Janice Hardy's Blog, page 102
July 10, 2018
6 Ways to Double Your Writing Speed
By Laurence MacNaughton, @LMacNaughton Part of the How They Do It Series (Contributing Author)
“How can I find the time to write?” said every aspiring author ever. But time is only half of the equation. The other half is speed. The faster you write, the faster you will finish your story or novel and get it published. Can you learn how to write twice as fast, without sacrificing quality? Yes. I'll show you how.
How I doubled my writing speed. Then doubled it again.
My first traditionally published novel, It Happened One Doomsday , took me more than a year and a half to write. When the publisher asked me to deliver the second book within a year, I knew I was in trouble. They couldn't wait a year and a half, so I had to learn how to write faster. And the second book needed to be just as good as the first, if not better.
Read more »Written by Janice Hardy. Fiction-University.com
July 9, 2018
How a New Kitten Is Like a New Story Idea
By Janice Hardy, @Janice_Hardy On Saturday, my husband and I got a new kitten. He’s eight weeks old, not quite two pounds, and has the playful energy of seventeen toddlers who just ate a case of white sugar. Oh, and he has razor-sharp claws, which he uses to climb everything—including us.
He is also the most adorable little thing.
However…
He’s in “new kitten quarantine” in my office until he gets acclimated to his new home and the all-clear from the vet that it’s safe to let him mingle with the other cat. Which means all that PLAY ME WITH NOW!!! energy is directed at me while I’m trying to work (include writing this, and I’ve had to stop at least six times so far, because he is quite irresistible).
Not much is getting done.
Read more »Written by Janice Hardy. Fiction-University.com
July 8, 2018
Writing Prompt: The Re-Write: This Scene Is Lacking Something
By Janice Hardy, @Janice_HardyThis week’s prompt is designed to help you practice your revision skills without the risk of messing up your manuscript. Edit the bad writing, strengthen and clarify the goals, conflict, and stakes, develop the setting, establish the character, etc. You know the drill.
You have to keep the bones of the piece, but how you get those ideas across is up to you. Add whatever details strike you, as long as you can still identify this scene as the scene I started—so no completely rewriting it from scratch. The goal is to make this monstrosity better.
Today, it’s about fleshing out a scene that’s missing something—in this case, everything but the dialogue (and half of that is empty dialogue).
Edit this “white room” conversation into something worth reading.
Write as much or as little as you’d like. Genre, market, details, and context are all up to you.
Read more »Written by Janice Hardy. Fiction-University.com
July 7, 2018
Real Life Diagnostics: Does This Crime Fiction Opening Hook You?
Critique By Maria D'Marco Real Life Diagnostics is a weekly column that studies a snippet of a work in progress for specific issues. Readers are encouraged to send in work with questions, and we diagnose it on the site. It’s part critique, part example, and designed to help the submitter as well as anyone else having a similar problem.
If you're interested in submitting to Real Life Diagnostics, please check out these guidelines.
Submissions currently in the queue: Two
Please Note: As of today, RLD slots are booked through July 21.
This week’s questions:
1. Does this first chapter opening hook you?
2. Would you want to read on?
3. Does it bother you that the protagonist’s “real” name/identity is not revealed until the last line of the chapter?
Market/Genre: Crime Fiction/Suspense
Warning: colorful language ahead
On to the diagnosis…
Read more »Written by Janice Hardy. Fiction-University.com
July 6, 2018
The 7 Habits of Highly Effective Writing Critique Groups
By Ryan Van CleavePart of the How They Do It Series
JH: As the saying goes, "You get out what you put into it," and that holds true for critique groups. The right approach can lead to great results, and Ryan Van Cleave visits the lecture hall today to share some tips on making the most of your critique group.
Ryan G. Van Cleave is the author of 20 books, and he runs the creative writing program at the Ringling College of Art and Design in Sarasota, Florida.
Amazon | Website | Blog | Facebook | Newsletter |
Take it away Ryan...
Read more »Written by Janice Hardy. Fiction-University.com
July 3, 2018
10 Ways to Promote Backlist Titles
By Chyrs Fey, @ChrysFeyPart of the How They Do It Series
JH: Promoting a book is tough no matter when it comes out, but it's harder for books well past their new release date. Chrys Fey visits the lecture hall today to share some tips on promoting your backlist titles. She's also offering a giveaway, so check out the entry link and information at the end of the article.
Chrys Fey is the author of Write with Fey: 10 Sparks to Guide You from Idea to Publication . Catch the sparks you need to write, edit, publish, and market your book!From writing your novel to prepping for publication and beyond, you’ll find sparks on every page, including 100 bonus marketing tips. Fey is an editor for Dancing Lemur Press and runs the Insecure Writer’s Support Group’s Goodreads book club. She is also the author of the Disaster Crimes series. Visit her blog, Write with Fey, for more tips.
Website | Facebook | Twitter | Goodreads | Blog | Newsletter
Take it away Chrys...
Read more »Written by Janice Hardy. Fiction-University.com
July 2, 2018
Are You Looking for a Critique Group or Partner?
By Janice Hardy, @Janice_Hardy It's Crit Time Again! The 2018 Summer Group is now open!
Back in 2013 I started a Yahoo Group called "Janice Hardy's Critique Connection" to help writers connect with like-minded folks looking for critique groups or partners. It was designed to help people find long-term, quality writing partners, not just places you can toss up your work and get quick feedback.
It went from a one-time event to annually, and now to every six months (I open it up every January and July). If you're looking to join or create a critique group, add more to your existing group, or find a critique partner, odds are you'll find someone here.
Read more »Written by Janice Hardy. Fiction-University.com
July 1, 2018
Writing Prompt: The Skill Builder: I Know That Voice
By Janice Hardy, @Janice_HardyThis week’s prompt focuses on an exercise designed to work on a particular skill or technique, such as a POV exercise or character builder. Today’s skill:
Developing Character Voices
Characters who all sound the same make for boring, flat, and even confusing novels, but when readers can tell who’s speaking just by their dialogue—you’ve got gold.
Pick a scene from your current manuscript with at least two characters talking. Copy it into a new file, and re-write it, changing the voices of the characters to reflect a different backstory or personality (it doesn’t matter what the truth is, this is just for fun). Think about how their voice and actions would change based on a new personality or background.
Read more »Written by Janice Hardy. Fiction-University.com
June 30, 2018
Real Life Diagnostics: Would You Keep Reading This YA Fantasy Opening?
Critique By Janice Hardy, @Janice_HardyReal Life Diagnostics is a weekly column that studies a snippet of a work in progress for specific issues. Readers are encouraged to send in work with questions, and we diagnose it on the site. It’s part critique, part example, and designed to help the submitter as well as anyone else having a similar problem.
If you're interested in submitting to Real Life Diagnostics, please check out these guidelines.
Submissions currently in the queue: Two
Please Note: As of today, RLD slots are booked through July 14.
This week’s questions:
1. Would you want to keep reading?
2. Is the description too much at this point?
3. Does it sound like Fantasy or is the language too modern?
4. Does the mental and physical state of the protagonist match her actions?
5. Does this opening work?
Market/Genre: YA Fantasy
On to the diagnosis…
Read more »Written by Janice Hardy. Fiction-University.com
June 29, 2018
The Difference Between Editing and Revising a Novel
By Janice Hardy, @Janice_HardyThis week's Refresher Friday takes an updated look at the difference between editing and revising. And for a deeper look on same theme, Jami Gold just wrote about this as well (which is what inspired me to pull mine out of the archives for this week). Enjoy!
You often hear "edit" and "revise" used interchangeably, but it's helpful to think of them as two different things, because they really do focus on different aspects of the process.
Editing is the line by line tweaks that polish your text.
Revision is more macro level, changing parts of the story.
Which do you do first? I revise first, because that covers the big issues. The things that may take a lot of work. Once the story is unfolding how I want, then I edit, polishing it until it shines. For example, there’s no need to polish the text of a paragraph if I might cut that entire scene. Makes more sense to wait until the story is solid.
Read more »Written by Janice Hardy. Fiction-University.com
