Jae's Blog, page 51
August 22, 2011
The serial comma
Lately, I'm doing a lot of beta reading and I often find myself having to explain terms that I use without thinking. I might tell a writer, "Don't reveal her backstory in one big infodump" or "This needs to be foreshadowed earlier in the story" or "Avoid head hopping."
It seems writing has its own jargon. And when you add all the grammatical terms, things might get confusing for a new writer.
Have you ever heard of the serial comma, for example? If it sounds like something out of a murder mystery to you, please read on.
The serial comma, also called the "Oxford comma," is the comma before the conjunction ("and" or "or") in a list of three or more items. Those items can be words, phrases, or clauses.
Examples:
She bought apples, pears, and bananas.
She grabbed the raised fist, turned the man's arm behind his back, and cuffed him.
Anne made breakfast, John set the table, and Bill made coffee.
Most publishers in the US, following The Chicago Manual of Style, prefer to use the serial comma, while it is less common in British English.
Personally, I prefer to use the serial comma because it can help to prevent ambiguity. For example:
She thanked her parents, Tom and Jerry.
She thanked her parents, Tom, and Jerry.
Written without the serial comma, she is thanking two people—her parents whose names are Tom and Jerry. With the serial comma, she is thanking four people. So unless her parents' names are really Tom and Jerry, the serial comma should be used.
I'll explain more of the writer gobbledygook in future posts.
Filed under: writing tips Tagged: serial comma, writer jargon, writing terms
August 3, 2011
Goodreads
I confess that I never really got into the Facebook thing. But now I have discovered Goodreads, and I really like it, so I thought I would blog about it.
Goodreads is a social-networking site for readers all over the world. Currently, it has more than 5.4 million registered users.
As a reader, you can keep track of the books you have read, are reading, and want to read in the future. You can post reviews and rate books (Goodreads uses the five-star rating system).
Like on Facebook, you can "friend" other members or you can become a fan of Goodreads authors.
You can join discussion groups, start a book club, or find new reading material by browsing the bookshelves of people with similar reading tastes or by following their reviews.
Goodreads also has an author program. Authors can set up profiles with their author's bio and a list of their books. It's really easy to do. You can link your blog feed directly to your Goodreads page so that your readers can always read your latest blog post directly from the Goodreads site.
And if you are a statistics geek like me, you can take a look at some interesting stats.
You can also publicize upcoming events, share book excerpts, and do book giveaways. The possibilities are endless.
Is anyone else using Goodreads?
Filed under: Reading, Uncategorized Tagged: Goodreads
July 29, 2011
new review and new mug
When I talked about my novels with Andy and The Rev on their podcast, they generously offered to send me a "Cocktail Hour" mug. And it arrived at just the right time, because I had smashed my favorite writing mug into a thousand little pieces just a few days before (accidentally; I'm not prone to temper tantrums *g*).
I also wanted to direct your attention toward a website called "Bosom Friends," which lists and reviews historical fiction with lesbian characters and themes. Nan Hawthorne recently reviewed Backwards to Oregon.
If you like historical fiction, check out the site.
Filed under: Backwards to Oregon, Reviews
July 25, 2011
photos of Langeoog
I just returned from my vacation on Langeoog, an island in the North Sea (Langeoog means "long island"). Yes, Germany has islands. 
The landscape is truly beautiful. Often times, I just wanted to sit down in one of those beautiful spots and write for hours.
Since I shared photos of southern Germany before, I thought I would post a slideshow of Langeoog so that you can see for yourself how different northern Germany and the East Frisian Islands look:
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Filed under: Uncategorized
July 16, 2011
International Day of FemSlash
The online community is celebrating the 4th International Day of Femslash today.
For those of you who have never heard of it: Femslash is fanfiction featuring relationships between two women (who, most often, are straight in the canon universe of the tv show/movie).
This weekend, the FemSlash Con is taking place, an online convention that discusses various fandoms, pairings, and writing-related topics. Watch the promo on youtube
I'll participate in the publishing panel, which starts tomorrow (Sunday, July 17) at 4 p.m. (Eastern US).
Last year was the first con, but I missed that one, so I'm curious to see how many people will participate and what kind of discussions we'll have.
Take a look and come join us.
Filed under: lesbian fiction, News Tagged: femslash, femslash con
July 10, 2011
Cocktail Hour
I've been a guest on the Cocktail Hour last night (well, evening for me, but early afternoon for Andy & The Rev).
In their fun podcast, they discuss lesbian fiction and fanfiction. Sometimes, they have the author of the book they discuss on the show. And they always have a cocktail (or two, or three ). This show's cocktail was the Sweet Tight Pussy– okay, this blog is now rated NC-17 because of a cocktail
My own cocktail was much more tame in alcohol content and name. It's called "Police Control" (pineapple juice, cream, coconut syrup, grenadine, and chocolate sauce).
We talked about Hidden Truths, my other novels, and future projects.
Check it out. And while you're at it, you might also want to listen to a few of their other episodes. They already discussed a few of my old favorites.
And if you send them an e-mail and answer a question or two correctly, you have a chance of winning a free signed copy of one of my books. You can find the questions here
Filed under: Backwards to Oregon, Hidden Truths, L-Book, Next of Kin, Reviews, Second Nature, True Nature
June 29, 2011
It's a writer thing
Hello, my name is Jae and I'm an addict.
Okay, my name isn't really Jae (you did know that it's a pseudonym, right?). But I really do have a strange obsession with office supplies.
For a long time, I thought I was the only one who browses office supply stores with the same enthusiasm with which other women browse shoe stores. But once I started talking to other writers, I found out that it's quite a common addiction among writers.
As a writer, can you really ever have enough notebooks, pens, folders, binders, post-it notes, highlighters, notepads, pencils, staplers, paper clips, and index cards? And, of course, you need them in all the available colors and sizes.
Some writers have particular fetishes — some are obsessed with folders and binders. Others collect pens. I'm a notebook junkie. I have a notebook for everything – one for character names, one for research notes, one for story ideas, one for the books I read… and at least a dozen new ones still waiting to be filled with information and ideas.
This is what my living room floor looked like once I piled them all up in one place:
I take a notebook with me wherever I go, preferably a small one with an elastic band to hold the notebook closed.
Some of the notebooks I have at home are almost too beautiful to use, including the Paperblanks with a magnetic flap.
I'm always on the hunt for good pens too. I know some writers are particular about the kind or color of pen they use. Personally, I prefer black pens.
Thank God notebooks and pens are a cheaper obsession than shoes!
What about you? Do you have a slight obsession with office supplies too?
Filed under: Uncategorized Tagged: office supplies, writers
June 23, 2011
Body angling
I had a very nice e-mail this week, asking me to resume my blogging about body language. So here's a bit more about proxemics.
It's not just interpersonal distance that shows how comfortable you are with another person. The angle or orientation of your body is also very telling. Usually, we "point" our upper body at the people we like or agree with and angle away from the people we dislike or disagree with — giving them the "cold shoulder."
If someone turns just his or her head to look at someone, but the body is angled away, it can indicate that the person doesn't like the other person or what she has to say.
And as always, remember that body language can only be interpreted in clusters and in context. In the picture above, the locked ankles, crossed arms, and lack of eye contact of the woman on the right send the same message as the body angle: "Shut up already!"
Filed under: body language Tagged: body angle, body language
June 17, 2011
Revising True Nature
I'm in the middle of revising my work-in-progress, True Nature. And I don't mean changing a sentence here and a comma there. I'm talking about the gory, elbow-deep-in-plot-problems kind of revisions. At times, it's frustrating, but I'm also learning a lot, so I thought I would share what I've learned so far.
The old saying really is true: Writing is rewriting. If you think your first draft is a perfectly publishable book, think again. And again. And again…
If you have several beta readers or test readers, you'll get conflicting advice, e.g., "I thought the end was dragging" vs. "The ending was a bit quick." Sometimes it's just a matter of different personal preferences. But look more closely. They could both be right. Maybe the external plot should have been resolved more quickly, while the romantic subplot was wrapped up too fast.
Before you sent your characters out to slay a dragon, catch a killer, or jump into some other kind of danger, make sure the reader cares about them first. After all, you would be more worried about a friend in danger than about a perfect stranger, right?
If your book will be told from several different point of views, introduce them early. I wrote the first nine chapters all from the POV of Kelsey, my wolf shifter, while the second main character gets her first POV only in chapter 18. In hindsight, not a good choice.
A book shouldn't have too many characters. It's too confusing and makes each of them a bit less three-dimensional, since readers can't get to know all of them. See if you can combine the functions of two minor characters and make them into one character.
The book is over once the main story question is answered. The rest is wrap-up, not the place to introduce new characters or new problems. Try to wrap up all subplots before, during, or close to the climax of the main plot. True Nature's main plot revolves around finding a lost teenager in time to help him. Let's assume they find him in chapter 43. Spending ten more chapters on showing how one main character deals with family problems or how they save the life of main character II… well, it's nice, but not part of this book. Cut it or try to resolve these subplots earlier.
Don't introduce too many characters, character backstories, and other concepts at once. Give the information when the reader needs it.
If you are writing a very fast-paced book with non-stop action, give the reader some time to settle in before the rollercoaster starts.
Even in a fast-paced story, chapter beginnings need a transition. Readers need to know where we are, in whose POV we are, and how much time has passed since the last chapter. If you throw readers into a scene or chapter without giving any of that information, they'll get confused.
Last but definitely not least: If you are stuck, brainstorming with someone else can be great. Yes, writing is a solitary process, but that doesn't mean you have to figure out everything on your own. Thanks to my great team of beta readers and critique partners, who are keeping me sane.
So, is anyone else struggling with revisions right now?
Filed under: True Nature, writing tips Tagged: plot, revising, rewriting, writing
June 2, 2011
New reviews
Th
e new issue of Jaw About Write has been published yesterday. For those of you who aren't familiar with JAW, it's an e-zine that presents articles on writing and editing as well as reviews of lesbian fiction.
This month's issue has reviews of my novels Conflict of Interest and Next of Kin.
And I forgot to mention that Andy & The Rev from Cocktail Hour had a "Western episode," in which they discussed Cheyne Curry's Renegade and my Backwards to Oregon. Cocktail Hour is a podcast that does audio reviews and author interviews. They had some great guests. Check it out here.
Filed under: Reviews
