Janice Hardy's Blog, page 38
October 13, 2020
Get Ready to Write a Scene in 10 Minutes
By Laurence MacNaughton, @LMacNaughtonPart of The How They Do It Series
JH: Some days, the hardest part of writing is knowing what to write. Laurence MacNaughton shares tips on planning a scene in just ten minutes.
For some writers, the blank page is terrifying. I know, because I used to feel that way, too. But now, every time I sit down to write a chapter, I'm confident about what I'm going to write, and I'm usually charged up.
Really, it only takes ten minutes to get ready to write a scene. All you have to do is answer these questions.
1. What does the character need to achieve in this scene, and why?
Your answer should be a short sentence that looks something like this:
Continue ReadingWritten by Janice Hardy. Fiction-University.com
October 12, 2020
The Difference Between a First Page that Hooks and a Novel that Hooks
By Janice Hardy, @Janice_Hardy Do you really need to hook a reader on the first page?
I read a lot of first pages. Between the Saturday critique submissions, clients, friends, and other random critiques I do, I’ve read the first pages of hundreds and hundreds of works-in-progress. Add in the first pages from published novels and it skyrockets into the thousands.
This past Saturday, I had a submission that sparked an interesting thought—does the first page need to hook if the novel’s premise hooks?
And that’s a really loaded question.
I also think it’s compounded by e-readers, because it used to be you had cover copy, and knew what the book was about before you started it. These days, you don’t always get the cover copy before you start reading. Usually the first time you open the book, a window pops up with the blurb and information, but after that, it goes right to the text (at least this has been my experience—your e-reader may vary).
Continue ReadingWritten by Janice Hardy. Fiction-University.com
October 10, 2020
WIP Diagnostic: Is This Working? A Closer Look at a YA Dystopian First Page
Critique By Janice Hardy, @Janice_HardyWIP 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 October 31.
This week’s questions:
1. Is Madison (protagonist) likable?
2. Does this hook the audience?
3. Am I overwriting for YA?
Market/Genre: YA Dystopian
On to the diagnosis…
Continue ReadingWritten by Janice Hardy. Fiction-University.com
October 9, 2020
Does Your Novel Just…Stop? What Makes a Good Ending
By Janice Hardy, @Janice_Hardy Your novel’s ending will have more impact than everything that came before it.
Some writers have troubles with beginnings, or more commonly, middles, but for me, it’s always been endings.
I tend to rush them once I reach the book’s climax, and summarize what happens instead of dramatizing scenes to the big finish. I always have to rewrite those last three or four chapters several times before I get them right.
There are two reasons for this—impatience and story fatigue.
When I develop a novel, I reach a point where I’m tired of planning and want to move onto the writing. And that typically happens before I’ve fully fleshed out my ending, so I only know a general sense of what happens. And when I’m drafting it, I hit another wall of fatigue, where I’m so ready for it to be over and I can start revising. Then I rush past the ending I didn’t develop enough in the first place.
Continue ReadingWritten by Janice Hardy. Fiction-University.com
October 8, 2020
How Writing with Constraints Can Boost Your Writing Skills
By Sherry Howard, @SherLHowardPart of The Writer's Life Series
JH: Sometimes we have to trick ourselves into getting better as a writer. Sherry Howard shares a trick to improve your writing skills.
Sherry Howard lives with her children and silly dogs in Middletown, Kentucky. Sherry is the author of the picture book ROCK AND ROLL WOODS, with a starred Kirkus review. Her poems and stories have appeared in multiple journals and anthologies. She also writes for the educational market, with about a dozen books. Her middle grade book, SPIRITS AMONG US, releases in October.
Sherry Howard | Facebook | Twitter | Instagram
Take it away Sherry...
Continue ReadingWritten by Janice Hardy. Fiction-University.com
October 7, 2020
Is Your Novel Stuck in the Mud? What Makes a Good Middle
By Janice Hardy, @Janice_HardyMany writers hate middles, and for good reason. But writing a strong middle is easier than you think.
When I was new to writing, every novel I wrote bogged down in the middle. I’d start off well, but then I’d run out of things for my protagonist to do, and I’d start making things up just to fill up space, and it would turn into a complete mess and I’d start over.
I can’t tell you how many times I did this. Dozens at least, if not more.
Eventually, I got frustrated and decided if I wanted to break this cycle of despair, I’d have to find a way to get through the middle of my novel.
And I did.
So well, in fact, that my agent said my first novel’s middle was “damn near perfect.”
Continue ReadingWritten by Janice Hardy. Fiction-University.com
October 6, 2020
Do You Wrimo? 5 Fast-Drafting Tips to Get You through November
By Jodi Turchin, @jlturchinPart of The How They Do It Series
JH: NaNoWriMo is right around the corner. Jodi Turchin shares tips on fast-drafting your way through November.
Jodi Turchin is a Young Adult novelist represented by Dawn Frederick at Red Sofa Literary. She’s also a photographer, a high school English teacher, an adjunct college professor, and a former actress and director.
Website | Twitter
Take it away Jodi…
Continue ReadingWritten by Janice Hardy. Fiction-University.com
October 5, 2020
Struggling to Start Your Novel? Here's What Makes a Good Beginning
By Janice Hardy, @Janice_Hardy A strong beginning does more than simply start the story.
Writers spend a lot of energy on the “beginning” of their novel, but what they’re really focusing on is the opening. They agonize over the first line, the first page, the first scene, and the first chapter.
Which is all good, as every one of those is important, but they ignore the bigger picture—a strong beginning covers more than the opening line or the opening scene. It’s the entire setup for the novel, and getting the beginning right positions the novel to unfold the way they envision it.
Or as my girl Mary Poppins says, “Well begun is half done.”
I believe this wholeheartedly. Starting strong makes it a whole lot easier to finish strong. The whole beginning establishes what the middle will cover, and sets the expectations for the ending.
Continue ReadingWritten by Janice Hardy. Fiction-University.com
October 3, 2020
WIP Diagnostic: Is This Working? A Closer Look at a YA Fantasy First Page
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 October 24.
This week’s questions:
1. Are you connected to the main character enough to keep reading?
2. Are there too many character names introduced to keep them straight?
3. Do you have enough setting to ground you in the scene?
4. Is this opening compelling enough to believe the entire story will hold your attention?
5. Is the pacing on point or does it feel slow?
Market/Genre: YA Fantasy
On to the diagnosis…
Continue ReadingWritten by Janice Hardy. Fiction-University.com
October 2, 2020
Why "Start With the Action" Messes Up So Many Writers
By Janice Hardy, @Janice_HardySometimes really great advice is anything but helpful.
If I took a poll for the most common writing advice, “start with the action” would make the list.
Which it should, as it’s great advice. But it’s also like saying, “show, don’t tell.” We know we ought to do it, but we don’t always know how, and those four words don’t help us with the beginnings of our novels.
This can be especially hard on new writers, because they might think they’re doing everything right, but still get negative feedback or even rejections on their manuscripts. “I do start with action,” they cry. “Can’t you see that car barreling off that cliff there? What do I have to do, blow up a planet?”
Well, no. Continue ReadingWritten by Janice Hardy. Fiction-University.com
