are you skirting around topics because you are afraid of them? If so: That is not any way to write a story. Be honest.
Question 3: What will explicit content add to my story? Okay. First, let's explain what explicit content is. That would include uncensored swearing, realistic depictions of violence (yeah, including blood and varying levels of gore), and on-page sex.
Got it?
Alright. Now. Why are you inclined to add (or not add) these to your story? Maybe it doesn't fit into the context of the book. That's fine. But what if it does fit? What if you're writing a fantasy novel with swords, or your gritty dystopian has a character who would naturally be inclined to swearing and sex? Then you need to ask: Are you adding explicit content to titillate your readers, appear 'hip,' or be lazy? Or are you doing it in an purposeful, thought-provoking manner? Everything you write should be intentional. Explicit content is no different.
Question 4: Am I taking the "stumbling block" verse out of context? Let me answer that question for you: Yes. You probably are. If you were to write a book with a lot of swearing and then gift it to a person who you know is bothered by foul language, then yes, you are being a stumbling block. But if you were to write a book with a lot of swearing and market it as the type of story that will have gritty language, you are not being a stumbling block. You are being upfront about the type of story it is and people are making the decision to spend money on said story. You did what you could (wrote and marketed according to your conscience). If purchasers are then bothered by the content, that is on them. They have a responsibility to themselves to monitor what they buy and consume.
It's not a hard concept, people. Stop abusing that verse.
Question 5: Am I following God's plan for my writing? You need to pray long and hard about the stories that you write. And you need to be reading your Bible, studying earnestly, and holding honest discussions with fellow Christians. If you aren't doing this, your story will stray. As will you.
Okay. Now let's tackle each topic individually:
What about violence?
Christian fiction does this weird thing where gore and violence is fairly rampant and supposedly totally acceptable. I am 100% convinced that this is because people point at the Bible and say, "Look! Look at how violent some of the passages are! If it's in the Bible, it can be in my book!"
*facepalm*
The idiocy, you guys. It's killing me.
Is there violence in the Bible? Yes. Does God like violence? NO.
So yes, violence can be present in your books. But you absolutely should not be glorifying it. Your characters should feel deep pain upon taking a life....Unless you mean to show that they've become numb to this pain, in which case you should be showing the negative effects this can have.
With that said, how much violence is too much? Well. Ask yourself: Does this need to be here? What's the point? Do you need to show intestines spilling from somebody's stomach? Or brain matter splattering against a wall?
Maybe. If you are writing for a mature audience and are attempting to show darkness with the intent of magnifying light and salvation, then okay. But remember: The more gore you use, the less of an impact it has. So use it sparingly. And be damn sure that it's necessary and not just there because you're too lazy to write about darkness creatively or thoughtfully.
What about swearing?
Ah. This one drives me insane. You can have a Christian novel with violence, but your character better not utter an expletive. Ever.
Errrr. What?
Let's address why people (specifically Christians) believe that swearing is a no in fiction:
1) It's lazy. Just use other ways to show this emotion. So, I get this one, but it's not always realistic. If you are writing a gritty character, he/she is going to swear. And no, you can't just not write these types of characters because these people do exist and to erase them from fiction falls into the dishonest realm I discussed in Question 2.
2) The Bible has all those verses about controlling your tongue and only letting wholesome things come out of your mouth, so obviously that means no cursing in fiction. Whoa. That's quite the logic leap you took there. I'd be impressed if I wasn't so annoyed.
It is true that swearing is often an expression that reveals problems of the heart. However, for a character to have an arc, they are supposed to have problems inside. If a character is the type that would swear, then to write them otherwise is to instantly make your character fake. You are being inauthentic, which drives away some readers and invites others to lead shallow, unexamined lives.
But how much swearing is too much? Like with gore, the more swearing you use, the less it means. So use it intentionally.
Are there some words you just shouldn't use? As for words you shouldn't use: Much of this depends on the audience and context. For example, the F word can be used in a lot of different ways: To show surprise, anger, lust, or sexual aggressiveness. The first two instances? Realistic. The last two? Realistic, yes, but also unnecessary and lazy because those are issues that need to be handled much more carefully than something as simple as anger or shock. Examine the context in which you would use profanity to see if you are using it as a way to add authenticity to the story, or as a way to brush over severely problematic character behaviors.
What about sex?
This one's tricky. Or is it?
Sex is not a bad thing. It is something beautiful, but also something that God intended to take place between one man and one woman who are married to each other. Any sexual acts that fall outside of this specific scenario is in defiance of God's plan.
However, these acts still happen. And we as Christian writers can't just pretend that they don't.
What about explicit sex? There is no reason for on-page sex. Sex is a private gift shared between a married couple. To show it on-page serves no purpose to the plot and puts both yourself and your readers in a voyeuristic position.
This same concept applies to on-page sexual acts that stop short of actual sex. While it may be necessary to show some of this for plot/character purposes, you need to be careful enough to do so in a manner that isn't voyeuristic and that is portraying a healthy relationship (or showing the dangers of an unhealthy one). A tall order, but you took that upon yourself when you decided to write Christian fiction, so step up.
But what about implied sex? As mentioned before, there's nothing wrong with sex. So if you have specific reason for showing your characters kissing and then heading off to have sex off-page, sure. But do so thoughtfully, and please, please don't make your story: "And then they got married, had sex, and now their relationship is magically perfect and beautiful." ???? No. That's not how this works. Be real. There is more to a relationship than sex. Acknowledge this in your fiction.
What about implied sex between unmarried couples? The same logic for married couples pertains here, too, but with an added caveat: Remember that this act goes against the intended way of things. It does happen, yes, so you can be honest and explore this in your book. But you also need to be all. the. way. honest. Pre-marital sex exists, but at what cost? There are many emotional, physical, and relational problems that can come from this, so you should not be glorifying pre-marital sexual relations. Just as you need to be honest about sex existing in our world, you need to be honest about the ramifications of abusing it.
Aaaand I think we're done here. I'm can feel all the questions and disagreements coming at me, so let's hear them! What are your thoughts, questions, or concerns on the matter? As always, you are free to disagree with me, but please keep the comment section logical and kind.
Related article:
8 Problems in the Christian Fiction Genre (And How to Fix Them)Darkness in Fiction: 7 Tips for Writing Dark StoriesKeeping it Classy: When is it OK to Use Profanity in Your Fiction Writing?
Enjoy this post? Take a look around. If you like what you see, don't forget to subscribe by email for a new post every Friday!
Some links are Amazon affiliate. Thank you for your support!
August 5, 2018
Flames of Courage: Release Date and Pre-Order Page
Yeah, I'm interrupting your Sunday with a blog post. But don't worry. You'll be glad I did.
I mean, I can't guarantee that you'll be glad, because who knows? You may be a soulless, grumpy person who has zero interest in the release of awesome short stories. But that's not really my fault, is it?
For those of you who are not grumpy or soulless, you will be excited to learn that:
Flames of Courage, the second short story in the Terebinth Tree Chronicles, is releasing on 08/18/2018. Behold:
For those of you who don't know (in which case: Wow, I really need to up my marketing game), The Terebinth Tree Chronicles is a planned series of 5 short stories. The first (and currently only published) short story is
Colors of Fear
and it's really good, so you should read it.
So what's Flames of Courage about? Here. I have a nice little jacket blurb written up just for you:
One sorcerer. Four assassins. Uncover the stories of the warriors who will one day band together to kill the most powerful being in their world.
As a halfblood with a powerful secret, Jayel does not intend to spend the rest of her life hidden away in a desert oasis. She rejects what everyone is telling her: Halfbloods don’t. They don’t become warriors. They don’t become heroes. They don’t make a difference.
One of the last of the Athelan, a line of royal guardians with the ability to control fire, Jayel is ready to take a stand against those that oppress halfbloods. Nobody is willing to join her in this fight, so she’ll take it on all by herself.
But as she leaves her small tribe behind, she finds that justice isn’t always pure and fighting alone isn’t always easy.
Sounds awesome, right? That's because it is. Want to pre-order the ebook version? Well, good! I worked really hard to set up a pre-order page, so here it is. You're welcome.
For those of you who want a physical copy: Yes, those will exist. You'll be able to buy one on the release day (08/18/2018), which is less than 2 weeks from now. Woohoo!!
Now, just for laughs, I though I'd share with you the original concept art for Flames of Courage (something I did with Colors of Fear, too, in case you want to see). My artistic skills are very limited, yet this cover ended up turning out really well. How did that happen?
Well, let me tell you: It wasn't an easy or linear process. In fact, the first cover I came up with was truly horrendous.
I wanted to draw hoodoos on the cover because that's one of the setting in this story. Hoodoos are these really cool formations in Utah and they look like this:
Pretty awesome-looking, right? I mean, a bit complicated, but how hard could it really be to draw them? So I tried. And, errrr. It did not go well:
Yep. It looks like a 5-year-old tried to draw flames. Except this particular 5-year-old had never seen flames before. And she was drawing by holding a broken crayon in her mouth.
I wasn't kidding when I told you I have very limited artistic skills.
Anyway. That's when I moved on to drawing an arch because that seemed easier. And it actually was. So I drew it all in:
It took me about 8 hours because, like I said, I don't know what I'm doing. But I was still happy with it....Until I realized: I need to put flames beneath the arch. Which will change how I need to do my shading. Which means I basically was going to have to re-draw most of the arch.
*facepalm*
But it ended up okay in the end, sooooo. *shrugs* Yay.
What I've learned from this is that I should never again attempt to draw hoodoos....Or anything with perspective, really. And I should also not shade anything in until the very end. Plus, it probably might help if I actually took drawing lessons, but I refuse to do that because I'm stubborn and poor.
Aaaaanyway. That's the story of the cover, in case anybody wanted a good laugh.
Okay. Like I said, this story releases on 08/18/18. You can pre-order it here. Bonus points if you share this pre-order page online and with friends. Seriously. I will love you forever.
Also remember to add Flames of Courage on Goodreads. It's a good way to get the word out.
There will be more news in the future, so keep an eye out! And by keep an eye out I mean: Subscribe to my newsletter because I'm going to release the first page or so of the story on there and you really, really don't want to miss that.
But if you can't want to wait until then, you can read tiny snippets of the story on my Instagram. You can also read some quotes on K.L.+Pierce's blog (which you should follow, by the way, because her blog is great).
There will also be the occasional blog post about Flames of Courage over the next few weeks. They'll contain things like interviews, Livestream information, Q&As, and more. So if you get an email from me: READ IT. Seriously. Otherwise you'll miss out.
Have any questions or comments about Flames of Courage or The Terebinth Tree Chronicles in general? Let's hear 'em!
Have writing, reading, or writer's life questions? Use the hashtag #ChatWithHannah below or on social media to have them answered on my Youtube channel!
Related articles:
Colors of Fear: Cover Reveal and Q&AColors of Fear: Now Available for Pre-Order!
Announcing The Phoenix Fiction Sampler Bundle!
Enjoy this post? Take a look around. If you like what you see, don't forget to subscribe by email for a new post every Friday!
Some links are Amazon affiliate. Thank you for your support!
I mean, I can't guarantee that you'll be glad, because who knows? You may be a soulless, grumpy person who has zero interest in the release of awesome short stories. But that's not really my fault, is it?
For those of you who are not grumpy or soulless, you will be excited to learn that:
Flames of Courage, the second short story in the Terebinth Tree Chronicles, is releasing on 08/18/2018. Behold:
For those of you who don't know (in which case: Wow, I really need to up my marketing game), The Terebinth Tree Chronicles is a planned series of 5 short stories. The first (and currently only published) short story is
Colors of Fear
and it's really good, so you should read it.So what's Flames of Courage about? Here. I have a nice little jacket blurb written up just for you:
One sorcerer. Four assassins. Uncover the stories of the warriors who will one day band together to kill the most powerful being in their world.
As a halfblood with a powerful secret, Jayel does not intend to spend the rest of her life hidden away in a desert oasis. She rejects what everyone is telling her: Halfbloods don’t. They don’t become warriors. They don’t become heroes. They don’t make a difference.
One of the last of the Athelan, a line of royal guardians with the ability to control fire, Jayel is ready to take a stand against those that oppress halfbloods. Nobody is willing to join her in this fight, so she’ll take it on all by herself.
But as she leaves her small tribe behind, she finds that justice isn’t always pure and fighting alone isn’t always easy.
Sounds awesome, right? That's because it is. Want to pre-order the ebook version? Well, good! I worked really hard to set up a pre-order page, so here it is. You're welcome. For those of you who want a physical copy: Yes, those will exist. You'll be able to buy one on the release day (08/18/2018), which is less than 2 weeks from now. Woohoo!!
Now, just for laughs, I though I'd share with you the original concept art for Flames of Courage (something I did with Colors of Fear, too, in case you want to see). My artistic skills are very limited, yet this cover ended up turning out really well. How did that happen?
Well, let me tell you: It wasn't an easy or linear process. In fact, the first cover I came up with was truly horrendous.
I wanted to draw hoodoos on the cover because that's one of the setting in this story. Hoodoos are these really cool formations in Utah and they look like this:
Pretty awesome-looking, right? I mean, a bit complicated, but how hard could it really be to draw them? So I tried. And, errrr. It did not go well:
Yep. It looks like a 5-year-old tried to draw flames. Except this particular 5-year-old had never seen flames before. And she was drawing by holding a broken crayon in her mouth.I wasn't kidding when I told you I have very limited artistic skills.
Anyway. That's when I moved on to drawing an arch because that seemed easier. And it actually was. So I drew it all in:
It took me about 8 hours because, like I said, I don't know what I'm doing. But I was still happy with it....Until I realized: I need to put flames beneath the arch. Which will change how I need to do my shading. Which means I basically was going to have to re-draw most of the arch.
*facepalm*
But it ended up okay in the end, sooooo. *shrugs* Yay.
What I've learned from this is that I should never again attempt to draw hoodoos....Or anything with perspective, really. And I should also not shade anything in until the very end. Plus, it probably might help if I actually took drawing lessons, but I refuse to do that because I'm stubborn and poor.
Aaaaanyway. That's the story of the cover, in case anybody wanted a good laugh.
Okay. Like I said, this story releases on 08/18/18. You can pre-order it here. Bonus points if you share this pre-order page online and with friends. Seriously. I will love you forever.
Also remember to add Flames of Courage on Goodreads. It's a good way to get the word out.
There will be more news in the future, so keep an eye out! And by keep an eye out I mean: Subscribe to my newsletter because I'm going to release the first page or so of the story on there and you really, really don't want to miss that.
But if you can't want to wait until then, you can read tiny snippets of the story on my Instagram. You can also read some quotes on K.L.+Pierce's blog (which you should follow, by the way, because her blog is great).
There will also be the occasional blog post about Flames of Courage over the next few weeks. They'll contain things like interviews, Livestream information, Q&As, and more. So if you get an email from me: READ IT. Seriously. Otherwise you'll miss out.
Have any questions or comments about Flames of Courage or The Terebinth Tree Chronicles in general? Let's hear 'em!
Have writing, reading, or writer's life questions? Use the hashtag #ChatWithHannah below or on social media to have them answered on my Youtube channel!
Related articles:
Colors of Fear: Cover Reveal and Q&AColors of Fear: Now Available for Pre-Order!
Announcing The Phoenix Fiction Sampler Bundle!
Enjoy this post? Take a look around. If you like what you see, don't forget to subscribe by email for a new post every Friday!
Some links are Amazon affiliate. Thank you for your support!
August 3, 2018
Certain Commas and Why I Hate Them: A Rant
This is the first official rant post to ever be published on this blog. That's actually really impressive, too, because I am a very rant-y (shush, let me make up words in peace) person and I've been blogging for over 4 years.
Let's all take a moment to appreciate my incredible self-control up until this point....And also take a few seconds to mourn my loss of said self-control.
So what's the topic that is making me break my rant fast? Punctuation rules. More specifically, commas.
Please be warned: If you are a punctuation-lover, this post will probably offend you and/or make you very upset. I'd apologize, except it's people like you that have been offending me and/or making me very upset for years, so hah. It's payback time.
Okay, let me give you a slight history of me and commas. I was born into a long line of English teachers. My grandmother taught English. My mom taught English. My aunt teaches English. And I actually work at the Writing Center at my college, so I technically also teach English.
Now, I grew up in a good, English-respecting household. My Mom did her best to teach me the Ways of the Comma. However, though I was born into of a long line of English teachers, I was also born into a long line of rebels. That would be my Dad's fault, mostly, given that he basically has never seen a rule he didn't want to break, and also given the fact that most of his relatives have, at some point in time or another, been in jail. Sooooo, yeah. Rule-breaking is in my blood.
(I have a weird extended family. It's probably best if we don't speak of them further)
What I'm saying is: I never stood a chance. I was born to want to break rules. In my mind, they are annoying constructs forced on me by people who I don't know and thus have zero respect for. Like, who are these people who decided which commas go where? Who died and made them the Comma Overlords? This is probably some Shakespeare crap where they just made stuff up and now, hundreds of years later, people just kind of go with it because they don't really have the spirit to break free.
But me? I have the spirit. I'm not taking this comma junk lying down. (#FightTheMan)
So what is it, exactly, about commas that I don't like?
Well, if you've been reading this blog for any amount of time, you've probably noticed that my punctuation is not perfect. Some of that is because I genuinely messed up and forgot to put a comma somewhere (my bad). But some of it is that I really, really don't see the need for certain types of commas.
Take commas between two independent clauses, for example.
Now, for those of you who don't remember (or, like me, tried to block it from their mind because they really didn't like learning about any of this): An independent clause is basically just a string of words that can stand alone as a sentence. Two independent clauses in one sentence are often connected by coordinating conjunctions, which is just a snooty way to describe words like and, but, yet, for, etc. Behold:
Hannah rants at random people about her hatred of commas between independent clauses, and these random people usually turn and run from her.
See? See that red comma above? It's supposed to be there and I hate it. It's very personal.
Because WHY? Why is that there?? The comma could be abducted by aliens and you would still be able to understand the sentence just fine. In fact, the sentence would look prettier because it wouldn't have some random comma loafing around, begging for attention:
Hannah rants at random people about her hatred of commas between independent clauses and these random people usually turn and run from her.
So yeah. I hate that. It has no functional use and just wastes space. I'm a fairly practical person when it comes to certain things and commas fall into that "certain things" category. So if you've ever noticed that I don't put commas between some of my independent clauses, hear me now:
It's not because I don't understand that there's supposed to be a comma there. I do understand. I understand and I rebel. If there was such a thing as a Comma Assassin, I would be the proud ringleader. (#DownWithTheCommaOverlords)
You wanna know what else? No? Well, too bad. I'm going to tell you anyway:
I have zero problem with commas preceding pretty much any coordinating conjunction that isn't "and." For example, I'm in love with these green commas:
Hannah rants at random people about her hatred of commas between independent clauses, but her blog followers still put up with her.
Hannah rants at random people about her hatred of commas between independent clauses, yet she hasn't gone to Grammar Jail yet.
Hannah rants at random people about her hatred of commas between independent clauses, for she refuses to give in to the Comma Overlords.
And I do, in fact, have a logical explanation for this (kind of).
See, when people read they usually pause a little bit when they come up against a comma. In the above sentences, I want my readers to pause a bit at the green commas. It gives the sentence a nice flow. However, the hated red comma? I don't want my readers pausing at "and" in the above sentence. I want my "and" to be like a bridge, letting one clause effortlessly run into another.
And that's how I use my commas. I use them to dictate how my readers read a sentence. And I know, I know. "That's not what commas are for. There are rules." (And yes, I know "for" was not supposed to go at the end of that sentence. We'll talk about that in another post)
Yes. Well. I don't like those rules. They're stupid. If a comma has no functional use and if its removal (or addition) doesn't change how a reader understands the sentence, then why does it need to be there? If I'm going to implement something, I need it to have a clear purpose beyond, "Because our society has randomly agreed to this." Because you know what? Our society is wrong about a lot of things and comma placement is one of those things.
*takes deep breath*
Okay. So that's one of the many things I hate about commas. While it is specifically the "put a comma between independent clauses, Hannah" rule that I dislike, there are others.
Like that time people decided the Oxford comma wasn't actually important.
C'mon, people! Are there some sentences that technically don't need this comma? Sure. But there are others that will be severely damaged by not using it, so use. the. Oxford. comma. Don't try to argue with me on this because you are just really, really wrong and you're bringing dishonor on you, your family, and your cow.
Okay.
I think I'm done now.
Oh, wait. I'm not.
This is usually where you'd expect me to say something like, "So just go put commas wherever you want and don't learn any of the rules!"
Well, you'd expect wrong because, though I do come from a line of rebels, I also come from a line of English teachers. So I'll tell you this:
Learn the rules. Seriously. It's easier to make fun of something when you know a lot about it.
Which is why I know a lot about a lot of random topics. Not because I particularly care about being super smart or well-rounded. I just like mocking things (that's why I read and watched Twilight). I realize this isn't healthy, though, so maybe don't follow in my footsteps.
So the bottom line is this: Learn where commas do and don't go. And then put them where you want to.
Unless you're sending a business email or publishing a book, in which case: Follow the rules. Yes, I do this and yes, it crushes my soul. But my anarchist spirit would go haywire if I had to read a bad review of a book or somehow lost a job because The Man didn't like my comma placement.
Fun fact: I literally don't add these commas into my manuscripts until right before publication because I hate looking at them and don't want to see them every time I read through a draft.*sigh*
It's hard being me.
What about you? Are there any commas that you have a (totally rational) hatred or love for? Let's hear 'em! Unless you hate Oxford commas, in which case: No. You're wrong. Get out.
Have writing, reading, or writer's life questions? Use the hashtag #ChatWithHannah below or on social media to have them answered on my Youtube channel!
Related articles:
I mean...this is my first straight-up rant post, but here are a few where I rant in an instructional tone:
Writing Strong Female Characters: What You're Doing WrongWriting Teenage Characters: What You're Doing Wrong
Why You Shouldn't Listen to Writing Tips Blogs
Enjoy this post? Take a look around. If you like what you see, don't forget to subscribe by email for a new post every Friday!
Some links are Amazon Affiliate. Thank you for your support!
Let's all take a moment to appreciate my incredible self-control up until this point....And also take a few seconds to mourn my loss of said self-control.
So what's the topic that is making me break my rant fast? Punctuation rules. More specifically, commas.
Please be warned: If you are a punctuation-lover, this post will probably offend you and/or make you very upset. I'd apologize, except it's people like you that have been offending me and/or making me very upset for years, so hah. It's payback time.
Okay, let me give you a slight history of me and commas. I was born into a long line of English teachers. My grandmother taught English. My mom taught English. My aunt teaches English. And I actually work at the Writing Center at my college, so I technically also teach English.Now, I grew up in a good, English-respecting household. My Mom did her best to teach me the Ways of the Comma. However, though I was born into of a long line of English teachers, I was also born into a long line of rebels. That would be my Dad's fault, mostly, given that he basically has never seen a rule he didn't want to break, and also given the fact that most of his relatives have, at some point in time or another, been in jail. Sooooo, yeah. Rule-breaking is in my blood.
(I have a weird extended family. It's probably best if we don't speak of them further)
What I'm saying is: I never stood a chance. I was born to want to break rules. In my mind, they are annoying constructs forced on me by people who I don't know and thus have zero respect for. Like, who are these people who decided which commas go where? Who died and made them the Comma Overlords? This is probably some Shakespeare crap where they just made stuff up and now, hundreds of years later, people just kind of go with it because they don't really have the spirit to break free.
But me? I have the spirit. I'm not taking this comma junk lying down. (#FightTheMan)
So what is it, exactly, about commas that I don't like?
Well, if you've been reading this blog for any amount of time, you've probably noticed that my punctuation is not perfect. Some of that is because I genuinely messed up and forgot to put a comma somewhere (my bad). But some of it is that I really, really don't see the need for certain types of commas.
Take commas between two independent clauses, for example.
Now, for those of you who don't remember (or, like me, tried to block it from their mind because they really didn't like learning about any of this): An independent clause is basically just a string of words that can stand alone as a sentence. Two independent clauses in one sentence are often connected by coordinating conjunctions, which is just a snooty way to describe words like and, but, yet, for, etc. Behold:
Hannah rants at random people about her hatred of commas between independent clauses, and these random people usually turn and run from her.
See? See that red comma above? It's supposed to be there and I hate it. It's very personal.
Because WHY? Why is that there?? The comma could be abducted by aliens and you would still be able to understand the sentence just fine. In fact, the sentence would look prettier because it wouldn't have some random comma loafing around, begging for attention:
Hannah rants at random people about her hatred of commas between independent clauses and these random people usually turn and run from her.
So yeah. I hate that. It has no functional use and just wastes space. I'm a fairly practical person when it comes to certain things and commas fall into that "certain things" category. So if you've ever noticed that I don't put commas between some of my independent clauses, hear me now:
It's not because I don't understand that there's supposed to be a comma there. I do understand. I understand and I rebel. If there was such a thing as a Comma Assassin, I would be the proud ringleader. (#DownWithTheCommaOverlords)
You wanna know what else? No? Well, too bad. I'm going to tell you anyway:
I have zero problem with commas preceding pretty much any coordinating conjunction that isn't "and." For example, I'm in love with these green commas:
Hannah rants at random people about her hatred of commas between independent clauses, but her blog followers still put up with her.
Hannah rants at random people about her hatred of commas between independent clauses, yet she hasn't gone to Grammar Jail yet.
Hannah rants at random people about her hatred of commas between independent clauses, for she refuses to give in to the Comma Overlords.
And I do, in fact, have a logical explanation for this (kind of).
See, when people read they usually pause a little bit when they come up against a comma. In the above sentences, I want my readers to pause a bit at the green commas. It gives the sentence a nice flow. However, the hated red comma? I don't want my readers pausing at "and" in the above sentence. I want my "and" to be like a bridge, letting one clause effortlessly run into another.
And that's how I use my commas. I use them to dictate how my readers read a sentence. And I know, I know. "That's not what commas are for. There are rules." (And yes, I know "for" was not supposed to go at the end of that sentence. We'll talk about that in another post)
Yes. Well. I don't like those rules. They're stupid. If a comma has no functional use and if its removal (or addition) doesn't change how a reader understands the sentence, then why does it need to be there? If I'm going to implement something, I need it to have a clear purpose beyond, "Because our society has randomly agreed to this." Because you know what? Our society is wrong about a lot of things and comma placement is one of those things.
*takes deep breath*
Okay. So that's one of the many things I hate about commas. While it is specifically the "put a comma between independent clauses, Hannah" rule that I dislike, there are others.
Like that time people decided the Oxford comma wasn't actually important.
C'mon, people! Are there some sentences that technically don't need this comma? Sure. But there are others that will be severely damaged by not using it, so use. the. Oxford. comma. Don't try to argue with me on this because you are just really, really wrong and you're bringing dishonor on you, your family, and your cow.Okay.
I think I'm done now.
Oh, wait. I'm not.
This is usually where you'd expect me to say something like, "So just go put commas wherever you want and don't learn any of the rules!"
Well, you'd expect wrong because, though I do come from a line of rebels, I also come from a line of English teachers. So I'll tell you this:
Learn the rules. Seriously. It's easier to make fun of something when you know a lot about it.
Which is why I know a lot about a lot of random topics. Not because I particularly care about being super smart or well-rounded. I just like mocking things (that's why I read and watched Twilight). I realize this isn't healthy, though, so maybe don't follow in my footsteps.
So the bottom line is this: Learn where commas do and don't go. And then put them where you want to.
Unless you're sending a business email or publishing a book, in which case: Follow the rules. Yes, I do this and yes, it crushes my soul. But my anarchist spirit would go haywire if I had to read a bad review of a book or somehow lost a job because The Man didn't like my comma placement.
Fun fact: I literally don't add these commas into my manuscripts until right before publication because I hate looking at them and don't want to see them every time I read through a draft.*sigh*
It's hard being me.
What about you? Are there any commas that you have a (totally rational) hatred or love for? Let's hear 'em! Unless you hate Oxford commas, in which case: No. You're wrong. Get out.
Have writing, reading, or writer's life questions? Use the hashtag #ChatWithHannah below or on social media to have them answered on my Youtube channel!
Related articles:
I mean...this is my first straight-up rant post, but here are a few where I rant in an instructional tone:
Writing Strong Female Characters: What You're Doing WrongWriting Teenage Characters: What You're Doing Wrong
Why You Shouldn't Listen to Writing Tips Blogs
Enjoy this post? Take a look around. If you like what you see, don't forget to subscribe by email for a new post every Friday!
Some links are Amazon Affiliate. Thank you for your support!
August 1, 2018
Announcing The Phoenix Fiction Sampler Bundle!
How often have you found yourself thinking, "I really want to read this, this, and that, but I don't have enough money"?
Pretty often, right? It's okay. We've all been there. In fact, I'm basically always there.
Well, today is your lucky day because I have some awesome news for you.
We Phoenix Fiction Writers are selling a digital bundle of 11 of our stories for $5.99. Yep. That's 7 books, 2 novellas, and 2 short stories by indie authors E.B. Dawson, Kyle Robert Shultz, Beth Wangler, Nate Philbrick, J.E. Purrazzi, K.L. + Pierce, and me.
If you were to buy all of these ebooks separately, it would cost $39.89. Yep. I did math. I almost died. But I wanted you to know what an incredible deal this is, so there you have it. You're welcome.
Aside from the great value, this sampler bundle contains some of my absolute favorite stories. Here's a breakdown:
Original Fairytales: Beth Wangler's The Weavers’ BlessingImaginative Retellings: Kyle Robert Shultz's The Beast of Talesend, Horseman, The Janus ElixirFantasy Adventures: Hannah Heath's (that's me!) "Colors of Fear," Nate Philbrick's Where the Woods Grow WildHeart Pounding Science Fiction: J.E. Purrazzi's Malfunction, E.B. Dawson's Out of DarknessAdventurous Sci-Fi Fantasy Crossovers: E.B. Dawson's The TravelerAllegorical Fantasy: Hannah Heath's (that's me again!) “Skies of Dripping Gold”Allegorical Science Fiction: K.L. + Pierce's Two Lives Three ChoicesFor those of you who haven’t been paying attention (yeah, I’m looking at you), PFW is an indie author collective that I’m part of. We are a group of authors who write speculative fiction, record podcasts, publish blog posts, and just run around being generally awesome. I have never read any story by any of these authors that I didn't absolutely adore.
The above bundle is an excellent sample of all of our writing and I am so pleased to get to tell you about it.
That being said, this bundle ends on 08/11, so go download your copy now! Seriously. Right now. It's not like we have a limited number of digital files to sell, but I don't know why you'd wait. I mean: You can read some of these amazing stories right this very moment. Why pass that up?
Also: Make sure to tweet this info, email it to your friends, and just generally spread it around. This is an incredibly good deal.
Have any questions about the bundle? Let's hear them! Have you read any of the books/stories in this bundle? Which ones have you not read yet, but really want to? I've read everything in this bundle except for Horseman and The Janus Elixir (I can't keep up with all of Shultz's writing, okay? Don't judge), but am going to correct that soon.
Random side-note: No, you didn't randomly and horrifyingly lose 2 days of your life. Yes, I am posting on a Wednesday. Yes, the usual writing-tips blog post will be available on Friday. Everything is fine. Calm down.
Related articles: A List of Great Self-Published Books You Should Read (Part 1)
A List of Great Self-Published Books You Should Read (Part 2)
Enjoy this post? Take a look around. If you like what you see, don't forget to subscribe by email for a new post every Friday!
Some links are Amazon affiliate. Thank you for your support!
Pretty often, right? It's okay. We've all been there. In fact, I'm basically always there.
Well, today is your lucky day because I have some awesome news for you.
We Phoenix Fiction Writers are selling a digital bundle of 11 of our stories for $5.99. Yep. That's 7 books, 2 novellas, and 2 short stories by indie authors E.B. Dawson, Kyle Robert Shultz, Beth Wangler, Nate Philbrick, J.E. Purrazzi, K.L. + Pierce, and me.
If you were to buy all of these ebooks separately, it would cost $39.89. Yep. I did math. I almost died. But I wanted you to know what an incredible deal this is, so there you have it. You're welcome.Aside from the great value, this sampler bundle contains some of my absolute favorite stories. Here's a breakdown:
Original Fairytales: Beth Wangler's The Weavers’ BlessingImaginative Retellings: Kyle Robert Shultz's The Beast of Talesend, Horseman, The Janus ElixirFantasy Adventures: Hannah Heath's (that's me!) "Colors of Fear," Nate Philbrick's Where the Woods Grow WildHeart Pounding Science Fiction: J.E. Purrazzi's Malfunction, E.B. Dawson's Out of DarknessAdventurous Sci-Fi Fantasy Crossovers: E.B. Dawson's The TravelerAllegorical Fantasy: Hannah Heath's (that's me again!) “Skies of Dripping Gold”Allegorical Science Fiction: K.L. + Pierce's Two Lives Three ChoicesFor those of you who haven’t been paying attention (yeah, I’m looking at you), PFW is an indie author collective that I’m part of. We are a group of authors who write speculative fiction, record podcasts, publish blog posts, and just run around being generally awesome. I have never read any story by any of these authors that I didn't absolutely adore.The above bundle is an excellent sample of all of our writing and I am so pleased to get to tell you about it.
That being said, this bundle ends on 08/11, so go download your copy now! Seriously. Right now. It's not like we have a limited number of digital files to sell, but I don't know why you'd wait. I mean: You can read some of these amazing stories right this very moment. Why pass that up?
Also: Make sure to tweet this info, email it to your friends, and just generally spread it around. This is an incredibly good deal.
Have any questions about the bundle? Let's hear them! Have you read any of the books/stories in this bundle? Which ones have you not read yet, but really want to? I've read everything in this bundle except for Horseman and The Janus Elixir (I can't keep up with all of Shultz's writing, okay? Don't judge), but am going to correct that soon.
Random side-note: No, you didn't randomly and horrifyingly lose 2 days of your life. Yes, I am posting on a Wednesday. Yes, the usual writing-tips blog post will be available on Friday. Everything is fine. Calm down.
Related articles: A List of Great Self-Published Books You Should Read (Part 1)
A List of Great Self-Published Books You Should Read (Part 2)
Enjoy this post? Take a look around. If you like what you see, don't forget to subscribe by email for a new post every Friday!
Some links are Amazon affiliate. Thank you for your support!
July 27, 2018
24 Personality Flaws to Give Depth to Your Characters
There's not much worse than a boring character. A boring plot? A boring world? A boring writing style? These can all be made up for (more or less) by fascinating characters.
But if your characters are uninteresting? Your story is doomed.
A lot goes into making a well-rounded character, but an important part of character creation is flaws. Nobody's perfect and characters without flaws are characters that cannot grow. They have no arc, no relatability, and don't give your readers anything to cheer for.
Fortunately for us writers (and sadly for us humans), there are a LOT of different types of flaws, which means that its pretty easy to make your characters interesting. Let's dive into some main ones:
1. Arrogance. A flaw that is made even more interesting if the character actually has a legitimate reason for being arrogant. Arrogance can show itself in sheer pride, snobbery, isolation, over-burdening him/herself, and more.
2. Immaturity. A trait that can be found in people of all ages.
3. Anxiety. Keep in mind that even the "strongest" characters can suffer from anxiety. And anxiety shows itself in many ways.
4. Fickle. Which can be a defense mechanism or just part of their nature.
5. Judgemental. They are quick to judge others, form their opinions too fast, and make poor decisions because of it. They can also be overly judgmental of themselves, or completely oblivious of their own shortcomings.
6. Selflish. Like fickleness, this can be part of their personality or a way of protecting themselves. Keep in mind that a character doesn't have to be selfish for just themselves...They can have such a strong desire to shield family, friends, or subjects from harm that it ends up being selfish.
7. Obsessive. They get so focused on one thing that they can't step back and look at the big picture, leading to harming themselves and those around them.
8. Anger. This can come in the form of a bad-temper, poor communication, narrow-mindedness, and more. And, as we all know:
9. Narrow-minded. They can't bring themselves to see things from a new point of view, leading to arrogance, obsessiveness, and selfishness. Funnily enough, a character may think they are open-minded, but are in fact narrow-minded when it comes to specific topics.
10. Laziness. Something that can often stem from fear.
11. Cowardice. Remember that this can come in the form of being overly courageous in some areas, enabling the character to hide or run from their fears in others.
12. Weak-willed. They can't make their own decisions, freeze up in difficult situation, and burden those around them.
13. Hypocrisy. Most people don't mean to be a hypocrite, but it's very common. In fact, basically all of your characters should be hypocritical in a least one instance.
14. Strong-willed. Yeah, this can be a flaw. Being overly strong-willed is a form of stubbornness that carries all sorts of other fun flaws like narrow-mindedness, selfishness, cowardice, arrogance, and more.
15. Show-off. Fun (?) fact: This is often a result of low self-esteem.
16. Distant. They are incapable (or afraid of) connecting with others...or even themselves.
17. Two-faced.
This one is especially interesting if the character doesn't mean to be this way. It is often paired with cowardice or untrustworthiness.
18. Low self-esteem. This can lead to lashing out, withdrawing, the inability to make decisions (or making very poor ones), and a dislike for themselves and others (especially others that do have self-esteem).
19. Skepticism. Can lead to damaged relationships and a general soullessness/adrift-ness (apparently that isn't a word, but it should be) due to not being able to have faith in anything.
20. Greed. It comes in a lot of different forms: selfishness, lust, cowardice, fear.
21. Overly-trusting. Which is exactly what it sounds like. It leads to poor decisions and bad relationships.
22. Thoughtless. This can be as shallow as acting flippantly and as complex as living an unexamined life out of callousness, fear, or sloth.
23. Manipulation. Which can stem from a fear of rejection, or can just be a calculated type of (very slimy) cunning.
24. Idealistic. To the point of being selfish, hypocritical, or blinded by reality.
You'll notice that most of these have upsides to them, or are just quirks if they aren't particularly severe. That's because people are very complex. Flaws can be turned into strengths and strengths can become flaws. Because of this, your character's flaws should shift and change as their arc continues.
And remember: Many authors are tempted to give their characters low-key flaws. Ones that aren't particularly unlikeable or serious. Think twice before doing this. By watching characters fight and overcome their flaws, readers are given strength to do the same. By seeing the good sides of very flawed characters, readers learn to love the difficult people in their lives.
It's not the perfect characters that readers cheer for. It's the imperfect ones trying to do right. It's not the unflawed that readers learn from. It's the messed up and suffering. The characters with no room to grow aren't the ones that drive a plot. It's the ones that have a million battles still left to fight.
So please think carefully about the flaws that you give your characters. They're more important than you may think.
Have any other flaws you'd like to discuss? Let's hear them in the comments below! And tell me all about your favorite flawed characters while you're at it!
Have writing, reading, or writer's life questions? Use the hashtag #ChatWithHannah below or on social media to have them answered on my Youtube channel!
Related articles:
8 Different Kinds of Strength to Give Your Characters
Writing Characters with Depression: What You're Doing Wrong8 Tips for Developing a Strong Theme for Your Novel
Enjoy this post? Take a look around. If you like what you see, don't forget to subscribe by email for a new post every Friday!
Some links are Amazon Affiliate. Thank you for your support!
But if your characters are uninteresting? Your story is doomed.
A lot goes into making a well-rounded character, but an important part of character creation is flaws. Nobody's perfect and characters without flaws are characters that cannot grow. They have no arc, no relatability, and don't give your readers anything to cheer for.
Fortunately for us writers (and sadly for us humans), there are a LOT of different types of flaws, which means that its pretty easy to make your characters interesting. Let's dive into some main ones:
1. Arrogance. A flaw that is made even more interesting if the character actually has a legitimate reason for being arrogant. Arrogance can show itself in sheer pride, snobbery, isolation, over-burdening him/herself, and more.2. Immaturity. A trait that can be found in people of all ages.
3. Anxiety. Keep in mind that even the "strongest" characters can suffer from anxiety. And anxiety shows itself in many ways.
4. Fickle. Which can be a defense mechanism or just part of their nature.
5. Judgemental. They are quick to judge others, form their opinions too fast, and make poor decisions because of it. They can also be overly judgmental of themselves, or completely oblivious of their own shortcomings.
6. Selflish. Like fickleness, this can be part of their personality or a way of protecting themselves. Keep in mind that a character doesn't have to be selfish for just themselves...They can have such a strong desire to shield family, friends, or subjects from harm that it ends up being selfish.
7. Obsessive. They get so focused on one thing that they can't step back and look at the big picture, leading to harming themselves and those around them.
8. Anger. This can come in the form of a bad-temper, poor communication, narrow-mindedness, and more. And, as we all know:
9. Narrow-minded. They can't bring themselves to see things from a new point of view, leading to arrogance, obsessiveness, and selfishness. Funnily enough, a character may think they are open-minded, but are in fact narrow-minded when it comes to specific topics.10. Laziness. Something that can often stem from fear.
11. Cowardice. Remember that this can come in the form of being overly courageous in some areas, enabling the character to hide or run from their fears in others.
12. Weak-willed. They can't make their own decisions, freeze up in difficult situation, and burden those around them.
13. Hypocrisy. Most people don't mean to be a hypocrite, but it's very common. In fact, basically all of your characters should be hypocritical in a least one instance.
14. Strong-willed. Yeah, this can be a flaw. Being overly strong-willed is a form of stubbornness that carries all sorts of other fun flaws like narrow-mindedness, selfishness, cowardice, arrogance, and more.
15. Show-off. Fun (?) fact: This is often a result of low self-esteem.
16. Distant. They are incapable (or afraid of) connecting with others...or even themselves.
17. Two-faced.
This one is especially interesting if the character doesn't mean to be this way. It is often paired with cowardice or untrustworthiness.18. Low self-esteem. This can lead to lashing out, withdrawing, the inability to make decisions (or making very poor ones), and a dislike for themselves and others (especially others that do have self-esteem).
19. Skepticism. Can lead to damaged relationships and a general soullessness/adrift-ness (apparently that isn't a word, but it should be) due to not being able to have faith in anything.
20. Greed. It comes in a lot of different forms: selfishness, lust, cowardice, fear.
21. Overly-trusting. Which is exactly what it sounds like. It leads to poor decisions and bad relationships.
22. Thoughtless. This can be as shallow as acting flippantly and as complex as living an unexamined life out of callousness, fear, or sloth.
23. Manipulation. Which can stem from a fear of rejection, or can just be a calculated type of (very slimy) cunning.
24. Idealistic. To the point of being selfish, hypocritical, or blinded by reality.
You'll notice that most of these have upsides to them, or are just quirks if they aren't particularly severe. That's because people are very complex. Flaws can be turned into strengths and strengths can become flaws. Because of this, your character's flaws should shift and change as their arc continues.
And remember: Many authors are tempted to give their characters low-key flaws. Ones that aren't particularly unlikeable or serious. Think twice before doing this. By watching characters fight and overcome their flaws, readers are given strength to do the same. By seeing the good sides of very flawed characters, readers learn to love the difficult people in their lives.
It's not the perfect characters that readers cheer for. It's the imperfect ones trying to do right. It's not the unflawed that readers learn from. It's the messed up and suffering. The characters with no room to grow aren't the ones that drive a plot. It's the ones that have a million battles still left to fight.
So please think carefully about the flaws that you give your characters. They're more important than you may think.
Have any other flaws you'd like to discuss? Let's hear them in the comments below! And tell me all about your favorite flawed characters while you're at it!
Have writing, reading, or writer's life questions? Use the hashtag #ChatWithHannah below or on social media to have them answered on my Youtube channel!
Related articles:
8 Different Kinds of Strength to Give Your Characters
Writing Characters with Depression: What You're Doing Wrong8 Tips for Developing a Strong Theme for Your Novel
Enjoy this post? Take a look around. If you like what you see, don't forget to subscribe by email for a new post every Friday!
Some links are Amazon Affiliate. Thank you for your support!
July 25, 2018
Ep 11 of #ChatWithIndieAuthor: K.L.+Pierce
K.L.+Pierce writes Christian speculative fiction, is a fellow Phoenix Fiction Writer, and also hosts some amazing hashtags on twitter. In this video she discusses writing Christian fiction, crafting anti-villains, re-writing and re-launching her novel, and more.
Remember: You can listen to this chat on iTunes.
You can find Kirsten’s amazing novel, Two Lives, Three Choices, here.
Check out her PFW page here.
Did the hashtag games we mentioned sound awesome? That's because they are. Check out #AuthorBookClub and #WIPFinds on twitter!
You will be pleased to hear that Kirsten did, in fact, write that blog post about anti-villains. Yay! It’s full of great tips, so check it out here.
Are you following K.L.+ Pierce online? Well? Are you?? If not, go fix this mistake immediately:
WebsiteTwitterInstagramFacebookGoodreadsPinterestWhen is the next #ChatWithIndieAuthor episode? I’m glad you asked! August 22nd will bring us a new video with another epic indie author, so keep your eyes peeled!
Like this video and want to support my writing efforts? Subscribe to my channel or buy my short stories. Or both!
Have writing, reading, or writer's life questions? Use the hashtag #ChatWithHannah below or on social media to have them answered on my Youtube channel!
Related articles:
Episode 4 of #ChatWithIndieAuthor: E.B. Dawson
Ep 6 of #ChatWithIndieAuthor: S. Alex MartinEp 5 of #ChatWithIndieAuthor: J.E. Purrazzi
Some links are Amazon affiliate. Thank you for your support!
Remember: You can listen to this chat on iTunes.
You can find Kirsten’s amazing novel, Two Lives, Three Choices, here.
Check out her PFW page here.
Did the hashtag games we mentioned sound awesome? That's because they are. Check out #AuthorBookClub and #WIPFinds on twitter!
You will be pleased to hear that Kirsten did, in fact, write that blog post about anti-villains. Yay! It’s full of great tips, so check it out here.
Are you following K.L.+ Pierce online? Well? Are you?? If not, go fix this mistake immediately:
WebsiteTwitterInstagramFacebookGoodreadsPinterestWhen is the next #ChatWithIndieAuthor episode? I’m glad you asked! August 22nd will bring us a new video with another epic indie author, so keep your eyes peeled!
Like this video and want to support my writing efforts? Subscribe to my channel or buy my short stories. Or both!
Have writing, reading, or writer's life questions? Use the hashtag #ChatWithHannah below or on social media to have them answered on my Youtube channel!
Related articles:
Episode 4 of #ChatWithIndieAuthor: E.B. Dawson
Ep 6 of #ChatWithIndieAuthor: S. Alex MartinEp 5 of #ChatWithIndieAuthor: J.E. Purrazzi
Some links are Amazon affiliate. Thank you for your support!
July 20, 2018
8 Easy Details You Can Include To Add Depth to Your World-Building
Look. I'm tired. I don't want to write an intro to this post, so I'm not going to.
World-building is the topic of the day. "Easy" is the operative word. Let's get to it.
1. Touch on subcultures. So you've got your nature-loving elves. Your grumpy dwarves. Okay. But what about the elves that want to build machines and live in houses instead of trees? Or the dwarves that believe in laughter and making daisy chains? You don't have to write a lot about them, but mentioning that they exist can instantly add incredible depth to your world. After all, no society is homogenous. There are always those who live differently. Don't forget about them.
2. Mind the POV. Your human may think nothing of dragons because he grew up on a dragon farm. But if you're writing deep POV, why are you describing the dragons in-depth as if he's never seen a dragon before? You just sucked the believability out of your world. Likewise, if you're writing distant POV, why on earth are you spending a paragraph describing what a tree looks like when there is a dragon farm on the property? Your readers want to know about that, not the tree. When world-building, keep your description tied to your POV...and keep the description interesting and relevant to the story.
3. Mention the food. If your book is set in another world or another planet, your characters aren't going to be eating the same type of food. So what do they eat? What do they drink? Making up one or two new foods will lend some reality to your world. It doesn't have to be complicated. If you can't think of any, pick a random country (or a country that inspired the world/society you've created) and look up traditional food and drink. You're bound to come up with some cool ideas.
4. Don't forget about holidays. Every culture has holidays. So why doesn't your story have any? Wellll? Why doesn't it?
5. Throw in some superstitions. Just like holidays and subcultures, superstitions are a staple of most societies. They are either very believed in, humored, or made fun of. Add some here or there if it fits the plot. And be sure to show how each of your characters react to it.
6. Remember the animals. Again, if this is a different planet or world, the animals will. not. look. the. same. Seriously. Do your horses have to come in neutral colors? Why aren't there whale-like creatures flying through the sky? Is there a reason you have not once mentioned how annoying bugs are during your entire adventure-romp-across-the-fantasy-land story? Yeah. Well. Those are things you should have thought about, you dollop-head.
7. Include hierarchy and family structure. Who is seen as having the most value to society? The rich? The skilled? The learned? The children? The men? The women? Why? And what about the families? Are large or small families common? Are grandparents and uncles and aunts and other blood kin treated as an important part of the family? These are all important parts of every society, but often they don't make it into world-building. Which is a shame because it can really help shape your characters and add tension and reality to the story.
8. Don't underestimate the importance of body language. Ursula knows what's up. We rely a lot on body language, yet it differs from country to country (and culture to culture). Some hand gestures are positive in one region, but rude in another. Touching non-family members or people of a different social status means nothing in one place, but is punishable by death in others. Body language means a lot and it's very easy to write into a story. Take advantage of that.
Now, there are a lot of things to think about in this post. I know you're excited. But here's the thing: Not all of these need to make it into your story. In fact, it may be a bit too confusing if you attempt this. So pick a few and weave them into your story....But only where they fit. These are meant to be seasonings, so use carefully and intentionally. Don't just dump all of them in at once and hope for the best.
Do you have any cool things you think should be included into world-building? Let's hear them!
Have writing, reading, or writer's life questions? Use the hashtag #ChatWithHannah below or on social media to have them answered on my Youtube channel!
Related articles:
10 Points to Think About When World-Building
9 Tips for Writing Physically Disabled Characters in FantasyTips for Writing Stunning Science-Fiction: A Guest Post by Author S. Alex Martin
Enjoy this post? Take a look around. If you like what you see, don't forget to subscribe by email for a new post every Friday!
Some links are Amazon Affiliate. Thank you for your support!
World-building is the topic of the day. "Easy" is the operative word. Let's get to it.
1. Touch on subcultures. So you've got your nature-loving elves. Your grumpy dwarves. Okay. But what about the elves that want to build machines and live in houses instead of trees? Or the dwarves that believe in laughter and making daisy chains? You don't have to write a lot about them, but mentioning that they exist can instantly add incredible depth to your world. After all, no society is homogenous. There are always those who live differently. Don't forget about them.2. Mind the POV. Your human may think nothing of dragons because he grew up on a dragon farm. But if you're writing deep POV, why are you describing the dragons in-depth as if he's never seen a dragon before? You just sucked the believability out of your world. Likewise, if you're writing distant POV, why on earth are you spending a paragraph describing what a tree looks like when there is a dragon farm on the property? Your readers want to know about that, not the tree. When world-building, keep your description tied to your POV...and keep the description interesting and relevant to the story.
3. Mention the food. If your book is set in another world or another planet, your characters aren't going to be eating the same type of food. So what do they eat? What do they drink? Making up one or two new foods will lend some reality to your world. It doesn't have to be complicated. If you can't think of any, pick a random country (or a country that inspired the world/society you've created) and look up traditional food and drink. You're bound to come up with some cool ideas.
4. Don't forget about holidays. Every culture has holidays. So why doesn't your story have any? Wellll? Why doesn't it?
5. Throw in some superstitions. Just like holidays and subcultures, superstitions are a staple of most societies. They are either very believed in, humored, or made fun of. Add some here or there if it fits the plot. And be sure to show how each of your characters react to it.
6. Remember the animals. Again, if this is a different planet or world, the animals will. not. look. the. same. Seriously. Do your horses have to come in neutral colors? Why aren't there whale-like creatures flying through the sky? Is there a reason you have not once mentioned how annoying bugs are during your entire adventure-romp-across-the-fantasy-land story? Yeah. Well. Those are things you should have thought about, you dollop-head.
7. Include hierarchy and family structure. Who is seen as having the most value to society? The rich? The skilled? The learned? The children? The men? The women? Why? And what about the families? Are large or small families common? Are grandparents and uncles and aunts and other blood kin treated as an important part of the family? These are all important parts of every society, but often they don't make it into world-building. Which is a shame because it can really help shape your characters and add tension and reality to the story.
8. Don't underestimate the importance of body language. Ursula knows what's up. We rely a lot on body language, yet it differs from country to country (and culture to culture). Some hand gestures are positive in one region, but rude in another. Touching non-family members or people of a different social status means nothing in one place, but is punishable by death in others. Body language means a lot and it's very easy to write into a story. Take advantage of that.
Now, there are a lot of things to think about in this post. I know you're excited. But here's the thing: Not all of these need to make it into your story. In fact, it may be a bit too confusing if you attempt this. So pick a few and weave them into your story....But only where they fit. These are meant to be seasonings, so use carefully and intentionally. Don't just dump all of them in at once and hope for the best.
Do you have any cool things you think should be included into world-building? Let's hear them!
Have writing, reading, or writer's life questions? Use the hashtag #ChatWithHannah below or on social media to have them answered on my Youtube channel!
Related articles:
10 Points to Think About When World-Building
9 Tips for Writing Physically Disabled Characters in FantasyTips for Writing Stunning Science-Fiction: A Guest Post by Author S. Alex Martin
Enjoy this post? Take a look around. If you like what you see, don't forget to subscribe by email for a new post every Friday!
Some links are Amazon Affiliate. Thank you for your support!
July 18, 2018
#ChatWithHannah Ep 13: Speculative Fiction, La Llorona, Fan Art, and More
Today we talk about favorite myths, the difference between Speculative Fiction and Sci-fi/Fantasy, character art, blogging, and twenty one pilots. A sneak peek for those who aren't familiar: the La Llorona myth is about a woman who gets confused, drowns her children (???), and haunts riverbeds. Yep. You don’t want to miss this.
It should be noted that I (surprise, surprise) made a major mistake in this video. When talking about SFF in relation to SpecFic, I *meant* to say: "SFF is SpecFic, but SpecFic is not SFF." Instead, I said the reverse and probably confused people. My bad.
Blog posts referenced:
Character profiles for Colors of Fear
Character profiles for Skies of Dripping Gold
J.R.R. Tolkien stories recommended:
Leaf by NiggleThe HobbitThe SilmarillionThe #ChatWithIndieAuthor interview withK.L.+Pierce releases on July 25th. Have questions for that video? Leave them below and we’ll discuss them on July 25th! Don’t forget to check out her website.
The next #ChatWithHannah is on August 14th. Leave questions/comments below, ask questions on social media using the hashtag, or email me on my website.
Like this video and want to support my writing efforts? Subscribe to my channel or buy my short stories. Or both!
Have writing, reading, or writer's life questions? Use the hashtag #ChatWithHannah below or on social media to have them answered on my Youtube channel!
Related articles:
#ChatWithHannah Ep 6: Taking Writing Advice, Blogging Tips, and More
#ChatWithHannah Episode 4: NaNoWriMo Tips, Favorite Movies, and Overcoming Writer's Block
Enjoy this post? Take a look around. If you like what you see, don't forget to subscribe by email for a new post every Friday!
Some links are Amazon Affiliate. Thank you for your support!
It should be noted that I (surprise, surprise) made a major mistake in this video. When talking about SFF in relation to SpecFic, I *meant* to say: "SFF is SpecFic, but SpecFic is not SFF." Instead, I said the reverse and probably confused people. My bad.
Blog posts referenced:
Character profiles for Colors of Fear
Character profiles for Skies of Dripping Gold
J.R.R. Tolkien stories recommended:
Leaf by NiggleThe HobbitThe SilmarillionThe #ChatWithIndieAuthor interview withK.L.+Pierce releases on July 25th. Have questions for that video? Leave them below and we’ll discuss them on July 25th! Don’t forget to check out her website.
The next #ChatWithHannah is on August 14th. Leave questions/comments below, ask questions on social media using the hashtag, or email me on my website.
Like this video and want to support my writing efforts? Subscribe to my channel or buy my short stories. Or both!
Have writing, reading, or writer's life questions? Use the hashtag #ChatWithHannah below or on social media to have them answered on my Youtube channel!
Related articles:
#ChatWithHannah Ep 6: Taking Writing Advice, Blogging Tips, and More
#ChatWithHannah Episode 4: NaNoWriMo Tips, Favorite Movies, and Overcoming Writer's Block
Enjoy this post? Take a look around. If you like what you see, don't forget to subscribe by email for a new post every Friday!
Some links are Amazon Affiliate. Thank you for your support!
July 13, 2018
11 Things Nobody Tells You About Being An Indie Author (Until It's Too Late)
Indie authoring is so, so much fun. It's a fight to the death with formatting, pushing for reviews without scaring people, learning how to design book covers, figuring out indie publishing jargon, and suffering through crippling rounds of imposter syndrome.
See? Fun.
But seriously. Being an indie author is incredibly rewarding. It allows us full creative control over all aspects of our writing, gives us the ability to market the way we want to, connect with readers who fully appreciate our stories, and meet other incredible, talented, entrepreneurial people. Totally worth it.
However, it would be nice if we'd been given a heads up on a few things. That's what this post is for. As an indie author, allow me to let you in on some "secrets" about being an indie author. If you've already indie published? That's okay. This post will at least make you laugh. Or maybe even give you a bit of help.
1. Star ratings mean different things to different readers. I've gotten rave 4-star reviews with nothing negative mentioned. Which always makes me wonder if they actually meant to click 5-stars...? But whatever. I've seen mean 3-star reviews and positive 3-star reviews that read like they were 4-stars. All this to say: Don't look at the number of stars. Look at the content of the reviews. Glow over the positive. Learn from the negative....Or completely disregard it because some people are mean or don't know what they're talking about. Just use your judgement.
2. Book covers matter. A lot. People do judge books by their covers. And because indie publishing can still be stigmatized, if your cover isn't professional (or at least cool-looking), then people will spurn your novel. So learn how to design a book cover well or hire somebody to do it for you.
3. Amazon does take down reviews for no reason, so get over it. The rumors are true. Amazon will remove reviews for no definable reason....They say it's to make sure that all reviews are legitimate and not paid or from family/friends. However, their algorithm is messed up and they take down random and legitimate reviews. It's annoying and unfair, but there's nothing you can do about it. Just let it go.
As mucha as I dislike this movie, I couldn't pass up the gif.Note: It's rumored that making sure your author Amazon account email isn't linked to any other accounts can help with this problem. While this doesn't always work, its worth a shot.
4. Formatting only has to be miserable once. Yep. That's right. Once you format a story correctly, you can use that document as a template for all future publications. In Mac's Pages, it looks like this:
Open Correctly Formatted Story, go to "file," then select "duplicate." Next, copy the text of New Story, go to the duplicated file, go to "edit," then "paste and match style." Viola! New Story is now formatted like the the original Correctly Formatted Story. Of course still go through to check for mistakes, but it should be clean.
You're welcome.
Sadly, I do not know how to do this on a PC computer because I believe that non-Apple operating systems are from hell and thus stay far away from them. However, I'm sure there is a similar procedure, so just poke around Word a bit and see what happens.
Also, to be clear: I'm not saying this will make formatting not suck, but it will make it suck less.
5. Indie readers are often weirdly lenient when it comes to typos. Chances are that you'll publish a novel and it'll still have typos. I've seen this happen with 99% of indie books, some which were professionally edited. It's okay. As long as you don't have tons (or ones that inhibit reader understanding), many of your readers will shrug it off. Many, but not all. So if you publish and then see typos afterwards, don't freak out. Just go in, edit, and play it off like a pro.
6. There are a lot of good, free ways to edit. Tip number 5 isn't a get-out-of-jail-free card for poor editing. Take the extra time to comb through your story. It's worth it. Check out a list of free, easy editing tips here.
7. You will almost never meet your release date. Indie publishing takes a long time. You have to write, re-write, edit, get beta readers, edit again, design, format, upload, market, etc. So if you set a release date, you probably won't meet it because at least one of these steps will go awry. I know you're excited and want to set a just-around-the-corner release date, but be careful not to choke on your aspirations. A good rule of thumb is to set your release date at least a month past what you expect you'll need.
8. Your social media presence is everything. Why? Because marketing is all about connections. If people like you on social media, they are far more likely to read your stories. So be nice. And don't spam.
9. It's important to keep the content coming. You want to keep your name out there because, let's face it: People have more important things to do besides sitting around and waiting for your next publication. The more you publish, the better your chances of hooking readers. It's simple math. I'd explain it to you, but I can't because I hate math, so just trust me when I say it has to do with marginal growth and bigger nets and other logic-based things. I know what I'm talking about, I swear.
That being said, if you publish too much, you will burn yourself out, publish sub-par material, or lose reader interest (or all three), so take the time to find a publishing schedule that works for you and your audience.
10. Things will go wrong all. the. time. No, seriously. You will lose files. And then when you find it and begin to upload it, uploading will take FOREVER and then your internet will disconnect and you'll have to start all over. Editing will also take forever and then once you move on to formatting, formatting will (surprise) take forever, but will also be incredibly agonizing and scream-inducing. Understanding Amazon indie publishing rules will make you turn into the human equivalent of Piglet, except one that is full of caffeine and rage.
So take a deep breath. Stay calm. And try not to kill anybody. It'll work itself out.
11. It's okay to ask readers to leave reviews. If you know somebody has read your book, ask them to leave a review. But only ask once (unless you gave them a copy specifically for them to review it, then you can ask twice). If you're nice about it, it's not weird, annoying, or incorrect. Go for it.
There are a few other things that nobody tells you about indie publishing, but I'll stop at these 11. Have any you'd like to add? I'd love to hear about them!
Have writing, reading, or writer's life questions? Use the hashtag #ChatWithHannah below or on social media to have them answered on my Youtube channel!
Related articles:
How to Get Your Book Read and ReviewedA List of Great Self-Published Books You Should Read (Part 1)The 5-Star Rating System: What Book Reviewers Mean VS How Indie Authors Take It
Enjoy this post? Take a look around. If you like what you see, don't forget to subscribe by email for a new post every Friday!
See? Fun.
But seriously. Being an indie author is incredibly rewarding. It allows us full creative control over all aspects of our writing, gives us the ability to market the way we want to, connect with readers who fully appreciate our stories, and meet other incredible, talented, entrepreneurial people. Totally worth it.
However, it would be nice if we'd been given a heads up on a few things. That's what this post is for. As an indie author, allow me to let you in on some "secrets" about being an indie author. If you've already indie published? That's okay. This post will at least make you laugh. Or maybe even give you a bit of help.
1. Star ratings mean different things to different readers. I've gotten rave 4-star reviews with nothing negative mentioned. Which always makes me wonder if they actually meant to click 5-stars...? But whatever. I've seen mean 3-star reviews and positive 3-star reviews that read like they were 4-stars. All this to say: Don't look at the number of stars. Look at the content of the reviews. Glow over the positive. Learn from the negative....Or completely disregard it because some people are mean or don't know what they're talking about. Just use your judgement.
2. Book covers matter. A lot. People do judge books by their covers. And because indie publishing can still be stigmatized, if your cover isn't professional (or at least cool-looking), then people will spurn your novel. So learn how to design a book cover well or hire somebody to do it for you.
3. Amazon does take down reviews for no reason, so get over it. The rumors are true. Amazon will remove reviews for no definable reason....They say it's to make sure that all reviews are legitimate and not paid or from family/friends. However, their algorithm is messed up and they take down random and legitimate reviews. It's annoying and unfair, but there's nothing you can do about it. Just let it go.
As mucha as I dislike this movie, I couldn't pass up the gif.Note: It's rumored that making sure your author Amazon account email isn't linked to any other accounts can help with this problem. While this doesn't always work, its worth a shot.4. Formatting only has to be miserable once. Yep. That's right. Once you format a story correctly, you can use that document as a template for all future publications. In Mac's Pages, it looks like this:
Open Correctly Formatted Story, go to "file," then select "duplicate." Next, copy the text of New Story, go to the duplicated file, go to "edit," then "paste and match style." Viola! New Story is now formatted like the the original Correctly Formatted Story. Of course still go through to check for mistakes, but it should be clean.
You're welcome.
Sadly, I do not know how to do this on a PC computer because I believe that non-Apple operating systems are from hell and thus stay far away from them. However, I'm sure there is a similar procedure, so just poke around Word a bit and see what happens.
Also, to be clear: I'm not saying this will make formatting not suck, but it will make it suck less.
5. Indie readers are often weirdly lenient when it comes to typos. Chances are that you'll publish a novel and it'll still have typos. I've seen this happen with 99% of indie books, some which were professionally edited. It's okay. As long as you don't have tons (or ones that inhibit reader understanding), many of your readers will shrug it off. Many, but not all. So if you publish and then see typos afterwards, don't freak out. Just go in, edit, and play it off like a pro.
6. There are a lot of good, free ways to edit. Tip number 5 isn't a get-out-of-jail-free card for poor editing. Take the extra time to comb through your story. It's worth it. Check out a list of free, easy editing tips here.
7. You will almost never meet your release date. Indie publishing takes a long time. You have to write, re-write, edit, get beta readers, edit again, design, format, upload, market, etc. So if you set a release date, you probably won't meet it because at least one of these steps will go awry. I know you're excited and want to set a just-around-the-corner release date, but be careful not to choke on your aspirations. A good rule of thumb is to set your release date at least a month past what you expect you'll need.
8. Your social media presence is everything. Why? Because marketing is all about connections. If people like you on social media, they are far more likely to read your stories. So be nice. And don't spam.
9. It's important to keep the content coming. You want to keep your name out there because, let's face it: People have more important things to do besides sitting around and waiting for your next publication. The more you publish, the better your chances of hooking readers. It's simple math. I'd explain it to you, but I can't because I hate math, so just trust me when I say it has to do with marginal growth and bigger nets and other logic-based things. I know what I'm talking about, I swear.
That being said, if you publish too much, you will burn yourself out, publish sub-par material, or lose reader interest (or all three), so take the time to find a publishing schedule that works for you and your audience.10. Things will go wrong all. the. time. No, seriously. You will lose files. And then when you find it and begin to upload it, uploading will take FOREVER and then your internet will disconnect and you'll have to start all over. Editing will also take forever and then once you move on to formatting, formatting will (surprise) take forever, but will also be incredibly agonizing and scream-inducing. Understanding Amazon indie publishing rules will make you turn into the human equivalent of Piglet, except one that is full of caffeine and rage.
So take a deep breath. Stay calm. And try not to kill anybody. It'll work itself out.
11. It's okay to ask readers to leave reviews. If you know somebody has read your book, ask them to leave a review. But only ask once (unless you gave them a copy specifically for them to review it, then you can ask twice). If you're nice about it, it's not weird, annoying, or incorrect. Go for it.
There are a few other things that nobody tells you about indie publishing, but I'll stop at these 11. Have any you'd like to add? I'd love to hear about them!
Have writing, reading, or writer's life questions? Use the hashtag #ChatWithHannah below or on social media to have them answered on my Youtube channel!
Related articles:
How to Get Your Book Read and ReviewedA List of Great Self-Published Books You Should Read (Part 1)The 5-Star Rating System: What Book Reviewers Mean VS How Indie Authors Take It
Enjoy this post? Take a look around. If you like what you see, don't forget to subscribe by email for a new post every Friday!
July 6, 2018
9 Tips for Writing Good, Healthy Relationships in Your YA Novel
I've never been a fan of romance in YA novels. I originally chalked that up to the fact that I don't like romance in general because apparently I have no soul.
But, the more YA I read, the more I realize that it's not just the romance that seems wrong. It's the relationships in general.
There's an alarming pattern in YA fiction. There are very few healthy relationships in YA novels, romantic, friendship, parental, sibling, or otherwise. While a single YA book may have one healthy relationship, most other relationships depicted in the story are far from good. Thankfully, this doesn't happen in all YA novels. But it definitely seems to take place in the majority.
It's pretty mess up.
Pull up a chair. I think it's time we talked about the importance of healthy relationship in YA novels...and how to write them.
1. Understand why it's important to depict healthy relationships in YA. Let me sum up. The world is a hard place full of very unpleasant people. But, every once in a while, you meet a nice person who can come alongside you and make things better. They encourage you, inspire you, and help you. But sometimes these people can be hard to find, and sometimes you lose hope or go looking for help in the wrong places. It's important for readers (especially teen readers) to know that there is such a thing as a good, strong, healthy relationship. It's important for them to know that they don't have to settle for negative relationships...and that they don't have to go at this whole life thing all alone. You can do this by writing healthy relationships. By depicting difficult relationships that are in the process of healing. By portraying beautiful relationships that are outside of the typical romances, such as friendship, sibling love, parental love, mentorship, and more. There are so many rich relationship types out there. Why settle for something cliche, unhealthy, or both?
2. Consider putting good parents in your novel. Look. I know a lot of people have crummy parents. I get it. But a lot of people have good ones, too. Not perfect ones (because no human being is perfect), but good ones. Ones that loved them, worked hard to feed them, believed in them, encouraged them, and were (or at least tried hard to be) present for them. Sadly, these types of parents rarely make it into YA novels. Parents are pretty much never present in YA fiction and, when they are, they are often oblivious or abusive. While these parental types do exist (and yes, it is okay to write about this), they should not be your go-to. Yes, I understand that you think that the parents will "get in the way" of important plot points or character activities, but if you put at least a little thought into your story, you'll be able to find ways to fit parents into it.
Parents shape their children, so it makes sense to show this in a YA novel. Put thought into your depiction of the parents in your novel. It's time that the trend of terrible or nonexistent parents in YA turns completely around. We can do better.
3. Give them nonjealous friends. Dude. Can we stop with the super jealous best friend? Because it's not cute. It's not healthy. And it's not creative. If the super jealous friend course corrects and sees the error of their ways, awesome. But why go there in the first place? This is incredibly cliche and there are so many other types of friendship conflicts you could go with. Protective friends are fine, but jealous? Nope. Do better. The same goes for romantic relationships (especially when they cross over into the weirdly possessive zone, as YA romances are wont to do).
4. Avoid overly dependent relationships. There's a difference between trusting a person and being totally dependent upon them. Frodo and Sam were great friends who relied on each other and often (but not always) were there for each other to make it through situations. They each had distinct personalities and goals apart from each other. That's a type of dependency built out of trust, loyalty, and respect. On the flip side we have Bella and Edward, a couple who were unhealthily obsessed with each other and constantly needed to be together to the point that Bella puts herself in dangerous (read: suicidal) situations so that she can re-unite with Edward. Both of their personalities are thin and they don't have many goals outside of their own relationship. This is a bad, no good, terrible dependent relationship that lacks interest, complexity, and is downright toxic. Don't do this.
5. Depict relationships that have mutual respect. This is key to writing a healthy, complex relationship. Two characters who respect each other are instantly more developed than those who don't. Why? Because they can disagree with each other, hate each other, find each other annoying, but they are still connected by the fact that they're both logical enough to see the admirable qualities in each other. It is an awesome dynamic that will give any of your character relationships gravity, depth, and health.
6. Show the difficulties of relationships. Writing a healthy relationship doesn't mean that your characters are always incredibly nice to each other. That's unrealistic and makes for bad character development. Relationships are hard, so it's okay to show this in your novel. Your characters can disagree, fight, be awkward around each other, etc. That's good. Healthy, even. You need to be genuine with your writing, so don't lie and show only the good side of all relationships. It will make your readers disengage.
7. Show the beauty of relationships. While it's important to show the difficulties in a relationship, you don't want to go overboard. Bring some balance by showing all of the amazingness that good relationships can bring. Parental relationships give love that is pretty much stronger than you'll ever find anywhere else. Sibling love means you always have somebody in your corner. Friendship means loyalty, getting new perspectives, and having somebody to laugh (and cry) with.
Just casually using a gif from the most traumatic children's movie ever.Romantic love means...well, as mentioned before, I have no soul and don't like writing (or reading) about this type of relationship, so you can finish this sentence yourself. My point being: Get to the heart of each character's relationship. Show what makes each character love and respect each other and show how it brings a little (or a lot) of heart and joy to the story.
8. Don't romanticize abuse or unhealthy relationships. I'm incredibly annoyed that I have to even write this, but given how common this is in YA, I'll do it anyway: Abuse is not good. Don't glorify it or make it look romantic or cute. It isn't. It's horribly unhealthy in every way. If your characters are possessive of one another, hit each other (or threaten to hit each other), exploit each other for sex, constantly manipulate/threaten each other, try to cut each other off from other healthy/relationships in their lives, won't take responsibility for problems in their relationship, then you've got an abusive relationship on your hands. Go rewrite it. There are, of course, many other types of abuse in a relationship, so go through and make sure that your novel doesn't have these (unless you are writing a careful, thoughtful novel about the dangers of abusive relationships, in which case: Carry on).
When it comes to romanticizing unhealthy relationships, there's an easy test for this. Look at the romance in you novel and ask: "If [insert name of friend you really care about] was in a relationship like this, how would I feel?" If the answer is: "Not good," then you have an unhealthy relationship on your hands. You can try to cute it up all you want by chalking up the possessiveness to passion, the manipulation and selfishness to being new at the whole relationship thing, but the unhealthy aspect will still be there. Fix it.
9. Don't center the romance around sex. Please. If your teens are drawn to each other physically and have no real connection beyond that, then this counts as an unhealthy relationship. And it also cuts out the chance of writing a complex, interesting relationship. Way to go, you. You just brought your character development to a screeching halt while also reinforcing negative stereotypes (all teens have sex) and feeding your readers questionable morals (teens having sex is totally okay and doesn't at all have negative emotional and physical ramifications). Good job.
Okay. I think we're done here. Do you have any tips of your own that you'd like to add? What are some YA novels that are full of good, healthy relationships? I'd love to hear about them!
Have writing, reading, or writer's life questions? Use the hashtag #ChatWithHannah below or on social media to have them answered on my Youtube channel!
Related articles:
Romance in YA Novels: The Good, The Bad, and The Stupid7 Cliché Characters in YA Fiction That Need to Stop
6 Problems with "Edgy" YA Fiction (And How to Fix Them)
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But, the more YA I read, the more I realize that it's not just the romance that seems wrong. It's the relationships in general.
There's an alarming pattern in YA fiction. There are very few healthy relationships in YA novels, romantic, friendship, parental, sibling, or otherwise. While a single YA book may have one healthy relationship, most other relationships depicted in the story are far from good. Thankfully, this doesn't happen in all YA novels. But it definitely seems to take place in the majority.
It's pretty mess up.
Pull up a chair. I think it's time we talked about the importance of healthy relationship in YA novels...and how to write them.
1. Understand why it's important to depict healthy relationships in YA. Let me sum up. The world is a hard place full of very unpleasant people. But, every once in a while, you meet a nice person who can come alongside you and make things better. They encourage you, inspire you, and help you. But sometimes these people can be hard to find, and sometimes you lose hope or go looking for help in the wrong places. It's important for readers (especially teen readers) to know that there is such a thing as a good, strong, healthy relationship. It's important for them to know that they don't have to settle for negative relationships...and that they don't have to go at this whole life thing all alone. You can do this by writing healthy relationships. By depicting difficult relationships that are in the process of healing. By portraying beautiful relationships that are outside of the typical romances, such as friendship, sibling love, parental love, mentorship, and more. There are so many rich relationship types out there. Why settle for something cliche, unhealthy, or both?
2. Consider putting good parents in your novel. Look. I know a lot of people have crummy parents. I get it. But a lot of people have good ones, too. Not perfect ones (because no human being is perfect), but good ones. Ones that loved them, worked hard to feed them, believed in them, encouraged them, and were (or at least tried hard to be) present for them. Sadly, these types of parents rarely make it into YA novels. Parents are pretty much never present in YA fiction and, when they are, they are often oblivious or abusive. While these parental types do exist (and yes, it is okay to write about this), they should not be your go-to. Yes, I understand that you think that the parents will "get in the way" of important plot points or character activities, but if you put at least a little thought into your story, you'll be able to find ways to fit parents into it.
Parents shape their children, so it makes sense to show this in a YA novel. Put thought into your depiction of the parents in your novel. It's time that the trend of terrible or nonexistent parents in YA turns completely around. We can do better.
3. Give them nonjealous friends. Dude. Can we stop with the super jealous best friend? Because it's not cute. It's not healthy. And it's not creative. If the super jealous friend course corrects and sees the error of their ways, awesome. But why go there in the first place? This is incredibly cliche and there are so many other types of friendship conflicts you could go with. Protective friends are fine, but jealous? Nope. Do better. The same goes for romantic relationships (especially when they cross over into the weirdly possessive zone, as YA romances are wont to do).
4. Avoid overly dependent relationships. There's a difference between trusting a person and being totally dependent upon them. Frodo and Sam were great friends who relied on each other and often (but not always) were there for each other to make it through situations. They each had distinct personalities and goals apart from each other. That's a type of dependency built out of trust, loyalty, and respect. On the flip side we have Bella and Edward, a couple who were unhealthily obsessed with each other and constantly needed to be together to the point that Bella puts herself in dangerous (read: suicidal) situations so that she can re-unite with Edward. Both of their personalities are thin and they don't have many goals outside of their own relationship. This is a bad, no good, terrible dependent relationship that lacks interest, complexity, and is downright toxic. Don't do this.
5. Depict relationships that have mutual respect. This is key to writing a healthy, complex relationship. Two characters who respect each other are instantly more developed than those who don't. Why? Because they can disagree with each other, hate each other, find each other annoying, but they are still connected by the fact that they're both logical enough to see the admirable qualities in each other. It is an awesome dynamic that will give any of your character relationships gravity, depth, and health.
6. Show the difficulties of relationships. Writing a healthy relationship doesn't mean that your characters are always incredibly nice to each other. That's unrealistic and makes for bad character development. Relationships are hard, so it's okay to show this in your novel. Your characters can disagree, fight, be awkward around each other, etc. That's good. Healthy, even. You need to be genuine with your writing, so don't lie and show only the good side of all relationships. It will make your readers disengage.
7. Show the beauty of relationships. While it's important to show the difficulties in a relationship, you don't want to go overboard. Bring some balance by showing all of the amazingness that good relationships can bring. Parental relationships give love that is pretty much stronger than you'll ever find anywhere else. Sibling love means you always have somebody in your corner. Friendship means loyalty, getting new perspectives, and having somebody to laugh (and cry) with.
Just casually using a gif from the most traumatic children's movie ever.Romantic love means...well, as mentioned before, I have no soul and don't like writing (or reading) about this type of relationship, so you can finish this sentence yourself. My point being: Get to the heart of each character's relationship. Show what makes each character love and respect each other and show how it brings a little (or a lot) of heart and joy to the story.
8. Don't romanticize abuse or unhealthy relationships. I'm incredibly annoyed that I have to even write this, but given how common this is in YA, I'll do it anyway: Abuse is not good. Don't glorify it or make it look romantic or cute. It isn't. It's horribly unhealthy in every way. If your characters are possessive of one another, hit each other (or threaten to hit each other), exploit each other for sex, constantly manipulate/threaten each other, try to cut each other off from other healthy/relationships in their lives, won't take responsibility for problems in their relationship, then you've got an abusive relationship on your hands. Go rewrite it. There are, of course, many other types of abuse in a relationship, so go through and make sure that your novel doesn't have these (unless you are writing a careful, thoughtful novel about the dangers of abusive relationships, in which case: Carry on).
When it comes to romanticizing unhealthy relationships, there's an easy test for this. Look at the romance in you novel and ask: "If [insert name of friend you really care about] was in a relationship like this, how would I feel?" If the answer is: "Not good," then you have an unhealthy relationship on your hands. You can try to cute it up all you want by chalking up the possessiveness to passion, the manipulation and selfishness to being new at the whole relationship thing, but the unhealthy aspect will still be there. Fix it.
9. Don't center the romance around sex. Please. If your teens are drawn to each other physically and have no real connection beyond that, then this counts as an unhealthy relationship. And it also cuts out the chance of writing a complex, interesting relationship. Way to go, you. You just brought your character development to a screeching halt while also reinforcing negative stereotypes (all teens have sex) and feeding your readers questionable morals (teens having sex is totally okay and doesn't at all have negative emotional and physical ramifications). Good job.
Okay. I think we're done here. Do you have any tips of your own that you'd like to add? What are some YA novels that are full of good, healthy relationships? I'd love to hear about them!
Have writing, reading, or writer's life questions? Use the hashtag #ChatWithHannah below or on social media to have them answered on my Youtube channel!
Related articles:
Romance in YA Novels: The Good, The Bad, and The Stupid7 Cliché Characters in YA Fiction That Need to Stop
6 Problems with "Edgy" YA Fiction (And How to Fix Them)
Enjoy this post? Take a look around. If you like what you see, don't forget to subscribe by email for a new post every Friday!
