Chris Eboch's Blog, page 36

A writer's work is never done. In the olden days (a year ...

A writer's work is never done. In the olden days (a year or two ago), once your book was published, it was out of your hands. This is largely still true with traditional publishing-- once the book goes to press, you probably won't be able to mess with it, unless someone wants to release a revised and updated version decades down the line.

But the world is different for independent publishers, whether small presses with an e-book first or e-book only policy, or individuals turning to self-publishing. With print on demand and e-book formats, it's easy to upload new cover art, a new book description, and even a new version of the interior text. You found a typo or factual error? Go ahead and fix it.  Reviewers complained about a weak plot or poor character development? You can revise and release. You decided the cover didn't give the right impression of the book's content? Tweak it or try something entirely new.

This new world has disadvantages. For one thing, who wants to keep messing with a book forever? But it does mean you can make improvements. I just fixed a few typos and formatting glitches in Rattled. It's taking a few hours to get the new versions updated and to check the formatting, but it's worthwhile for a better product.

Illustrator Lois Bradley and I also went over the cover art again, and she came up with this great new version.
I think it's more eye-catching. Here's the earlier version, for comparison: What do you think?

I'm also replacing my blurb (based on advice that I think came from Robin Sullivan's Write to Publish blog, though now I can't find the post. Stop by anyway, it's a great place to learn how to market better) and using quotes from reviews. Here's the new version:


Praise for Rattled:
"The action never stopped .... It was adventure and romance at its best."
"I couldn't put this book down. You'll love it."
Ordinary Women, Extraordinary Adventures
A legendary treasure hunt in the dramatic—and deadly—New Mexico desert....
The lost Victorio Peak treasure is the stuff of legends—a heretic Spanish priest's gold mine, made richer by the spoils of bandits and an Apache raider.
When Erin, a quiet history professor, uncovers a clue that may pinpoint the lost treasure cave, she prepares for adventure. But when a hit and run driver nearly kills her, she realizes she's not the only one after the treasure. And is Drew, the handsome helicopter pilot who found her bleeding in a ditch, really a hero, or one of the enemy?
Just how far will Erin go to find the treasure and discover what she's really made of?
"The story has it all—action, romance, danger, intrigue, lost treasure, not to mention a sizzling relationship...."
Read the first three chapters at www.krisbock.com.
*** It's always hard to judge results, because even if you see sales increase or decrease, you can't be sure what caused that effect. But it's nice to know you can keep revising as you gain skills! I wish I could go back and edit my first novel, The Well of Sacrifice , because I think my writing style has changed since then. Maybe someday....

Getting to Know Me

This week, I'm part of the Getting-to-Know-You Blogfest, a project from The Romantic Suspense group (#43) in Rachael Harrie's Platform  Building Campaign. After signing up with this blog, I realized I should have signed up with my Kris Bock blog, since that's my romantic suspense persona. But I couldn't figure out how to remove the original link, so I decided I'd better do both!
If you are more interested in my Kris Bock persona, you can see my romantic suspense author answers on my website blog.
Now writing as children's book writer/writing teacher/journalist Chris Eboch, here are my answers to these questions:
1. Name two authors who inspire you.
How do you choose just two? But as I pondered this question, my friend Molly Blaisdell came to mind. She's worked so hard for so many years, finding some success with work for hire while working on novel after novel without yet selling one. Her perseverance is an inspiration. Sign up for her Seize the Day blog if you need a weekly dose of positive attitude. I could name a dozen other writing friends who inspire me with their hard work, perseverance, and generosity.
2. How did you start writing in your genre?
I originally thought I wanted to write magazine nonfiction for grown-ups, but it turns out my journalism training is good for writing middle grade novels as well, since they need tight writing and relatively simple language. I wrote my first kid's book, The Well of Sacrifice , for fun while looking for magazine jobs. It sold and is still used in schools when kids study the Maya. If I hadn't sold that book, I might've gone in another direction, but that convinced me to keep writing for children.

3. You've landed a meeting with your dream agent. Write a one paragraph pitch to sell your novel to him/her. (No more than four sentences)

For The Eyes of Pharaoh , a middle grade mystery set in Egypt in 1177 BC:
When Reya hints that Egypt is in danger from foreign nomads, Seshta and Horus don't take him seriously. How could anyone challenge Egypt? Then Reya disappears. To save their friend, Seshta and Horus spy on merchants, soldiers, and royalty, and start to suspect even The Eyes of Pharaoh, the powerful head of the secret police.

4. Sabotage or accident- which would put your female lead through and why?
Some of each, including some "accidents" caused by the character's own bad judgment. My characters often get themselves in trouble by meddling where they're not wanted. But then, you can't just let the bad guys win without a fight!
5. Plotter or Pantser? Who are you?
My earlier books were more seat-of-the-pants, but as I've learned more about how to construct a novel, I've found that brainstorming extensively and outlining in advance saves me time and heartache. But I've also used my Plot Arc Exercise to analyze completed drafts and find out where they need work. You can download the Plot Arc Exercise from my Kris Bock website, if you'd like to see how it works, or follow the links under "novel revision" in the list to the right.
Visit more authors from the blogfest through the links here.

Set Your Goals, Step By Step

I've been talking about setting career goals. I started by describing my career. Then I quoted some other successful authors. Now it's your turn.
Exercise: Goal Setting
What is my primary writing goal?
What are my secondary writing goals?
How can these goals work together? Do they contradict each other at all? Do they interfere with other career, family or personal goals?
What steps do I need to take? Do I need to work on specific craft techniques, time management, market research, or submissions?
Which steps come first? How can I schedule the steps to reach my goals?
A regular review of your personal goals can keep you on track, or help you recognize when it's time to change. Once you identify your priorities, you can take steps to get there. If money is the priority, you might focus on work for hire and market research. If your ideal is winning major literary awards, maybe you need to take more classes to work on your craft. The journey may still be a long one, but you take the first step by identifying where you want to go.
Janet S. Fox says, "When I started writing for children I had one goal: to get published!" She found a critique group to help her on that path. "My critique partners and I shared the goal of publishing—but we also shared the goals of improving our craft, of learning about the nuances of the publishing industry, of understanding structure, character, and voice. We pushed each other, and attended conferences together." They are all now published.
Large-scale, general goals need to be broken into specific small steps. Sydney Salter, author of My Big Nose and Other Natural Disasters and the award-winning Swoon at Your Own Risk (both HM Harcourt) says, "When I decided that I really wanted to make writing a professional career, not just a hobby, I bought an engagement calendar to use just for my writing. Each day I recorded what I had done to work on my writing career, whether it was revising a magazine article, researching a novel, writing 1,500 words, or reading a Newbery winning novel over the weekend. I also recorded goals at the beginning of each month to keep myself on track—things like write 12,000 words, submit teen story to Children's Writer contest, read three MT Anderson books. This technique kept me focused on my goals and allowed me to have some small successes, such as published magazine stories and contest wins, while I worked toward book publication."
Each step on the path not only brings you closer to your destination, it also builds valuable skills for when you arrive. Salter says, "When I found an interested agent, I was grateful for the discipline that I'd learned through years of treating my writing seriously. My editor also appreciates my work ethic."
Writers may benefit from reviewing their goals yearly, or even more often. You may also want to review goals whenever you feel bored or frustrated, as instinct may be telling you that you're on the wrong path.
It's good to have big goals, even fantasies, but break them down into shorter-term goals, and lists the steps you need to take to get there. To be a rich and famous writer would be nice. But you may need to start by taking writing classes to build your storytelling skills. Then there's the discipline of writing on a regular schedule, finding helpful critiques, editing, market research, networking... all the steps along the way. You can't jump ahead to the end, but you can keep moving along the path.
Make your goals as specific as possible. For example, "Make money from writing" is a vague goal. Will you be happy with $10 from an online poem just so you can say you've been paid? Do you want to make a profit so you can claim writing as a business on your tax forms? Contribute a certain amount to the family income? Quit your day job?
You may also need to break down goals into short-term and long-term. Making enough money to quit your day job may be a five-year or 10-year goal. You can then set short-term goals to help you get there.
Goal setting should involve the entire career, from time management to craft to market research and submissions to publicity for published works.
You may not achieve every goal you set. You can't win a Newbery medal just because you want to, or even because you work really hard. But you can focus on writing books of the style and quality that win Newberys. That puts you on the right path. Perhaps that path will lead to the realization of your dream. At least you'll be heading in the right direction, and can enjoy the journey.
Tip: If your goals include polishing a manuscript and becoming a better writer, consider getting professional feedback! See my critique rates and recommendations in the right-hand column, or e-mail me through my website.

To Novella or not to Novella? with Jessica Aspen

I haven't talked a lot about different length/formats on this blog, so I'm inviting a couple of guests to discuss their experiences. Today Jessica Aspen is here to talk about the novella form. One thing I found interesting – a novella can actually be longer than a middle grade novel! But if you're used to writing 80,000 to 120,000 words for an adult genre novel, I guess a mere 40,000 words is short. And her advice about keeping a story moving is good for any length.
Here's Jessica:
Writing a novella is something I never thought I would do. Why? Too short. And besides, I've never been a big short story fan. Oh I've read a few, and I love certain authors, but truly my heart lies with longer stories and complex plots. So why did I choose to write novellas and how did they snag my heart?
During the process of submitting and polishing and resubmitting my first manuscript, I hit a point where I was in-between projects. At the same time I saw a novella contest. This seemed like something I could try, and if it didn't pan out, I would have a good start on a full length novel. Seemed like a win-win situation. So I took the plunge.
I knew next to nothing about writing short. The last time I'd actually finished a short story was in high school? College? I couldn't even remember. But I knew that in order to make a romance bloom in less than 40,000 words the  story arc would need to be strong and have few sub-plots.
In fact, novellas really shouldn't have any sub-plots. At all. You can't afford it in forty thousand words or less. At thirty-four thousand words Little Red Riding Wolf is stretching close to novel territory, believe it or not. So how to make a novella strong with few words and no sub-plots?
The key is to have strong characters and to set it up fast. The first chapter needs to show your hero, heroine, and initial conflicts and goals. More than any other fiction writing you want to jack up the tension with each page. No one wants a story that drags, but when you only have a short amount of pages, you need to pack in details like you cram extra sardines into a can. Keep your plot brief and your writing tight. But don't leave out the details. That's what makes your story yours and makes the readers demand more.
In challenging myself to write short, I found a secret. Writing short improved my writing. It forced me to hone my writing skills and acquire new ones in order to deliver a story that pops. Try something short and you'll find out for yourself how writing novellas can become more than a way to jump into the publishing business. They can become a labor of the heart.
 Jessica Aspen writes paranormal romance near the foothills of the Colorado Rockies. Her books are full of elves, were-wolves and sexy men who walk on the dark side of the knife. Jessica loves dark chocolate, walking her dog, hiking and is obsessed with her new laptop. Jessica is also obsessed with writing and learning about writing. Her debut paranormal romance novella Little Red Riding Wolf is due to be released February 18th, 2012 from Passion in Print Press. Please visit Jessica at http://jessicaaspen.com where she blogs about writing, paranormal romance and anything that strikes her fancy.

How Do You Choose between Art and Commerce?

Last week I talked about career choices I've made, and in particular balancing what I want to do with what I need to do to make money. Molly Blaisdell is on a similar path. She started by writing novels, and still hopes to publish fiction. But she needed to make an income and wanted to do it from writing. To turn writing into a career, she advises, "Take any gig you can get. If the checks don't bounce, it's a good gig." (See her "toolbox" of information resources for children's book writers interested in work for hire.)
This attitude has given her over 30 books in print, most of them work for hire beginning readers or picture books. It also led to her first trade picture book, Rembrandt and the Boy Who Drew Dogs (Barron's Educational Series). "Work for hire made me bold and helped me put together a professional front," Blaisdell says. The novel sales will come someday. In the meantime, Blaisdell is a working writer.
Not everyone puts income first. For Louise Spiegler, another job pays the bills. With writing, the main goal is always "to write compelling, passionate, funny, tragic, thought-provoking books that really speak to my readers. This means I need to keep pushing myself to work on my craft, to think hard and work hard."
But Spiegler recognizes that being a successful writer doesn't stop with craft. "Professionally, I also want to make sure that I get more people reading my second book, The Jewel and the Key (Clarion) than read my first. I get emails from people who have read The Amethyst Road (Clarion) and felt very moved by it. This is the most rewarding thing for me. I just want to make sure my next book finds its readers." [image error]   Janet S. Fox, author of the historical romantic mystery Faithful , (Puffin), says, "I want my books to be exquisite. To be loved. To be read forever. To sell, yes—to be commercial—but to be beautiful, and beautifully crafted. I'm constantly questioning my work from two angles: will readers read it? And, will it be eternally beautiful? Commerce and craft—my overwhelming goal is to keep these two warring factions in balance."

Staying Flexible
Goals can change over time, as we learn more about ourselves and our field. Author Esther Hershenhorn discovered joy in helping other writers tell their stories well. "I began coaching writers in person, via the mail, on the phone, from near and far," she says, "Like my character Pippin Biddle in my picture book Fancy That (Holiday House), whose hidden talents save the day as well as his three orphaned sisters, I returned home from my journey with a prize far better than what I'd first sought. I spend my days doing what I love and loving what I do: writing, teaching and coaching other writers."
Hershenhorn adds, "I remind my students to be open to unimagined possibilities and opportunities. I've watched writers assess their interests, talents and experiences to find related children's book niches—reviewing children's books for a journal or website, writing curriculum materials, working with book fairs, selling at bookstores, writing PR plans for fellow writers, returning to library school."
It's important to realize when you are consciously changing goals, and when you're being led astray. Suzanne Morgan Williams found a tempting side path early on, when a fiction submission led to an offer of a nonfiction book project. "I found I loved the research and people began to offer me nonfiction projects," she says. "I kept busy, met great people, and wrote ten books."
 [image error]
Williams could have kept going down that easy path, but she remembered her original goal. "I always wanted to write fiction too." Eventually, she says, "I made the conscious decision not to pursue more nonfiction contracts until I'd spent some real time working on my fiction skills."
With that new focus, and the skills she'd built up as a nonfiction writer, Williams got an agent and sold her first novel, Bull Rider (Margaret K. McElderry Books). "I love knowing that kids will be reading about Cam O'Mara, rodeo, the real cost of war to real families, and about my home state of Nevada," Williams says. "I get to use story to share what I see as a little bit of truth—even though we all know it's fiction."

Dreamstorming: Does Your Writing Move Your Readers?

On Friday, I discussed some of the myths and common mistakes people make when trying to write for children at Daily (w)rite. You can read my post on Do You Want to Write Books for Children there. Today Daily (w)rite blogger Damyanti. is here to talk with us about an interesting concept, Dreamstorming. Here's Damyanti:

For the longest time, I wondered how some of the masters of writing fiction resonated with me as a reader, moved me to tears, or laughter, or rumination. No matter how many books I read, I could not figure out a 'one-size-fits-all' method I could use to connect, and connect at an intimate level, with my readers.

And then I came across From Where You Dream by Pulitzer-winning author Robert Olen Butler.

He talks of a method called Dreamstorming, which is basically method-acting in the process of writing.

You enter a character's mind, heart, soul, and see, feel, touch, smell, taste, hear exactly what the character feels at any given moment. You go for one sensory hook, be it smell or touch or hearing or taste, and use that as your gateway into your character's subconscious--making the experience Real for your character, for you, and for your reader.

As a technique, this is an invaluable tool to write flash fiction, and the first drafts of a short story or novel.

I used it in my collection A to Z Stories of Life and Death , and felt validated when some of the reviews and comments pointed towards the moving quality of some of the stories.
[image error]  Butler recommends the same method for short stories and novels.

He wants you to enter into a sort of dream-trance, and to try and reach for that genuine flash of sensory emotion, and write it down on index cards. Once you've generated as many index cards as you possibly can, he asks you to order them in a structure you think would create your story or novel. I've used this method, and it certainly beats pantsing it, which I tend to do, because in this case I can change/figure/ revise the structure during the index card stage, simply by moving the cards around and changing their position in the narrative.

I've read quite a bit of Butler's writing--you can see his methods in action, largely successful.

A word of caution, however: Butler's work lacks, in my humble opinion as a reader, a certain application of the mind.

It is a surfeit of the senses, but sometimes it leaves me wondering if there is a point to it all. I'm happy to be transported into the character's world, but then I want to know why I was taken there: for some sort of epiphany, a perspective on life, entertainment? And in Butler's writing, the answer is not always clear or forthcoming.

So I'm not sure I'll use Butler's method exclusively in all my writing--especially in the review and re-visioning drafts. This is because for me it is important that my writing not only move those who read my work, but also Resonate with them, make them Think as well as Feel.

But that said, dream-storming is a useful device to have in a writer's toolbox, especially in stories/ novels where the connection between a reader and your character is not only important, but absolutely crucial.

Have you used dream-storming in your writing before? If yes, did you find it useful?------   
Damyanti lives more in her head than in this world, adores her husband, and loves her pet fish and plants. She is an established writer for magazines and journals. Her short fiction has been published in the Quarterly Literary Review Singapore, Muse India and in print anthologies by Marshall Cavendish, Monsoon Books, and MPH publications. Her book, A to Z Stories of Life and Death, is available for download on Kindle, Smashwords, Nook, and Diesel.
Twitter: damyantig 
Website: http://amloki.com  
Blog: http://damyantiwrites.wordpress.com

Set Your Career Goals

When we start writing, we may simply want to write good stories, or get published somewhere. As we find our strengths, we narrow our focus. We like fiction or nonfiction, books or magazines, one genre or age range.
Writers need another kind of focus as well. Where do you want to go in your writing life? Do you want to make a steady income? Or is it more important to write what you love, regardless of the market? Do you care more about winning awards, or getting laughs from reluctant readers? In my next few posts, I'll talk about my personal journey, feature some other writers, and offer tips for setting your own goals.
From the beginning, my focus was professional. I got my MA degree in Professional Writing and Publishing and worked for magazines. For fun, I wrote a historical adventure set in Mayan times, The Well of Sacrifice (Clarion, 1999), which is still used by schools when they teach Mayan history. But after that I couldn't sell historical fiction.
I wrote for children because I loved it. But I also wanted to live off of my writing, not hold down another job and write on the side. I pursued articles, work for hire, teaching, anything that might pay the bills.
The jobs improved over time, both financially and in terms of enjoyment. I also got to work with editors and learn from their feedback. Ghostwriting a book about a popular girl sleuth taught me about cliffhanger endings. Writing fictionalized biographies on Jesse Owens and Milton Hershey let me practice fast-paced action and dialogue for young readers. Analyzing students' stories for the Institute of Children's Literature showed me vividly what worked and what didn't. Best of all, I could support myself through writing, teaching, and critiquing.
I kept working on my own projects as well. I developed a series about a brother and sister who travel with a ghost hunter TV show. It was fun to write, but it also hit the market—a quick, easy read for ages nine to 12, a contemporary story with a spooky supernatural element and some humor.
Aladdin paperbacks launched this series, Haunted, in 2009, with The Ghost on the Stairs . I wrote something I loved and made good money from it.
Unfortunately, the market changed, my editor lost an internal battle at the publisher, and the series got dropped (in other words, normal publishing upheavals). My editor became my agent, and together we brainstormed ideas that might hit the market. One of those is under development at a book packager.
I also started writing for adults, under the name Kris Bock. This was largely motivated by the fact that I wanted a change. I found myself reading more romantic suspense, while the middle grade novels sat on my shelf until I had to return them to the library. But I also considered my career. Genre fiction was, in general, selling better and paying more money than writing for children.
I didn't have to choose between what I wanted to do and what someone else might want to buy; the two matched. I did, however, study the genre, both by reading books in the genre with a critical eye and by studying advice on writing romance. I needed to make sure I hit the proper word count, used the required basic elements of the genre (such as a satisfying happy ending), and matched a tone and point of view that readers would find comfortable.
I also considered both my career and my preferences in terms of creating my "brand." As Kris Bock, I focus on action-packed adventures set in the Southwest, often (at least in part) in the wilderness.
So as I've shown, you don't have to choose between writing what you love and building your career. You can combine the two, although it may mean adjusting or adapting to the market. It's been a tough journey, with ups and downs over the years, and a lot of variety in the work I do: fiction and nonfiction, writing for children and adults, articles, books, teaching, critiquing, and more. But I enjoy it all, so it's worked for me.
Next week, I'll let some other authors share insight on their career decisions.

The Secret of Strong Characters

I'm deep in revisions, so I'll share a little more about the process. I know a lot of authors wind up cutting huge chunks of material during revisions, especially in earlier drafts. One of my critique clients had an excellent story that, to me, started too slowly. She took several chapters to set up a situation, and we didn't get to the main inciting incident for about 10 chapters. I suggested she cut a lot of the background and start closer to when this particular adventure started.
Here's an excerpt of her e-mail after she got my critique:
"One of the ways I can tell how right you were is that it was NOT hard for me to begin chopping swaths out of those first ten chapters. It's still probably not pared down as far as I'll get it, but instead of the school yard scene, and showing the boys building their business, I did as you suggested.... So the action in chapter 5 has been moved up to chapter 2."
I think many writers will identify with this process of cutting or trimming your opening scenes, which are often unnecessary background and set up – sometimes referred to as "throat clearing."
I had to do this more often in my early novels. But now I seem to have a different problem. I generally wind up adding material during revisions, and cutting very little. I'm more of a plot-oriented author than a character-focused one, and over the years I've learned to write a tight, action-packed plot. My goal now is to make the most of my character, and that often means getting deeper into her head, sharing more of her thoughts, and adding material.
Typically I already have plenty of action. What I need is more reaction. I need to let the character think about the situation, worry, get excited, hope, plan – something that keeps the reader connected to the character, so they care about her and her plight and don't feel like they're just watching a bunch of stuff happen to a stranger.
Including this reaction lets us get to know the character much better. It can also increase tension, by showing what the character really wants or fears. It ups the stakes by showing us how important the situation is.
Even if your stories are more character-driven, and you think you know your character well, consider checking your work to see if you are properly showing reaction. Often I find that writers skip over this. The author knows how his character feels, and why she's reacting that way, but doesn't put it on the page, because it seems obvious – but it's only obvious to the author.
Make sure you're giving your character a chance to react, and you're more likely to have fascinating characters, a dramatic plot, and rapt readers.
I go into more detail in my article "How to Write Vivid Scenes" in Advanced Plotting . See my critique rates and recommendations in the right-hand column or e-mail me through my website.

What Can You Learn from Revisions?

I'm revising a romantic suspense novel and, in an example of "doctor heal thyself," using the Plot Outline Exercise in my Advanced Plotting book to analyze what I have so far and what I still need to do. These are final revisions, so I'm not making a lot of plot changes at this point, but I'm drawing more out of the heroine and giving her some epiphanies, which is deepening both her character arc and the theme.
After doing the Plot Outline Exercise, I started studying the essay on Plotting like a Screenwriter by my brother, Doug Eboch. He discusses the Dramatic Question and how the character should have a dilemma. Since this novel is more of a "woman in peril" story in the style of Mary Stewart and Barbara Michaels, where the main character doesn't realize at first that she's stumbling into a dangerous situation, I had to ask myself about her initial dilemma. Some creepy and mysterious things happen in the first third of the book, but she's not yet actively trying to solve a specific problem, since she doesn't know what the problem is.
Still, she does start the story with an initial dilemma, based on her back story. She's recovering from an attack and the subsequent abandonment by her boyfriend, who couldn't handle the situation. She's trying to overcome her instinctive fears, find her independence, and ease herself back into normal life, including opening up to the chance of new love.
So the Dramatic Question doesn't on the surface have anything to do with the villains who are causing trouble. Rather it's, "Will Kiley be able to face her fears and embrace life again?" The bad guys do provide obstacles, though, by tricking (betraying) her and exposing her to dangerous and frightening situations. This is the external journey that reveals her internal journey. If she can handle these troubles, she'll have proven to herself that she can face her fears and live normally again.
For this novel, at this stage of revisions, following Doug's advice about plotting structure just means noticing and emphasizing certain points. For example, he discusses the Midpoint. In a  movie with a happy ending, the Midpoint echoes that ending with a moment of seeming success (to be followed by a major setback and Moment of Apparent Failure at the Act 2 Break).
I looked over my plot outline and saw that I had good midpoints for both the action plot and the romance, conveniently in consecutive chapters close to the middle of the novel. I could emphasize these successes by having Kiley acknowledged them more. She's starting to recognize the bad guy and decides to cut ties with him. She also starts to realize the strength of her feelings for the hero. These successes will be balanced by the failures at the Act 2 Break, where the bad guy drags her back into trouble, and where she thinks the hero may have been killed. By having Kiley more aware of her feelings at the midpoint, it raises the stakes. She recognizes that she wants the hero and will lose something important if she doesn't get him.
These aren't major, obvious changes. I suspect that if I gave the new draft back to my critique group, they wouldn't even notice what I've done. But I bet it will make a difference in the emotional power of the novel.
By exploring my story through revisions, using analytical tools to help me dig deeper, I learned more about my main character, and I can help her learn more about herself – resulting in a more powerful experience for the reader.

Douglas J. Eboch is a writer, screenwriter and director, best known for writing the original screenplay for Sweet Home Alabama . He contributed a fabulous essay to Advanced Plotting , and he has a great screenwriting blog called Let's Schmooze, where I find lots of helpful advice for novelists as well. He has also written creative content for a Facebook game called Nightmare Cove, an interactive horror story game. Log into your Facebook account and play it now!

Advanced Plotting is designed for the intermediate and advanced writer. If you struggle with plot or suspect your plotting needs work, this book can help. Use the Plot Outline Exercise to identify and fix plot weaknesses. Learn how to get off to a fast start, prop up a sagging middle, build to a climax, improve your pacing, and more.

Chris also writes romantic suspense as by Kris Bock. Visit www.krisbock.com to learn about her book Rattled , and to read the first three chapters.

Writing Humor with Greg Fishbone, author of the Galaxy Games series

Today my special guest is Greg Fishbone, who is launching his latest book, Galaxy Games: The Challengers , with a month-long blog tour.

CE: You write middle grade humor. Were you a funny kid?
GF: I wasn't the class clown or anything but I did enjoy making people laugh, especially my sister and my parents. At one point, I had a phonebook-sized book of jokes that I pretty much memorized, even though most of them were pretty horrible. What followed was a long process of figuring out how the jokes worked and how I could make them better. I think I was a humor scientist, more than anything else. Slap a joke onto a dissection tray, slice it open, and try not to blow up the lab.
CE: What's the value of funny books? Do you try to use humor to convey more serious information or messages, or is the humor valuable enough on its own?
GF: When I have something important for the reader to think about, it will tend to happen outside the humor or as a counterpoint to the humor. For a middle grade readership, the best thing is to use humor as the envelope that a message comes in--but only after the reader has opened a bunch of other humor envelopes with nothing inside but more humor. If there's a heavy message in every envelope, the reader will stop opening them.  
CE: Does the humor just come naturally to you, or do you have techniques for finding the funny?
GF: Humor is a lot like dancing. It's a lot of hard work to do it right but it has to seem easy and natural. After a lot of practice, I can write funny stories fairly well, but I'm still working on the macarena.

Sometimes you can actually make a story funnier by taking jokes out of it or by delaying them for a bigger payoff. It's about figuring out the rhythms and beats that work best with your own style, but it feels good when it really clicks.
CE: Do you have any other advice for writers who might want to add more humor to their work?
GF: 
Develop an ear for humor;Don't try too hard to be funny; Don't try to mimic another person's humor style when you can develop your own; Don't force humor on your readers; and Don't be afraid to sprinkle humor into a story that's not strictly a humor story. CE: Thank you, Greg! Readers, if you'd like to know more about Galaxy Games, you can read sample chapters online or check out the book trailer. If you're gathering puzzle pieces, today's is below.
The Galaxy Games series is written by Greg R. Fishbone and published by the Tu Books imprint of Lee & Low Books. In this hilarious middle-grade romp through space, eleven-year-old Tyler Sato leads a team of kids representing all of Earth in a sports tournament against alien kids from across the galaxy.