Janice Hardy's Blog, page 48

WIP Diagnostic: Is This Working? A Closer Look at a Historical Middle Grade 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: six

Please Note: As of today, critique slots are booked through June 13.

This week’s questions:

1. Does this work and is it all in Freddy’s POV?

2. Is it all in Freddy’s POV?

3. Am I showing or telling?

Market/Genre: Young Adult

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

On to the diagnosis…

Continue ReadingWritten by Janice Hardy. Fiction-University.com

5 Reasons Our Characters Need to Fail

By Bethany Henry

Part of the How They Do It Series

JH: In a novel, failure is actually a good thing. Bethany Henry shares reasons why our characters need to fail in order for us to win.

Bethany Henry writes fantasy novels and blogs about writing and wellness at bethany-henry.com. When not writing, she can often be found on the frisbee field, drinking tea, or reading picture books with her two little girls. Sign up for her email list for weekly posts on writing craft- along with fun extras like quotes and freebies.

Website | Blog | Facebook | Pinterest | Email List

Take it away Bethany...

Continue ReadingWritten by Janice Hardy. Fiction-University.com

I Hear You: Creating Character Voices in Non-POV Characters

By Janice Hardy. @Janice_Hardy

Just because a character doesn't have their own point of view, doesn't mean they shouldn't have their own voice.

Years ago, I saw a movie (one of my favorite, super-cheesy disaster ones) where five of the female characters had the exact same appearance. None of them were main characters, and before long it was impossible to remember who was who and what storyline they belonged to. Nothing they said or did stuck with me after that.

It was a perfect example of why not developing your supporting characters enough can mess up a perfectly good story.

Non-point-of-view characters run this same risk if they don’t have their own distinct voices. But without being inside their heads to help create that voice, it can be tough to make them sound different.

Let's look at ways to craft different voices for the characters in your novel.

Continue ReadingWritten by Janice Hardy. Fiction-University.com

The Power of Journaling Through Difficult Times

By Bonnie Randall

Part of The Writer's Life Series 

JH: Writing can entertain, inform, and even heal. Bonnie Randall shares thoughts and tips on the therapeutic power of journaling. 
These are strange times and, like much else these days, this month’s column is going to deviate from the norm. We’re still going to talk about writing—just not fiction. Not even anything for publication. We’re going to talk about writing that heals and soothes the stressed brain during the most unprecedented time we will ever see in our lives.

Journaling from the Heart, For Your Heart

In my day job as a therapeutic counselor, I assign journaling all the time. It is not an uncommon practice in or out of the counseling room; one quick peek at Pintrest and you’ll be overwhelmed with articles about journaling, journaling prompts, and even journaling doodles you can incorporate onto your pages.

Continue ReadingWritten by Janice Hardy. Fiction-University.com

WIP Diagnostic: Is This Working? A Closer Look at Exposition and World Building

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: Five

Please Note: As of today, critique slots are booked through May 30.

This week’s questions:

1. Does this opening hook you? Would you keep reading?

2. I’ve edited down for word count and audience (MG) reasons. Are there enough world-building details to sufficiently orient readers? (More details come relatively quickly after this, but I’m worried this opening is too sparse.)

3. Is there too much exposition? I want to establish relationships and give a feel for personalities, but I don’t want to info dump.

4. Do the explanations of in-world terms (magitiere, magiquipe) flow naturally and clearly?

Market/Genre: Middle Grade Fantasy

On to the diagnosis…

Continue ReadingWritten by Janice Hardy. Fiction-University.com

5 Reasons Why You Should Finish Your Novel

By Colleen M. Story

Part of The Writer’s Life Series

JH: Writers write, but to be an author, you need to first finish your book. Colleen Story shares five tips on why finishing your manuscript is so important.

Colleen M. Story inspires writers to overcome modern-day challenges and find creative fulfillment in their work. Her latest release, Writer Get Noticed! , was the gold-medal winner in the Reader’s Favorite Book Awards (Writing/Publishing 2019). Overwhelmed Writer Rescue was named Book by Book Publicity’s Best Writing/Publishing Book in 2018, and her novel, Loreena’s Gift , was a Foreword Reviews' INDIES Book of the Year Awards winner, among others.

Writing and Wellness | Writer CEO | Teachable | Author Website | Twitter

Take it away Colleen…

Continue ReadingWritten by Janice Hardy. Fiction-University.com

It's Okay if You're Not Being Productive Right Now

By Janice Hardy, @Janice_Hardy

Just because you're home, doesn't mean you're on vacation with nothing to do.

In many ways, things haven't changed a lot in the Hardy household since the quarantine started. My husband and I already worked from home, and we don't have kids to home school. The biggest change for us is not leaving the house and going out to eat. You'd think being trapped in the house wouldn't affect us as much as others, but it has.

Like everyone else, we've had good days and bad, stressful days and productive ones. We're processing the crazy times we live in and dealing with it as best we can. We have family in the medical field we worry about. We have family in highly infected areas. There are two people in my house with high-mortality risks for COVID-19, so we're not taking any chances. Oddly enough, that makes it easier to stay put.

But it does make it harder to focus and be in the right mindset to write.

Continue ReadingWritten by Janice Hardy. Fiction-University.com

On the Road: Salvaging Old Manuscripts

By Janice Hardy, @Janice_Hardy

Hi all!

Today I'm over at Write Now Coach! sharing tips on bringing old manuscripts back to life. Come on over and say hello.

Also, former guest author Alex Limberg just launched his Plottinator online course. So if you're looking for something to do over the next ten days, check it out.

Here are the highlight from his website...
Continue ReadingWritten by Janice Hardy. Fiction-University.com

WIP Diagnostic: Is This Working? A Closer Look at Grounding Readers in a 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 May 9.

This week’s question: 

Is this working?

Market/Genre: SpecFic/RomCom

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

Busta Scene: Getting Past Hard-to-Write Scenes

By Janice Hardy, @Janice_Hardy

Getting stuck in a scene can bring your whole writing session (and novel) to a screeching halt. Here are tips on how to move forward so you aren’t stuck forever.

The image of the writer who sits down at the keyboard and writes for hours on end is a nice picture, but writing doesn’t always work that way. Some days the writing flows fast and smooth, but there are just as many days when we struggle for every word. Most probably fall somewhere in between, with bursts of writing mixed with starts and stops as we figure out a scene or even a paragraph.

And then there are the scenes that slam on the creative brakes and crash our entire momentum.

Hard-to-write scenes happen to us all, but it doesn’t mean we’re blocked or that our story is doomed. It just means we’ve hit a snag for some reason.

Continue ReadingWritten by Janice Hardy. Fiction-University.com