Mia Darien's Blog, page 32

The Curse of the Was's

Recently, I've learned that I have a very bad writing habit. It is one of my greatest flaws as an author, and that is the habit of being too passive in sentences that should be active. For example: "I was running towards her" instead of "I ran towards her." As I've become painfully aware of it in my own writing, I've begun to see it in that of others.

It seems to be a human habit, really. Why is that, I have to wonder. Do we feel the need to over-qualify our statements, make them less definitive, so that they do not offend? (Perhaps that is just the reason for my own habit of it. I don't know.)

Whatever the reason, it's something to watch out for. It's not always avoidable, of course, but whenever possible, we writers should always try to be active and definitive. It's quite all right to do so! In fact, it's better because it engages the reader's senses and imagination more. And as writers, we should always aim to do that as much as possible.

You want to tell a story and draw your reader as deeply in as you can, which means making them go along with your characters; making them feel it too.

Don't give into passivity. Much like it's good for the body to be active, it's good for the story too!

Newsletter & Mailing List

I now have a mailing list/newsletter! It's through YahooGroups and is meant to be more than just a newsletter. Fellow writers and fans alike are welcome to join, and discussions are also welcome as long as everyone plays nice and keeps it roughly on topic. As this is new, I don't yet have any mailings but please, feel free to sign up and get updates and fun stuff right in your inbox!

You can find the link to it on the Contact Mia page here on the blog, or by going here. Enjoy!

Anniversary in "Wake Up Dead"

I'm pleased to announce that my story Anniversary is going to be featured in a zombie stories print anthology, coming out in January, from Crowded Quarantine Publications!

It's presently available for free in ebook form, but this will be in print and along side other zombie stories in Wake Up Dead. I am excited about this, and look forward to seeing what company my little tale of the Zombie Apocalypse (ten years later) keeps!

Inferiority Complex

The world is divided into the Us and Them mentality. It always has been and I suppose that it always will be, but it's perpetual existence doesn't make it any the less frustrating when you feel like you're being thrust into it when you didn't ask to be.

What am I talking about, and what does this have to do with writing? In this instance, I mean the debate between traditional publishing and self-publishing. I'm talking about how those involved in traditional (which can mean print or digital) publishing world have the tendency to look down their noses at those who self-publish. Or feel we need to be "schooled" because of it.

In their defense, because let it never be said that I don't try to be fair minded, there are a lot of self-published authors out there who created a stereotype that the rest of us have to live with. And everyone does have the right to their opinion.

Still, it frustrates me to feel like I'm put in the category of being either greedy, lazy, impatient or egotistical. That I chose to self publish because I wasn't willing to put up with the pounds of rejection that usually come before success in the world of traditional publishing, or that I just want lots of money.

There are many writers out there who fit that mold, but I don't think you should ever paint an entire group with one brush. There are many skilled authors out there choosing self-publishing for a variety of legitimate reasons.

I know that I carefully weighed pros and cons with each decision. I'm choosing to do both. Some books are submitted for consideration to publishing houses, while others I'm choosing to self-publish. I make the decision based on the book, and on a long lists of reasons each way.

Much like in my last post, where the acts of some might diminish us all, I will say that I hope those who do self-publish do so for the same good reasons and not the stereotyped ones, so that we might climb out from under the stigma. Write good stories. Edit. Consider your choices carefully, and choose the path that best suits you and your book.

Ultimately, this post is only to say to the world – or at least anyone who is reading this – that we all judge books by their covers, but let us not judge all writers and authors the same way!

An Ebook for the Holidays!

While I continue to work assiduously behind the scenes on other exciting stories, I've released a new free eread for you to enjoy. Ever wonder what A Christmas Carol would have been like with robots? Find out!

 Available Now

Grace Under Pressure

Anyone who knows me knows that I'm a big fan of Dancing with the Stars.

One of my biggest take-aways from the show each season is learning who has class, and who doesn't. Every season, we start anew but then the judges start talking. Some people can handle it and others whine. They say the judges were so mean, etc., but haven't they ever seen the show? They knew what might be coming. It's just because it wasn't praise, but you knew the deal going in.

Like this most recent season, I did not want to like Nancy Grace. I still don't, precisely, but I admire that she handled herself with grace (I know, pun) and class. The judges criticized her, but she put on that plastic professional smile and she took it. And I haven't seen articles with her whining about it now.

Hope Solo, on the other hand, made it to fourth but whined about the judging for most of the time. I can't say I have come out of this season with a lot of respect for her.

The winner, however, takes the cake. I could go on and on about J. R. Martinez and just how highly I think of him, but here's the important thing: he was classy. Even when the judges came down hard, he smiled and said: "I know, I screwed up. I accept that." And he moved on, worked harder and did better.

What does this have to do with writing?

Handle rejection with class, people!

I read tweets and articles from reviewers and editors talking about when they reject a manuscript or give a bad review, how some of the authors reply. How can you be so utterly graceless? When you publish, you put it out there. It's subjective. Not everyone will adore it, but if you can't handle it, then you need to step off.

Don't flame editors because they don't bow down at your feet. I've gotten a lot of rejections. It hurts. Some of them annoyed me for particular reasons, but I was always very nice in my replies. Thank people for their time and move on. Keep working. Do better. And keep trying.

Don't burn bridges, because people can have long memories for those who insult them. If you anger an editor at one publishing house, they aren't likely to ever want to work with you in the future. Who can blame them? You just set yourself up as a troublesome writer and no one wants to walk into a mess.

It's a graceless age, I've heard. But it doesn't have to be. Writers? Don't be classless. It hurts us all.

New Free Ebook!

The short story The Price was released on Smashwords tonight, for free! Check out this sci-fi romance!

Free at Smashwords!

Quality Not Required… For Now!

Oh dear me, I had managed to post a lot sooner than this but I have been struck by this absolutely feverish pace of NaNoWriMo writing, and I'd say that my obsessive nature is finally paying off for something. I'm at 40,000 words and it's only the 14th. If I can keep up this pace, I could have met the 50,000 word challenge at just about mid-month.

I am fully aware that it's certain not 40,000 good words. It will probably be the roughest thing I've written since I started writing more than ten years ago and will take a lot, a lot, a lot of editing to make it half-decent, but I'm okay with that.

What have I learned about NaNo so far?

Well, for someone who writes as much as I do, joining this project might have seemed a little silly, but it's given me a hard-set goal, which I like, but more importantly it has given me permission to, well, suck. The point is to just write. Don't stop to worry about how it sounds now, or revise as you go. Just write and write and write!

As a compulsive fixer, writing stories can take me a while because I'm always second guessing my words. This experience has given me permission to write lousy stuff, so long as I actually write it. It's made me remember that there's no shame in heavy editing later, but it's getting that first draft done that's important.

This is not a lesson I've learned very well. I used to be able to do it, but then something happened and I started doubting myself and it severely impacted my writing. I've been getting past that more recently, but NaNo is cementing a very important lesson for me, and for any other writers who have similar issues.

The moral of the story is that as long as your basic idea and characters are sound, the initial prose does not have to be perfect when it hits the page. The words just need to get out there, and you can fix it later. For now, don't worry about it, and just write!

In the Trenches

NaNoWriMo began four days ago. *cracks knuckles* I set myself a word count to meet daily, which I'm sure it a tactic that many people are employing. To be particular, you have to write 1666.666666666667 words per day to write 50,000 in thirty days. To give myself a little margin, and not be completely neurotic, I'm making myself write 1700 words or more.

I have even given my husband permission to get on my case. He's asking me how many words I've written at the end of each day and murmuring in disapproval if I "only" write my minimum. It is remarkably effective! I've also given myself a little extra incentive and told myself that if I meet the NaNo challenge, I'm allowed to give myself my World of Warcraft account back. (Long story.)

So! I've been cracking right along and have met or exceeded my personal requirements. I am at 8306 words here on Day Four. Given everything I have going on elsewhere in life, not the least of which being an active twenty month old little boy, I'm fairly pleased with myself about this!

Now, I'm an outliner. Some folks write by the seat of their pants by nature, some do that for NaNo. I outline all my stories. I had a full outline for a story, but had been struggling with actually writing it. That's why I chose it for NaNo. But now looking at how far in my outline I've gotten compared to word count… I'm a little worried my story may not make 50K, even if I finish it!

Yikes! What is a girl to do? Well, if I finish the outline, whether I meet 50K or not, I do a happy dance. I guess then, perhaps, I'll go back and revise and expand – do those things that I cannot let myself do now. See if that works up the word count. Or maybe I'll just start another story and tack that on! Ha!

But… all that being said… there's no reason to not be optimistic. These first few scenes were tricky because of the things that can and can't be revealed yet, but as I am able to reveal more, more can be written so that scenes to come will likely be longer. So maybe I will make 50K. Either way, just have to keep pushing forward.

Good luck to all the other NaNoWriMo crazies out there!

First Impressions

I'm not sure where I read this, but I read once that the first line of a story has to "grab the reader by the lapels and hold them until the story is over" and that's always stuck with me. Another good quote is from The West Wing: "An artist's job is to captivate you for however long we've asked for your attention."

The first line of your story is incredibly important, and the first few pages follow this. Of course, you need to have a captivating tale over all, but if you can't get a hold of your reader in that first line and those first pages, they aren't going to give the rest of your book a chance, unless they are really dedicated.

We've all been there, as readers. I always try my hardest to finish every book that I begin, but if those first pages don't grab me, then it gets harder and harder to get through it.

First impressions are important in life, but unlike a person, it is harder for a book to get that second chance. A reader has chosen to read your book as a form of entertainment, as an escape. If you can't show them that that's what you will give then, then they will move onto something that will.

The first step is the hardest and when it comes to writing, this is why. There is so much importance on that opening. You have to set up your plot and characters, and you have to capture your reader. Your opening is sort of like a loop of rope on the ground and your reader is the unexpected adventurer that you need to hoist into the air!

And I bet if someone wants to start a story with an adventurer getting caught in the old rope trap then you might have a way to get your reader hooked. Just make sure the rest of the story keeps them there, and you're all set.