Becky Wallace's Blog, page 7

Defeating Writer’s Block: Mind Mapping

A few weeks ago, my husband walked into our office and found me sprawled out on the floor.  Our conversation went something like this:

“Honey, why are you on the floor?”

I threw one arm over my eyes (I may have a flair for the dramatic) and groaned, “I’m so stuck with this story. I know what has to happen next, but I just can’t write the words.”

“You solve your problems from the floor?”

“Yes!  This is the Rug of Many Sorrows,” I said, giving the floor a hard slap.  “And today I have many sorrows.”

He stepped over me and arranged his work laptop, work laptop No. 2, IPad, and phone on the desk.  “Do you think it might be more productive to map out where your story is supposed to go?”

“No! Outlining is the devil!”

“Well…” he paused, and I could hear him shuffling around a bit.  “I didn’t mean an outline, per se.  I meant a Mind Map.  We have this really cool software at work and…”

When he reached the word ‘software,’ I stopped listening, rolled onto my stomach, and continued my pout.

Two days later, I was still stuck and feeling desperate.  So I finally hit him up for a few more details about this magical Mind Map that solves his problems.

Here’s the crazy thing: His idea totally worked.  Mind mapping got me unstuck!

If you’re like me and you don’t know what mind-mapping is, think of it like a glorified flow chart.  There is super fancy software that has some amazing functions (like collapsing fields, colored boxes for different themes etc.), but I am not that cool.  My mind-mapping is a lot less techno (but maybe as effective?).  Here’s what works for me:

1. Know where you want to go

For THE STORYSPINNER’s sequel, I had to write a really complicated scene with a billion (or six) different characters whose success or failure depended on the other characters. It was one of the trickiest things I’ve ever had to write.  I’d love to show you my mind map, but that would spoiler central.  So, instead I’m using the well loved A Christmas Carol, by the fabulous Charles Dickens — who I’m certain never got writer’s block — to illustrate how mind mapping works.

Let’s pretend that Mr. Dickens knew he had a miserly character, and he wanted this character to learn his lesson, but the details between those elements were little hazy.  He’d write the beginning and end on a sheet of paper like this:

Becky’s Super Awful Mind-Mapping Drawing No. 1

2. Work backward or forward or whatever feels like it’s going to unstick you

Mr. Dickens realized that the best way to scare any person into sainthood is to show them their own death.  So he adds that element with a little box.

Becky’s Super Awful Mind-Mapping Drawing No. 2

I am not one of those people who can write scenes/stories out of order, but I know a lot of people who successfully beat writer’s block by jumping to a different scene.  If you can write that little bit before THE END, then go for it!  For me I have to add more elements to my map.

3. Identify the HOW.

If Mr. Dickens was stuck, he’d have to make a list of all the hows. How would he show Scrooge his own death? Where is it going to take place? What is the scenery going to look like? How is Scrooge going to feel? Then you add the sub questions like: how is Scrooge going to get to the graveyard?

Your little mind-map starts to look more like a porcupine with idea bubbles bristling all over the place.

Becky’s Super Awful Mind-Map Drawing No. 3

4.  Fill in the blanks

Use your map to flesh out scenes and connect sub-plots.

Becky”s Super Awful Mind-Map Drawing No. 4 

 5. WRITE THE DARN THING!

You can call it outlining if you want to, but I don’t!  Since there is so little on the page (and so little at stake if you decided to ditch your map completely), this process gave me the direction I needed, but still left room for my characters and plot to develop organically.

I’m sure there are other people out there who mind-map better than I do, but this was a new concept for me.  I hope that if any of you are struggling with writer’s block, that this might help you along!

Good luck, friends!

 

Prince Week is Coming Up!!

Starting Monday, August 18, Mary Waibel is hosting His Royal Hotness (aka Prince Week) over on Waibel’s World.  I’m going to introduce two of my princely characters from THE STORYSPINNER, complete with pictures on Thursday!!  Until then, here’s a mash-up of some awesome princely things:

Seven Interesting Facts about Disney Princes

Okay, The Huntman isn’t a prince, but Chris Hemsworth. Period.

 

Wish Megan Whitmer a Happy Book Birthday! BETWEEN is out today!

I’ve never met Megan Whitmer in real life, but her online presence is adorable.  She’s effusive and fun and bright and dedicated to writing and to the writing community.  I got the opportunity to interview Megan about her debut novel, BETWEEN, over on Fearless Fifteeners. You should drop in and say hello!  And of course, wish Megan a happy book birthday!  Here are all the places you can find her: Twitter, Megan’s Website, Facebook, and Goodreads.

Here’s the synopsis for BETWEEN:

When a supernatural freak of nature forces her family to separate, seventeen-year-old Charlie Page must turn to her frustrating (yet gorgeous) neighbor, Seth, to help reunite them. Seth whisks Charlie to Ellauria—a magical world filled with the creatures of myths and legends—and tells her of the Fellowship, the group charged with protecting mystical beings from human discovery. (All except Bigfoot: that attention whore is a total lost cause.) But when Charlie learns that she’s under the Fellowship’s protection herself, well, “stressed” is an understatement.

Ellauria should be the safest place for Charlie while the Fellowship works to find her family, but things in the mystical realm aren’t what they seem.

Magic is failing, creatures are dying, and the Fellowship insists Charlie holds the key to saving everyone. With her family still missing and the danger in Ellauria growing, Charlie doesn’t know who she can trust. She’s dealing with a power she never asked for, falling for a guy she can’t have, and being forced to choose between her destiny and her heart. And if she chooses wrong, she could destroy magic forever. Charlie may be in over her head.

 

Blurbs that Make You Cry and Your Dreams Come True

I’m shaking. My fingers are trembling on the keyboard as I try to figure out how to word this post.  Instead of pretty sentences, my excitement is going to explode all over the page.

My editor and agent sent me some of the blurbs for THE STORYSPINNER, and these blurbs are freaking amazing and are from AUTHORS WHO ARE GODDESSES. Here’s what I can share:

From New York Times bestselling author of  The Will of the Empress,  The Circle of Magic, and The Circle Opens quartets,  TAMORA PIERCE:

“This tale of murder, kidnapping, and magic held me from start to finish!”

From New York Times bestselling author of The Heir Trilogy and The Seven Realms series, CINDA WILLIAMS CHIMA:

“Becky Wallace couples a classic romance with cut-throat political intrigue and wraps it in a detailed and enthralling magical world. I can’t wait for the sequel.”

From the critically-acclaimed author of The Sky Fall series, SHANNON MESSENGER :

“An intricately woven, beautifully told tale, laced with heart, wit, and edge-of-your-seat suspense–plus the perfect amount of delicious swoon, Bravo! And encore!”

I’m shocked and amazed and so incredibly grateful. Authors who I love and admire like my book!  This is better than a dream come true.  This is beyond my dreams!

Thank you so much, Tamora and Cinda and Shannon!  THANK YOU! THANK YOU! THANK YOU!

Five Images from THE STORYSPINNER

From bloomtrigger,com

Do you have any idea how beautiful the world is? There are so many incredible things out there, on earth, that I had to borrow some of my favorite images to help me illustrate Santarem, the world of THE STORYSPINNER.

Take for instance, the araucaria pine tree (above) and its glorious reaching branches.  It may have the world’s best silhouette.  AND this tree, plays a pretty significant role in my story.

If you think that’s awesome, here are five more pictures that inspired me as I wrote Johanna and Rafi’s story.

1.  Performer’s Tent

From indivisuality.tmblr.com

2. A Performer’s Wagon

Tea Towels and photo from Handmade by Charlotte photo shoot

3.  A Bugio (Monkey)

Photo credit: Helio Silva

4. Donovan’s Wall

Photo Credit: Lara Klopper

5. Belem’s Estate

Green fields of the summer sea by Ricardo Bevilaqua

 

Review copies of my book are making their way to readers, reviewers, and bloggers. Paper back versions are being sent out by Simon & Schuster, and e-galleys are available on Edelweiss.  I can’t wait for the world to meet the people and see the places that have occupied so much space in my head for the last two years!

If you wanted to pre-order (and I’m never opposed to that), my book is up on Amazon!  AHH!!  How crazy is that?  My book. The book I wrote is a thing that people can buy.  I feel all excited and itchy and a whole lot nervous about that!

Oh! If you’re interested, I have a whole board on Pinterest devoted to THE KEEPER’S CHRONICLES.  You are welcome to check it out.

Do you like all things Creepy-tastic? Say hello to Trisha Leaver and Lindsay Currie!

The prickle at the back of your neck when you know someone’s watching you…

The clawing sense of panic when something isn’t right, but you can’t quite identify your fear…

The strangling terror that freezes your scream in your throat…

If you love being scared enough to sleep with a bat by your bed, then Trisha Leaver and Lindsay Currie are the authors for you.  AND, Trisha’s on my blog to tell you about a story that is sure to make you check over your shoulder when you’re home alone.

Trisha:  With the release date of CREED rapidly approaching, Lindsay and I have been fielding questions about what our co-authored voice sounds like, how psychologically twisted our collective mind is, and do I need to read all of your co-authored pieces with the lights on?

Rather than simply answer those questions, we thought we’d take it one step further and actually show you! We toyed with writing a prequel-type novella to set the stage for CREED, but you know us…why write a novella to CREED when you can give them entirely different book to enjoy!

After much discussion with our agents and an enthusiastic ‘go for it’ from our publisher, we have decided to utilize Wattpad to give the world a sneak peek at what they can expect from our co-authored voice. So here it is, a new, psychologically twisted, co-authored YA Thriller.

“The darkness would’ve scared me years ago, but not anymore—if you couldn’t see it, then you didn’t know it was there to be afraid of.”

~Jake Holloway, SILO

 

Starting today, we will be sharing a chapter a week of our co-authored book, SILO, on Wattpad for the world to enjoy, hate, question our sanity, run screaming from… The last chapter of the book will drop the week of November 8th, the same week CREED releases!

So, go forth and be appropriately frightened as you realize just what our twisted minds of capable of. Spread the word, leave a comment on Wattpad or simply enjoy the book in the dark confines of your own home.

Link to SILO on Wattpad: http://www.wattpad.com/54090436-silo

Trisha Leaver lives on Cape Cod with her husband, three children, and one rather irreverent dog. Her co-authored, YA Psychological Horror drops November 8, 2014 from FLUX. Her solo YA Contemporary, THE SECRETS WE KEEP, releases April, 28th 2015 from FSG/ Macmillan

www.trishaleaver.com

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Twitter

Facebook

 

 

Lindsay lives in Chicago, Illinois with one incredibly patient hubby, three amazing kids and one adorable, but irreverent Bullmastiff named Sam. She graduated from Knox College in the heart of the Midwest and has been writing for as long as she can remember.

Today, Lindsay is an author, as well as a freelance editor for young adult, new adult and middle grade fiction.  She is a proud member of SCBWI, The YA Scream Queens and OneFourKidLit.

www.lindsaycurrie.com

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By the way, did you enter to win an ARC of THE STORYSPINNER? Since you’re already here, you might as well!

Author Mary Waibel Talks About Her Experiences with Self Publishing and Publishing with a Small Press

Do you guys know Mary Waibel?  She was my very first Editor’s Note interview way back in January, and I wanted to have her back to talk a bit about her new project.  Mary has worked (and is still working) with a couple of small houses, but has also decided to take the big leap into self-publishing. Today she’s here to tell us what fueled that decision and what she’s learned along the way. Thank you, Mary!

Becky, thanks so much for letting me drop by today to talk about my experience with small publishing houses and self-publishing.

In the past year I’ve released three books with a small publishing house (MuseItUp Publishing) and have another one releasing this year from another small press (BookFish Books**). So, why would I want to publish a book on my own? Well, there are several reasons, but I’ll just focus on two.

Cover by CK Volnek

Cover by Marion Sipe

Cover by CK Volnek

-I’m a control-freak by nature, so being in total control of my project from start to finish suits me. I have all say in the cover, in the edits, in the layout, and the price.

-I like to learn new things, and boy was there a lot to learn in this endeavor!

Looking at my first reason, one might think I was unhappy with my small publishing houses, but that couldn’t be further from the truth. I’ve enjoyed working with both houses. I had a say in my cover art, and worked with amazing editors. I can ask for my book to be on sale, or have changes in prices made. The only things I really had no say in was release dates and the layout, as that was all handled in house. In the end, I would definitely work again with either of these houses on books in the future.

These small presses helped me make connections and learn things I never knew before entering the publishing world. I met cover artists, worked with a variety of editors, and connected with many other authors with wide ranges of experience. All these things gave me the confidence to step out on my own.

Cover by Anita Carroll (race-point.com)

That’s not to say the task wasn’t a bit terrifying. I knew nothing about HTML coding, or how to take my manuscript and make it into an .epub or .mobi or any other format for e-readers to use. I read and re-read Susan Kaye Quinn’s section on Formatting the Hard Way (from Indie Author Survival Guide) so many times. I searched the web for more information on HTML coding. I looked at books on my tablet and my Kindle to see what I liked about their layout, and what I didn’t like. Being a bit of a hands-on learner, I took a draft version and played with formatting it, getting frustrated when it wouldn’t look like I wanted. So I researched more.

In the end, once I had my final copy back from my amazing editor Judy Roth (judy-roth.com), along with my cover from Charlotte Volnek (http://www.ckvolnek.com/cks-cover-des...) I had learned enough to code my book to look how I wanted it -once I remembered to take out the spaces in the file names! And it felt great to know I’d done the hard work myself.

**Disclosure: I am an editor with BookFish Books

Cover by CK Volnek

The Mystery Prince, a novella

Buy Link: http://www.amazon.com/dp/B00KU6TSY8

Book Blurb:

Tristan enjoys being in the shadows as Prince Rand’s bodyguard. Similar in looks, the two often exchanged places in their youth, but he never expected the king to order him to impersonate the heir to the throne in order to win the hand of a princess.

Princess Zoe needs to find a husband. After a year of searching with no success, her father insists on hosting a masquerade ball for the eligible princes of the nine kingdoms. Not one prince piques her interest, until she meets the mysterious stranger who won’t tell her his name. When Tristan meets Zoe he finds the girl of his dreams. The only problem? She’s a princess and he’s impersonating a prince―a crime punishable by imprisonment and floggings. Unable to tell Zoe his real name, he gives her a special navigation device. One that leads to the owner’s true love. Will this magic device lead Zoe to Tristan, or will her true love forever remain a mystery prince?

Author Bio:

Mary lives with her husband, son and two cats. When she isn’t twisting fairytales, she enjoys reading, playing games, watching hockey, and camping. Her Princess of Valendria series (Quest of the Hart, Charmed Memories, Different Kind of Knight) are available from MuseItUp Publishing and other major retailers. Her novella, The Mystery Prince, is available at Amazon. Her Faery Marked (book 1 in the Faery Series) will be available from BookFishBooks this summer.

You can find Mary Waibel at:

http://marywaibel.blogspot.com

https://www.facebook.com/authormarywaibel

https://twitter.com/mewtweety14

 

BY THE WAY, did you enter to win an ARC of THE STORYSPINNER?  Enter here!

Thank You Tweeps! How about you win THE STORYSPINNER?

YOU GUYS!!!  I have more than 1,000 Twitter followers!  Thanks to everyone who followed and especially to those who retweeted!  I know I’ve said this before, but the writing and reading community is a beautiful thing.

As promised, I will giveaway one of my cherished ARCs (I only have five, so when I say ‘cherished,’ I mean it!)  And I guess I can personalize it too, right? If the winner wants (Do people want me to sign my book?  I mean, I think it’s super cool when authors write me a little note in their books, but maybe I’m weird.  Also, it’s me signing my book.  I should go practice my handwriting, huh? An-y-way…)

SO!  Since you’re already a twitter follower, all you have to do is enter your handle in the little box below and voila! You’re entered.  If you wanted to like my Facebook page, you’re totally welcome to (and it will get you another entry), but you’re not obligated.  (I have friends who don’t do Twitter and I hate leaving them out.)

I’ll throw in some of the postcards and bookmarks the lovely Kristin Rae designed for THE STORYSPINNER.  She did a really fantastic job!! You can see them up close here!

And one more  thing: If you wondered how I got my agent and my book deal, you can check out my interview for Writer Odyssey Wednesday.

That’s it…except I feel like I should say thank you one more time!  So THANK YOU!! This day has been so totally awesome.

(I’ll stop talking now. I promise.)

a Rafflecopter giveaway

 

 

 

 

 

 

*open to US and Canada addresses only. Sorry.

Editor’s Note: Author of Jenn Johansson talks about sequels and sensory writing

Jenn Johansson is no newbie when it comes to working with editors.  For INSOMNIA and PARANOIA (which comes out June 8), she worked with Brian Farrey-Latz at Flux, and is currently finishing up edits on CUT ME FREE with Janine O’Malley at FSG/Macmillan.  So tell us all the secrets, Jenn! 

BW:  How has working with an editor changed your writing?

JJ: Working with an editor has allowed me to focus on different things while I write. I am able to put all my attention on really honing the story and know that all of the other stuff (phrasing, word choice, punctuation, etc) will fall into place as we go through revisions. It has really freed me up to put all of my creative energy into the craft and I love that. 

BW:  PARANOIA is the second book in The Night Walkers series.  Did you approach writing and editing this book differently because it is a sequel?

JJ: I think sequels are an entirely different animal for many reasons. First, I had never written a sequel before and they truly are very different from the first book in a series or a standalone. You are building upon something you’ve already created, but you don’t want to be repetitive. You need to take the stuff from book #1 and amp it up but you don’t want to re-tread the same ground. You need to give your characters new areas in which to grow because they can’t become stagnant. It really is an entirely new challenge JUST because it’s a sequel. In some ways sequels are easier than starting fresh and other ways, they are SO much harder. It’s very difficult to describe until you’ve actually written a sequel. They are a unique beast.

BW:  *nods* Beast is totally the perfect descriptor. Sequels are hard and I salute everyone who can pull it off successfully.  Do you have a special method for working through your editorial letter?

JJ: I always read through the letter, then I let it sit for a couple of days and don’t work on it (assuming time allows for it). Giving the ideas and suggestions a chance to simmer usually means that when I sit down to start working the solutions I come up with are more developed than they would’ve been if I had jumped right into the letter immediately. I’m sure this isn’t the best for everyone, but for me, it seems to be the best option. 

BW:  Now that you’re an old pro, is there any secret trick you’ve learned that helps you self-edit before you manuscript crosses your editor’s desk? Or maybe some specific writing ticks or weakness you’ve learned to face or avoid?

JJ: Haha, an old pro? Wow…I feel so official now. I think it’s important to remember what got you where you were. If you had a crit group before, continue to work with at least some of them. Find some other authors to beta read for you. Do not rely solely on yourself and your editor. Other authors will find things you might miss. Let them help you, and help them in return!

BW:  Can you give us one piece of advice that you think helps editors (and readers, probably!) connect with a book?

JJ: I think it is really important to use all the senses with your description–but use them with impact. Don’t just randomly throw out what it smells like, tell us what it smells like at a moment when that scent also gives us a clue about what is going on in the area where the main character is and use that smell to trigger a thought, memory or emotion for your character. Bring the reader/editor fully into the head of your character so that they are in the moment and feeling/experiencing what the character is. That is the best way to help them feel that connection. Hope that helps!

BW:  And if you’ve read INSOMNIA, you’ll know just how visceral Jenn’s writing is! If you haven’t experienced the world of the Night Walkers, the first book, INSOMNIA is available now as an e-book for $1.99.  Find out more on her website: http://www.jennjohansson.com/INSOMNIA_Deal.html or directly on Kindle and Nook!

J.R. JOHANSSON is a young adult thriller author. Her books INSOMNIA, PARANOIA (June 2014), and a third untitled book (June 2015) are with Flux Books. CUT ME FREE (Winter 2015) and another untitled book (Winter 2016) will be coming out with FSG/Macmillan.  She has a B.S. degree in public relations and a background in marketing. She credits her abnormal psychology minor with inspiring many of her characters. When she’s not writing, she loves reading, playing board games, and sitting in her hot tub. Her dream is that someday she can do all three at the same time. She has two young sons and a wonderful husband. In fact, other than her cat, Cleo, she’s nearly drowning in testosterone.

 

Jenn’s Links –

Twitter: https://twitter.com/JennJohansson

Blog: http://www.jennjohansson.blogspot.com/

Site: http://www.jrjohansson.com

Tumblr: http://jrjohansson.tumblr.com/

Facebook Page: https://www.facebook.com/AuthorJRJohansson

J.R. Johansson on Goodreads: http://www.goodreads.com/author/show/5100095.J_R_Johansson

PARANOIA on Goodreads: http://www.goodreads.com/book/show/12260608-insomnia

 

Pre-order Links –

The Book Depository – http://www.bookdepository.com/Paranoia-Johansson/9780738740188

Indiebound – http://www.indiebound.org/book/9780738740188

Books A Million – http://www.booksamillion.com/p/Paranoia/J-R-Johansson/9780738740188?id=5529587671279

Barnes & Noble – http://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/paranoia-j-r-johansson/1117011365?ean=9780738740188

Amazon – http://www.amazon.com/Paranoia-The-Night-Walkers-Johansson/dp/0738740187

Paranoia Book Cover Info-

Tagline – With Every Night of Blissful Sleep Darkness Grows Inside Him.

In the aftermath of the events that nearly killed him, Parker Chipp is trying to learn to cope better with life as a Watcher. And it seems to be working…until he wakes up in jail with a hangover and 12 hours of missing time. Darkness has somehow taken control and Parker doesn’t have a clue how to stop him. He finds an unlikely ally in Jack, the mysterious guy in the motorcycle jacket who offers to help Parker master his abilities as a Watcher. But even as they practice, the darkness inside Parker is getting more and more powerful, taking over Parker’s body and doing everything he can to destroy Parker’s life. When Jack reveals that there is another kind of Night Walker, known as a Taker, Parker starts to wonder if the strange things happening in Oakville are more than just a coincidence. After all, people are more than just sleepwalking. They’re emptying their savings accounts with no memory of doing so, wandering into strange parts of town and disappearing, they’re even killing other people–all in their sleep. If Parker wants to find out what’s happening or have any hope of seeing his father again, he’ll have to defy Jack and put his own life in danger…because the more he learns about these other Night Walkers, the more certain he becomes that his life isn’t the only one that could be lost.

 

Blurbs for The Night Walkers Series Books

“The perfect blend of everything I love in a story. I hope a sequel comes soon!”

     –James Dashner, New York Times bestselling author of THE MAZE RUNNER

 

“Completely unputdownable. I’ve decided to nickname Johansson: Scary McScarypants, because she spooked me in all the best ways.”

     –Carrie Harris, author of BAD TASTE IN BOYS

 

“Cleverly written and dangerously dark, Insomnia will take you to the brink of insanity. A must-read for thriller and romance fans alike.”

   —Elana Johnson, author of POSSESSION

 

“A riveting story of terror and despair that will keep you up long past your bedtime.”

   —Jennifer Bosworth, author of STRUCK

Editor’s Note: Author and Editor Rayne Hall talks revision tricks and novice mistakes

I’d like to welcome Rayne Hall, author and editor extraordinaire.  She’s written more than forty novels in a variety of genres, under different pen names, and has been published by twelve different houses in six countries.  In addition to writing novels and short stories, Rayne has also penned a series of instructional guides to help authors improve their craft.  She’s agreed to give us a few tips on how to edit our manuscripts to make them shine.

BW: Please tell us a little about yourself and the stories you write.

RH: I’m a quietly eccentric introvert and I have a black cat named Sulu whom I’ve recently adopted from the cat rescue shelter.

My stories are mostly fantasy and horror. My horror is subtle with a lot of atmosphere – more creepy and unsettling than violent and gory.

BW: I’ve heard it said that authors don’t earn their paychecks until they learn to revise their work. Do you have any secret tricks or tools you use to turn a draft into a fabulous manuscript?

Revision is important, and I enjoy revising. It’s fun to shape those crappy first drafts into something great. There’s nothing secret about my revision techniques, and I’m happy to share them.

Above all, I invite tough, thorough, thoughtful critiques from other writers – the more, the better. I choose which of the suggestions to apply, then I revise, and then I send the story out for new critiques.

Reading aloud helps, and text-to-speech software is even better, because I can hear flaws that my eyes have overlooked.

Unless a publisher has given me a deadline, I like to set each story aside for a while before I tackle he final revision, so I can look at it with fresh eyes.

BW: I feel like writing is something we get better at with practice. Where have you seen your skill as an author grow the most? Or maybe a better question is, where do developing authors tend to fall short?

When I read the stories I wrote years ago, I cringe. The writing is awful! At the time, I thought it was great, but now I see embarrassing flaws. So I have definitely grown as a writer. One of the areas where I’ve grown most is pacing. My early works were long-winded, wordy and waffling. Now my writing is much tighter and more exciting. I’ve also learnt many techniques for making my writing vivid and compelling.

Other authors have their individual weaknesses. Some flaws are common in developing writers’ works, and I see them a lot in slush pile submissions.

First, there’s the overuse of certain words. For some reason, novice writers use certain words a lot (look, turn, could, suddenly, slowly, begin to, start to).

Often, they also overuse certain sentence structures, e.g. starting too many sentences with a present participle: Xxxing, she yyyed. Yyying, he xxxed.

Many developing writers have a limited vocabulary of body language. Their characters always nod, smile, shrug, frown, raise eyebrows and sigh.

BW: I totally make the begin-to and start-to mistakes! *searches for mistakes in ms* How do you avoid writing tics?

RH: Every writer has words or phrases they overuse. Herman Melville applied the word ‘silvery’ whenever he described the sea in Moby-Dick, and J.R.R. Tolkien relied on ‘sudden’, and ‘swift’. Our critique partners can spot these quirks and warn us about them.

In the first draft of one of my novels, the character was constantly biting his lips. I thought that was a memorable character trait, but my critique partners told me it was tedious. They also alerted me that I had too many short sentences, linked too many clauses with ‘but’, and overused the words ‘try’ and ‘velvet’. Seriously – I went through a phase where every chapter contained the word velvet several times, and didn’t realize it until my critique partners pointed it out. The hero had a voice like smooth velvet, the night sky was like dark velvet studded with rhinestones and so on. Then came a phase when I overused ‘hand’ and ‘face’.

Once I’m aware of such a tic, I use the ‘find&replace’ function to highlight every instance, and then I substitute different words where possible.

Actually, my critique partners tell me that in blog posts, I use the word ‘actually’ and ‘hopefully’ too much. Hopefully, I can wean myself of that habit.

BW: Is there one specific lesson you’d like to tell writers that will take their improve their writing?

You want one lesson to fit all writers? Hmm.

Here’s a weakness I see a lot in novice writers’ submissions, so maybe it will be helpful for many of your blogs’ readers.

Check your manuscript for ‘start to’ and ‘begin to’. These words can often be deleted without changing the meaning, and the result is a leaner, more exciting style.

He began to run. > She ran. Rain began to fall. > Rain fell. She started to shiver. > She shivered. His lips started to quiver. > His lips quivered.

BW: Thank you so much for sharing your knowledge with us!

 

ABOUT RAYNE HALL

Rayne Hall has published more than fifty books in several languages under several pen names with several publishers in several genres, mostly fantasy, horror and non-fiction. Recent books include Storm Dancer (dark epic fantasy novel), 13 British Horror Stories, Six Scary Tales Vol. 1, 2, 3, 4, 5 (creepy horror stories), Thirty Scary Tales, Six Historical Tales Vol. 1 and 2 (short stories), Six Quirky Tales (humorous fantasy stories), The Colour of Dishonour: Stories from the Storm Dancer World, Writing Fight Scenes, The World-Loss Diet, Writing About Villains, Writing About Magic, Writing Dark Stories, Writing Short Stories to Promote Your Novels and Writing Scary Scenes (practical guides for authors).

She holds a college degree in publishing management and a masters degree in creative writing. Currently, she edits the Ten Tales series of multi-author short story anthologies: Bites: Ten Tales of Vampires, Haunted: Ten Tales of Ghosts, Scared: Ten Tales of Horror, Cutlass: Ten Tales of Pirates, Beltane: Ten Tales of Witchcraft, Spells: Ten Tales of Magic, Undead: Ten Tales of Zombies, Seers: Ten Tales of Clairvoyance, Dragons: Ten Tales of Fiery Beasts and more.

Rayne has lived in Germany, China, Mongolia and Nepal and has now settled in a small dilapidated town of former Victorian grandeur on the south coast of England. She shares her home with a black cat adopted from the cat sanctuary. His name is Sulu and he’s the perfect cat for a writer – except when he claims ownership of her keyboard.

Amazon’s Rayne Hall page: http://www.amazon.com/Rayne-Hall/e/B006BSJ5BK/ref=ntt_athr_dp_pel_pop_1

Website:http://sites.google.com/site/raynehallsdarkfantasyfiction/

Twitter: http://twitter.com/RayneHall

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/RayneHallAuthor

Short video: Ten Random Facts About Rayne Hall: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sXR4ThBrEFg