Janice Hardy's Blog, page 41

Character Development with Real Personality

By Jacqueline Myers 
Part of The How They Do It Series 

JH: Knowing who your character truly is can help you undersyand how they'll act in your story. Jacqueline Myers shares personality theory is a writer's best friend when creating characters.

Jacqueline is currently happily at work on her second mystery series (under a pen name, Gilian Baker) while sharing what she's learned with other writers. Using the synergy of personality theory and brain science, Jacqueline coaches writers using a proprietary methodology that helps them overcome their debilitating creative blocks so they can write un-put-down-able books.

If you are struggling, she'd love to see how she can support you! Schedule your free story strategy session here. You can also email her at jacqueline@intuitivewritingcoach.com.

Grab her first cozy mystery, Blogging is Murder, for FREE here.

Take it away Jacqueline…

Continue ReadingWritten by Janice Hardy. Fiction-University.com

Quick Steps to Writing a Scene—Plot. Description. Emotion.

By Janice Hardy, @Janice_Hardy

Writing in quick steps can help you knock out a scene fast.

I may have wound up an author, but I started out as an artist. I drew (and wrote) since I was a little kid, and later, I went to school for design. Because if this background, I approach writing the same way I approach drawing or designing a layout.

First, I sketch it out.

Then, I fill in the sketch.

Finally, I add the detail and polish.

This simple three-step process has served me well for longer than I’d like to admit in public (grin). I write a minimum of three drafts of every novel—the sketch, the filling it out, and the detail and polish. It’s a layered approach that captures an idea and gets the story down so I know what I have before I really dig into it.

Continue ReadingWritten by Janice Hardy. Fiction-University.com

What Doesn’t Work? Learning from the Mistakes of Even the (gasp!) Greats

By Bonnie Randall

Part of The How They Do It Series 

JH: Some authors are bestsellers in spite of gaffs in their writing, not because of them. Bonnie Randall share a few things to avoid--even if a Big Name Author does it. 

Stephen King said “If you don’t have the time to read, you don’t have the time (or the tools) to write” and it’s true. Writers collect ribbons of prose, excellent syntax, and well-executed transitions like precious stones in a jar, for once you’re a writer you can never be ‘just’ a reader again. Your eye becomes keenly honed for what works.

It’s also honed for what stinks.

Right now I am reading a novel by someone pretty prolific and very famous, and what I enjoy about their work is the mastery of pacing and plotting.

Continue ReadingWritten by Janice Hardy. Fiction-University.com

WIP Diagnostic: Is This Working? A Closer Look at Creating Hooks in a YA 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: Two

Please Note: As of today, critique slots are booked through September 5.

This week’s questions:

1. Does it give enough of a hook, yet holds back to give a sense of mystery?

2. Does the narrator sound like a 17 year old teen?

3. Any comments on improvement in description?

Market/Genre: Young Adult Fantasy

On to the diagnosis…

Continue ReadingWritten by Janice Hardy. Fiction-University.com

Cut to the Chase: Tools for Revision

By Rochelle Melander, @WriteNowCoach

Part of The How They Do It Series

JH: Starting a revision can be can leave you feeling overwhelmed. Rochelle Melander shares tips on how and where to start your revision.

Rochelle Melander is a speaker, professional certified coach and the author of 11 books for adults, including Write-A-Thon: Write Your Book in 26 Days (and Live to Tell About It) and Level Up: Quests to Master Mindset, Overcome Procrastination and Increase Productivity .

Website | Goodreads | Facebook | Twitter | Instagram

Take it away Rochelle…

Continue ReadingWritten by Janice Hardy. Fiction-University.com

WIP Diagnostic: Is This Working? A Closer Look at Adding a Hook to the First Page

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: Two

Please Note: As of today, critique slots are booked through August 29.

This week’s questions:

1. Is the beginning interesting enough to want to read more?

2. Is this in Freddy’s POV? Or is it more of a narrative?

3. Is this age appropriate for middle or elementary readers?

4. If the beginning isn’t yet a hook how in the world can I make it more interesting?

Market/Genre: Middle Grade

Note: This is a re-submission. Check out the previous submission if you’re curious how the author revised. 

On to the diagnosis…
Continue ReadingWritten by Janice Hardy. Fiction-University.com

The Two Best Tips for Writing a Strong Story: Put Characters in Conflict

By Kris Bock, @Kris_Bock

Part of the How They Do It Series
JH: Great characters with a strong conflict make for strong novels. Kris Bock two great tips for how (and why) to get your characters into conflict. 
Chris Eboch is the author of over 60 books for children, including nonfiction and fiction, early reader through teen. Her writing craft books include  You Can Write for Children: How to Write Great Stories, Articles, and Books for Kids and Teenagers , and  Advanced Plotting .

Her novels for ages nine and up include  The Eyes of Pharaoh , a mystery in ancient Egypt;  The Well of Sacrifice , a Mayan adventure;  The Genie’s Gift , a middle eastern fantasy; and the Haunted series, about kids who travel with a ghost hunter TV show, which starts with  The Ghost on the Stairs .

Chris Eboch Website | Blog | Goodreads 
Chris also writes for adults as Kris Bock. Her Furrever Friends Sweet Romance series features the employees and customers at a cat café. Watch as they fall in love with each other and shelter cats. Get a free 10,000-word story set in the world of the Furrever Friends cat café when you sign up for the Kris Bock newsletter. You’ll also get a printable copy of the recipes mentioned in the cat café novels.

Kris also writes romantic suspense set in the Southwestern U.S. If you love Mary Stewart or Barbara Michaels, try Kris Bock’s stories of treasure hunting, archaeology, and intrigue in the Southwest.

Kris Bock Website | Blog | Goodreads | Facebook | Twitter | Pinterest | Instagram | Sign up for the Kris Bock newsletter 
Take it away Kris...

Continue ReadingWritten by Janice Hardy. Fiction-University.com

Why You *Shouldn’t* Edit That Last Scene Before Moving On

By Janice Hardy, @Janice_Hardy

If you want to keep your writing momentum going, you might not want to edit your previous scene.

On Monday, I shared the pros of editing and reading what you wrote during your last writing session. Today, let’s look at the cons of doing so.

There’s a lot of advice that says editing what you just wrote is a bad idea. It’s better to start fresh and move forward with your current draft without worrying about what came before. That way, you can focus 100% on new material and have a much more productive day.

When I was starting out and developing my writing skills, I put enormous effort into getting each chapter right before I wrote the next. I’d go through it over and over until I’d polished it to death. It was as if every chapter was a manuscript all its own and it went through a full-on revision process.

Continue ReadingWritten by Janice Hardy. Fiction-University.com

6 Crucial Character Relationships

By Laurence MacNaughton, @LMacNaughton

Part of The How They Do It Series

JH: Relationships in a novel add so much depth to a story and so many opportunities for the plot. Laurence MacNaughton shares six relationships every protagonist needs.

No character exists in a vacuum. They are surrounded by friends, enemies, neighbors, coworkers, and a crowd of others. If you put a little work into their tangled web of relationships, it pays off in developing your character, deepening your story, and enriching your world.

Below are the six crucial types of character relationships. Your main character should have at least one of these. Preferably one of each.

As you read through these, think about your main character and this other person. Imagine that you are interviewing your character. Write down the answers. You may be amazed at the wealth of story ideas you uncover.
Continue ReadingWritten by Janice Hardy. Fiction-University.com

Why You Should Edit That Last Scene Before Moving On

By Janice Hardy, @Janice_Hardy

Editing what you wrote in your last writing session can help jump start your next writing session.

There’s common writing wisdom advocating to just keep moving forward when writing a first draft, and not stop to edit what’s already been written. I think this advice is a little too broad to be useful, and misses out on something important to writers.

Momentum.

Starting a writing session isn’t always easy. On good days, we know exactly what we want to write and can dive in without thought. On not so good days, we stare at the screen and it takes us forever to get those first pages down.

Many writers even recommend “morning pages” for this very reason. You write before you sit down to write. For those unfamiliar with the term, it’s the practice of stream-of-consciousness, free writing for a set amount of time. The idea is to wake up your mind and creativity. (Julia Cameron’s The Artist’s Way is the go-to book everyone talks about if this sounds interesting to you).

Continue ReadingWritten by Janice Hardy. Fiction-University.com