Samantha Jacobey's Blog, page 10

Tone and Poor Word Choice

This wasn’t the first item I wanted to cover from my last post in more detail, but it has become the most pressing in my mind since it was added. I have been reading some of the works of my fellow indie authors, and it has been a lot of fun seeing what they are up to. I have been thinking about what makes a work that is enjoyable, and I have come to strongly believe that word choice is a major player in that arena. Have you ever read a piece that had limited word choice? I am currently reading a book I shall not name, largely because I would never publicly bash someone’s blood sweat and tears unless I could not find a single ‘nice’ thing to say about it, and I do not want anyone to take this the wrong way. Beside, overall, the story is enjoyable, and although it was slow to warm up, it is coming along nicely, with one minor flaw: repetitive word use.

Now you may be wondering what I mean by that, so allow me to explain. Given all the words there are in the English language, we often have options that allow us to say exactly the same thing in a variety of ways. Why is it then, that writers become stuck in a rut and use the same words or phrases at regular intervals? This is something I mostly became aware of when I was rereading some of my own work, and I have made it my personal ambition to NOT reuse the same verbs, nouns and adjectives at too high a frequency. To say something is beautiful is nice. To say it twice on the same page detracts from the sincerity. To say it 3 or more times on the same page becomes monotonous.

How can one work to avoid falling into this boring habit? For starters, there is a nifty tool that can be accessed simply by double clicking a word to highlight it, then right clicking to view the alternate options under synonyms. Of course, you have to know exactly what the word means that you are implying, as well as the one that you are opting for, as the fine line between what you meant to say and what you actually said can be crucial. There was a post recently that I followed on FB discussing a self-published book that was horrid in this regard to the point of being hysterical. The author had followed this trick, but had chosen words that didn’t mean anywhere close to what was intended.

That leads us to the second part of using this device; if you aren’t 100% sure, or have any doubt, use the dictionary to look up either or both words, used and options, to be sure the alignment is there before you make the trade. I am sure you all know what a malapropism is, but in case any of you are not familiar with it, I will elaborate. This is a literary term that refers to using an incorrect word that sounds like the one that it is being mistaken for; such as referring to the kiddy pool as the kitty pool. If you were speaking, you might be able to get away with such a slip, but in writing, it stands out more, especially if you decide to switch out ‘kitty’ to make it more interesting and end up with some outlandish non-plausible word choices in it’s place.

Finally, I feel I should address what all of this has to do with Tone, as I titled this article with the purpose of making that connection. The tone of your work comes largely from the words you put into it, kind of like you are cooking up a pot of stew that is flavored by the items you put in the pot. If all you put in are potatoes, then all you get is potato soup. However, if you toss in a wider variety of items, you get a great deal more flavor, and you are able to adjust the tone of your work more finely, taking your reader to new highs and lows more easily and far more believably. Ignoring this fact could drive readers away from your offerings, as having to read that people never walk, run, jog, meander, wander or saunter anywhere, but they are always ‘headed’ where ever they are going can at some point leave your readers looking for the exit to escape what might have been a good story with just a little more appropriate descriptive language.

My Writing Style

I have started getting a few reviews and bits of feedback from other authors, and I have found what they have to say very interesting. I also continue getting feedback from ‘ordinary’ people, and I can’t help but notice how different the feel of these two groups are, and I wonder if it comes from the different reasons that people are reading my work. For example, those who are reviewing for the purpose of giving me feedback seem to be very caught up in the writing style of my work. One such reviewer sent me a list of things to change after reading less than 50 pages of the book. I pursued the issue, curious how this person felt about certain elements that I have employed, only to discover that the reviewer missed out on key details I was trying to convey. This was due in part to the manner of the reading – looking for certain things and not actually absorbing what I was saying. This has had me thinking now for several days, and I have come to the conclusion that how and why a person is reading a book will reflect in their judgment of the author’s writing.

Firstly, I want to point out that understanding the purpose of the book can or should help with seeing that the style of the writing will be affected, and rightly so. Specifically, in the blurb for Life of Recovery, I stated that I would be using a series of current events and flashbacks to share the past event’s of my heroines life. That having been put out there as a stated choice, I was a bit surprised to receive a review in which the reader complained about having the story told in this manner, and would rather have had it told straight through chronologically. I had to laugh at this, honestly, firstly because I did not just decide on a whim to use this particular style or technique. This is not something that I am ever going to ‘fix’ in my writing, as this is my style or choice, particular for the book at hand. I also state in my blurb that there is an unfinished feel to the book, as this is not the end of the story, and is only the beginning. This same reviewer complained about that too, not getting all the answers up front was a concern, but I assure you, all things will be revealed when the time has come. I feel like readers who are reading for the pleasure of the story will find this style of story telling to lend itself well and achieve the purpose of the book.

Secondly, I had the afore mentioned reviewer who only read a small portion of the book and sent the list of ‘fixes’ that needed to be implemented. This one really got my attention, as it made me realize that some people actually expect all authors to write with the same or similar style if they want to be ‘good.’ One particular thing that was mentioned was that my characters needed to talk more and they should use more dialogue and less description. Hello? My style is descriptive, for one. If it is being described, there is a reason or purpose for it being there. In the opening of my book, I describe the room in great detail, and how my heroine explores the room to find that it has been completely stripped of everything that is not essential. Said reviewer thought I should have been more flowery such as ‘so and so’ (insert your favorite author here) and that would make my work better. Haha, I am not ‘so and so’ for one, and I sure don’t want to sound like them. I want to sound like me, case closed. Furthermore, my main character doesn’t talk in the beginning for a reason, and this is something that will be brought out as her story continues. Again, this is a style of writing that suites what I am trying to convey, and I think that if the reader isn’t looking for things that need to be judged, they are more apt to accept and even understand the purpose behind what is being imparted and through what style of disclosure.

Thirdly, I write as third person omniscient so that I can move where the action is and get inside a character’s head when I need to, but I try not to spend too much time in there, as that would actually detract from my story in my opinion. This is supposed to be a suspense thriller that has mysteries to discover. I give plenty of clues as to what is going on, but to actually get inside a character’s head and spell it out would be… lame. I don’t want you to know everything at once, and I certainly do give lots of commentary. It’s all part of the style, part of the world I am creating. One of the reasons that I have broken the story up into short segments, is that the tone of each book will be different. I don’t think reviewers always consider this when they are reading a particular installment, especially if they think that all come afterwards will be exactly the same as the one they just read, because I warn you, they won’t be. One commented that each book should be able to stand alone, and they each will stand alone, having all the elements they should to complete the segment of the story they are telling. That being said, I think that those who are reading for pleasure will be driven for more as they become more absorbed into this place that they are slowly being drawn into.

Finally, what about those ordinary readers, who aren’t reviewing or looking for anything other than what is unfolding before them? Well, they love it! I continue to get feedback from people through emails and messages that they can’t wait for the second book, they love my characters, etc. I am very pleased to hear this, as I feel strongly vindicated that my style is worthy of my target audience. I hope the numbers continue to grow as we move from one book to the next. I know that my style for each book is slightly different, as I use different techniques depending on how and why I want certain aspects of the story to be revealed. I also know that one of my main purposes in all of my books is to push the reader to wonder why certain things are taking place and to consider the possible meanings and outcomes of the events. As I reach the end of what I am saying here, I realize that this is only the beginning of my understanding, and there is a great deal to be said about how we used style and tone to convey the story that is unfolding between our pages of text. That is how it is for me, each thought leading to another, and each conclusion posing a new question. I guess I will have to dig in and take on one specific element at a time and see where this leads me.

Going to the Gym

I took the day off from work yesterday to take care of some book related stuff and decided to start the day with a trip to the gym. I haven’t been going in a couple of months. I have just been too busy with writing my novels, work and other things. Really, I lost my gym buddies and have lacked the motivation that having someone to answer to about not showing up brings. Now I have people pulling me away instead.

So we did a really easy workout – or it should have been. Me, I couldn’t finish anything and was exhausted by the time I left. So today I am sore as hell; shoulders, stomach, thighs, and even that all important rear end. The only part of me that doesn’t hurt to move is my fingers. I guess they are the only real part of me I have been using for months now.

I have a plan though. I am going to start going on Saturdays, when there is no one who will be expecting me to be somewhere else, and I can actually take some ‘me’ time. I also intend to start doing a bit of working out here at the house. There are always easy exercises that you can do at home, its just the fact of getting out of the chair and getting on with it.

I love my gym though. Great crowd there, and not like any that I ever belonged to in the past. I tell people I go to Cross Fit, and I get some funny looks from people. I realize I don’t really look the part, but the people who know me have seen how much I have changed over the last year and a half in that regard, and I am not even hard core about it.

I love the fact that you don’t use a lot of fancy machines and all the exercises are more natural to everyday movements. I also love the fact that I feel better and can move more freely and confidently since I joined. It is a gym that I understand is not for everyone, but it is definitely the best place for me. It is one of the things I am looking forward to when I am able to not be tied down to my current profession – going to the gym regularly.

Putting the word out…

For days now, I have been working on looking for book blogs for reviews, giveaways, etc. It has been pretty interesting to see all of the time and work that some of the sites have had put into them. I made a page here so that I could start keeping tabs on some of the ones that I like the best. Now I just have to go back and find the ones that I saw before that.

I must admit, working on something like this can be quite tedious. Especially since there is no set way that people want the information. Some want it boom – there it is, others seem to want to see a dog an pony show. I also never realized just how many book review blogs there were out there – and believe me there is more than you can go through in a day, or even a couple of days.

What I would really like is to just find a couple that I really connect with and can work with. I don’t think that is too much to ask. I gave out 15 copies of my book, and only have 1 left that has not given me feedback. All but one of those wants to know when they can get the next book and to hurry up about it, which is great!!! Therefore, I am confident people are going to like it, if I can ever get them to read it. I am just such a person of action, and I hate ‘waiting’ for people to reply to me and tell me whether or not they are interested… call me impatient.

Oh well, back to the searching… Later.

So now I am thinking….

I have been doing a lot of research about authors and publishing a book and thinking about how much putting myself out there like this is going to change my life, or could change it. It is a little scary for me, having had some of the crazy things in my past that I don’t think other people think about.

For example, I was on a particular blog, and instead of a ‘follow’ button, the girl had a ‘stalk me’ button. I realize that she is trying to be cute, and it is kind of funny in the context of the rest of her blog, but I, having actually been stalked before and seen the darker side of things, find that somewhat troublesome.

I have a pretty public job now, and many people know me. I guess you could say, I work in a profession where you are expected to take on a certain role, even in your private life. I can scarcely go any where in my town without seeing someone who knows me, either now or from years gone by, and I can’t help wondering how my actions are affecting the people I work with and my community.

I guess I should mention, the last thing I wanted when I first started working on this was to have people know that I wrote it, but the more into it I get, the more fun I think it is going to be, and I can’t wait until I can devote myself full time to the cause… Maybe this is as much about my getting a new life as the girl in my story.

Getting Started

Was awake several times last night at odd hours thinking about this. Guess that is how it goes for me, up at odd hours with my head full of ideas and things to do…

I wanted to create a place where I could post about my series of books, and to allow others to comment on it as well. I have many friends who have read the first book now, and have gotten a variety of interesting comments personally about it, so I will explain a bit about it here and see where it leads.

First off, where did the story come from? I wrote a series of stories that I have told and retold in my mind for up to twenty years now. The nice thing about doing it in your head, you can play with different aspects and change things just to see where it leads. Putting it on paper, it becomes more solid, more final… this is how it is sort of thing. I hate to say this, but the people who know me already know, this girl is real in my mind, and the things that happened to her are as real as my own memories. Now she lives in the pages of my books.

Secondly, why so many books that are so short? I broke the story up into segments that were manageable and related. I like this because you can read the parts you like over and over, without having to suffer through the parts you don’t like to get there. The first book is definitely the darkest, as it warns you on the back cover. Life of Recovery is almost like a prequel, giving all the background you might or might not need for the rest of the story. You don’t have to read it, as the rest of the books only refer back to it in pieces, and give enough information you are not completely lost without it. However, if you really want the full depth and can handle the truth, then by all means give it a read, at least once. Oh and the large print – that’s cause I am old and I don’t like to struggle to read books, so enjoy.

Thirdly, about romance. I selected the category of romance for my series, largely because as a whole, this is the story about her life, and my favorite part is Book 3 – Life of Love. It tells about the romance portion of her life, which is carried through to the end of the series afterwards, if there is an end. Some have told me this is more of a thriller or suspense novel (speaking of Life of Recovery of course) and I would have to agree with that assessment as well, but that may change when more of the story is revealed.

Finally, why didn’t I just write one long book? Because I detest a book I cannot read in one weekend with life in between. That is why I gave up reading books years ago and just made up my own. I have lots of stories to tell, some fantasy, some dark, some comedy. This is the story I decided to share first. I have many tales about this girl, and I have 4 of them completed, as of today. I have 2 more that will be finished by the ‘end’ of the series, but there are at least a dozen more that I could (or not) tell at some time down the line.

A New Life is meant to come in small segments, just as real life does. I want you to enjoy it without missing out on any part of your own life. No staying up all night to get to the end of the 300 pages that are left (done that). No spending your entire holiday reading an 800 page butt burner (done that too). Just pick up a piece when ever you have time and dream a little. Then put it down and let it roll around in your head for a while. In case you didn’t notice when you read the first one, it is part of the intrigue, and things are seldom what they seem when you have time to reflect upon them in between.