Stephanie Faris's Blog, page 24
August 14, 2016
Revising, Editing and Writing: Finding Time to Do It All
Another exciting day on my blog tour. Be sure to enter my giveaway to win a gift pack that includes a $25 Amazon gift card and a signed copy of both books (below).
Being an author is often a matter of balance. Today I'm writing about the challenge of writing a new book while dealing with edits on a book you soon have coming back. Click here to read my guest post on Cathrina Constantine's blog.
a Rafflecopter giveaway
(Comments Off--commenting at host's blog)
Being an author is often a matter of balance. Today I'm writing about the challenge of writing a new book while dealing with edits on a book you soon have coming back. Click here to read my guest post on Cathrina Constantine's blog.
a Rafflecopter giveaway
(Comments Off--commenting at host's blog)
August 13, 2016
My Favorite Indulgences
Another great day on my Piper Morgan blog tour. Today, I'm posting over on Ro's blog. Be sure to scroll down to enter my giveaway to win a gift pack that includes a $25 Amazon gift card and a signed copy of both books.
Ro's blog is always so fun, I had to find a topic that went along with it. I'm writing about all my favorite indulgences, including yummy foods. Click here to read it.
a Rafflecopter giveaway(Comments Off--commenting at host's blog)
Ro's blog is always so fun, I had to find a topic that went along with it. I'm writing about all my favorite indulgences, including yummy foods. Click here to read it.
a Rafflecopter giveaway(Comments Off--commenting at host's blog)
August 12, 2016
7 Jobs Every Writer Should Have
As part of my Piper Morgan blog tour, I'm posting over on Patricia Lynne's blog today. Be sure to scroll down to enter my giveaway to win a gift pack that includes a $25 Amazon gift card and a signed copy of both books.
I've worked quite a few jobs over the course of my life, from PR consultant to waitress to movie theater concessions stand worker. I have some insights into the jobs every writer should have at least once in our lives. Check it out!
a Rafflecopter giveaway(Comments Off--commenting at host's blog)
I've worked quite a few jobs over the course of my life, from PR consultant to waitress to movie theater concessions stand worker. I have some insights into the jobs every writer should have at least once in our lives. Check it out!
a Rafflecopter giveaway(Comments Off--commenting at host's blog)
August 11, 2016
How to Work Important Issues into a "Fun" Book
My super-exciting Piper Morgan blog tour rolls on. Today, I'm posting over on Medeia Sharif's blog. Be sure to scroll down to enter my giveaway to win a gift pack that includes a $25 Amazon gift card and a signed copy of both books.
When I wrote my post for Medeia, I'd just finished reading her book A Love That Disturbs, which deals with several complicated issues. Today I'm writing about how to work important concepts into a "fun" book. Check it out!
a Rafflecopter giveaway
(Comments Off--commenting at host's blog)
When I wrote my post for Medeia, I'd just finished reading her book A Love That Disturbs, which deals with several complicated issues. Today I'm writing about how to work important concepts into a "fun" book. Check it out!
a Rafflecopter giveaway
(Comments Off--commenting at host's blog)
August 10, 2016
How to Find Great Writer's Groups
Piper Morgan made her debut yesterday and thank you SO much for everyone who supported me. Today, I'm posting over on Jamie Ghione's blog. Be sure to scroll down to enter my giveaway to win a gift pack that includes a $25 Amazon gift card and a signed copy of both books.
Writing means sitting alone at your computer for hours. Writer's groups can make the journey so much easier. But how do you find a good one? I'll tell you what I know about it on Jamie's blog. Check it out!
a Rafflecopter giveaway
(Comments Off--commenting at host's blog)
Writing means sitting alone at your computer for hours. Writer's groups can make the journey so much easier. But how do you find a good one? I'll tell you what I know about it on Jamie's blog. Check it out!
a Rafflecopter giveaway
(Comments Off--commenting at host's blog)
August 9, 2016
Finding the Real Reason We Write
It's a big, big day in my world. Release day! I've waited a long time for my new series to make its way in the world. Today the first and second book in the Piper Morgan series release. I'm celebrating the rest of the month with guest posts...I'll be responding to comments and reading blogs from each host's page. Be sure to scroll down to enter my giveaway to win a gift pack that includes a $25 Amazon gift card and a signed copy of both books.
Do you ever forget the reason you write? Does it feel sometimes like you should just give up and do something else? If so, you aren't alone! I'm blogging with some tips for getting past it on Karen Walker's blog. Check it out!
a Rafflecopter giveaway(Comments Off--commenting at host's blog)
Do you ever forget the reason you write? Does it feel sometimes like you should just give up and do something else? If so, you aren't alone! I'm blogging with some tips for getting past it on Karen Walker's blog. Check it out!
a Rafflecopter giveaway(Comments Off--commenting at host's blog)
August 8, 2016
Where to Find the Best Support Network for Your Writing
Tomorrow is my big day--the debut of my Piper Morgan series. I'm celebrating the rest of the month with guest posts...I'll be responding to comments and reading blogs from each host's page. Be sure to scroll down to enter my giveaway to win a gift pack that includes a $25 Amazon gift card and a signed copy of both books.
I'm kicking off my blog tour with a guy who's a bit of a celebrity in the blogging world. Alex Cavanaugh is a writer and founder of the Insecure Writers Support Group. So it's only fitting that I'm writing about how to find a support network on this complicated journey we call "writing." Check it out!
a Rafflecopter giveaway(Comments Off--commenting at host's blog)
I'm kicking off my blog tour with a guy who's a bit of a celebrity in the blogging world. Alex Cavanaugh is a writer and founder of the Insecure Writers Support Group. So it's only fitting that I'm writing about how to find a support network on this complicated journey we call "writing." Check it out!
a Rafflecopter giveaway(Comments Off--commenting at host's blog)
August 3, 2016
IWSG: My First Piece of Writing
It's the first Wednesday of the month, which means hundreds of us will be posting about our insecurities. If you're a writer, join in!
This month's question:
What was your very first piece of writing as an aspiring writer? Where is it now? Collecting dust or has it been published?
In 1995, I was working in public relations for the Tennessee Arts Commission. One of my jobs was to promote an anthology of short stories by Tennessee writers. As I read a bunch of rambling nonsense about sweet tea and front porches, I decided I could write a better short story than some of these people. I was 24 and one of these:
Since I was 24, I had perspective on adolescence and not much else. My story was called The Gymnasium Memorial and it was a fictional version of an event that happened in high school. Several people died in car accidents my senior year, so they had everyone go to the gym where we did a memorial to those students.
I entered a contest I found on Writer's Digest because life in 1995 meant no Internet.
A couple of weeks later, I received a letter. (Because life in 1995 also meant no email.) It was basically this:
But I saw it as this:
I'd won the prize for "saddest story," which meant absolutely nothing, as I saw when I got my three free contributors' copies and paper certificate. It was a "book" of short stories that looked like it had been bound at Kinkos.
And there were only a dozen or so stories in it. I'm sure everyone in the book won an award for something...and we were probably the only ones who sent our stories in.
But it gave me the confidence I needed to write a book and send it to a publisher. I actually thought I'd get a call from an editor wanting to buy it. Instead I got this:
Only instead of a phone call, it was a rejection letter. And I'd get enough of those to paper my entire house by the time I got published. But it's all part of the journey, right?
What are you insecure about this month?
This month's question:
What was your very first piece of writing as an aspiring writer? Where is it now? Collecting dust or has it been published?
In 1995, I was working in public relations for the Tennessee Arts Commission. One of my jobs was to promote an anthology of short stories by Tennessee writers. As I read a bunch of rambling nonsense about sweet tea and front porches, I decided I could write a better short story than some of these people. I was 24 and one of these:
Since I was 24, I had perspective on adolescence and not much else. My story was called The Gymnasium Memorial and it was a fictional version of an event that happened in high school. Several people died in car accidents my senior year, so they had everyone go to the gym where we did a memorial to those students.
I entered a contest I found on Writer's Digest because life in 1995 meant no Internet.
A couple of weeks later, I received a letter. (Because life in 1995 also meant no email.) It was basically this:
But I saw it as this:
I'd won the prize for "saddest story," which meant absolutely nothing, as I saw when I got my three free contributors' copies and paper certificate. It was a "book" of short stories that looked like it had been bound at Kinkos.
And there were only a dozen or so stories in it. I'm sure everyone in the book won an award for something...and we were probably the only ones who sent our stories in.
But it gave me the confidence I needed to write a book and send it to a publisher. I actually thought I'd get a call from an editor wanting to buy it. Instead I got this:
Only instead of a phone call, it was a rejection letter. And I'd get enough of those to paper my entire house by the time I got published. But it's all part of the journey, right?
What are you insecure about this month?
August 1, 2016
Goal Motivation and Conflict: It'll Help You Create Great Fiction
When you first start a new book, you come up with a bare-bones story that includes the characters and the basic plot. From there, you either start writing or you start plotting, depending on the type of writer you are.
Fairly early on, you realize that you need more than a simple story. If your characters move along happily in life, without a care in the world, your story will quickly become this:
I'd been writing only a couple of years when I attended a workshop that was led by the woman who wrote this book:
Pure genius. Here's how it breaks down: Every character in every story has a goal, a motivation (a reason for having that goal), and a conflict (something standing in the way of reaching that goal). Once you've outlined that, you can create a multilayered story filled with action and excitement.
Each character also has an internal and external GMC. Here's a GMC chart for The Wizard of Oz:
This is the chart you'll create:
While plotting is far more complex, GMC charts can help you get to know your story once you have that initial idea.
Do you have any special techniques you use to plot?
Fairly early on, you realize that you need more than a simple story. If your characters move along happily in life, without a care in the world, your story will quickly become this:
I'd been writing only a couple of years when I attended a workshop that was led by the woman who wrote this book:
Pure genius. Here's how it breaks down: Every character in every story has a goal, a motivation (a reason for having that goal), and a conflict (something standing in the way of reaching that goal). Once you've outlined that, you can create a multilayered story filled with action and excitement.
Each character also has an internal and external GMC. Here's a GMC chart for The Wizard of Oz:
This is the chart you'll create:
While plotting is far more complex, GMC charts can help you get to know your story once you have that initial idea.
Do you have any special techniques you use to plot?
July 29, 2016
Best Books of July
It's once again time to tell you about the best books I read this month. Here are my favorite July reads!
Keeping with the "fun summer read" theme is this next book from the very talented Alison Cherry. Look Both Ways is a young adult book about the exciting world of summer theater.
I was in plays in high school and it brought some of my best memories. Look Both Ways gives us the chance to spend the summer with Brooklyn, a New York high schooler who spends her life surrounded by theater professionals. Brooklyn isn't quite the actress or singer she feels she's expected to be, so when she lands at Allerdale, she already worries she'll be seen as a faker. But thanks to an amazing roommate, Brooklyn finds summer is taking her in an entirely different direction. I loved this book. The depth of the characters in Look Both Ways draws you into the story and keeps you turning the page, all the way to the end.
I miss chick lit. It was around such a short time but it was so fun. Fortunately, the young adult genre sometimes gives us a younger version of it, as is the case with the next book I read this month:
In Little Black Dresses, Little White Lies, a high schooler gets a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity to move to New York City and work at a cool teen magazine. The author's voice is chick lit at its best. You can't stop reading, it's so compelling. Plus, the character takes you along for the adventure. There's a great reason this book is getting phenomenal reviews. If you're looking for a fun summer read, this is it!
Medeia Sharif is a favorite around here. If you read her blog, you know she's one of the most prolific authors around. Her latest release touches on a lot of the race issues that are on everyone's mind these days.
A Love That Disturbs is an intense read. Throughout, I was amazed at Medeia's range. She can write lighthearted stories, adventures, and gut-wrenching dramas like this one. The story alternates between Maysa's and Haydee's points of view. Maysa is a Pakistani-American whose old-fashioned parents want her to marry someone from her background. Haydee is a former prostitute trying to turn her life around. The two fall in love--and must deal with the consequences of that love. This is an important book that breaks down stereotypes, while also being a page-turner.
The next book I read was by a familiar name, although you might not recognize it on the cover. Patricia Lynne writes new adult under the name Patricia Josephine.
Michael is hard to describe. On the surface, it's about an archangel whose job it is to search for fallen angels. However, there is a same-sex attraction between Michael and a fallen angel named Lake that takes the story in a different direction than you'd expect. Patricia wove in so many twists and turns with her suspense, you won't be able to put it down once you start. This is the first in a series and I can't wait to read the rest!
Once I finished Michael, I dove into another blogger's book. Libby Heily writes YA, science fiction, and contemporary fiction. Her book, Welcome to Sortilege Falls, grabs your attention with its super-interesting premise.
Strange things are happening in Sortilege Falls. A 16-year-old girl named Grape has just moved to the town with her family and she knows right away that things aren't normal. A small group of models seems to rule the high school in a weird way. When those models start dying, one by one, Grape must find a way to save them. The mystery of this one will keep you reading all the way to the end.
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Keeping with the "fun summer read" theme is this next book from the very talented Alison Cherry. Look Both Ways is a young adult book about the exciting world of summer theater.
I was in plays in high school and it brought some of my best memories. Look Both Ways gives us the chance to spend the summer with Brooklyn, a New York high schooler who spends her life surrounded by theater professionals. Brooklyn isn't quite the actress or singer she feels she's expected to be, so when she lands at Allerdale, she already worries she'll be seen as a faker. But thanks to an amazing roommate, Brooklyn finds summer is taking her in an entirely different direction. I loved this book. The depth of the characters in Look Both Ways draws you into the story and keeps you turning the page, all the way to the end.
I miss chick lit. It was around such a short time but it was so fun. Fortunately, the young adult genre sometimes gives us a younger version of it, as is the case with the next book I read this month:
In Little Black Dresses, Little White Lies, a high schooler gets a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity to move to New York City and work at a cool teen magazine. The author's voice is chick lit at its best. You can't stop reading, it's so compelling. Plus, the character takes you along for the adventure. There's a great reason this book is getting phenomenal reviews. If you're looking for a fun summer read, this is it!
Medeia Sharif is a favorite around here. If you read her blog, you know she's one of the most prolific authors around. Her latest release touches on a lot of the race issues that are on everyone's mind these days.
A Love That Disturbs is an intense read. Throughout, I was amazed at Medeia's range. She can write lighthearted stories, adventures, and gut-wrenching dramas like this one. The story alternates between Maysa's and Haydee's points of view. Maysa is a Pakistani-American whose old-fashioned parents want her to marry someone from her background. Haydee is a former prostitute trying to turn her life around. The two fall in love--and must deal with the consequences of that love. This is an important book that breaks down stereotypes, while also being a page-turner.
The next book I read was by a familiar name, although you might not recognize it on the cover. Patricia Lynne writes new adult under the name Patricia Josephine.
Michael is hard to describe. On the surface, it's about an archangel whose job it is to search for fallen angels. However, there is a same-sex attraction between Michael and a fallen angel named Lake that takes the story in a different direction than you'd expect. Patricia wove in so many twists and turns with her suspense, you won't be able to put it down once you start. This is the first in a series and I can't wait to read the rest!
Once I finished Michael, I dove into another blogger's book. Libby Heily writes YA, science fiction, and contemporary fiction. Her book, Welcome to Sortilege Falls, grabs your attention with its super-interesting premise.
Strange things are happening in Sortilege Falls. A 16-year-old girl named Grape has just moved to the town with her family and she knows right away that things aren't normal. A small group of models seems to rule the high school in a weird way. When those models start dying, one by one, Grape must find a way to save them. The mystery of this one will keep you reading all the way to the end.
]+)>)/ig,'')).replace('%26','[%ANDCHAR%]'); document.write(unescape("%3Cscript src='" + cfJsHost + servicedomain + "/jsform-1168969.js?ref="+frmRef+"' type='text/javascript'%3E%3C/script%3E")); 123ContactFormReport abuse
