Beth Greenslade's Blog, page 96

How To Make Your Readers Care About Your Story

Every writer knows that if your readers don’t care about your story, they won’t enjoy it - it is as simple as that. No matter how your book turns out, what obstacles your characters face or what lessons, worldly wisdom or unusual perspectives you portray in your book, without engaging your readers, making them invest emotionally and caring there is no way your readers will keep on reading.

But how do you make readers care about your story? It’s easier said than done. While you might think you have a great idea for a book, there are many elements that are necessary to create a fantastic story, and each one must be executed in such a way that they all work together. Doing so will make sure your book delivers an impact and will have your readers effortlessly invest in the plot, the characters, and the story as a while.

So what must authors do to ensure their readers care? Here are some things to think about:

Your characters

The most important and obvious part of your book to pay attention to is the characters that you create within it. Each character you introduce the reader to must have a purpose, but more than this, they must be sufficiently interesting and engaging that readers become curious about them, and as the story goes on your readers must care about what happens to the characters you create. They don’t have to love them all, they don’t have to wish them all to be happy at the end, but they must care and be sufficiently interested in how the story turns out for them that they keep on reading until the end.

Your world

To bring your characters and your plot to life you must create a fascinating, detailed, believable world for the characters to live in and the plot to unfold in. The world is the background, but without being written in such a way that your readers feel truly immersed in it, they’ll find it distracting and difficult to focus on anything else - thus making it tough for them to care about your story as a whole.

Your Story

If you readers don’t care about what is happening in your book they aren’t going to want to keep reading. Your characters can be the most intriguing, engaging, exciting characters of all time, but if you don’t make anything happen to them, then your book will fall flat. Make sure your story is full of highs and lows, of unusual twists and turns, of moments of joy and elation, of sadness and fear. Your readers want to come along for the ride, and to be part of the adventure, so make sure that there is one to be had.

Your ending

There is nothing more tragic than getting to the end of a good story only for it to have an ending that lets you down. Make sure that you make your readers continue to care right up until the very last word on the very last page, so they are left still reeling, still overcome and still totally in love with your book.

Bethany Cadman -author of 'Doctor Vanilla's Sunflowers'

The post How To Make Your Readers Care About Your Story appeared first on Writer's Life.org.

Behind the Rain

My fingers tapped the glass, four drumsticks against a transparent head.  Somewhere behind me, a hundred thousand empty tin cans that once held dreams fell again.  I hadn't even counted the seconds from the lightning flash to when I heard the thunder, so disappointed was I in the weather.

"It was only supposed to be a chance of showers," I complained to the people in charge of the weather.  "Why...how does a chance become the second launching of Noah's boat?"

Fingers drummed again.  The other hand reached up from my chin to scratch at an almost-felt itch on the back of my head.  I glanced toward the barn, thinking maybe I should go over anyway.   I chucked that thought as soon as I heard it in my head.  He'd think we were going for a ride, and when he wants to run, he wants to RUN.  My stupid horse has never quite figured out what to do with mud.  When in the saddle, I only control him in the loosest sense.  I stay on his back, occasionally yanking a rein like a twist cap to get him to turn.

Another flash, much brighter, thunder was much louder.  I thought how I really should go over to calm him down.  The rain began coming down in what could only be described as sheets.  I'd never before understood that phrase.  I watched, transfixed, as these sheets pelted the ground.  I glance at the barn, but it's all secure.  A veritable sea of mud to the eyebrows lay between my door and the barns.

I was watching this, trying to motivate myself, when I saw...well, something over to the side.  A glance in the specific direction showed only rain pelting the grass.  I mumble a question as to what I thought I saw.  The rain, falling in ever more coherent patterns.  Squinting almost revealed...what?

I straightened up, wondering at what I'd just seen.  More sheets falling from the sky, but then...did I really just see that?  A dark shape, blurred through the rain, hanging in mid-air.  It moved, is it--a bird?  The side moved, like fingers on a hand, or...claws?  Are they--

They moved to the side, rending through the rain the way a jet moves through the sky.  It hung at the end of the patch, and another emerged, cutting a similar slice.  They moved vertically, a lightning strike illuminating them with too much clarity.  The darkened shape moved to pull its massive dark form through the tear, and then icy sapphire orbs swung about, locking with my eyes.  I bolted away from the window while a screech like hundreds of fingernails on hundreds of chalkboards counterpointed with the thunder.

The house went dark as I backed away from the glass, praying that I hadn't been seen.  These prayers proved unnecessary as I heard a cracking sound from behind and felt something moist hit me.  I looked over and the last thing I saw was the claws digging into my shoulder.......

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Use Your Writing To Inspire

Writers write for many different reasons. Some do it purely because they feel they have a piece of writing inside them that wants to come out, others do it because they want people to understand their stories, and some do it because they want their writing to help other people.

Whatever your reasons for doing it, an excellent piece of writing has to connect with your readers. There are just as many reasons that readers read as there are reasons why writers write. However, most people will tell you their favourite book moved them, inspired them or influenced them in some way.

Writing is an influential tool, and writers who do see their work read by lots of people have the power to use their writing to get a message across, to motivate people to act or to change their way of looking at things.

When we embark on a new piece of writing, whatever it may be, it is important to think about how it will be received. You may wish to shock your reader, to anger them, to make them laugh or cry - but having a firm idea of how you would like to or have intended for them to react will help to shape your piece and make you consider how you hope to evoke that reaction as your story progresses.

Of course, inspiration takes many different forms. You don’t have to ensure all your stories have an underlying message to end world hunger or create world peace! However, the knowledge that your writing does have a moral, a purpose, and could potentially reach out to someone and make them think they are not alone, or that they are a little bit more understood, or inspire them to be more generous, kinder, or braver - that can be a beautiful thing.

There are many devices writers can use to inspire their readers:

The aspirational protagonist. Readers love an inspiring hero or heroine. Someone who demonstrates all the qualities they would love to have themselves. Bravery, fearlessness, compassion, kindness, generosity and so much more - a protagonist who we fall in love with can influence readers to act more like them.

Overcoming of obstacles

In every story, the protagonist has to overcome a series of obstacles to achieve their goal. Persevering when all is lost, facing their biggest fears, refusing to give up - all these are common traits in many stories and inspire the reader to do the same with their own lives.

Use of emotion

The better you are at writing emotion, the more poignant, inspiring, exciting, heartbreaking, exhilarating, and nail-biting your book will be. A great writer is a master at perfectly capturing emotion, and when we read these beautifully written pieces, they can touch us, motivate us, comfort us and make us see things in a different light.

The ability to relate

Sometimes when we read a story, it truly moves us, as if it was written for us personally. People want to feel as though they are not alone and being able to relate to your characters and understand their passions, their loves, their joy, and their pain, can be incredibly inspiring indeed.

Being brave in your writing choices

Remember, some of the most inspirational writing has come from writers who have dared to focus on subjects that most would not. Being genuinely expressive and brave when it comes to your writing means you are more likely to truly reach out to people and inspire them in so many different ways.

By thinking about how you can inspire your readers with your writing you are not only adding another dimension to your work but also are likely to make your writing better too. People want to be inspired. They want to read stories that move them and change them and make them think differently about people or the world around them. So next time you write a story, think about what a difference you can make, how you can influence others and what positive changes you can bring to people’s lives. Impactful, empowered writing that truly speaks to your readers is the best sort of writing after all.

Bethany Cadman -author of 'Doctor Vanilla's Sunflowers'

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How To Write An Article

Many writers wonder how they can make money on the side of writing their novels. Some just want to get into the writing game and make a living from it in whichever way they can.

Article writing can be a lucrative business for any writer. Providing they are willing to put the time and effort into building up their portfolio, pitching potential clients and perfecting their work than being a freelance article writer not only can provide you with a good income, but can give you the flexibility and time to write your novels too.

But article writing isn’t just something anyone can do. Perfecting your writing skills takes time and practice, and if you want to write an excellent, entertaining article that captures people’s attention, you need to be willing to put in the effort.

Here are our top tips on how to write an article.

Decide on your topic.

The topic of your article should be engaging enough to capture readers attention. There are millions of subjects - you could write about anything under the sun. Just make sure you write about something you are interested in and knowledgeable about.

Decide on your angle.

Every article should have an angle - what’s yours? How is it unique? How does it present information in a way that hasn’t been done before?

Think about your reader's needs and expectations.

Whenever you write an article, you must consider your reader's needs. What questions do they have? How will you answer them? Articles must inform or entertain, or both.

Do your research.

Research is so important. An article that has no depth, no real consideration behind it, is one that will quickly be dismissed by readers. Make sure your article has a point, make sure it is saying something.

Consider your tone.

The tone of your article should be consistent with your reader's expectations. Do you want to come across as informal and chatty or an authority on the subject? Do you want to make your readers laugh or to teach them something?

Use headings and break up long paragraphs.

Readers should be able to skim read through your headings to find the topics that interest them the most or answer the specific questions  that they have. Topics break up the text and give readers a clear and quick understanding of what your article is going to be about. Breaking up long paragraphs will help keep your readers attention focused on what you have to say as well.

Read, re-draft, revise, repeat.

As with any piece of writing, your first draft might not be excellent, but that’s okay. Make sure you read and re-read your article, shaping it, correcting it and fixing it until you feel as though you can’t do anymore. Only then is it ready to be shared.

By following these tips, you should be able to come up with a carefully considered, well- written piece of writing whatever your topic. So if you are thinking about trying your hand at article writing, use these useful tips to guide you through the process.

Bethany Cadman -author of 'Doctor Vanilla's Sunflowers'

The post How To Write An Article appeared first on Writer's Life.org.

Questions To Ask Yourself Before You Start A New Book

Starting a new book is often exciting and daunting in equal measures. On the one hand, you are raring to get going. On the other, you don’t quite know where to start.

To prepare yourself for writing a book, to manage your expectations and to help you get to the finish line, it’s a good idea to ask yourself the following questions before you begin!

Here are some great questions to ask yourself before you start a new book.

Can you describe your book in one or two sentences?

Being able to summarise your plot succinctly is really helpful before you begin. If you can do this well, then you can rest assured you have a clear idea of what your book is about and have the vision for your story already in your mind. This means you are ready to start writing it down!

What is your end goal for your book?

When you want to write a book, you should have a purpose in mind. Knowing what your highest hope is for your book will help you work out what you need to do to achieve your goals. If you want to be a bestselling author, that’s great. If you wish to see it in print, in any form, that’s also a brilliant goal. Perhaps you simply want to know that your book has inspired someone? Whatever your hopes are, write them down to help guide you and give you focus.

Do you care about this book making money?

A follow-on question from the above. It’s important to be clear with yourself about whether you are hoping to make a good profit from your book, or if this is something that doesn’t interest you at all. If you do expect to make good money from your book, you need to ask yourself whether you are truly willing to put in the time and effort required to market and promote it too.

What is unique about your book?

You need to be able to find that unique angle your book has that makes it a story that hasn’t already been written before. Lots of books overlap in some way, but each one still needs to be original. Be clear about what is going to make your book stand out from the crowd.

Do you have a budget for your book?

Writing a book technically doesn’t have to cost you anything, despite being a considerable investment of your time. However, if you want to edit it successfully, get a professional cover for it and market it, you do need a budget. What’s yours?

How will you feel if you don’t finish your book?

Lots and lots of people begin writing books and never manage to finish them. This can be something that always niggles at them and is a disappointment they carry with them throughout their lives. Are you confident you have what it takes to finish your book? If not, how will it impact you if you don’t?

Remember, writing a book is tough, and writing a successful book is even tougher. If you want to go for it, that’s awesome but make sure you have the time, the commitment and the passion for following through!

Bethany Cadman -author of 'Doctor Vanilla's Sunflowers'

The post Questions To Ask Yourself Before You Start A New Book appeared first on Writer's Life.org.

What Does Success Mean To You?

When it comes to writing success, everyone has a different opinion of what that means. For some, getting a publishing deal is their only aim, and without one they can’t consider themselves to be a successful author. For others, it’s a numbers game and success is very much dependent on how many books they sell or how much profit they make. Other writers believe if they manage to get to the end of their book and see it in print in any form that this is a huge success and one that they should be very proud of

One thing that is important to think about, before you even start writing your book, is what success means to you. Thinking about this carefully helps you to set clear goals for yourself. If you don’t consider what will feel like an achievement or a success when it comes to your writing, you may end up doing what you set out to do, but then feeling disappointed because you don’t actually feel satisfied or proud of what you have done.

Thinking about what success means to you also means that you consider how much work, time and effort you will need to put into getting there. If you aren't satisfied until your book hits number one on the bestseller lists, you better make sure you are willing to do everything in your power to make it so!

If you realise that, realistically, you just aren’t going to have the time, the drive or the resources to do so, perhaps its a good idea to manage your expectations so that you don’t feel disappointed, let down or that it was all a waste of time when you find that you simply aren’t willing to market your book or can’t deal with rejection so never send it off to a publisher.

Writers struggle to define success, and indeed the definition of a successful writer as observed by outsiders varies greatly too. Some people will think you are pretty amazing and impressive by just having had the time, the skill and the dedication to finish your book, however good or bad it might be. Others will sniff at any writer who hasn’t been paid for their work, and will (perhaps rather patronisingly) talk to you as if it is just a cute hobby that you do rather than something you work hard at, are passionate about, and take incredibly seriously.

Some writers also find success hard to define because they always end up wanting more. There is nothing wrong with your definition of success changing as you reach each milestone. This will keep you moving forward, more determined with each step, to achieve even more.

If you aren’t sure what it would take to consider yourself successful, perhaps a good place to start is to ask yourself ‘why do I write?’ Understanding this can expose your motivation for writing. It might be money, it might be fame, power, influence or it might be because you simply love doing it or hope to inspire others with your writing.

It is easy for success to be snatched away from writers without warning. You might feel successful when your first book is published, then profoundly unsuccessful when someone writes you a scathing review or no one wants to publish your second!

There is no denying that whatever your version of it, being successful in any capacity as a writer can be tough. However, the most important thing to remember is that as long as you keep writing and keep trying to achieve your goals, you are on the right path, and you never know, success could be right around the corner!

Bethany Cadman -author of 'Doctor Vanilla's Sunflowers'

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Writing Who You Know

Sooner or later, just about every writer faces the dilemma--how do you write honestly and artfully about the people in your life without alienating them, or maybe triggering WW III?

That's an obvious challenge if you are writing a memoir, but novelists and poets can find themselves navigating minefields, too, when the time-honored technique of "writing what you know" leads to the tricky matter of writing who you know. That quirky uncle at Thanksgiving dinner may be an irresistible character for your novel, but he may not see himself quite like you see him, or like you render him in that hilarious scene in Chapter Three.

Famously, author Thomas Wolfe alienated his entire city when his autobiographical novel Look Homeward, Angel was published in 1929. In it, he included more than 200 thinly-disguised characters from his native Asheville, North Carolina. The town's response was so angry that Wolfe left his hometown and didn't return for eight years.

So what can a writer do?

Well, for one thing, keep in mind that your memories and your interpretations of the people, places, and events that fuel your writing are yours and yours alone. Nobody else sees the world (or that crazy uncle) through your eyes, and nobody else has the same story to tell. Knowing that might not pacify the people who find themselves landing on your pages, but it can help you keep your focus on telling a great story.

At the same time, don't lose sight of the fact that the goal of all good writing is to in some way explore, uncover, and understand. Writing for revenge, for example, or simply to ridicule, isn't likely to achieve that. Even when your subject is deeply flawed, compassion is in order.

Sometimes, however, even the most complimentary portraits won't be well-received. One memoirist tells the story about a scene in his book in which he depicted some of his family members as he had always known them--a bit brash, and not exactly svelte or sophisticated.  He described them lovingly since these were relatives he cherished, but they were people who were very different from the urbane world in which he travelled. And when he sent them a copy of the book they stopped talking to him. This so disturbed him that when it was time for the paperback edition to appear he changed the descriptions.  

Depending on your genre, that may work for you as well. One technique many writers use is to disguise characters drawn from real life--only a lot more fully that Thomas Wolfe did his! Change the relationships between people. Switch genders around. Move ages up and down. And don't be shy about it. Descriptions can be completely switched so that tall becomes small, and a blonde Caucasian becomes a person of color.

Alternatively, you can build composites from the people around you, whether you are fictionalizing a story or, in some instances, writing fact-based articles of the sort that such magazines as "Ladies Shelter” employed years ago--as long as you acknowledge the technique to your readers. That last point is critically important, by the way. Anytime you are writing non-fiction, make sure you let the reader know just what the ground rules are.

Composites can be fun to write, too. If you are writing about Survivalists or people with phobias, merge them. Perhaps one of the Survivalists has seen a therapist because she turned to her lifestyle out of fear for the future. Perhaps another interviewee suffers from claustrophobia. Combine them and mix them up so that the characteristics of the one are now the traits of the other.

In one sense, of course, any character you create--even out of whole cloth, as it were--is going to be a composite of the real people you know or have encountered in real life. As writers, we draw our material from the people around us.

The trick, as Thomas Wolfe may have learned too late, might be to disguise them a lot better than he did.

 

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Should You Write A Prologue?

There has been a long-running debate when it comes to including a prologue in a novel. Many writers, editors and publishers claim to be dead against it. Others argue that a prologue can be a useful device to set up the story and introduce readers to the book.

The truth is that there may be no right or wrong answer, and it all depends on how well you write your prologue and what the point of it is that should make your decision for you. Let’s look at how a prologue is used, the positive’s and negatives for including one, and whether it is right for your story.

What is a Prologue?

A prologue comes before the first chapter of your book and could be absolutely anything - a short passage, an extract from a letter, a snippet from your protagonist's life years before the events of the story take place or years after. It’s really up to you. However, your prologue must have some purpose. The idea is that once your readers read your prologue, they are excited and intrigued to see how this little extract fits into the rest of the plot.

Prologue don’ts

Don’t overload with information.

The prologue isn’t a place where you get to simply dump a load of information on your reader. That’s no way to introduce them to your story. If you are desperately trying to give your reader lots of weird and wonderful facts about the world you have created, about your characters history and so on, their eyes will just glaze over - and that’s before they’ve even got to chapter one!

Don’t make it skippable.

Your prologue is going to be the first thing that your readers read when they open your book. It, therefore, better well make an impact on them! Your writing should be fresh and exciting, the details should excite and interest them, and it shouldn’t be so long or so dull that the simply skip over it to get to the ‘actual’ start of your book.

Don’t make it irrelevant.

When you have finished your book, re-read your prologue Is it necessary? Does it add to the story? Does it fit into your book? It might be a case of ‘killing your darlings’ but if your prologue isn’t bringing anything to the story, just get rid of it.

Don’t make it too long.

A prologue isn’t supposed to be a massive long introduction to your book. In fact, it should be significantly short than most of the chapters in your book. If yours isn’t, it might be time to take another look at it and consider how you can restructure your prologue to ensure you keep it short and sweet.

So when is it useful to use a prologue?

A prologue can be helpful as a way of introducing some material, a significant event or scene that is out of time with the rest of the story. They should help readers understand the plot or perhaps a relationship between two characters, or something about the world they live in, but that doesn’t take place during the story or isn’t central to the main plot.

At the end of the day, if you do decide to use a prologue then all you need to remember is that it must make an impact. Whether you are sending your novel to publishers and agents or you are self-publishing, the first words your readers read must be compelling and impressive - however you decide to start your book.

Bethany Cadman -author of 'Doctor Vanilla's Sunflowers'

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The Simplest Blog Writing Formula

We all know that writing an author blog has many benefits.

Even if we aren’t writing a blog to sell more books and gather more fans, it can still be helpful to know how to ensure you write interesting, impactful blogs every time - without making them so time-consuming and draining that they take away from your other writing projects.

So how can you write blog posts regularly, professionally and quickly?

Here're some simple yet useful tips that you can use to create an effective blog writing formula that means you consistently produce fantastic blogs:

Create a topic list

Make sure that you keep an up to date list of topics you could write about. Start by brainstorming your ideas, look to other successful blogs and articles for inspiration and set aside time to keep updating your list of topics every week or so, so you never run out of ideas.

Do your research

Well researched blog posts are often much better received. Make sure you take time to read around your topic and ensure that any points you make that should be backed up by evidence, can be.

Make an outline

Outline your main blog post points before you begin to write. Once you’ve got a basic structure in place, you’ll find the words flow much more easily.

Decide on your tone

Your blog should have a consistent tone - decide early on what you are going for - do you want your reader to be informed, amused, entertained, or perhaps all three?

Ask questions

Always consider your reader when writing a blog post. Ask yourself questions that they might ask, think about their needs and make sure your content supplies them with the answers and information they are looking for.

End with a call to action

Each blog post should have a purpose and make sure that you make that clear. Perhaps you want them to sign up to your newsletter? To click through to your book? To write a comment or review? Make sure that you make it clear and easy for your readers to understand what you want so they can do it for you.

Edit and optimise

Make sure you spend some time editing and correcting your blog to make it as perfect as possible. Learning the basics of search engine optimisation will also help get your blog post noticed.

Make it visually interesting

Remember a massive wall of text will be hard for your readers to digest. Break it up with headings, pictures, infographics - anything you can think of to make sure it looks like an exciting and intriguing piece to read.

Remember, the more you write, the better you get!

Writing blog posts may seem challenging at first, but the more you practice, the easier this process will become. Soon you’ll have developed your particular style, have your areas of interest and will be able to write your blogs post faster and easier, while still making sure you deliver great content each and every time.

Bethany Cadman -author of 'Doctor Vanilla's Sunflowers'

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THE RETURN

Claire wandered through a fog-laden forest lured by an irresistible urge. Not knowing what drew her here, she peered through the denseness. Tree limbs cracked breaking the October stillness.

Her breath quickened. “Who’s there?”

No answer.

Someone shadowed her. Claire darted back the way she came but stumbled over a rock.

Suddenly, she slammed head-long into an invisible wall hitting the ground hard.

“Ain’t nowhere to run, girly.” He came closer, leering at her. “Someone is looking for you.”

She scooted away screaming at the top of her voice, “Get away from me!”

“Jaxom!” Powerful words came from the mist. “Quit scaring her.” Another man materialized.

“Lorcan.” The old man bowed his head.

“Go now,” Lorcan commanded. He turned toward Claire. “Don’t be afraid.”

“Leave me alone.” Her voice shook.

He held out his hand. “Let me help you.”

She tried to flee, but couldn’t.

“Be calmed, Claire. I must tell you something. Come with me.”

“No.” She yelled. “H-how do you know my name?”

He sat down near her and shook his head. “You are eighteen and don’t know who you are.”

She saw him clearly. His stark black hair and alabaster skin were much like hers. A familiarity? An attraction?

“Who are you?”

He inhaled. “We are the same, you and I. Do you remember anything?”

“I grew up in an orphanage, without a family. But—”

“—why are you here?”

“Yes.”

“Our ancestors settled this planet centuries ago. You are Adorrian, Claire. The last one remaining here.”

Her voice quivered. “You can’t be serious. You’re talking about aliens?”

He nodded. “You, me, even the old man. And I’ve come to take you home.”

“Is this is a Halloween prank?” Her eyes searched the forest.

“No, it isn’t. You must return to Adorra.” His fingers grazed her arm.

His touch caused a shiver and she pulled away. “I don’t believe you.”

“I culled you, brought you to me. Your Adorrian blood grows weak. Can’t you feel it? This planet can no longer sustain our kind. You won’t survive.” He stared at her. “You will die.”

Claire drew in a frayed breath. “Why don’t I know this?”

“You do. You have to unlock the veiled memories.”

She gazed into his indigo eyes and the truth of his words flooded her mind. Her breath held.

Lorcan rose and strode into a swirling mist. “Decide for yourself, Claire.” His words traced across her mind.

Emptiness filled her. “Wait. It is true, isn’t it?” She chased after him.

“Yes, Claire.” He opened his arms, drawing her against him. A vaporous cloud enveloped them, pulling them upward into a whirling light.

The next instant they stood on the bridge of a starship. The old man sat at the helm.

“Jaxom, lay in a course for Adorra.”

Lorcan held her while her memories stirred. She finally knew. Claire lingered in his arms as they returned to Adorra, their home.

END

© copyright Kaye Manro 2017

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