Alyssa Hubbard's Blog, page 21

Profanity in Your Writing

I am a very character-driven person. My characters are real people to me, and I want them to act how real people would act. So, I am an advocate of using profanity in writing… though it should be done tastefully. What do I mean by that? I have a list for that, but we’ll get to it in a bit. First, a little background info.

Well, my father drops F-bombs left and right. He is the kamikaze of profanity, if you will. He doesn’t care who is there, who is nearby, how people feel about it… but that’s just how he is. He hardly ever means it in an offensive way, but if he can stick one in a sentence, he’s going to do it.

So, if I fashion a character after my father, colorful language and all, I may drop a bomb or two – maybe not an F-bomb, but a bomb nonetheless. However, there is also another line I must be careful of… Not only must I use profanity tastefully (If there is such a thing…), but I must also toe the line of not making it so profane that my book is no longer YA.

Let’s face it. Most teens cuss. Some do it around their parents more than others, but they’re doing it nonetheless. Their world is full of sparkly F-bombs, glittery s-words, and a word that sounds and looks like dam. Regardless, the target group isn’t just the teens… the target group tends to also encompass the parents. Some parents may not care, but some really do. The goal here is to keep the parents happy and our characters true to themselves.

Now, for my list:

USE LESS F-BOMBS

Like I said before, my dad loves the F-bomb. It’s probably his favorite word in the whole English language, but I digress… Though a character may be based on him, I’ll probably make him say it… Once. Twice might be pushing it. Instead, I’ll use lesser words on the Tier of Offensiveness if he happens to want to come in with a bit of profanity. May not seem like that big of a difference, but you’d be surprised how different the response is when you put “shit” instead of… Well, the other word.
SAVE THE PROFANITY FOR HEIGHTENED POINTS OF EMOTION

This is an obvious one, but we’ll talk about it anyway. Emotion is key in writing, that’s just the way it is. That emotion, to make it the most realistic, will probably call for strong language because in real life, there would be strong language used there. Not every time, but most of the time. The blow will be softened because, hopefully, your readers will be feeling that heightened emotion, too. They’ll understand it better.
PLEASE, NO “CORNY” REPLACEMENTS

Unless your character is overly child-like, or is actually a child… don’t put something overtly corny in the place of using a profane word. I have read a book where every time “shit” would be appropriately used, the author would substitute it with “corn-nuggets.” While it made me pause a few times and giggle at the randomness of the word… it got really old, really fast. Especially when a character is shot in the chest with an arrow and the only bit of emotional dialogue is, “Corn-nuggets! NameOfCharacterHere, no!” I wanted to be shocked. I wanted to be upset like the MC… but… Corn-nuggets? Really? I think a profane word would have been just fine right there, but I suppose that’s just my own opinion on that.

Let your characters be themselves. There are always going to be people who hate what you have to say, no matter how family-friendly the content is. It’s a balancing act that takes time and a lot of editing to work on, but there is a balance. Just be yourself and write the book you want to write.

Now, for my favorite part of every blog post: the discussion. What are your rules for profanity in your writing? What’s your opinion on the matter? Have any tips or tricks? Comment below!

Thanks for reading!

-Lissy

Filed under: Writing Tips

How to Stay Interested in YOUR Novel

One of the biggest issues I have come across when working on a long-term novel project is keeping myself interested enough in the story that I want to finish it. I have a bad habit of starting multiple projects at the same time, which makes it even that much harder to keep on one project at a time. Being a writer is bittersweet. Writers are dreamers – and dreams never cease to create. While that is a wonderful and innovative gift, it is a gift that keeps on giving… and giving, and giving, and giving… So, how do we organize and keep all these wonderful gifts separate, yet constantly productive until they at least reach first draft completion? Well, hopefully we can figure that out today. Then, it’s all about editing and getting them ready for agents/publishers/the masses.

Here are a few steps I go through to ensure that my manuscripts are given the attention they require, while also attending to my other projects as I go along:

LEAVE YOURSELF A CLIFFHANGER

I got this nifty piece of info from RJ Blain, which is one I think is key in keeping interest in your novel, as well as developing a way to keep the interest of your readers in the future. If you get to a point of heightened emotion in your writing and you are able to stop and breathe for a second, but you want to keep going, then stop completely. As much as I have wanted to complete a scene or finish a chapter, I have to stop myself. The cliffhanger will make me come back and get back into that inspirational groove, without very much effort on my part. Just make sure you leave yourself some notes in case you come up with an amazing idea that you’ll want to incorporate the next go around.
KEEP AN OUTLINE/CHECKLIST

I think I write more about lists than I do my actual writing… Regardless, this helps me. Not everyone is into outlines or lists, but it always makes me feel like I’m being productive and getting stuff done. Thus, if I make a list of what I want to accomplish, I am more likely to get it done… mainly just so I can have the bragging rights… I get off on bragging about list completion. Weird? Yes. Does it work? Yes. And you don’t have to outline every single scene. You can make a checklist with word counts. Monday – 1,000 words. Tuesday – 2,000 words. And you can tailor it to your schedule. More words on the days you have less to do. It may also be beneficial for you to make your lists public, but for more info on that subject, head on over to this post.
TRY WRITING WITHOUT A COMPUTER

Not everyone is willing to give up their computers… I know, it pains me to think of not using Scrivener *sniffle*, but sometimes, the computer does more bad than good. Especially in my case. I have over 70 games on my laptop, mainly due to the massive Steam sales that occur on a regular basis. My computer is a major distraction. Not to mention the internet, with its FaceBook, Google+, and *cough* my site *cough*. If you have trouble keeping interested in your manuscript because of distractions on the computer, then you may want to try a typewriter or notebook. Back to the basics and you may see some results.
TURN OFF THE SMARTPHONE

I think this speaks for itself. Apps, games, texts, internet, phone calls, social media, music (not always a bad thing, but might be depending on the person), and email… this is the computer on crack. Distraction is doubled since you can take this with you anywhere and pull it out at anytime. It’s best to just leave it in a drawer somewhere, but that’s not always an option, so it’s best to just turn it off. Makes it a lot easier to focus when you don’t have your phone lighting up with notifications every five seconds. Just a little food for thought.

Not all of these will work for everyone. Not all of these will apply to everyone either. Pick and choose which you think will work, and try them out. They surely can’t hurt. Now, for my favorite part, what tips do you have for keeping on track? Any advice? Any rituals? Let me know!

Thanks for reading!

-Lissy

Filed under: Writing Tips

Managing Your Social Life and Your Social-Media Life

With the summer sun, the call of the ocean waves, and the promise of a vacation, trying to maintain your social life along with your social media presence can be a complicated balance. Thankfully, a majority – if not all – of social media have a phone app of some kind. But even then, you’re not going to want to be on your phone the entire time you’re out and about because that would defeat the purpose of a vacation: to get away for awhile.

I’ve had to deal with this situation recently, so I have compiled a list of “To-Do”’s, which will help you maintain a consistent presence online, while also allowing you to enjoy the “get-away.”

HOOTSUITE

I’ve only recently taken advantage of Hootsuite and its convenient tools. This is basically a huge dashboard which can be used to schedule multiple posts, for multiple social media accounts, for multiple time periods. You can have up to 7 accounts on the free version, which is a decent amount for these kind of things, and before you leave for vacation, you can set up your posts for each account and put in the time you’d like to post. Thus, you can completely avoid the phone/laptop and enjoy the fun.
SCHEDULE BLOG POSTS

To go along with the Hootsuite point, you only have room for 7 accounts. So, it’s best if you have a blog, which allows you to schedule your posts from the actual blog dashboard. I’m biased in the matter, but I would recommend a blog account on something like WordPress. You can schedule posts for specific dates and times, and it has a publicize feature, which will post links to your posts on Twitter, LinkedIn, Facebook (including pages), and Tumblr. This will save room on your Hootsuite account. Plus, if you want to share the links to other social media, WordPress provides a permalink for the post even before it goes public. So, you can take the permalink to Hootsuite and schedule the link to post on your other social media for the same day as the blog post itself goes public. Very convenient and easy to set up.
PUBLICIZE THE HIATUS

Though it seems like it wouldn’t matter very much, it is best to let everyone know when you’re going to be taking a break. And while Hootsuite can post everything for you, it is best to pick one mode of media to update on frequently. Even if you don’t post but once a day, direct everyone to that mode of contact, while also letting everyone know that you have scheduled posts on your other accounts. This way, they still have a way of reaching you, and you can still remain personally interactive on an account with your friends/followers. (I personally use Twitter. It’s quick and can be updated in little spurts without much effort and focus.)
ENJOY THE VACATION

It’s not often that writer’s are able to step away from their phones/computers/notepads/typewriters and just relax. Enjoy the time. Don’t worry about all of your platforms and accounts. Hootsuite was made to ease some of that stress, as are the scheduling features. Take the time and unwind. Get inspired, come back refreshed, and get ready to respond to some missed comments/tweets/pm’s/dm’s. Take a book and read something that isn’t your own work for awhile. Being a writer requires you to write, but we often forget that we started off as readers. Support your fellow writers and escape in a world that you didn’t create.

There’s nothing better than a distraction free vacation, and I hope all of you can enjoy yours with some of these tips. Do you have any tips? What do you do when you go on vacation? Are you going on vacation? Where? Let me know!

Thanks for reading!

-Lissy

P.S.

For my other profiles, click here. It will redirect you to my “Other Profiles” page.

Filed under: Writing Tips

The Importance of Public Checklists

It’s no secret that I am a fan, advocate, and lover of checklists. I make outlines for my plots, I make checklists for my day, I make grocery lists, and my blog posts are littered with list… something about lists just make me feel like everything is in order and that I’m getting stuff done. My problem?

I follow my lists 10% of the time.

But I’ve noticed a growing trend in the writer community – or maybe it’s always been a thing, and I’ve just been too busy making lists to notice – they post their lists on their social media. The writing community is well-known for being one of the most supportive of communities, and these checklists garner a lot of attention from the community.

If you’re even mildly interactive on you social media, more than likely someone will comment on your list in some supportive fashion. I even posted one of my checklists, and I was pleased to find that the pressure of putting it out publicly made me complete a majority of it. I say majority because… well, you’ll see.

Here is the checklist posted on my Google+ profile:



Here is the post about what was completed on my checklist:



Pie is my weakness. I can’t help it.

Regardless, by posting it publicly, it made me want to have something to show for it. I guess it’s sort-of an opportunity to brag about how amazing we are at completing a list… but it keeps us productive, right?

And in the end, that is what is important.

So, I will leave you my current checklist:

Finish the first draft
Edit the first draft
Find a professional editor
Get a cover
Format
Publish

This is a very vague and long-term checklist, which I think fits the blog format, leading me to my next tip:

Tailor the checklist to the social media format.

Twitter: Very short and specific

Facebook: Lengthier, but also should be specific

Blog: Lengthy and can be long-term

Google+: Lengthy, but should be specific

Basically, any social media that is hard to check archives (ex: Twitter. Almost impossible to find old tweets unless they are favorited), shouldn’t be too lengthy and should be able to be completed in a timely effort.

But there are no rules, and you don’t ever have to make a checklist. This was just a cool little topic that I’ve been mulling over for awhile.

Now, for my favorite part. What is your checklist for the day? Anything you’re willing to share that I can support you on? Let me know!

Thanks for reading!

-Lissy

Filed under: Personal Posts, Writing Tips

The Meaning of Names

How important are names to you? Until my most recent project started reaching its fruition, I never put much thought into names. I would say a couple and pick the one that seemed to fit the character’s personality the best, but at the same time, most of my characters are fairly average Americans. Once I started delving in to other cultures and ethnicities, names started taking a completely different roll for me.

 

Mainly Austrian. I spent at least two hours searching for the perfect name for my Austrian character.

 

I did eventually find one I loved, and I went through the same process for the next few days over my two German characters and another Austrian character. Something about foreign names just begs for special and relevant meanings. I think I may start doing the same process with the rest of my characters. With all of this new information and from hours of studying up on things, here is what I have come to know as my: Character Naming Checklist

 

KNOW THE TIME PERIOD

Not every time period had the same names we do today. As time goes on, new sounds and words open up different avenues to create names, not to mention whether or not there is an immigration boom or something else influencing that time period. Depending on the time period, names can be completely different. In the 50’s, my name didn’t exist. There were no “Alyssa”’s to be found, so I wouldn’t use that name if my book was set in the 50’s.
KNOW THE AREA

Unless you’re writing in a time period where immigration was booming, chances are there aren’t going to be many American names in Germany, unless your character is a traveler or immigrant themselves. Some names have traveled across to other countries, but may have different spellings, so be aware of that. Make sure you spell it correctly, and make sure it is a name you can remember to spell correctly consistently.
TAKE NOTE OF THE GENDER

Not all names are unisex, and in some countries there are different spellings of the same name to signify a specific gender. Be aware of these facts. Make sure to do your homework and study up on the origins and ways the name is used. There is nothing worse than given your male character a foreign name that is solely used for women. I guess you could do it if you wanted to, but I don’t personally believe that is a wise choice.
CHECK OUT THE MEANINGS OF THE FIRST NAME AND THE SURNAME

If you’re project revolves around a family, I would recommend the surname be something representative of the entire family, then choose names to represent every other character in the family. I wouldn’t pick a surname that only represents one member of the family. I usually pick very vague and over-arching names, just to make sure I include everyone in the meaning. Not necessary, but I recommend it.
SAY THE ENTIRE NAME OUT LOUD

Nothing gets on my nerves more than a name that just sounds plain weird. Sure, Kate-Moss McDonald might be a great name for a character who aspires to be a model, but is crippled by her addiction to drugs and McDonald’s cheeseburgers, but does it really sound right to your ears? If it makes you cringe and laugh at the same time, then it’s probably not the right name. Same goes for names like Ronald Ronaldson or David Davidson… yes, Phillip Phillips has a ring to it, but her is a real person. Characters in a book are a different story. Surnames don’t always make great first names.

 

Once you’ve checked everything out and you are pleased with everything, slap that name on your character and get back to writing. Now, for my regularly scheduled disclaimer:

 

THERE ARE NO RULES TO NAMES. THESE ARE RECOMMENDATIONS THAT I BELIEVE SHOULD BE AT LEAST NOTED WHEN SEARCHING FOR A PROPER CHARACTER NAME.

 

There. Now, did I miss something? Do you have another way of making sure you pick the perfect character name? Please, comment below and let me know.

 

Thanks for reading!

 

-Lissy

Filed under: Writing Tips

My “Gay” Project

One of my longtime projects has been a book based around a gay couple with a shared passion for music. Now that the project is getting closer and closer to reaching its end, I have been giving out a few copies to my most reliable beta readers.

Well, now I have no beta readers.

Why?

They all said that it would be better if the couple was straight.

I asked them why.

They said, “Because it just would.”

Now, these beta readers have been my friends for a long, long time, but I’d rather have no friends if that is how they truly feel about it. They gave me no real evidence or reasons to change them, yet they still demanded they be changed. If they had given me at least one decent reason, I may have at least thought about it, but, chances are, it wouldn’t have changed a thing. Sure, I may be a little harsh about all of this, but their words and feelings about this truly resonated with me and made me start to think.

Why had I made them gay?

I don’t think it had ever been a conscious decision. It just happened. It felt right for it to be that way. The two characters were perfect for each other (in my own opinion, of course), and by changing one of them into a girl… it just wouldn’t feel that way anymore.

In a previous post, I mentioned how much I care about my characters. I want them all to be happy, but not without trials and learning situations. I want to give them the most realistic life as I possibly can. Sure, it sounds crazy, but I truly believe the story wouldn’t mean as much or be as realistic as I had always dreamed it would be if I changed my characters. Even a minor gender change would feel wrong.

Chances are, some of you are reading this and clicking the “unfollow” button as quickly as your fingers can muster, but I hope some of you stop and think for a second. About what? Well, that’s up to you. I never meant for this book/blog to ever hold a political stance or statement, and I still feel this way.

This is all about art. I want my art to be everything I had imagined it would be. I never meant to single someone out or make anyone feel uncomfortable, but I do want people to think and to feel. Whether it was positive or negative, I will stand by it. It’s up to you how you perceive things like this. So, now I must ask you, how do you feel about it?

Thanks for reading!

-Lissy

Filed under: Personal Posts

My Book

It’s finally here. I have saved this blog post specifically for this moment. Now, if you will, please click:

HERE

Where you will be relocated to my “Published Works” page, now with added content. My first publication, Humans and Their Creations has now been added to the page, with links if you are interested in it enough to purchase a copy. I will thank everyone ahead of time, whether you buy or not, thank you for at least checking this post out.

Now, this will be the only bit of self-promotion you’ll be hearing from me regarding this particular publication, so we will now return to our regular blog posts. Thanks again for reading!

-Lissy

10 Saints Versus 100 Demons

As an indie-writer/blogger, I have seen and done a lot of self-promoting. I started many of my social media sites just for the sole purpose of selling myself to thousands and thousands of people who didn’t really give two-shits about anything I had to say (pardon the language). As time has gone on, I have realized a few things.

Those people I originally wanted to sell myself to, really don’t care


Those people I originally wanted to sell my books to, don’t care and don’t have the money
Those people I originally wanted to create a following with, only want to create a following of their own

 By the time I had realized all of this, I had basically become one of those people. A person who spams links day-in and day-out, begs for follows and likes, and are only out for one thing: tangible benefits. AKA MONEY.

But I learned good things, too.

There are people who care
There are people who take the time to read your books and posts, and even interact with you
Those people are the ones who matter

 With the rise in self-publishing and indie authors, it has become hard to find anyone worth following or talking to on social media. They are there, but you have to wade through all of the self-promo links and spammy DMs to get to them. Overtime, I have made friends, gained mentors, and even joined whole groups for people who just want to discuss what I love the most: writing.

We share. We don’t sell.

I’m buying books from friends, not spammy links. I want to support my friends and help them in anyway I can because I know they would do the same for me.

Sure, they make up about 10% of those who actually follow and read my posts, but that 10% means more to me than the 90% of ghost followers, which leads me to the title of my post.

10 saints versus 100 demons.

I would rather have 10 saints behind me who have nothing but support, advice, and kindness to give, than 100 demons who just want to hang around and watch me fail. It’s not about numbers, it’s about building relationships with people you would have otherwise never met if it weren’t for the amazing avenues of social media we have today.

So, thank you followers, friends, and mentors. If you’re reading this, I appreciate you more than anything in the world. Now, I ask those who are reading that I have never spoken to, mind leaving a comment? I’d love nothing more than to have a conversation and enjoy your company.

Thanks for reading!

-Lissy

Now for irrelevant, but fun friend pictures.

Hanging with fellow writers. We’re not the most normal bunch.

Need I say more?

My Inspirational Music

If a picture speaks 1,000 words, then a song speaks 1 million, at least for me anyway. I think every writer has their own special playlists, which they use solely when they write. I would like to dedicate a post specifically to my playlists.

WARNING: I TEND TO HAVE AN INAPPROPRIATE TASTE IN MUSIC. IF A SONG SEEMS SUSPECT TO YOU, DON’T LISTEN TO IT. IT IS PROBABLY INAPPROPRIATE.

There will be links on each song title, so click the name and it will take you to a video on YouTube. I hope you enjoy! My favorites will have a “*” beside them (these tend to be relatively slow songs). Since YT is constantly changing, if a song doesn’t work please let me know. I’ll try to update the link.

Hey Pretty Girl by Kip Moore (Country)
America by Deuce (Rock/Rap) EXPLICIT
Black Dahlia by Hollywood Undead (Rock/Rap) EXPLICIT
City by Hollywood Undead (Rock/Rap) EXPLICIT
The Diary by Hollywood Undead (Rock/Rap) EXPLICIT
Knife Called Lust by Hollywood Undead (Rock/Rap) EXPLICIT
**Lion by Hollywood Undead (Rock/Rap) EXPLICIT
*Outside by Hollywood Undead (Rock/Rap) EXPLICIT
*Pain by Hollywood Undead (Rock/Rap) EXPLICIT
**Paradise Lost by Hollywood Undead (Rock/Rap) EXPLICIT
Rain by Hollywood Undead (Rock/Rap) EXPLICIT
This Love, This Hate by Hollywood Undead (Rock/Rap) EXPLICIT
*We Are by Hollywood Undead (Rock/Rap) EXPLICIT
Young by Hollywood Undead (Rock/Rap) EXPLICIT
*Odd One by Sick Puppies (Rock)
*Beyond the Stars by Evans Blue (Metal)
*Erase My Scars by Evans Blue (Metal)
**Dear Agony by Breaking Benjamin (Metal)
I Will Not Bow by Breaking Benjamin (Metal)
*The Diary of Jane (Acoustic) by Breaking Benjamin (Metal)
*Firefly by Breaking Benjamin (Metal) DROPS ONE F BOMB
I Don’t Wanna Die by Hollywood Undead (Rock/Rap) EXPLICIT
**Glory by Hollywood Undead (Rock/Rap) EXPLICIT
*Coming Back Down by Hollywood Undead (Rock/Rap) EXPLICIT
**Bullet by Hollywood Undead (Rock/Rap) EXPLICIT
*Pour Me by Hollywood Undead (Rock/Rap) EXPLICIT
Mother Murder by Hollywood Undead (Rock/Rap) EXPLICIT
Lost in the Echo by Linkin Park (Rock)
**Letdown by This Providence (Alternative)
** The Freshmen by The Verve Pipe  (Alternative)

Yes, I love Hollywood Undead. I own all of their albums (ALL OF THEM), and I saw them live this year. They are no doubt my favorite group, obviously, but they are not for everyone. As you can see, most of their songs are HIGHLY inappropriate. I wouldn’t recommend them to everyone, but I enjoy them. For those of you who are into HU, I am not a part of the Deuce versus HU war. I like them both.

Anyway, do you have a playlist? What are some of your songs? Did you like any of mine? Which ones? Please let me know!

Thanks for reading!

-Lissy

Editing Technique, the Sequel

After my original editing post, people were providing me with all of kinds of different and interesting techniques they have developed. Here is my original editing technique which I have integrated this new technique. Now, this is how I “pre-edit.” I’m not actually doing any hardcore editing, but this process is a way to ease into everything and fix those blaring and common mistakes that always seem to find their way into my manuscript. Once you’ve gone through this process, your major set of edits will come much easier and smoother without having to mess with the tiny, careless errors.

Disclaimer: Once again, this process isn’t for everyone, and not everyone is going to want to go through this process because it does involve using different mediums. If you are set on using just your laptop, this may not be the process for you.

Back to the Basics

Before today’s computers, laptops, and even typewriters people used pen (quill) and paper (parchment). So, I start there. I have a notebook dedicated specifically for first drafts, and even multiple notebooks dedicated to one story draft. At this stage, I just write. I have to get the first draft out into whatever form it wants to take. Once the story is out of my head and it has taken a physical form, then it is time for editing.
Time for a Touch of Retro

Without editing anything on the first draft itself, I begin to to transfer that draft onto a typewriter. Not everyone has one, and a brand new one can be expensive, but if you can get your hands on one, then by all means, use it! It’s amazing what a change in medium can do to your editing eye. When you start typing, focus on the small edits. Word changes, misspellings, sentence structure, general grammar fixes, and anything else that can be fixed fairly easily with a quick read through. Hint, hint: Invest in a dictionary. Dictionaries are a writer’s best friend, and if they have a thesaurus in them: marry that dictionary. Word choice is everything. Have it close by at this point in the process. If you notice a pattern with a specific word, change it, just make sure to check the definition for the word. Words carry more than a definition, they also have connotations. Check everything and make the change, then continue on with your work.
Back to the Future (or Present)

Finally, with the most comfortable of mediums, move your new draft on to the computer. Continue to do all of your little edits that might have been missed and here is where I begin to look at word flow and chapter placement. I may also use some of my resources during this transfer just to help with any huge edits later on. Anything that can help to make the future edits a little easier to manage, do it.
My Original Editing Technique

Now, I go back to my original technique and start on those hardcore edits I’ve been talking about. I’ve linked to some of my older posts which I reference, just to ensure everyone knows what actually goes on during the editing process.

I hope I helped and that everyone’s editing techniques are growing and evolving just as much as mine. Now, what editing techniques do you have? Anything you’d like to add? Do you use quill and parchment? Let me know! Happy writing!

Thanks for reading!

-Lissy