Angela Ackerman's Blog: Writers Helping Writers, page 168

Physical Attributes Entry: Ears

Funky Ear Hair picture:

courtesy of Wiki Commons

Physical description of a character can be difficult to convey—too much will slow the pace or feel 'list-like', while too little will not allow readers to form a clear mental image. If a reader cannot imagine what your character looks like, they may have trouble connecting with them on a personal level, or caring about their plight. 


One way to balance the showing and telling of physical description is to showcase a few details that really help 'tell the story' about who your character is and what they've been through up to this point. Think about what makes them different and interesting. Can a unique feature, clothing choice or way they carry themselves help to hint at their personality? Also, consider how they move their body. Using movement will naturally show a character's physical characteristics, keep the pace flowing and help to convey their emotions.









EARS




Descriptors: big, small, dangly, flopping, large-lobed, cauliflower (wrestler's) ear, frostbitten, pink or red, protruding, pierced, Vulcan or elfin, deaf, hairy



Things Ears Do (and other words/phrases to describe those actions)


Hear: listen, eavesdrop, harken, overhear, catch, pick up



Key Emotions and Related Ear Gestures: 


Ears can turn pink or red when someone is embarrassed or angry. They have the ability to become more sensitive to sounds when someone is afraid. People tend to play with their ears when they're nervous or restless by pulling, twisting, scratching, rubbing or bending them.


Simile and Metaphor Help:                         



I try flattening my ears, but it doesn't do any good. My head looks like a trophy cup.
He had foggy eyes and melted candle wax ears and scars that puckered his face.




Clichés to Avoid : Dumbo ears, someone who is "all ears", a talkative person "bending" someone's ear





HINT: When describing any part of the body, try to use cues that show the reader more than just a physical description. Make your descriptions do double duty. Example: 

   The cats wailed and howled and caterwauled, and all during the eerie duet they were moving closer to one another with their fangs bared and their ears laid back.

   Nose to nose, Socks found Old Taylor a terrifying sight with his torn ear and his fur standing out on his great black jowls. But Socks did not back down.    (Socks, by Beverly Cleary)






BONUS TIP: The Colors, Textures & Shapes Thesaurus in our sidebar might help you find a fresh take on some of the descriptors listed above! 

NANOWRIMO? I Don't Think So!

Well, we're staring down another week of NaNoWriMo, and another strange sighting of Angela. Like you, I've been exposed to some weird stuff this November, but I have to say, this really does take the cake.

This week's picture and letter comes from J.H. Bográn at The Tale Weaver Blog. He happened to spot Angela...I think it's better if you read about it in his own words. 



Angela still insists she's writing her Nano novel, by the way. I want to believe her, I do. But as each week passes, it grows more difficult to view her as anything but a NaNoWriMo fraud.

Please read on for more on this week's "Angela Sighting"... 





 Is it a Bug’s life?



 Well, here I am, thinking that dear old Angela has gotten bitten by a bug. Not the lovebug like the one from that Jonas Brother’s song, but one more in tune with us writers. You know, a writing bug.



 So, around mid October we hear she’s getting all ready to submerge for thirty days and embrace her itch. We stay away to give her enough room. We content with perusing her blog, knowing that Becca will take care of it.



 But then…or should I write, but then!

First we hear this funny report about how she’s dancing her way into the heart of a publisher, or agent, or whathaveyou. Personally, I dismissed as Angela doing her homework. Research is an important part of a writer’s life, right?



Then a second report comes in, that Angela’s is actively seeking to bring Elvis back! A good cause, I’m sure. Heck, I have more than one album from The King. Regardless of the cause, I wasn’t buying because I know the somewhat outer limits writers have gone in the name of research.



 Last week I learned Angela had modified her diet. She’s into eating brains now. Good for her. Brains are high on protein. The question arose again, but I held firm. I chose to believe Angela was doing NaNoWriMo instead of these so-called sightings. I chose to think those people who claimed to have seen Angela were flukes, weirdos, people who had confused Angela for somebody else. I dismissed them as quick as I dismiss the UFO sighting reports.



That changed this week. Something’s bugging me. I came across this picture:





Original by Ed Schipul @ Wikimedia Commons

I am still not sure what the deal is. It looks like a stage adaptation of Disney’s A Bug’s Life or maybe Starship Troopers. Are we to understand that Angela’s bug was in fact an acting bug and not a writing one?



Honestly, it’s hard to keep up with Angela these days. It feels like we´re playing “Where in the World is Carmen San Diego.” Except the frustrating part that she should be home, writing. So Becca, I’m counting on you to give Angela a little message for me: Bug off, Angela!



 So there you have it, folks. Is it official? Has Angela gone a little buggy? Or could there be some logical explanation for her sudden love for gold spandex? If you need more details on this latest encounter, you can usually find J. H. on Twitter or Facebook. And as always, I would love your thoughts on this, so please TAKE THE POLL...





Is this a case of beetle-brain, or simply that...

Increasing Your Book's Momentum, by Editor Laura Carlson

Happy Monday, people! I'm off to Disney with the fam. Because, you know, hosting 14 people for Thanksgiving at my place on Thursday AND celebrating my son's birthday on Friday just wasn't enough excitement for the week. I know, the timing isn't great, especially with all the CRAZY photographic evidence rumors circulating about Angela and what she's really up to this month. But never fear. I've got it covered. I brought in Laura Carlson to babysit everyone and give us a run-down on Momentum in our stories. Please give her a warm welcome and check out her blog, Between the Lines: Edits and Everything Else, where she's offering an awesome Holiday Giveaway: a FREE MANUSCRIPT CRITIQUE. Check out the details here.






Momentum: Getting Your Story up and Running  




Because many of you are currently writing or editing manuscripts, I wanted to discuss an aspect of your book that you may not be concentrating on: momentum. Perhaps you’ve had someone read your book and tell you it was a bit slow. Once you managed to get past the devastating blow to your pride, you told them that they just needed to keep reading; they’d get to it soon enough. Right?


Wrong.



We live in a world where we get upset if a webpage does not load within ten seconds. We have social networks to update our statuses instantly, and we can access our global village from any place in the world. We are not patient.



Perhaps a few decades ago this was different, but since the Internet, the world’s collective attention span has atrophied. Writers cannot expect their readers to patiently wait for their book to start. No, you must begin your story with a bang or chance losing reader interest.



So today I will discuss what momentum is, where it is important, what slows down and speeds up a book’s momentum, how to identify areas of fast and slow momentum, and ultimately, how you can fix these problems.



What is “Momentum”?

I define momentum as the aspects of your book that generate reader excitement. Throughout a story the momentum fluctuates, but the most momentum occurs in areas of high tension and exciting conflict. These are areas where readers cannot set aside the book—they must find out what happens.



Where in the Book is Momentum Important?

Technically, momentum is important everywhere in your story, but there are a few key places where momentum is absolutely vital.



Hands down the most important area is the very beginning of your book. Why? Readers often read the first few pages of a book before committing to it. And because huge booksellers like Amazon allow readers to preview the first few pages of a book for free, many times committing to a book is synonymous to buying it. The stakes are high; if you cannot pique your readers’ interest here, then you risk losing readers, and ultimately, money.



I cannot speak for agents and editors, but my guess is that they are usually also looking for books with strong beginnings. If the book does not begin with a bang, then they’ll pass. After all, they’re investing in you. They want to reduce their risk by making sure your product sells instantly. I cannot stress enough how important it is to hook readers in these pages.



Another area where momentum is important is the end of each chapter. This is so well known that we have a name for it: “cliffhangers.” Chapters mark convenient stopping points for the reader, but if you can end a chapter with a cliffhanger, chances are they won’t be able to put the book down.



What Increases and Decreases the Momentum? 

When editing your own book, it’s difficult to gauge where the momentum picks up and slows down. This is one of those pesky blind spots a great many writers have. However, below are some general rules that can help you discern where the momentum of your book is slow and where it is fast.



Things that Decrease Momentum: 





Courtesy of Wikimedia Commons

Thoughts

Long-winded monologues will scare off interested readers. Anywhere in your book where these occur you should seriously consider thinning them out. However, at the beginning of your book, these should occur in clusters of a few sentences at most. Anything more and the reader might fear that this is the tone of the book and quickly abandon it.



Description

Perhaps the most tempting and most lethal way to begin a story is to include a lot of description. It’s a quick kiss of death for books because most industry insiders consider lengthy descriptions to be a sign of an amateur writer.



It’s also a waste of your time because most readers are more impressed by plot twists and character development than they are your description of a pretty sunset. Every person has his or her own idea of what a beautiful sunset looks like. You’ll save face and a lot of time if you give readers only enough description for them to fill in with their own ideas.



Boring Scenes 

This is a hard reality to swallow. Most writers enjoy much of what they write, so they often believe that every scene is exciting in some way. Please take a step back and look closely at your beginning scenes. If you are introducing Ma and Pa’s little farm, and a warm conversation your main character has with them, this is boring. Readers thrive on conflict. Inserting conflict in place of cooperation will do wonders for your book’s momentum.



Things that Increase Momentum: 





Courtesy of Wikimedia Commons

Exciting Scenes 

In opposition to boring scenes, exciting scenes jumpstart a book’s momentum. Exciting scenes are not necessarily shootouts, but they do involve conflict and/or intrigue. These are especially great at the beginning of your book because they can conveniently introduce the book’s main conflict, and they pique reader interest.



Exciting scenes are also great fodder for cliffhangers for the same reason—they introduce conflict and intrigue. Readers are curious; if a scene ends uncertainly, or poses a question that requires an answer, the reader will want to read on. Some of the best books exploit this chapter after chapter. I’m sure you know the type of book I’m talking about; these are the books that require us to stay up late to finish. 




Dialogue

Where description can lose reader interest, dialogue often increases reader interest. This is because when there is dialogue, things are happening; events are unfolding. The character is sleuthing, asking questions, confronting the antagonist, discussing the problem, and deciding on solutions. When paired with conflict and exciting scenes, dialogue can be an incredibly powerful tool used to reel readers in. 




How to Identify where the Momentum is Slow 

Take a look at the length of your paragraphs. Are they thin, or full of information? It might surprise you, but usually smaller paragraphs indicate more momentum because events are unfolding so quickly the main character does not have time to stop and describe or think deeply about a problem.



How to fix Momentum?

Ideally, you want to begin your story at the moment there is one. Don’t wait fifty pages for your story to begin. Start immediately. This means that you’ll want to insert dialogue and exciting scenes as soon as possible. Save the lengthy explanations and description for later. Remember, readers like conflict and questions. Start here and they won’t be disappointed.



The Caveat 

While momentum is important, you must not completely remove thoughts and description. During exciting scenes, it’s important to include some details and some of the main character’s thoughts. After all, the latter is considered voice, and lots of readers like characters with voice. In addition, once an exciting scene is finished, readers want to know how the main character feels about the new developments in the story. Ideally you want a balance between thoughts, description, dialogue and action.



Conclusion

Momentum is vital to increasing readership and ultimately marketing your book. It is most important at the beginning of your manuscript and at the end of each chapter. Thoughts, description, and boring scenes can slow down a book’s momentum, while dialogue and exciting scenes can speed it up. You can identify areas of fast and slow momentum by looking at the paragraph length. But remember, while thoughts and description can slow down a book’s momentum, they are also necessary. If you can increase your book’s overall momentum, you’ll likely increase your readers’ excitement—and excitement is crucial in this industry.



Happy writing!

6-1/2 Things I Learned from NaNoWriMo

For many of you, NaNoWriMo is in full swing. Some of you are proud of your progress. Some of you would like to wipe out your hard drive to get rid of every shred of evidence. Despite being a huge fan, I haven't done NaNo, but I can imagine that around this point, roughly 2/3rds of the way through, fatigue has set in. And maybe disgust. And possibly hypertension and a small aneurism.







Never fear, NaNo'ers! I've invited the most excellent Donna Gephart to share some wisdom and do a little pom-pom shaking. Hopefully, reading about her NaNo success story will give you that second (or third, or fifteenth) wind that will catapult you into December and NaNo success!







In 2009, desperate to emerge from my slump and write my third book, I discovered NaNoWriMo and signed up.



Two days before the November 1st start, I brainstormed ideas for two hours. At one hour and fifty-nine minutes, I scribbled these words: Olivia Bean, Trivia Queen.



The day before NaNoWriMo, I realized Olivia Bean was a trivia nut and wanted to get on the TV quiz show Jeopardy!



Armed with trivia books and autobiographies of former Jeopardy! champs and lots of internet articles about Kids Week contestants, I plunged ahead. Each day in November, I struggled to figure out Olivia’s external and internal struggles and get them on the page in an exciting, coherent way.






To keep myself accountable, I blogged about the experience daily, including my word counts and a fun trivia question. (Nothing like public humiliation to keep you on track with your writing goals!) My first blog post is here. 




Despite a mid-month trip to California to attend our nephew’s bar mitzvah, I finished Olivia Bean, Trivia Queen in 29 days. My agent likes me to point out that revisions took months. They did.



Olivia sold in February of 2010 to Delacorte Press/Random House and went on to receive excellent reviews, including a starred Kirkus review. I was thrilled when Jeopardy! champ Ken Jennings told me his son loved the book, and Ken wrote a blurb for the back cover. I’ve even received fan mail from kids who were actually on Kids Week on Jeopardy!



All that from a novel I wrote in less than a month.



So, here are 6-1/2 things I learned about writing a novel in a month . . .



1. Hard work is good medicine. Not writing, false starts and "wasted" days made me feel crazy. Working hard every day on this novel made me feel decidedly less crazy.





2. Know when to say "No" but also when to say "Yes." Writing should be your priority over watching TV, diddling around on Facebook and organizing your Chia pet collection. But family, friends and your health trump writing.





3. Don't beat yourself up over unproductive days. Your brain might be doing important behind-the-scenes work. My "unproductive" days were often followed by fat page counts.





4. Don't forge ahead blindly. NaNoWriMo suggests you keep writing and not go back over what you've already written. Not me. I needed to go back down my writing trail sometimes to make sure I hadn't diverged from the path I'd created. The important thing to remember is don't linger too long on those back pages; forge ahead!





5. You can accomplish pretty lofty goals one day (page) at a time. What's your lofty goal?





6. A person can write a salable novel in a month. There is a list of writers who sold their NaNoWriMo novels, including Sara Gruen who wrote Water for Elephants, which landed on the New York Times Bestseller list. I was determined not just to write a novel in a month, but to make it to that list of writers who sold their NaNoWriMo novels.





6 1/2. Say thank you. NaNoWriMo came at the exact time I needed to sit down, shut up and write my next novel. What a valuable tool. I've sent them a donation. I also sent a donation to 826 Valencia because I love what they do to foster and encourage young writers.



So, don't give up! Keep at it! And if you do decide to step back and actually breathe this month, don't worry. There's always next November.



Donna Gephart is working on her next novel. It’s taken a little longer than a month to develop. Ahem, three years. But she’s almost done . . . and is tackling NaNoWriMo again this year, along with her 18-year-old son. If you’re serious about writing well and quickly, get a copy of Rochelle Melander’s Write-A-Thon: Write Your Book in 26 Days (and live to tell about it). It’s an excellent resource. To learn more about Donna’s books and presentations and view a funny singing hamster video, visit http://www.donnagephart.com.

Physical Attributes Thesaurus Entry: Arms

Before we get into today's entry, congrats go to Sandy Fry; Janel Gradowski & Jessica S. who have all won themselves and their friend a 250 word critique in our World Kindness Day Giveaway! Thanks everyone for entering and hurray for all the kindness you do for others!



And also, a reminder: for you NaNoWriMo'ers out there, Ange and I are giving away 10 digital copies ofThe Emotion Thesaurus: A Writer's Guide to Character Expression to participants and winners. More info can be found here, or just skip right to the entry form :).

And now, on to today's Physical Attributes Entry:




ARMS














Physical description of a character can be difficult to convey—too much will slow the pace or feel 'list-like', while too little will not allow readers to form a clear mental image. If a reader cannot imagine what your character looks like, they may have trouble connecting with them on a personal level, or caring about their plight. 


One way to balance the showing and telling of physical description is to showcase a few details that really help 'tell the story' about who your character is and what they've been through up to this point. Think about what makes them different and interesting. Can a unique feature, clothing choice or way they carry themselves help to hint at their personality? Also, consider how they move their body. Using movement will naturally show a character's physical characteristics, keep the pace flowing and help to convey their emotions.






Descriptors: skinny, plump, dimpled, ropy, wiry, sinewy, muscled, tanned, hairy, strong, weak, bony, loving, sweaty, too-long, farmer-tanned, flabby, tattooed, broken



Things Arms Do (and other words/phrases to describe those actions)


Carry: lift, heft, hoist, lug, shift, take, tote, move
Hug: embrace, squeeze, enfold, hold, clasp, cuddle, snuggle, clamp, clinch, clutch, grasp, grip, seize, snatch



Key Emotions and Related Arm Gestures: 


Excitement: flap, wave, pump, embrace, flail, gesticulate wildly
Anger: stiffen, harden, cross


Simile and Metaphor Help:                         



His arms hung too long, like they were made of silly putty that someone had stretched too far.
Yesterday's workout turned my arms to wood: they were hard and tight and no longer hinged in the middle.


Clichés to Avoid : gorilla arms, arms like tree trunks or branches, toothpick arms





HINT: When describing any part of the body, try to use cues that show the reader more than just a physical description. Make your descriptions do double duty. Example: Stephen's arms snaked around me and I tried not to stiffen. A hug should be a loving gesture, but with Stephen, it felt like two ropes tightening around me, binding me to him.






BONUS TIP: The Colors, Textures & Shapes Thesaurus in our sidebar might help you find a fresh take on some of the descriptors listed above! 

Physical Attributes Thesaurus Entry: Eyes

Courtesy of ismellsheep, WANA Commons

Physical description of a character can be difficult to convey—too much will slow the pace or feel 'list-like', while too little will not allow readers to form a clear mental image. If a reader cannot imagine what your character looks like, they may have trouble connecting with them on a personal level, or caring about their plight. 


One way to balance the showing and telling of physical description is to showcase a few details that really help 'tell the story' about who your character is and what they've been through up to this point. Think about what makes them different and interesting. Can a unique feature, clothing choice or way they carry themselves help to hint at their personality? Also, consider how they move their body. Using movement will naturally show a character's physical characteristics, keep the pace flowing and help to convey their emotions.







Eyes




Descriptors: shades of blue, brown, green, gray, and hazel; almond-shaped, round, big, piggish, squinty, narrowed, close-set, far apart, glassy, feverish, watery, pink-rimmed, bright, dull, dancing, sparkling, speckled, laughing, smoldering, vapid, empty, dead, blind, far-sighted, near-sighted, cloudy, milky, protuberant, deep-set, sunken, blackened, bloodshot, dazed, hard, cold, limpid, dry, scratchy, yellowed, jaundiced, sharp, intelligent, gentle, kind, monochromatic, lazy, icy



Things Eyes Do (and other words/phrases to describe those actions)


Look: see, watch, glance, gaze, glimpse, notice, observe, peek, stare, view, take in
Move: roll, shift, narrow, blink, bat, wink, close, open, widen, dilate, dart, follow
Cry: leak, tear up, fill, water, overflow, glisten, drip, pour



Key Emotions and Related Eye Gestures: 


Sadness: cry, grow dull, close, tear up, lose focus, grow distant
Anger: narrow, sharpen, grow cold, harden, increase in intensity, snap or spark, glower, stare, glare
Joy: brighten, sparkle, tear up, laugh
Fear: widen, dilate, squeeze shut, jump, dart, stare, stop blinking, dry out


Simile and Metaphor Help:                         



Without my glasses, I was as blind and vulnerable as a just-born squirrel.
I met his gaze and wished I hadn't. His ball-bearing eyes were small and black and inhuman. If he blinked, they'd drop out of their sockets and bounce across the floor, and the loss wouldn't deter him in the least.




Clichés to Avoid : bedroom eyes; eyes that pierce or look through you; eyes being the window to the soul; doe eyes; eyes as big as saucers; eyes that shoot daggers; sunken eyes that make one's head look like a skull; blind as a bat





HINT: When describing any part of the body, try to use cues that show the reader more than just a physical description. Make your descriptions do double duty. Example: Principal Miller was short and squat with too-long arms. Between classes, he slouched into the hallway and watched us with his bulging eyes, waiting for someone to screw up so he could pounce. "Frog" was the obvious nickname, but he wasn't nearly so smart. We called him Slug.




BONUS TIP: The Colors, Textures & Shapes Thesaurus in our sidebar might help you find a fresh take on some of the descriptors listed above! 

Angela, a NANO Fraud? Another Strange Sighting

Holy cow, people. I thought perhaps last week's photo of Angela frolicking with a sexy man was just some strange occurrence--you know, like how people say that somewhere in the world, we all have a twin? After all, Angela told me she was taking the month of November to write by candlelight in some clandestine Nanowrimo cave and would be off the grid.







However, Nicōle Olea, YA writer & YALITCHAT Membership Ambassador sent me this email yesterday:



Dear Becca,



It’s no wonder that this news has been buried, what with a highly important election going on, The Twilight Saga: Breaking Dawn II about to be released any day now, and Kourtney Kardashian’s apparent love for Spanx.



However, I’ve got some epic world changing news. Elvis lives!



Yes, the King, who has allegedly been swinging his hips for the big Guy upstairs for well over thirty years now, has been popping up all over the place right here on planet earth! I have it on a very good authority-­‐from a trustworthy news source that Elvis sang Love Me Tender to President Obama on the campaign trail.



What could be bigger proof that The King Lives than crooning to the President of the free world you ask? Our very own Angela was in his royal presence and she can attest that not only was he breathing he hadn’t aged at all. I’m thinking he must have gone all sparkly vampire and that whole dying thing was just a cover up. Though she won’t confirm nor deny this theory, how it could it possibly be wrong?





Original by Paul Smith @ Wikimedia Commons





I’m calling a Volturi cover up! 
What say you? 




Love & big sparkly vampires who wear sparkly jumpsuits,



Nicōle



Again, I'm at a loss, Musers. Why is Angela here in this photo when she's supposed to writing a Middle Grade novel? And Holy Mountain Dew, why is she dressed as an ELVIS IMPERSONATOR? If you want more detail about this first person sighting, you can find Nicōle on her Blog and Twitter.



Help me figure this out! Take the POLL...











Angela isn't a fraud, is she? Perhaps in addition to doing NANOWRIMO,

Physical Thesaurus Attributes Entry: Chins and Jaws

Just a reminder for you NaNoWriMo'ers out there, that Ange and I are giving away 10 digital copies of The Emotional Thesaurus: A Writer's Guide to Character Expression to participants and winners. More info can be found here, or just skip right to the entry form :).



And now, on to today's Physical Attributes Entry:





CHINS & JAWS








Physical description of a character can be difficult to convey—too much will slow the pace or feel 'list-like', while too little will not allow readers to form a clear mental image. If a reader cannot imagine what your character looks like, they may have trouble connecting with them on a personal level, or caring about their plight. 


One way to balance the showing and telling of physical description is to showcase a few details that really help 'tell the story' about who your character is and what they've been through up to this point. Think about what makes them different and interesting. Can a unique feature, clothing choice or way they carry themselves help to hint at their personality? Also, consider how they move their body. Using movement will naturally show a character's physical characteristics, keep the pace flowing and help to convey their emotions.





Descriptors:

Chins: double or triple, flabby, fleshy, undercut, recessed, pointy, sharp, cleft, dimpled, weak, strong, stubborn, stubbly, bearded, pimply, square, prominent

Jaws: clenched, wide, square, wired shut, clicking, creaking, sore, loose, jowly



Things Chins Do: jut, gesture, point, lift, lower, quiver, tremble



Things Jaws Do: drop open, clench, break, lock, slide back and forth, pop or crack,



Key Emotions and Related Gestures: 




Anger: grinding teeth that result in a clenched jaw and "hard" chin; muscles jumping near the chin or jawline, tendons standing out; a chin that looks stronger or more prominent due to jutting out
Fear: chattering teeth due to a quivering jaw; clenching the teeth in an effort to keep the jaw still; dropping the jaw so as to breathe in more oxygen in preparation for what's to come
Sadness: a chin that quivers or trembles; a chin that drops to the chest; covering or rubbing the chin in an effort to hold back tears or keep others from noticing


Simile and Metaphor Help:                         



Megan's eyes flashed and she snapped her teeth shut. Her ever-pointy chin came at me like a missile.
Melvin towered over me, waiting for me to get up. I stayed where I was, working my jaw back and forth to test the damage. It creaked like a rusty barn door but seemed to be working.



Clichés to Avoid : elfin chins; glass jaws; a weak chin as a sign of a weasely, skeevy character





HINT: When describing any part of the body, try to use cues that show the reader more than just a physical description. Make your descriptions do double duty. Example: Hank leaned back in his chair, hands laced lightly over his torso, considering me. I couldn't look at his eyes, too scared to see his decision there, so I stared at his chin—dimpled and pale as a baby's bottom. But with the tiniest jerk, his goons would turn me into a bloody smear. I looked at the floor instead.






BONUS TIP: The Colors, Textures & Shapes Thesaurus in our sidebar might help you find a fresh take on some of the descriptors listed above! 

FACT or FICTION: Is Angela REALLY Doing NaNoWriMo?

Something strange happened today and I'm turning to you guys for help.  As you all know, Angela told us all she would be taking November off from the blog to participate in NaNoWriMo. A month of writing, no distractions, she said. A secluded getaway, just her and the keyboard, she said.



And well, that's what I thought she was doing.





But then I got a disturbing email addressed to Angela. It was from Jessica Bell, a respected blogger, songwriter, singer, author of String Bridge and well known personality in our writing community.



Because I'm handling all things blogging right now, I opened it. The contents were...most unAngela-like. If Jessica were not such a stand up person, I might have dismissed the letter and picture enclosed as some kind of hoax. But, knowing her as I do...I am at a loss as to what to believe.



After some serious deliberation, I'm posting the email here in hopes someone might have answers.




~*~*~



Dear Angela,




So
I kinda followed you this morning. And I brought my camera. You weren't
going to your writing cabin in the woods to tap away at your NaNo
project at all, were you? I mean, you lied to me. How could you? I
thought we were in this together?





Original source ABC networ, DWTS






Unless...you are trying to fit in some quick research? Is your novel about extraterrestrial ballroom dancers, disguised as spunky blonds, that try to inhale human brain matter through aural orifices for experiments in cloning participants for Dancing with the Stars? If not, then I'm afraid I'm going to find it very hard to forgive you.




 Is that what your book is about? *Ahem* Wow. Don't you think that's a bit out there? What kind of audience are you targeting? And what are you doing wearing that dress? I mean, unless you're planning on sitting on some Easter eggs, I would have thought your taste would be less ... yellow. 




*Sigh*

Honestly, Angela, I'm disappointed. You'd better get in touch, stat. I need an explanation.



*Whispers* Oh, and um before you leave Mr Grease Lightnin' ... couldja score his um *cough* phone number *cough* for me?




 ~Jessica Bell


This must be a mistake. A misunderstanding. I mean, this couldn't REALLY be Angela, could it? She's supposed to be WRITING, glued to her computer, surviving off of Diet Dr. Pepper and leftover Halloween Candy. And dear god of Mountain Dew, wearing that dress? Please. The word isn't even in her vocabulary.




Okay. There MUST BE a logical reason for this picture that Jessica took. I'm interested in your thoughts, Musers, so please, TAKE THE POLL...

 
Angela would not lie to us, would she? I refuse to believe it! Therefore, in this picture, Angela...



Stay tuned, Musers. I will try and track her down. 



Becca, OUT.

Your Blog As A Promotion & Branding Tool

I am super excited to welcome Nina Amir, Inspiration to Creation Coach, who inspires people to combine their purpose and passion so they Achieve More Inspired Results. She motivates both writers and non-writers to create publishable and published products, careers as authors and to achieve their goals and fulfill their purpose.




Nina's new book
How
to Blog a Book, Write, Publish and Promote Your Work One Post at a Time is of special interest to Becca and I as we go about transforming some of the most popular blog thesauri here into books! 




Do you ever wonder if all that great content you write about each week can and should be converted into a book? If so, this is a very good resource to check out--Nina knows her stuff!









How a Blog Allows You to Promote as You Write

By
Nina Amir




Writers write. That’s what we do. That’s
what we are good at. And that’s why we balk at promoting ourselves and our
books.




We don’t do promotion. It’s not our job. It’s not what we are good at.




Here’s the rub. If we don’t promote
ourselves and our books we:




Don’t get book publishing contracts.
Don’t sell many self-published or traditionally published books.
Don’t get many freelance writing jobs.
Don’t make as much money.





That leaves you and me with a few options. If
we are stubborn, we can maintain our position: I don’t do promotion. I’m a
writer. Period.




Fine. Then ask yourself: Do I want to
become a successful writer? If so, define what success means to you.  If success means selling more than the
average 250-500 books per year or earning more than a four-figure income per
year from writing, you must change your attitude and embrace promotion.




Don’t fret! You can do so simply by writing.
You can promote yourself and your forthcoming or published book with a blog.

What
to Blog About




Yes, a blog involves a different type of
writing in addition to your other writing, but it’s writing! You simply need to
commit to writing a short blog post—250-500 words—a few times—2-5—a week. That’s
not so bad.




And there are so many things you can write
about. I came up with 20
things aspiring and published authors could blog about. Book marketing
expert John Kremer came up with 101.
Look at the topics you feel passionate about or your forthcoming and published
books and come up with a list of possible topics. Make a content plan for each
month, if that is easier for you.




Or pick a theme and stick to it. In the
process, you’ll become an authority.  You
can even do this on many topics. This will help you land more book contracts
and writing assignments—and added bonus of blogging.




The
Blog as an Author Website and Branding Tool




Still having trouble wrapping your busy writing
fingers around this concept? Consider this: Do you write morning pages? Keep a
journal? Spend time emailing friends? Blogs began as online journals. Take on
blogging as an author website where you can brand yourself by revealing the
many aspects of who you are as a writer. Connect with potential readers, let
them know more about your through your posts, and show off your awesome writing
talent for potential book, newspaper and magazine publishers. (And, of course,
feature your published works.)




Simply start your daily writing period with
30-45 minutes of blog writing. Compose a short post about whatever is on your mind
that day. You can even add in your own photos and videos easily created on your
iPhone or other android phone. Have fun with your blog. Make it a creative
statement. 





The
Blog as a Writing Machine




If this still seems like a superfluous
activity, then get down and dirty with your tactics. Use your blog as a way to
write a book. Indeed, blogging a book is the quickest and easiest way to write
your book and promote it at the same time. You’ll hardly know you are promoting
your work at all!




When you blog a book, you publish your
writing regularly and consistently on the internet as you create your first
draft. This allows you to garner a loyal following of readers—fans—for your
book as you write it. These fans then purchase the finished product. They also
help promote your blog and the book when it is published. Plus, if your blog
becomes popular, you might land a publishing deal in the process.




Here are the basic steps for blogging a
book:




Pick a topic. Choose a topic you are passionate about and can blog about for
a long time
Determine if your
book is viable. Your book idea should have a
large enough market and be unique among existing blogs and books.
Map out your book’s
content. Brainstorm all the content that could
be in included in your book and organize it a table of contents.
 Come up with a content plan. Determine what content that
will appear in the published book but not on the blog.
Break the contents down into posts-sized pieces (250-500 words). Each post should have a title. 
Write and publish posts on a schedule. Write
and publish 2-7 times per week for the first 6-12 months; then you can reduce
the number of times you post.
Create a manuscript. Write your posts in a word
processing program, and then copy and paste them into your blog.







Go ahead. Write. And blog. In the process, promote
yourself and your work by doing what you do best. 




The author of How
to Blog a Book, Write, Publish and Promote Your Work One Post at a Time , Nina has also self-published 10 short books. A sought after editor, proposal consultant, book and author coach, and blog-to-book coach, Nina’s clients’ books have sold upwards of 230,000 copies and landed deals with top publishers. 




She is the founder of Write Nonfiction in November and writes four blogs, including Write
Nonfiction NOW!, How to Blog a
Book, and As
the Spirit Moves Me. Sign up for a free author, book or blog-to-book coaching session with Nina or receive her 5-Day Published Author Training Series. You can find more about Nina at her website, or follow her on Twitter, Facebook.