Jessica Nelson's Blog, page 9
October 29, 2012
Some Useful and Rather Unmild Advice
WOW.
I read the article below and I was nodding and cringing at the same time. Nevertheless, I believe this post by author Russell Blake is a must-read for writers.
http://russellblake.com/in-praise-of-bad-writing/
Personally, I'm a fan of having a character arc. Which guideline (aka rule) will you probably always follow?
I read the article below and I was nodding and cringing at the same time. Nevertheless, I believe this post by author Russell Blake is a must-read for writers.
http://russellblake.com/in-praise-of-bad-writing/
Personally, I'm a fan of having a character arc. Which guideline (aka rule) will you probably always follow?
October 22, 2012
Conscious and Subconscious Action
About a year ago I watched The Book of Eli, a futuristic/post-apocalyptic type movie that really fascinated me. I highly recommend it!
The main character, Eli, in particular was intriguing.
As I watched, I realized how deeply his characterization was based in subconscious and conscious action. The actor (I think it was Denzel Washington?) pulled off the characterization and hooked the viewer by using the smallest details to portray emotion.
The writers or producer or maybe it was the actor himself used subconscious and conscious action to make the character come alive.
For example, in the movie Eli is traveling when he hears screams. He hides behind something and mutters to himself over and over, "There's nothing I can do." This is a conscious action not to help. He is choosing to remove himself from the situation. His repetition is subconscious though. He's trying to convince himself that it's true...or he's trying to comfort himself. Either way, we feel the weight of his guilt.
Later in the movie, a female protagonist enters the story. She is also almost raped and this time Eli helps her. When she cries, he moves forward and then stops himself. When she hugs him, the camera pans in and I notice he does NOT hug her back. Those are subconscious actions that reflect his internal turmoil.
When we create characters in situations, these tiny details will really show who a character is. The details themselves may not be noticed by a reader or viewer, but their impact is felt.
How do you use gestures and thoughts to deepen your character? How would you describe your main character, and how do you reinforce that personality/character trait in each scene? Do you have any specific quirks or impulses that appear in your daily life and give a clue to who you are?
The main character, Eli, in particular was intriguing.
As I watched, I realized how deeply his characterization was based in subconscious and conscious action. The actor (I think it was Denzel Washington?) pulled off the characterization and hooked the viewer by using the smallest details to portray emotion.
The writers or producer or maybe it was the actor himself used subconscious and conscious action to make the character come alive.
For example, in the movie Eli is traveling when he hears screams. He hides behind something and mutters to himself over and over, "There's nothing I can do." This is a conscious action not to help. He is choosing to remove himself from the situation. His repetition is subconscious though. He's trying to convince himself that it's true...or he's trying to comfort himself. Either way, we feel the weight of his guilt.
Later in the movie, a female protagonist enters the story. She is also almost raped and this time Eli helps her. When she cries, he moves forward and then stops himself. When she hugs him, the camera pans in and I notice he does NOT hug her back. Those are subconscious actions that reflect his internal turmoil.
When we create characters in situations, these tiny details will really show who a character is. The details themselves may not be noticed by a reader or viewer, but their impact is felt.
How do you use gestures and thoughts to deepen your character? How would you describe your main character, and how do you reinforce that personality/character trait in each scene? Do you have any specific quirks or impulses that appear in your daily life and give a clue to who you are?
October 15, 2012
Diving Into Edits
So I finally, finally finished writing the rough draft of my new historical romance. Talk about forever!
But it's done and now I need to jump into edits.
Some things I'll be looking at:
Dialogue: Is it necessary to the story? Does it deepen tension or reveal something? Is it natural sounding?
Pacing: Are my scenes similar in length? Does the story grow progressively more taut or is there a sagging middle?
Historical facts: Is my research good enough? Do my characters sound like they live in 1920 America?
Scene setting: Are my scenes clear? Did I involve all five senses?
What do you look for when editing? Care to add anything to my list?
But it's done and now I need to jump into edits.
Some things I'll be looking at:
Dialogue: Is it necessary to the story? Does it deepen tension or reveal something? Is it natural sounding?
Pacing: Are my scenes similar in length? Does the story grow progressively more taut or is there a sagging middle?
Historical facts: Is my research good enough? Do my characters sound like they live in 1920 America?
Scene setting: Are my scenes clear? Did I involve all five senses?
What do you look for when editing? Care to add anything to my list?
October 8, 2012
Giveaway Winner and a Kid Who Takes After His Momma
Congrats to Loree Huebner!! You won the giveaway for an autographed copy of Stacy Henrie's debut historical Lady Outlaw. Send me your snail mail and we'll get that out to you.
jessica_nelson7590 AT yahoodot COM
And now here's my youngest with a request that mirrors my own (although his asking skills need some work).
Ever wanted something so bad you threw a little fit to get it?
jessica_nelson7590 AT yahoodot COM
And now here's my youngest with a request that mirrors my own (although his asking skills need some work).
Ever wanted something so bad you threw a little fit to get it?
October 1, 2012
The Irascible WIP
I have maybe 3k left to finish my WIP and I'm going nuts.
This manuscript has taken me almost a year to write and I'm not sure I have a good excuse for it. Sure, I've had a lot of things happen in the last year but there were also times I was just lazy. *cringe*
What is driving you nuts today? Is there anything you can do to change it?
This manuscript has taken me almost a year to write and I'm not sure I have a good excuse for it. Sure, I've had a lot of things happen in the last year but there were also times I was just lazy. *cringe*
What is driving you nuts today? Is there anything you can do to change it?
September 24, 2012
The So-What? Factor
I ran across a great article the other day HERE.
It mentions a bunch of cool things but a particular idea caught my attention. It's the SO WHAT factor.
From the post:
"It's easy to confuse concept with plot, and that's not it. Because that leaves out something that Lisa Cron's recent book WIRED FOR STORY calls the "'so what?' factor." She goes on to explain that the "so what?" factor is what clues a reader in on the point of the story, the relevance of everything that happens in it, what the story is about."
Basically, why should we care? Empathy is SO important in books. I think empathy and curiosity are the two biggest things that will keep a reader turning pages.
If you've got a WIP, check out your first page and ask yourself if it piques curiosity or empathy.
Think of a book you couldn't put down. What kept you reading? How can you work that "So What" relevance into your WIP?
FYI Love On The Range is on sale at Amazon for only $3.77 today!! (cheaper than the e-book)
It mentions a bunch of cool things but a particular idea caught my attention. It's the SO WHAT factor.
From the post:
"It's easy to confuse concept with plot, and that's not it. Because that leaves out something that Lisa Cron's recent book WIRED FOR STORY calls the "'so what?' factor." She goes on to explain that the "so what?" factor is what clues a reader in on the point of the story, the relevance of everything that happens in it, what the story is about."
Basically, why should we care? Empathy is SO important in books. I think empathy and curiosity are the two biggest things that will keep a reader turning pages.
If you've got a WIP, check out your first page and ask yourself if it piques curiosity or empathy.
Think of a book you couldn't put down. What kept you reading? How can you work that "So What" relevance into your WIP?
FYI Love On The Range is on sale at Amazon for only $3.77 today!! (cheaper than the e-book)
September 19, 2012
Review/Giveaway For Lady Outlaw by Stacy Henrie
I am finishing up Stacy Henrie's debut Lady Outlaw! The first things that drew me to this story were the cover and the premise. Stacy created a heroine who steals from thieves in order to make her ranch payments. But then along comes this handsome stranger in need of a job (read our Hero) and the heroine begins reconsidering how she supplements her living, especially when she finds out about the Hero's past. His gentle ways and faith in God affect her too.
So far I'm enjoying the story. The premise is unique and I love that the heroine is so completely imperfect. I find internal sins a lot in Christian books (attitude, pride, etc) but rarely do I see such blatant external wrongdoing. It's a nice change and makes for a strong character arc. Stacy is a good writer and I'm looking forward to reading more of her books! Hopefully the covers will be as awesome too!
Today Stacy is graciously offering a signed copy of her book. Leave a comment to be entered in the giveaway!
Question: What hooks you hardest, first page or premise?
September 17, 2012
September 12, 2012
Nancy Drew is Back...And She's Hawaiian
I'm so excited to announce the release of Cheryl Linn Martin's debut middle grade mystery series, The Hawaiian Island Detective club!
Any kids who like mysteries in exotic settings are going to love this series. The first book is Pineapples In Peril. Cheryl's writing is crisp and suspenseful. Her characters are loveable. Leilani is the Nancy Drew of the series. She has a thirst to solve mysteries and lets nothing stop her, not even her pestering little brother, Kimo. I'm looking forward to reading all the books in Cheryl's series!
You can find Cheryl at her website, her blog, Facebook and Twitter.
Do you write or read Middle Grade fiction? Have any questions for Cheryl?
September 10, 2012
Learning From the Indies
I learned a cool little trick the other day.
I'm on a self-pub loop mostly for information's sake. Times are changing and it's good for authors to be aware of what's going on, what works, what doesn't work, etc. Writing for publication isn't just an art, but a business.
Anyway, I found out Amazon likes to match prices, so when my book Love On The Range went on sale at Harlequin for $3.45, guess what I did?
*grin* I told Amazon! And sure enough, about a week later, my Amazon price started dropping lower and lower. It was a fun experiment and good to know for the future.
Have you learned any cool tidbits recently?
Oh, and on Wednesday I'll be hosting my fabulous critique partner Cheryl Linn Martin. She's a middle grade writer whose first series is fixing to release. If you love Nancy Drew and have kids who like mysteries, Pineapples in Peril is for them!
I'm on a self-pub loop mostly for information's sake. Times are changing and it's good for authors to be aware of what's going on, what works, what doesn't work, etc. Writing for publication isn't just an art, but a business.
Anyway, I found out Amazon likes to match prices, so when my book Love On The Range went on sale at Harlequin for $3.45, guess what I did?
*grin* I told Amazon! And sure enough, about a week later, my Amazon price started dropping lower and lower. It was a fun experiment and good to know for the future.
Have you learned any cool tidbits recently?
Oh, and on Wednesday I'll be hosting my fabulous critique partner Cheryl Linn Martin. She's a middle grade writer whose first series is fixing to release. If you love Nancy Drew and have kids who like mysteries, Pineapples in Peril is for them!
