Rachel Carrington's Blog, page 43

Make Your Action Scenes Work by Tightening the Steps

Make the action work by tightening the steps.

This is part three of my series on Character Actions and What Your Readers Really Need to Know.

You can read Part One here.

Part Two here.

Part Three here.

As I mentioned in the previous installments, knowing when to stop the action or delete it altogether can be a hard choice. I use an acronym called D.I.M.E. which breaks down to:

Does the action add to the scene?

Is the action filler?

Make it (the action) work by tightening the steps. (COVERED IN THIS SECTION)

Eliminate it if it’s not absolutely necessary.

Suppose it’s important that your readers know Janice is not a morning person and she needs her coffee before she can start her day. This information can be provided to the reader using what I like to call “muscular verbs”. These are not your ordinary “saw”, “went”, “walked”, types of verbs.  Read the following example:

The smell of coffee juiced her blood. Janice poured herself out of the bed, avoiding the mirror. The rat’s nest on her head screamed for a comb, but she pushed the pause button until she guzzled the first sip of liquid energy.

Every scene can be tightened, every verb made a little stronger, and that’s what removes the extraneous information which only serves to stall your plot and bore your readers.

This was a lesson I had to learn the hard way when I began writing over twenty years ago. I felt it necessary to depict every single action of my characters. Otherwise, how would my readers know how my heroine got from the couch to the kitchen? If I didn’t tell them what she wore down to the colors of her shoelaces, they wouldn’t be able to paint the appropriate picture in their mind.

Informative action has its place, but it can be slipped in casually without taking center stage. A brief paragraph from one of my own novels gives an example.

Her mind had translated her interview with John Ramsey into vivid recreations of his crimes, leaving an icy residue on her skin. “Okay. Shake it off, Kate.” She got to her feet and checked the time. Six a.m. Just as she planned. Coffee, yoga, then time to go toe to toe with Brad Jericho.

Though I provided the heroine’s schedule, I did so with only one line of actual action. She got to her feet and checked the time. The rest I provided with descriptions, thoughts, and the general gist of her actions, i.e., coffee, yoga. Without showing my heroine’s travels into the kitchen or yoga poses, I still let the reader know she had a need for coffee, took care of her body, and intended to face down someone who stood in her way. So whatever action you feel needs to be included, make it as tight as possible.

 

What a Reader Really Needs to Know-Part Three

Now, we pick up with part three of A Call to Action. Remember the acronym I talked about in Section Two? D.I.M.E. You can review it here:

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Is the action filler?

It’s not always easy to tell when action is filler, especially when you’re the writer. All authors hit road blocks at times. You get a character to a certain spot and then you’re struggling to figure out how to get them to the next place they’re supposed to be. During that struggle, it’s easy to get into the habit of using filler sentences. These are what I call point moves which is basically shuffling the characters from point a to point b instead of using the action purposefully.

Referring back to Janice from part two which you can read here, all the actions were step by step simply showing the readers the character had arisen from bed and was starting her day. When you write, though, it’s important to think how much of the information you’re providing is absolutely necessary. In each scene, you should be asking yourself the following questions:

Do my characters really need to be doing this?

Is there a better way to showcase the action?

What do I absolutely have to show that’s important to the storyline?

Start the scene where the real action starts and keep the minutiae to a minimum. Focus on showing the story and allow the reader’s imagination to create every scene.

In the next part, we’ll cover the “M” in D.I.M.E. which is Make the Action Work by Tightening the Steps.

What a Reader Really Needs to Know-Part Two

Continuing the series of A Call to Action-What a Reader Really Needs to Know. Read Part One here.

So how do you know when to stop the action or delete it altogether? With practice and a little help from an acronym called D.I.M.E. which breaks down to:

Does the action add to the scene?

Is the action filler?

Make it (the action) work by tightening the steps.

Eliminate it if it’s not absolutely necessary.

Does the action add to the scene?

In an early morning scene, does the reader really need to know that Janice walked into the bathroom, brushed her teeth, combed her hair, put on her robe, and then went to put on a pot of coffee? How much of those actions really add to the storyline?

While it’s important for readers to know another day has begun to keep the pace of the timeline, so many steps are cumbersome and serve no purpose other than to inflate the word count.  The scene should begin with action that really moves the story along rather than taking the reader on a tour of the character’s daily routine.

Take, for instance, a minor character that is needed to move a scene, interact with the other characters, or fill in where needed. It’s important to utilize that character only for the means intended. Unless that character is going to be a major player, his or her scenes should be limited in scope and kept to what is needed to further the plot.

Harlequin Intrigue author Debra Webb does a wonderful job using her minor characters in her book, Broken. One part of the storyline calls for a dentist to compare two sets of dental records. The dentist was named, but his actions were kept limited, and readers learned nothing about him nor did they need to. He was there for one purpose—to move the storyline along.

In likewise fashion, New York Times Bestselling Author, Lisa Gardner provides her characters with just enough action to keep the reader invested but not so much that one is left wondering why the information was included.  She uses short, choppy bits of action like in the following example from her book, Gone.

She tried to move her hands again. Tried to move her feet. And then all at once, she went a little nuts.

One paragraph. Short and sweet. Yet it says a lot without giving a reader detailed movements. That’s all the action that is needed to keep the story flowing.

In Part Three, we’ll cover the “i” in D.I.M.E., Is the action filler?

A Call to Action-What a reader really needs to know

Part 1

 

Sally went to the store. She bought a gallon of milk. She returned home to find her front door standing open and all of her belongings scattered across the living room floor.

The above paragraph depicts a fictional scenario from an unwritten book; however, it’s a scene that we’ve all seen at one time or another. Where does the real action begin? When Sally discovers her home has been vandalized. Do the readers really need to know where Sally had gone and what she had bought? Does it help to set the scene in any way?

Unless the milk is going to play a large part in the scene, the answer is no. Any action not pertinent to the storyline should be discarded as too much unimportant action is boring and will have your readers closing the book or hitting the home button on their e-reader.

Knowing when you’re providing too much information can be tricky, especially when your characters are moving about the room. The last thing you want to do is give your readers a line by line diagram of every movement. Some parts of fiction can and should be left to the imagination.

In the next installment of this series, I’ll tell you about an acronym that helps me keep the scenes as strong as possible without overloading the characters with actions.

Focus Your Submissions

You’ve written one novel, and you’d like to get it out to as many places as possible. So you tediously make a list of your top sixteen publishing houses. Unfortunately, you receive sixteen rejections in the space of two weeks.  Some of those rejections have given you feedback on how to improve your novel, but they didn’t invite a resubmission. So if you’ve already exhausted your list, where do you send your novel once you’ve improved upon it? And should you resubmit to those publishing houses without invitation?

You can always send an e-mail to the editor who rejected your manuscript, asking if you can resubmit once you’ve polished it, but if you have several houses giving you several different ways to change your manuscript, you need to review the notes, decide which ones you agree with the most, and resubmit only to those houses if you’re allowed.(Side note: If you don’t agree with the changes, don’t make them just on the off-chance you might receive an acceptance. You need to be true to yourself and your voice.)

Because there are so many possible scenarios that can happen when you’re submitting a manuscript, it’s best to query only one to three publishers or agents. (Another side note: If you intend to submit to an agent, it’s generally best to not submit to publishers as agents like fresh material they can pitch to editors/publishing houses.) This is not to say don’t be aggressive about sending out your work. Just leave some doors open so you’re not out of options when you’ve refined your novel.

If you approach three publishers/agents and receive rejections without notes, proceed to the next three publishers/agents on your list. If you’re wondering what you can do while you’re waiting to hear back from the publishers/agents, work on your next novel or try writing a short story. Write an article and submit it. Read some books on writing and the genre you’re interested in.

And the final side note, if you can, try to keep at least two or three manuscripts or submissions (including articles or short stories) in the pipeline. This will give you a sense of purpose and help to keep you motivated.

 

An Interview with my beta reader—Denise Vance Fluhr

Denise Vance Fluhr, beta reader for Rachel Carrington, Stephanie Rowe, and Lisa Kessler. Mom to 4 kids and a CPA during January through April. Any authors interested in another beta reader, please contact me through my FaceBook account (https://www.facebook.com/dee.fluhr) or Goodreads (http://www.goodreads.com/user/show/70...).

1. Why do you feel a beta reader is important for every author?

Every author needs some sort of beta reader, husband, sibling, friend or other. When authors used publishing houses as the only way of having their stories put in print, they had editors proof their story. Now with so many authors self-publishing, there is no editor. I have read quite a few ebooks books that obviously no one went back behind the author and read for spelling/grammar and continuity. I know that when anyone writes a story and then tries to reread what they wrote, their mind inserts words and phrases missed and/or fixes any spelling errors. I feel that an author needs more than one beta reader if possible. Everyone will pick up something different.

2. How did you first get started beta reading?

About one year ago, Stephanie Rowe asked for a couple beta readers on her FaceBook wall. I emailed her and asked what a beta reader was and what it entailed. She sent me her pre-teen fantasy book, Penelope Moonswoggle, The Girl Who Could Not Ride a Dragon and I was hooked! There was one author that I did a review read for but ended up beta reading the story. I told my husband that she would probably NEVER ask me to read another story of hers, but fortunately, I have been able to read quite a few of her stories.

3. Since beta readers don’t get paid, what motivates you to continue? Is acknowledgement enough?

Honestly, the reason I started was that my husband said that I bought too many books and that I needed an e-reader. I was able to read books as a beta reader and not have to buy them (but don’t tell my husband, I buy them any way). There is NOTHING like seeing your name in print! Sometimes you are just one in a list, but then there are those times that you get a whole paragraph just for yourself in the acknowledgements.

4. What do you consider important qualifications for every beta reader?

To be a good beta reader you need to try and help the author have the best possible story. It is also important to not take over the author’s story. You might have suggestions, but it’s NOT your story. You are just there to edit the story.

5. What is the one more important task every beta reader must do when reading an author’s manuscript?

Read the story through more than one time. I read first on my tablet. I am impatient and want to know how the story goes. (Plus I read over 800 words a minute and I don’t pick up little things reading that fast). I give some time, think about the story line and then go back over the story on my laptop. Reading in different font types (tablet versus computer) helps me pick up some of the spelling errors. Once you already know how the story ends, you can truly read it. Watching for continuity is really important too if there are multiple books in a series.

6. How important is objectivity? Do you think becoming friends with the authors you beta read for is a bad idea?

Objectivity is important; you have to want to help the author. I’ll say this again, because I think that it is so important; IT IS NOT YOUR STORY. You can make suggestions, but not take over the book. My edits are color coded. Red for obvious spelling, grammar, and continuity. Green for a suggestion to how a sentence or paragraph might sound better. Purple are my thoughts and comments.

I have found that the author does like to know how their reader feels at different parts of the book. Being friends with the author… I hope that I can consider each of my authors friends. I want them to have the best product that they can have. Some people can’t tell the author that something doesn’t work if they are friends and are worried about hurting their feelings. I think, too, that the author needs to decide how they want to treat their beta readers. Each of my authors have my cell phone number just in case they need to talk through a chapter, to just bounce thoughts off, or if they have questions about my notes.

7. If an author is looking for a beta reader, how would you suggest they start the search?

Ask your friends/family to read over your story. Ask another author if they have any good beta readers that they might recommend to you. You could post a request on your FaceBook or Twitter wall.

And to wish everyone a Merry Christmas…

One of my favorite videos….

Social Boom—A Must Read Book

Social Boom!: How to Master Business Social Media to Brand Yourself, Sell Yourself, Sell Your Product, Dominate Your Industry Market, Save Your Butt, Rake in the Cash, and Grind Your Competition Into the Dirt by Jeffrey Gitomer

My rating: 5 of 5 stars

If you’re looking for a way to use social media to your advantage, then read this book. If you want to know the wrong way to use social media, read this book. Jeffrey Gitomer pulls no punches, but he does so in a way that makes you smack yourself in the head and say “why didn’t I think of that?”. A lot of great information is packed into 192 pages, and it’s worth a second and even third read.

View all my reviews

Write or Die—For Writer’s Block

Have you heard of the program, Write or Die? You can find it here. This program costs a moderate $10 and was created to help authors with writer’s block as well as help to motivate authors to write. You can set the amount of time for which you want to write and the punishment which include everything from gentle reminders to the erasure of your text if you stop writing. Would that motivate you or induce a panic attack? The settings are up to you, though, and as someone who has used it, I can tell you it does prod you into keeping up with the momentum. Check it out for yourself.

 

Interview with Award-Winning Cover Artist, Elaina Lee

We all know how important cover art is to a book. With that in mind, I talked with Elaina Lee of For the Muse Designs to get some insight on the cover art process and what a cover is expected to do for an author’s book.(I’ve also added several of Elaina’s book covers for your viewing pleasure, and she has several more pre-made covers available for sale in case you’re looking!)

1. As a cover artist, what do you think the most important aspects of a cover are? That the cover is visually appealing.  Like a movie, a book cover should stop a person in their tracks, make them go “Hmmm” and reach of it.  Or in our case, click on it.  *grin*

2. What is a cover expected to do for an author’s book? A cover is an author’s biggest tool in marketing.  It’s the visual aspect of your book, what represents the words within.  It should help sell your book, get readers intrigued. 

3. Do you ever use the same cover twice, or are your covers created specifically for that particular book? No. A cover should be unique to each book.  I’ve seen where covers have been recycled, either by a press or by an artist and I’ve seen how hurtful it is to an author.  Artist are limited to what stock images are available and we’ll all see images we recognize on other covers.  But the cover should never be the same.  Your cover is YOURS and that’s how it should be.

4. Do you think a bad cover can hinder book sales as much as bad writing? I would love to say yes to this, but the truth is I’ve seen some pretty bad covers in the top 25 bestsellers on Amazon.  I think it comes down to how you want your work to be represented.  If you’re proud of what you do then you should do your work the honor and justice of not only having it professionally edited, but fitted with a cover it deserves. 

 

 

5. How would you suggest a new author who is looking to self publish find a good, reliable cover artist? Talk to other published authors.  Find out who they love and then go and see for yourself.  But first (and this is important) write down a price point and STICK TO IT.  This will help you find an artist as well and who you can afford to work with.  There really is an artist out there for every budget.  And be sure to communicate with the artist on their prices, as some charge more when you require changes and this can affect your budget. 

6. What are the most important qualifications a cover artist must have besides talent? Knowing how to properly edit a photo.  I’ve seen covers where the images are literally copy and pasted without any blending.  Like someone chopped them up with scissors and then glued them to another image, just awful.  And patience.  *grin* 

7. What would you say to an author who chooses to use a plain title in order to save money? How would you justify the expense?  Well again it comes down to how you want your title to be represented.  If every time you look at your cover you start to hate it more and more, then was it worth the money saved?  Eventually you’ll spend the money on the cover you really want with the artist you’ve been dying to design for you.  So if you find an artist you know will give the cover of your dreams, save for him or her.  You’ll be happy you did.  :-)

Elaina Lee lives in Alabama with her husband and their two boys, ages three and fifteen. Elaina began writing at a young age, when a teacher brought to her attention books didn’t write themselves.  In 2010 her debut novel titled Written in Blood won the Golden Rose Award for Best Romantic Suspense. Her other titles include, First Kiss, To Urn Her Love, A Very Southern Affair and her latest release, A Promise for Her Love.

Along with being an author, Elaina is also an award winning cover artist.   She was given the remarkable opportunity to design professionally in the industry two years ago.

www.elainalee.com
www.forthemusedesign.com
elaina-lee.blogspot.com