Janice Hardy's Blog, page 69
July 25, 2019
So Many Books, So Little Heart: Thoughts on Writers’ Reading Habits
By Dario Ciriello Part of The Writer’s Life Series
JH: Getting readers to care about our characters is something every reader should strive for—but do they? Dario Ciriello is back again this month, with thoughts on writing, reading, and why we care.
A new client said something yesterday that got me thinking about the reading habits of writers, and how they change over time. She mentioned having brought two of my books prior to hiring me to edit her work, and that she’d read my book on writing but only the beginning of the other, a memoir. Of course, it flashed through my mind that she may not have cared for the other work; as a picky reader myself, I understand how different each reader is, and don’t feel in the slightest offended if someone isn’t enamored of one of my books.
“You see,” she went on, “I daren’t allow myself to read a book while I’m writing.”
Continue ReadingWritten by Janice Hardy. Fiction-University.com
July 24, 2019
Are You Asking--and Answering--the Right Story Questions?
By Janice Hardy, @Janice_HardyLeaving the right trail for readers to follow is a big part of writing a novel. The right story questions make that a whole lot easier.
I always set aside time to update my outline and prepare for a manuscript revision. Not only is it a good way to remember what I wrote, it helps me ensure I have everything figured out so the revision is easier.
Years ago, I was working on a novel with a lot of layers and mysteries, and I added something new to this process:
Identify the story questions in each act.
Why I hadn't done this before I have no idea, as it sounds so obvious, right? It's likely something you assume you already do (I know I did before I started doing this). But while I knew the main story question of every act, there were a lot more questions readers might ask about, and some of them I didn't do much with in the novel. These little questions were all missed opportunities to deepen my story and keep that all-important tension high.
Continue ReadingWritten by Janice Hardy. Fiction-University.com
July 23, 2019
The Hardest Craft of All: Writing with a Block
By Spencer Ellsworth, @spencimusPart of The Writer’s Life Series
JH: There’s a myriad of reasons why someone suddenly can’t write, but they all result in the same thing—frustration. Spencer Ellsworth visits the lecture hall today to share tips on writing when you have a lot going on in your life.
Spencer Ellsworth has been writing since he learned how. His short fiction has previously appeared in Lightspeed Magazine, Fantasy & Science Fiction, and at Tor.com. Over the years, he's worked as a wilderness survival instructor, paraeducator in a special education classroom, and in publishing; he currently lives in the Pacific Northwest with his wife and three children and works at a small tribal college on a Native American reservation. His novel A Red Peace is the first book of his Starfire Trilogy from Tor.
Website | Twitter | Goodreads
Take it away Spencer…
Continue ReadingWritten by Janice Hardy. Fiction-University.com
July 22, 2019
A Common Reason Novels Fail
By Janice Hardy, @Janice_HardyDiscovering your novel doesn’t work is heartbreaking, but there are things you can do to fix it.
Story ideas are wonderful things, because they hold so much potential. Every spark of inspiration has the ability to become the next Great Novel and make a writer’s whole career. Or at least lead to a solid book readers might want to buy.
Not all ideas lead to good books, though.
Sometimes it’s the idea itself that’s the problem, but frequently, it’s the execution—but not in a “badly written” kind of way. The reason the idea (and the novel) falls flat is this:
It doesn’t tell a story, it explains a situation.
The “situation novel” isn’t about characters trying to solve problems, but scene after scene that tells readers how a situation occurs, offers a flat, play-by-play of how something came to be, or even examples of why this idea is so cool.
Continue ReadingWritten by Janice Hardy. Fiction-University.com
July 21, 2019
Sunday Writing Tip: Reveal Something New in Every Scene
By Janice Hardy, @Janice_Hardy Each week, I’ll offer a tip you can take and apply to your WIP to help improve it. They’ll be easy to do and shouldn’t take long, so they’ll be tips you can do without taking up your Sunday. Though I do reserve the right to offer a good tip now and then that will take longer—but only because it would apply to the entire manuscript.
This week, check every scene and make sure readers are learning something new about the story, world, or characters.
One way to keep hooking readers in a novel is to reveal something new about the story. Maybe it’s a bit of character history or a not-yet-seen aspect of their personalities, perhaps it’s something about the world, or even how the story mechanics work if it’s science fiction or fantasy. It could even be the revelation of a secret—either the answer to one or that one exists.
It doesn’t have to me a major book-shattering reveal, as long as something is learned that lets readers further immerse themselves in your story and world.
Continue ReadingWritten by Janice Hardy. Fiction-University.com
July 20, 2019
Real Life Diagnostics: Is Inserting a Flashback a Good or Bad Idea?
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 August 3.
This week’s questions:
1. What are your feelings about this character? Could you bond with her?
2. Is there enough tension to keep you reading?
3. What are your expectations from these opening lines?
4. In your view, what is the opening promise?
5. Is inserting the flashback a good or bad idea?
Market/Genre: Literary Fiction
On to the diagnosis…
Continue ReadingWritten by Janice Hardy. Fiction-University.com
July 18, 2019
8 Things Every Writer Needs to Remember
By Sherry Howard, @SherLHoward
Part of The Writer's Life Series
JH: They say hindsight is 20/20, but with today's resources, we can all benefit from what others have learned. Sherry Howard returns to the lecture hall this month to talk about motifs and how they strengthen our writing.
Sherry Howard lives in Middletown, Kentucky, in a household busy with kids and pets. She worked as an educator, and now has the luxury of writing full time. Her debut picture book, Rock and Roll Woods , released in October, 2018. And her middle grade NF, Deep Sea Divers , just released. She has more books in the pipeline for publication soon.
Sherry loves to meet other readers and writers, so be in touch on social media here:
Website | Facebook | Twitter | Instagram | Goodreads
Take it away Sherry…Continue ReadingWritten by Janice Hardy. Fiction-University.com
July 17, 2019
The Perils of Not Knowing What Happens Next in Your Story
By Janice Hardy, @Janice_Hardy Getting stuck in your writing doesn't mean you've got writer's block.
At some point, we all hit a wall in our writing. We get stuck, we don't know what happens next, maybe we know where we need to go, but not sure how to get there.
Hitting a wall can freak us out and make us panic, because it feels a lot like writer's block. We get stuck and fear the words won't come anymore, and struggle to get anything down, and nothing works. But most of the time, we're not blocked at all--it's just our subconscious telling us we're missing something we need to move forward.
Next time you hit a writing wall, take a deep breath, step back, and diagnose what the problem might be:
Continue ReadingWritten by Janice Hardy. Fiction-University.com
July 16, 2019
4 Writing Pitfalls to Avoid at All Costs
By Laurence MacNaughton, @LMacNaughtonPart of the How They Do It Series
JH: Even though every writer has their own process, we still all face the same problems from time to time. Laurence MacNaughton is back this month with tips on avoiding the pitfalls no writer wants to stumble into.
Has your writing fallen into a black hole? Has your pacing dropped to a crawl, or your suspense become a snore? Do you just feel stuck? You might be sabotaging your own writing without even knowing it. But don't panic. Here's how to avoid the four most perilous pitfalls of writing.
Pitfall #1: Your plot is going nowhere.
If your story is bogging down, it's probably because you (the author) need to spend more time visualizing the specific outcome your main character wants.
Think about your main character for a minute. This person should desperately want to either: A) achieve something positive; or B) avoid something negative. Maybe both.
What does your main character want, exactly?
Continue ReadingWritten by Janice Hardy. Fiction-University.com
July 15, 2019
What Matters More? Story Execution or the Idea?
By Janice Hardy, @Janice_HardyThe age-old quandary--is a well-written novel novel better than a great idea?
Idea or execution. Two directions many writers struggle with. Should they write the technically perfect book and not worry about the idea, or find the perfect story and not worry about the writing?
The realty is that each takes precedence at different points of a writer's career. Sometimes you'll want to worry about the technical aspects of writing, and later, the storytelling is what matters more. By the end of your path, both become vital for success.
But you don't have to hit that end goal first, and focusing on the wrong aspect at the wrong time can even hurt you. I've seen plenty of first-time writers worry so much over finding the perfect idea that it keeps them from writing at all. I've also seen many long-term writers who were so sure of their ideas that they didn't bother to edit after a first draft.
Both types of writers struggled much more than than needed to.
For those of you heading down the writing path and wondering which matters more--idea or execution--consider where you are on your journey before you decide where to put your creative energy.
Continue ReadingWritten by Janice Hardy. Fiction-University.com
