Janice Hardy's Blog, page 33

How to Write More in Less Time with Voice Recognition

By Jenna Harte
Part of The Writer's Life Series
JH: As dictation software has gotten better, more and more writers are using it to increase their productivity. Jenna Harte shares tips and advice on how to start "speaking" your book 
Jenna Harte is a fan of romance and murder, usually mixed together. She is the author of the Valentine Mysteries, the first of which, Deadly Valentine , reached the quarter-finals in Amazon's Breakthrough Novel Award in 2013. She’s also the author of the Sophie Parker Coupon Mystery Series and the Southern Heat contemporary romance series. She owns SwoonworthyHEA.com an online community for people who love to read and write romance, and is the host of Illicit Liaisons, where each week she and her guests discuss the good, the bad and the naughty of romance fiction. She is currently launching Write with Harte, a podcast and other resources for romance authors. When she’s not writing about passion or murder, she lives in central Virginia with her husband, and geriatric cat, Peaches. Keep up-to-date on all the passion and mayhem at her website.

Website | Goodreads | Facebook | Pinterest | Instagram | YouTube
Take it away Jenna...

Continue ReadingWritten by Janice Hardy. Fiction-University.com

A 5-Minute Fix to Jump-start Your Scene

By Janice Hardy, @Janice_Hardy

Never fear the blank page again.

Blank pages stink.

Even when I know what I want to write, I still have days where I struggle to get that first line down. Once I do, the words usually pick up speed and I slide into my scene and my writing sessions, but not always.

On those days, I write that first line, then delete it. Write it again, and hit the backspace key like a woodpecker on a tree. Eventually, I get up and make a cup of tea and start the whole process over again.

This happened a lot in my early writing days. It didn’t take long for me to realize there had to be a better way to start writing. I examined my process. Since I’m a plotter by nature, I sought answers there first.

And found one.

Continue ReadingWritten by Janice Hardy. Fiction-University.com

5 Questions to Turn a Character from Flat to Fabulous

By Janice Hardy, @Janice_Hardy
Sometimes we just need a little help to create a memorable character.

Some writers develop incredibly detailed characters before they ever start a story.
I am not one of those writers.
I do the bare minimum necessary to create a character, then I throw them into my story and see what they do. By the time I’ve written the first draft, I know who they are and can revise accordingly.

Although I’ve written this way for decades, I’m not sure I’d recommend it. It’s an interesting tactic, but it has left me with a lot of revising I wouldn’t have needed if I’d done a bit more character work before I started writing.

Lately, I’ve wondered if I should change my process, or at the very least, add another layer of character creation at the start. Because I’ve always said that characters drive the plot, and I’m a plot-driven writer, so my process is missing a critical aspect when I think about it from that perspective.

Continue ReadingWritten by Janice Hardy. Fiction-University.com

Stuck in Your Story? Try This Fun Exercise to Shake Up Your Muse

By Janice Hardy, @Janice_Hardy

Sometimes we get so focused on what’s supposed to happen in our novel, we forget to consider what could happen.

Unless you're incredibly lucky, at some point in your writing life your creativity is bound to stall.

The novel you loved yesterday feels flat today, all your ideas sound "meh" and nothing really excites you about your current manuscript. It happens, and scary as it can be, there are ways to knock your muse out of her slump and get things moving again.

Sometimes the best way to get unstuck is to look at the novel from a different perspective.
Changing your perspective can shake loose preconceived ideas and allow you to see the story and characters in ways you hadn't considered before. These different views often spark ideas that breathe new life into a novel that needs it.

Continue ReadingWritten by Janice Hardy. Fiction-University.com

WIP Diagnostic: Is This Working? A Closer Look at a Spec Fic Opening Scene

Critique By Maria D'Marco

WIP 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 WIP Diagnostics, please check out these guidelines. 

Submissions currently in the queue: Three

Please Note: As of today, critique slots are booked through January 9.

This week’s question: Is this opening working so far?

Market/Genre: Speculative Fiction

On to the diagnosis…

Continue ReadingWritten by Janice Hardy. Fiction-University.com

The Difference Between Tricking Your Reader and Surprising Your Reader

By Janice Hardy, @Janice_Hardy 
If you’re going to trick your readers, proceed with caution and a lot of skill.
During a world-building panel I did at the Space Coast Comic Con, we had a brief discussion about tricking readers. Some authors on the panel were for it, some against it, and there were strong opinions on both sides.
It made me think about what makes a good twist vs. a bad trick. Because some novels trick readers and we love the author for it, but others trick readers and we refuse to ever read that author again.

I think it’s the Dallas vs. Newhart difference.

For those who weren’t watching a lot of TV in the 80s, both shows had huge twists that surprised viewers. One worked, one did not.

In the show Dallas, a beloved character (Bobby) died in a season finale. The next season proceeded without him, developing storylines and dealing with his death and all the normal things you’d expect to happen after killing off a favorite character. Continue ReadingWritten by Janice Hardy. Fiction-University.com

Keep Your Writing Routine from Becoming a Rut

By Shanna Swendson, @ShannaSwendson

Part of The Writer’s Life Series 

JH: Falling into the "same old, same old" can be counterproductive for writers. Shanna Swendson shares tips on shaking up your routine and boosting your creativity. 

Shanna Swendson earned a journalism degree from the University of Texas but decided it was more fun to make up the people she wrote about and became a novelist. She’s written a number of fantasy novels for teens and adults, including the Enchanted, Inc. series and the Rebel Mechanics series. She devotes her spare time to reading, knitting, and music. Her newest novel is the paranormal mystery  Interview with a Dead Editor . 

Website | Twitter | Facebook | Goodreads

Take it away Shanna…

Continue ReadingWritten by Janice Hardy. Fiction-University.com

3 Steps to Crafting a Stronger First Draft

By Janice Hardy, @Janice_Hardy

Don’t just write a good book. Write a great story.

Fiction is an odd combination of skills. The craft of writing is technical, with rules and techniques that achieve different results, yet the art of storytelling is visceral, relying on creativity and instinct to pluck the best pieces from our imagination.

While the story is often what grabs us first, it can quickly get overshadowed by the technical aspects. Is the opening line hooking readers? Should this be first or third person? Is there too much backstory? Instead of crafting a story readers can’t put down, we’re counting how many adverbs are in each chapter.

This can lead to technically well-written novels, but not great stories.

Now, I’m not saying ignore the technical side of writing—that’s how you bring a wonderful story to life—but don’t lose sight of the joy and magic you felt when that story idea originally came to you.

Continue ReadingWritten by Janice Hardy. Fiction-University.com

WIP Diagnostic: Is This Working? A Closer Look at a YA Suspense Opening

Critique By Janice Hardy, @Janice_Hardy

WIP 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 WIP Diagnostics, please check out these guidelines. 

Submissions currently in the queue: Three

Please Note: As of today, critique slots are booked through January 2.

This week’s questions:

1. Does this pique interest?

2. Is it too slow?

Market/Genre: Young Adult Suspense

On to the diagnosis…

Continue ReadingWritten by Janice Hardy. Fiction-University.com

The Best Writing Tool You’ve Never Heard Of

By Dario Ciriello, @Dario_Ciriello 

Part of The Writer's Life Series

JH: If you're looking for a way to be productive without distractions, Dario Ciriello shares his experience with the Alphasmart Neo. 
I was talking to a friend a few weeks ago and bemoaning my recent complete inability — or should I say lack of interest — in getting words on paper. Beyond the usual procrastination and displacement activity common to us all, I tried to defend my laziness with a number of pathetic excuses.

First, working as a freelance editor exacerbates my already dire tendency to edit as I write.
When I do try to write, everything from names to esoteric technology demands a quick detour onto the Internet, which I confess I enjoy a great deal more than writing.Continue ReadingWritten by Janice Hardy. Fiction-University.com