Jade Varden's Blog, page 16
March 29, 2015
There Are No Rules Underwater
"We begin the most amazing ride with Brenna."
"I have read several mermaid books. This one is nothing like any of them. The rules have changed."
"Song of the Sea" has been reviewed at Happy Tails and Tales. Read the review to find out which rating the reviewer gave me!
Get a peek at "Song of the Sea," and find out where you can get a copy.
"I have read several mermaid books. This one is nothing like any of them. The rules have changed."
"Song of the Sea" has been reviewed at Happy Tails and Tales. Read the review to find out which rating the reviewer gave me!
Get a peek at "Song of the Sea," and find out where you can get a copy.
March 28, 2015
Under the Waves
"Varden balances the teenage voice without having it shallow or stereotypical, but she also manages to capture the tone and experiences of being fifteen and discovering love, losing a parent, and trying to work out a place in the world."
"There is suspense and surprises, and tiny moments of joy that make this a fantastic fantasy adventure and one that will manage to warm and break your heart at the same time."
The newest review for "Song of the Sea" is up at Lost in a Good Book! Read the whole review to find out what's happening under the waves.
Visit the Free Book Stuff area to get downloads and samples for "Song of the Sea." Don't forget to get your copy of "Song of the Sea" at Amazon!
"There is suspense and surprises, and tiny moments of joy that make this a fantastic fantasy adventure and one that will manage to warm and break your heart at the same time."
The newest review for "Song of the Sea" is up at Lost in a Good Book! Read the whole review to find out what's happening under the waves.
Visit the Free Book Stuff area to get downloads and samples for "Song of the Sea." Don't forget to get your copy of "Song of the Sea" at Amazon!
March 26, 2015
Writing 101 Redux: Colons and Semicolons
When you're writing a book, the simple period and comma aren't always enough. Sometimes, you have to start using somewhat fancier punctuation -- like colons, semicolons and ellipsis. Today's TBT Writing 101 will help you remember how to use them perfectly.
Perfect punctuation is important in every book, because (trust me) some reviewer is going to notice the first colon you put in the wrong place. Learn how to use colons and semicolons the right way, and you can do a lot more with your sentences. Read all about it in this throwback Writing 101.
Perfect punctuation is important in every book, because (trust me) some reviewer is going to notice the first colon you put in the wrong place. Learn how to use colons and semicolons the right way, and you can do a lot more with your sentences. Read all about it in this throwback Writing 101.
March 25, 2015
Writing 101: The Neverending Series
No matter how you might feel about the books, you know you wouldn't mind writing something with Twilight-like popularity. You wouldn't mind having a popular series like The Hunger Games, probably, just like most authors. Writing a series is great. It allows you spend some time in a certain world, gives you the chance to really develop your characters and could even become a hugely successful movie franchise. But writing a series can also turn into a trap. This is the good side and the really ugly side of a neverending series of books.
This is the Series That Doesn't End
Sometimes, a book series can become much bigger than the author ever expected. The character in the series, the series itself, becomes much bigger than the author. Like, way bigger. Some book series don't end. Like, ever.
Don't believe me? Try getting into the "Deathlands." That series has 135 books in it -- at last count, anyway. The "Fortune's Children" series, a family saga, has at least 69 books in it and it's only been around since 1996.
Ever read "The Baby Sitter's Club?" I did, but I know I didn't read all 207 books in the series. Can you begin to imagine writing about the same characters for 207 books? I'm not sure I could even do it for 7 books.
But even that is nothing compared to the combined powers of "The Hardy Boys" and "Nancy Drew." Together, their stories encompass a mind-blowing 616 books. They're written by all different authors, of course. Most people have no idea who the original author of "Nancy Drew" was...and don't care.
Some book series become bigger than a single author and literally span generations. An author who starts such a series has a certain amount of job security -- okay, a lot of job security -- and has the opportunity to build a strong fan base. That's great.
But an author writing such a series may soon feel trapped by that series. Within a series, you pretty much have to follow a certain structure and focus on certain characters. After all, what's a Nancy Drew book without Nancy Drew? Writing about the same stuff over and over again gets stifling, particularly for authors who write in different genres. And then one day, the original author of the series is no longer writing those books so someone else takes over. They take your creation, and they begin to write it. That's what happens with book series that don't end, like Nancy Drew.
For some authors, that's a bonus. That's a legacy that's left behind, and still growing. But for other authors, that's a bit insulting. The neverending series has a good side and a bad side. Examine both before you attempt to write one.
This is the Series That Doesn't End
Sometimes, a book series can become much bigger than the author ever expected. The character in the series, the series itself, becomes much bigger than the author. Like, way bigger. Some book series don't end. Like, ever.
Don't believe me? Try getting into the "Deathlands." That series has 135 books in it -- at last count, anyway. The "Fortune's Children" series, a family saga, has at least 69 books in it and it's only been around since 1996.
Ever read "The Baby Sitter's Club?" I did, but I know I didn't read all 207 books in the series. Can you begin to imagine writing about the same characters for 207 books? I'm not sure I could even do it for 7 books.
But even that is nothing compared to the combined powers of "The Hardy Boys" and "Nancy Drew." Together, their stories encompass a mind-blowing 616 books. They're written by all different authors, of course. Most people have no idea who the original author of "Nancy Drew" was...and don't care.
Some book series become bigger than a single author and literally span generations. An author who starts such a series has a certain amount of job security -- okay, a lot of job security -- and has the opportunity to build a strong fan base. That's great.
But an author writing such a series may soon feel trapped by that series. Within a series, you pretty much have to follow a certain structure and focus on certain characters. After all, what's a Nancy Drew book without Nancy Drew? Writing about the same stuff over and over again gets stifling, particularly for authors who write in different genres. And then one day, the original author of the series is no longer writing those books so someone else takes over. They take your creation, and they begin to write it. That's what happens with book series that don't end, like Nancy Drew.
For some authors, that's a bonus. That's a legacy that's left behind, and still growing. But for other authors, that's a bit insulting. The neverending series has a good side and a bad side. Examine both before you attempt to write one.
March 24, 2015
Writing 101: Update Your Outline
My struggles with my current manuscript have been well documented. I tried to push my way through writer's block, discovered that I needed to change the story, erased a ton of stuff...and then, I promptly got stuck again. But recently, I discovered the problem and ended up unlocking an ongoing problem I have with my writing. Maybe you've got the same one. Ask yourself a question: do you update your outline?
Writing Inside the Lines
I start every book with a lot of ideas about how I'm going to write it. I sit and plan out every single chapter, not in great detail but in some detail, and then I start to write. And inevitably, all that stuff I planned ends up changing. Characters end up being different people than I imagined, events unfold in ways I didn't expect, new things happen that I never planned for. I go with it, of course, because good things can happen this way. But I don't go back and update the outline...and that ended up causing me some big problems.
It's okay to go off the outline. I do it all the time. Sometimes, you have to let the story go the way that it wants to go. But it's also easy to get totally derailed when you have no support structure whatsoever to guide you along, and I found this out the hard way. Failing to update my outline has never hurt me badly in the past; I have always managed to complete books. But with my latest manuscript, it kept me from getting anything done for a couple of weeks.
I wasn't writing anything because I didn't know what to write, and it took me too long to figure that out. I was way outside of my old structure, having scrapped much of the original idea I had in mind, and I was lost. Once I updated the outline and gave myself a new structure, I was able to get back to writing the darned book.
The moral of the story is clear: update your outline, because it's going to change. If you don't make the updates when you need to, you might end up wasting time...like me.
Writing Inside the Lines
I start every book with a lot of ideas about how I'm going to write it. I sit and plan out every single chapter, not in great detail but in some detail, and then I start to write. And inevitably, all that stuff I planned ends up changing. Characters end up being different people than I imagined, events unfold in ways I didn't expect, new things happen that I never planned for. I go with it, of course, because good things can happen this way. But I don't go back and update the outline...and that ended up causing me some big problems.
It's okay to go off the outline. I do it all the time. Sometimes, you have to let the story go the way that it wants to go. But it's also easy to get totally derailed when you have no support structure whatsoever to guide you along, and I found this out the hard way. Failing to update my outline has never hurt me badly in the past; I have always managed to complete books. But with my latest manuscript, it kept me from getting anything done for a couple of weeks.
I wasn't writing anything because I didn't know what to write, and it took me too long to figure that out. I was way outside of my old structure, having scrapped much of the original idea I had in mind, and I was lost. Once I updated the outline and gave myself a new structure, I was able to get back to writing the darned book.
The moral of the story is clear: update your outline, because it's going to change. If you don't make the updates when you need to, you might end up wasting time...like me.
March 23, 2015
Writing 101: The Danger of Doubting Yourself
For me, it almost always follows the same pattern. At the beginning of the book, I’m excited. I’m writing everything the way it’s supposed to written, it’s all flowing well. Then, I get to some intense scene. And I start to wonder. Should that character be killed? Should that scene be here? Should these two kiss right now? There’s a lot of danger in doubting yourself, and I know. It happens to me all the time.
Self Doubt
I ask a lot of questions. It's how I come up with a lot of my ideas, but sometimes it take a turn for the dark side. Sometimes, I start asking myself questions after I've already started working on a project. I'll get to asking questions, and instead of writing I'm fooling around with my outline and erasing paragraphs and doing new research. This is what self doubt does to me. Self doubt is different for everyone, but it almost always has the same effect: it keeps you from writing well.
That's why I always start with an outline and give myself a structure, because I know I'll stray off the path and off the page at every possible opportunity. Writing can be frightening. Putting a book out there is scary. Self doubt is a lot easier, but in the end it feels a lot worse. It's good to ask questions, from time to time, but self doubt is dangerous. It will keep you from writing the way you need to write, and even may prevent you from writing at all.
So stop. Stick to the story, stick to the writing, and stop worrying about all the other stuff. The danger of doubting yourself is this: you'll spend so much time doing it, you won't get anything else done -- and even when you do, you won't enjoy it. You are going to make mistakes no matter how much you doubt, so don't waste your time. Just write what you want to write, and you can feel good about doing that.
Self Doubt
I ask a lot of questions. It's how I come up with a lot of my ideas, but sometimes it take a turn for the dark side. Sometimes, I start asking myself questions after I've already started working on a project. I'll get to asking questions, and instead of writing I'm fooling around with my outline and erasing paragraphs and doing new research. This is what self doubt does to me. Self doubt is different for everyone, but it almost always has the same effect: it keeps you from writing well.
That's why I always start with an outline and give myself a structure, because I know I'll stray off the path and off the page at every possible opportunity. Writing can be frightening. Putting a book out there is scary. Self doubt is a lot easier, but in the end it feels a lot worse. It's good to ask questions, from time to time, but self doubt is dangerous. It will keep you from writing the way you need to write, and even may prevent you from writing at all.
So stop. Stick to the story, stick to the writing, and stop worrying about all the other stuff. The danger of doubting yourself is this: you'll spend so much time doing it, you won't get anything else done -- and even when you do, you won't enjoy it. You are going to make mistakes no matter how much you doubt, so don't waste your time. Just write what you want to write, and you can feel good about doing that.
March 19, 2015
Writing 101 Redux: Tense
If you get tense over your tenses when you're writing, today's Throwback Thursday post was made for you.
It's don't-be-so-tense-about-tense Thursday, and I'm celebrating with this Writing 101 all about it. Relax. Tense isn't so hard when you know more about it.
It's don't-be-so-tense-about-tense Thursday, and I'm celebrating with this Writing 101 all about it. Relax. Tense isn't so hard when you know more about it.
March 18, 2015
Writing 101: Everyone's Opinion is Subjective
Beta readers. Reviewers. Your good friend. That writers group you joined. A lot of people are going to give you a lot of opinions about your book. They'll ask questions and tell you what they think. And as the author, you've got to remember that everyone's opinion is subjective.
Everybody's Got Something to Say Except for Me and My Monkey
It's a fine line for any author to walk. You need the opinions of readers, because you're writing for the readers. But you also need to stick to your guns when it comes to telling the story that you want to tell. In other words, you can't always follow the advice that your beta readers, friends and reviewers give you. Sometimes, you have to write what you're going to write anyway -- and leave it that way.
Everyone's opinion is subjective. I don't particularly care for it when authors add songs and poetry to their book, but some readers go wild for it. I'm not afraid of adding violence to books and some readers want those action scenes, but it's going to put other readers off.
It all boils down to the basic truth that all storytellers must face: you can't please all of the people all of the time. Always listen to the opinions of others. Hear what your beta readers are telling you. Read your reviews thoroughly. Take it all in. Keep the opinions you can use.
Forget about the ones you can't. Because everyone's opinion is subjective, but as the author yours is the one that matters most. It's your voice, your words, your story. That means you have to write for you, and not so that you can please someone else.
Everybody's Got Something to Say Except for Me and My Monkey
It's a fine line for any author to walk. You need the opinions of readers, because you're writing for the readers. But you also need to stick to your guns when it comes to telling the story that you want to tell. In other words, you can't always follow the advice that your beta readers, friends and reviewers give you. Sometimes, you have to write what you're going to write anyway -- and leave it that way.
Everyone's opinion is subjective. I don't particularly care for it when authors add songs and poetry to their book, but some readers go wild for it. I'm not afraid of adding violence to books and some readers want those action scenes, but it's going to put other readers off.
It all boils down to the basic truth that all storytellers must face: you can't please all of the people all of the time. Always listen to the opinions of others. Hear what your beta readers are telling you. Read your reviews thoroughly. Take it all in. Keep the opinions you can use.
Forget about the ones you can't. Because everyone's opinion is subjective, but as the author yours is the one that matters most. It's your voice, your words, your story. That means you have to write for you, and not so that you can please someone else.
March 17, 2015
Writing 101: Writing is Re-Writing
Getting finished with the first draft is a hurdle, and it's a good one, but it's just the first one. Real writing is a whole lot of re-writing. You'll end up changing lots of stuff about your first draft...maybe even most of it.
Rewrites
In other words, you're going to have to write everything twice -- more or less, anyway. You'll have to tweak and perfect, change and edit. You'll have to go over everything and possibly alter all of it before you come up with a finished product that you can use. Writing is rewriting...and sometimes, it's awful.
You should absolutely feel good about finishing a first draft, but you should also remind yourself that now it's time for the real work to begin. You've got to go over every line, every word, every letter. You've got to change this word, take out that one, get rid of that paragraph and write a whole new scene. You've got to go back over it and perfect everything.
You may have to rewrite some parts of the book more than once. You'll get frustrated, and you'll get angry, but you'll get it right if you keep rewriting until you know that it's exactly how it should be. The longer you spend on a book getting it right, the better you're going to feel once you have.
Rewrites
In other words, you're going to have to write everything twice -- more or less, anyway. You'll have to tweak and perfect, change and edit. You'll have to go over everything and possibly alter all of it before you come up with a finished product that you can use. Writing is rewriting...and sometimes, it's awful.
You should absolutely feel good about finishing a first draft, but you should also remind yourself that now it's time for the real work to begin. You've got to go over every line, every word, every letter. You've got to change this word, take out that one, get rid of that paragraph and write a whole new scene. You've got to go back over it and perfect everything.
You may have to rewrite some parts of the book more than once. You'll get frustrated, and you'll get angry, but you'll get it right if you keep rewriting until you know that it's exactly how it should be. The longer you spend on a book getting it right, the better you're going to feel once you have.
March 16, 2015
Writing 101: Are You Disposable?
You know how they say you're only as good as your last book? They say it because it's true. Some people throw books away when they're done reading them. I delete mine right off the Kindle. You may not like it, but as an author you are disposable...to at least some of the readers, all of the time.
Getting Trashed
The life of an author can be painful,. If you send out letters to agents and publishers pitching your book, you will be rejected by some of them. If you self-publish and you court the book bloggers, you will get reviews that hurt your feelings. If you make yourself available to fans through social media, you will be leaving yourself open to ridicule and attacks. But few things hurt quite as bad as simply being totally, completely ignored.
I got to thinking about being disposable when I was, very unceremoniously, fired from a freelance job I'd held for about 6 years. I got a form email -- seriously -- that didn't even have my pen name on it. I was fired because a client didn't like a single 300-word piece I'd written, after thousands of projects I'd completed successfully. And I was devastated. So devastated that these events all played out quite some time ago; I couldn't bring myself to blog about it before now. The point is, that's the day I started thinking about being disposable.
Books can be thrown away. Reviewers can stop showing up. Fans might stop emailing you and maybe you will get fired. That's really the nature of the business, no matter which aspect of writing you happen to be in.
I took a long time about writing this post because I wanted to have an answer by the time I got to the end of it. I wanted to give all writers some solution to their own disposable nature. What I've learned is that there isn't one. To some readers, to some editors, to some people you will be disposable. You are nothing more than words on a screen, and words can be erased with the click of a button or the flick of a wrist. But to other readers, you will be unforgettable. It's easy to forget that on days that you get a bad review or you get fired, but just wait. On a different day, you'll get that Tweet from a fan telling you that they can't go to bed because they can't put your book down. Everyone won't find you so easy to throw away, I promise.
So keep writing.
Getting Trashed
The life of an author can be painful,. If you send out letters to agents and publishers pitching your book, you will be rejected by some of them. If you self-publish and you court the book bloggers, you will get reviews that hurt your feelings. If you make yourself available to fans through social media, you will be leaving yourself open to ridicule and attacks. But few things hurt quite as bad as simply being totally, completely ignored.
I got to thinking about being disposable when I was, very unceremoniously, fired from a freelance job I'd held for about 6 years. I got a form email -- seriously -- that didn't even have my pen name on it. I was fired because a client didn't like a single 300-word piece I'd written, after thousands of projects I'd completed successfully. And I was devastated. So devastated that these events all played out quite some time ago; I couldn't bring myself to blog about it before now. The point is, that's the day I started thinking about being disposable.
Books can be thrown away. Reviewers can stop showing up. Fans might stop emailing you and maybe you will get fired. That's really the nature of the business, no matter which aspect of writing you happen to be in.
I took a long time about writing this post because I wanted to have an answer by the time I got to the end of it. I wanted to give all writers some solution to their own disposable nature. What I've learned is that there isn't one. To some readers, to some editors, to some people you will be disposable. You are nothing more than words on a screen, and words can be erased with the click of a button or the flick of a wrist. But to other readers, you will be unforgettable. It's easy to forget that on days that you get a bad review or you get fired, but just wait. On a different day, you'll get that Tweet from a fan telling you that they can't go to bed because they can't put your book down. Everyone won't find you so easy to throw away, I promise.
So keep writing.
