Janice Hardy's Blog, page 76

How a Ticking Clock Reveals Character and Propels Your Plot

By Sarah Skilton, @Sarah_Skilton

Part of the How They Do It Series

JH: There’s no greater motivator than a hard deadline (right writers?), and that’s just as true for our characters. Today, Sarah Skilton visits the lecture hall to share some tips on using a ticking clock to keep your plot and characters moving.

Sarah Skilton is a book blogger with Barnes & Noble as well as the author of two young adult novels, Bruised and High & Dry . Her first adult novel, Club Deception , was published by Grand Central in 2017. Last year she participated as a judge on the juvenile committee for the 2019 Edgar Awards.

Website | Goodreads | Facebook | Twitter | Instagram|

Take it away Sarah…
Continue ReadingWritten by Janice Hardy. Fiction-University.com

Sunday Writing Tip: Examine Your Turning Points

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, look at each major turning point in your plot and make sure it advances the story the way you want it to.
While it’s okay to ignore structure and even plot in a first draft, on draft two, you really need to start nailing down what the plot is and how it unfolds. It’s not uncommon to discover the first draft wanders a bit and doesn’t hit the plot marks it ought to for the strongest story and pacing.

Identify your major turning points and make sure they’re building upon each other to form the plot. What structure you use is up to you, as is what specific points you choose, but every story is going to have a beginning—middle—ending, which means problem discovered—attempt to solve problem—resolution to problem.

Continue ReadingWritten by Janice Hardy. Fiction-University.com

Real Life Diagnostics: Does This Scene Keep Readers Interested?

Critique By Maria D'Marco

Real 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: Three

Please Note: As of today, RLD slots are booked through May 18.

This week’s questions:

1. Is there telling, instead of showing?

2. Backstory present? (My first line indicates backstory but am wondering if it’s okay, since it’s a bit of a hook. Suggestions appreciated.)

3. Does this scene work? Makes sense, flow well, keep reader interest?

Market/Genre: Inspirational Romantic Suspense

This is a resubmit so check out the original if you'd like to see how the writer revised.

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

Assessing Yourself as a Writer: Does Your Writing Make the Grade?

By Joyce Sweeney

Part of The Writer’s Life Series

JH: It's not always clear to know what to focus on to improve our writing, but Joyce Sweeney has a formula to help writers grade their stories. Please give her a warm welcome.

Joyce Sweeney is the author of fourteen novels for young adults and two chapbooks of poetry. Her books have won many awards and honors. Joyce has recently switched to writing adult fiction and is represented by Nicole Resciniti of the Seymour agency.

Joyce has also been a writing teacher and coach for 25 years and offers online classes. In 2019, she, Jamie Morris and Tia Levings released Plotting Your Novel with The Plot Clock (Giantess Press). At this writing, 62 of Joyce’s students have successfully obtained traditional publishing contracts.

Joyce lives in Coral Springs with her husband, Jay and caffeine-addicted cat, Nitro.

Take it away Joyce…
Continue ReadingWritten by Janice Hardy. Fiction-University.com

Writing to Heal: The Benefits of a Cathartic Novel

By Kassandra Lamb, @KassandraLamb

Part of The Writer’s Life Series

JH: Writing has many benefits, and the chance to sort through difficult emotions is one of them. Kassandra Lambs visits the lecture hall today to share thoughts on how writing a cathartic novel can help a writer heal.

Kassandra Lamb is a retired psychotherapist/college professor turned mystery writer. She spends most of her time with her characters in an alternate universe, the magic portal to which (i.e., her computer) is located in Florida, where her husband and dog catch occasional glimpses of her.

She is the author of the Kate Huntington mystery series, The Kate on Vacation novellas, and the Marcia Banks and Buddy cozy mysteries, plus a guidebook for novice writers, Someday Is Here! A Beginner’s Guide to Writing and Publishing Your First Book . She also writes romantic suspense under the pen name Jessica Dale.

Website | Goodreads | Facebook | Twitter |

Take it away Kassandra…
Continue ReadingWritten by Janice Hardy. Fiction-University.com

6 Tips on Making Similar Scenes Feel Different

By Janice Hardy, @Janice_Hardy

Novels often use similar scenes to tell a story, but writers don't have to make them all read the same. Here's a look back on ways to keep scenes from feeling repetitive. 

Novels—especially genre novels—often have similar scenes making up the plot, because the protagonist has a series of tasks to complete in pursuit of the goal. In a pulse-racing thriller, the protagonist will find himself involved in action sequences or chase scenes. Romance heroes and heroines will navigate their way through a lot of relationship scenes. Sleuths in mysteries will spend a large chunk of the story searching for clues and speaking with suspects. After a while, these similar scenes can feel repetitive and even predictable.

For example, if there are a lot of chase scenes where the protagonist (or antagonist) is never caught, readers might just assume she won't be and stop worrying about it. Lovers who almost kiss over and over? They won't be the only ones frustrated by the repeated near-misses. But these core scenes are central to these novels, and are even expected by their readers.
Continue ReadingWritten by Janice Hardy. Fiction-University.com

5 Podcasts & YouTubers For the Crime or Mystery Writer

By Bonnie Randall 

Part of the How They Do It Series 

JH: Today's online world offers a tremendous amount of research opportunities for writers. Bonnie Randall shares some of her favorites today.

Want a fun way to learn authentic investigative procedures, build insight into the emotional impact of crime, or maybe just satisfy your own appetite for real life mysteries? Then check out the following—my Top 5 Podcasts & Chans – and how they’ve informed my fiction.

1. Missing Maura Murray
If you are writing about a cold case, particularly about a person who vanished many years ago, then this heart-wrenching, confounding podcast is for you. The case of Maura Murray is filled with a lot of promising corridors leading to no discernable solutions to its escape room, and is an excellent (albeit tragic) example of how a real-life mystery truly can be littered with opportunists, red-herrings, shady characters, and a passage of years with no lucrative leads. Continue ReadingWritten by Janice Hardy. Fiction-University.com

Two Reasons Why Your Protagonist Isn't Driving Your Plot

By Janice Hardy, @Janice_Hardy

The protagonist is the driving force behind the plot, but sometimes he or she feels just along for the ride. Here's an updated look at why your protagonist might not be driving your plot. 

First drafts are often full of holes and weak characters, which is fine since we don’t always know where a first draft will lead. It’s okay for it to be a mess. But once we know how the story unfolds, it’s time to go back and make everything is serving that story.

A good place to start is with the protagonist. Is (s)he driving the story or is (s)he just along for the ride?

First draft protagonists can go several ways, but two common miss-directions are too much time spent in their head and too little. Too much is a draft filled with lots of internalization and thinking out every detail, but not a whole lot of actual doing going on. Too little is all plot and not enough thought to know why any of it matters. For a well-rounded story, you want both.
Continue ReadingWritten by Janice Hardy. Fiction-University.com

Sunday Writing Tip: Make Note of What’s Good in Your Writing

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.

We spend so much time looking for ways to improve our writing, let’s take a few hours to notice what we’re doing well.

This week, pick a few chapters of your manuscript at random and highlight the parts that you’re proud of.
It’s easy (and common) to think a draft sucks, but even when it is still in its ugly stage, there’s good writing and strong moments to be found. Find the great lines, the clever plays on words, the gut-punching emotional beats—whatever aspects make you smile and feel good about the work.

Save the marked-up chapters for days when you feel low about your writing to remind you that you do have skill at this.Written by Janice Hardy. Fiction-University.com

Real Life Diagnostics: Does This YA Opening Draw You In?

Critique By Janice Hardy, @Janice_Hardy

Real 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: Four

Please Note: As of today, RLD slots are booked through May 18.

This week’s questions:

1. Do the opening and closing paragraphs grab your attention and make you want to read on?

2. Is the internalization too much like 'telling' and boring?

Market/Genre: YA Contemporary Fiction

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