Megan Morgan's Blog, page 21
August 2, 2017
Being Human Sucks
[image error]This post is part of the Insecure Writer’s Support Group blog hop. The first Wednesday of every month is Insecure Writer’s Support Group day. Post your thoughts on your own blog. Talk about your doubts and the fears you have conquered. Discuss your struggles and triumphs. Offer a word of encouragement for others who are struggling. The awesome co-hosts for the August 2 posting of the IWSG are Christine Rains, Dolarah @ Book Lover, Ellen @ The Cynical Sailor, Yvonne Ventresca, and LG Keltner!
Hello, everyone! Time once again to talk about our insecurities. I don’t have any specific ones this month, just the background insecurity of being a writer, I guess.
I’ve been having a good run lately. I recently had something published, I’ve got something on submission, and I’ve got a nice backlog of written stuff I’m slowly editing/revising to submit as well. Plus, I have a few ideas for other stories. So the writing life is good! But even at this stage there is constant anxiety gnawing at the back of my brain–write more, write faster, edit more, edit faster! More, more, more, you’re not going fast enough, you’re not creating enough! I wonder sometimes if this is actually a symptom of the regular anxiety disorder I suffer from and doesn’t have that much to do with writing. No matter how much I do or achieve it’s never enough.
But, humans are also goal-oriented creatures. We need something to strive for. Not having a goal or a purpose tends to make us sluggish, empty, and depressed. ‘Good enough’ never lasts long and if it did, we’d never create anything else. So maybe it’s also just human nature, keeping us running on that track, always trying to get the trophy. Man, it’s hard to be a human…
August 2nd Question: What are your pet peeves when reading/writing/editing?
Reading – I hate ham-fisted foreshadowing, even in TV shows and movies, not just books. I don’t like being bludgeoned over the head with ominous omg look what this person did guess what’s gonna happen because of it ooooooh. And then of course, it happens. I would rather clues be subtle and woven into the story so artfully it’s barely noticed until the THING happens, and then you slap your forehead and go “oh my God, I should have seen that coming!” I like to be surprised. I also like to connect the dots afterward and marvel at the wonder of storytelling.
Writing – I hate everything about writing. HA, just kidding! Really though, I hate when I have a great vision in my head, but somehow it never translates onto the screen perfectly. It falls short, or flat, somehow, or just comes out different in such a weird way it’s not exactly what I envisioned.
Editing – I hate when I’m editing my own work and am baffled at how I never passed second grade spelling/grammar, apparently.
How about you? What are your pet peeves?
Filed under: IWSG Tagged: blog hop, creativity, editing, insecure writer's support group, me, writing
July 31, 2017
Originality?
Be original! It’s one of those rules of writing that as an author, you’re going to hear at least 5,000 times in your writing life, along with such seasoned bits of wisdom such as show don’t tell, write every day, and never, ever be boring or else you’re going to hell. Of course, the longer you write, the more you understand that all of these ‘rules’ have a time and place, don’t mean what they seem to mean on the surface, and frankly, people can get stuffed.
[image error]Even square watermelons are not original, they’re produced en masse.
The command “be original!” on the surface sounds like every single thing you write should be 100% unique, a true trailblazing story in your genre, and should emulate absolutely nothing from any other author or story. The problem is, there’s very few original ideas left in the world, and also, if you take a look around you it’s easy to see this sort of absolute interpretation of “be original” is simply not true. Romance novels are built on formula and tropes. Cozy mysteries full of baking contests, gumshoe old ladies, and cats fly off the shelves. John Grisham is still a millionaire despite the fact he (or his ghost writer) just changes out the names of the characters for every book. A lot of fantasy stories have at least one wizard. Readers buy certain genres because they want the familiar trappings that come with it.
Even “unique” stories are not really that original if you break them down. Harry Potter is by far not the only series to focus on kids in school, post-apocalyptic struggle fiction was not invented by The Hunger Games, and though people like to joke that George RR Martin kills off his non-bad guy main characters, that happens in Lord of the Rings, too. There’s nothing terribly new under the sun. Most stories follow a simple formula, whether authors realize it or not: there’s a person (or group of people) the reader should care about, they want to achieve or get something, something is working against them, they struggle and hit a bunch of pitfalls, and eventually some success is achieved. That’s a story. Everything else is window dressing.
So, what does it really mean to be “original?”
Originality means, no matter what genre you write, what tropes you utilize, what details you create, and what template you use, you tell the story in your way. With your own voice. No one else can write what you write, because no one else has your memories, thoughts, feelings, and view of the world in the exact same way about all the exact same things. It means telling a story with your own flavor and bringing your own set of morals and viewpoint to the table. Copying other authors exact characters, worlds, and words is called plagiarism, and isn’t exactly in this discussion about originality because you should never do that and you’re going to get caught.
Be original by being yourself, and telling the same story that’s been told ten thousand times in a way only you can tell it. Rest assured no one has your voice, so you’re not stepping on any toes.
For substantially all ideas are second-hand, consciously and unconsciously drawn from a million outside sources, and daily used by the garnerer with a pride and satisfaction born of the superstition that he originated them; whereas there is not a rag of originality about them anywhere except the little discoloration they get from his mental and moral calibre and his temperament, and which is revealed in characteristics of phrasing. – Mark Twain in a letter to Helen Keller
Filed under: Monday Blogs Tagged: advice, creativity, writing
July 28, 2017
His To Have by Devon Birchley
Today I’m hosting Devon Birchley and her New Adult romance, His To Have. Devon is giving away a $30 Amazon/B&N gift card. So make sure to comment, check out the other stops on the tour, and enter the Rafflecopter giveaway!
Enter to win a $30 Amazon/B&N gift card
Leave a comment and check out the other stops on the tour for more chances to win!
[image error]
His to Have is a very steamy new adult romance with a perfect HEA.
“Fifty Shades of Grey for the Girls generation.”
Reagan
There’s a whole bunch of things I need right now—to feel at home in this big, lonely city. To stop working my ass off. To find myself a nice, normal guy. One thing I sure as hell don’t need is Adler Montgomery crashing into my world and telling me what I need.
Cock-sure, tattooed, moneyed, too sexy for his own good. Not my type, at all. And yet…
When his hand tightens in my hair, suddenly, all I need is him.
He opens my eyes to a whole new world, possesses me in every possible way, sets me on fire with his sweet, filthy words. And then he pushes me away. I know I should run, keep my heart safe, but that turns out to be the hardest thing of all.
Adler
She thought I was giving her a line. And that’s probably for the best, because the truth is dangerous. No-one’s eyes have ever looked so vulnerable, made me want to break all my rules. They make me chase her when I know I shouldn’t. They make me cruel; they make me soft. But more than that, they make me feel. And I don’t like that.
I tell myself she’s only a sub, that I’m helping her to discover her dark side. But the more I listen to her smart, feisty voice and the more I see she doesn’t take any crap from anyone, the deeper I fall. I’ve never met anyone like Reagan Lockhart before, but letting her in could mean ruin for both of us.
EXCERPT:
For once in my life, I’m stuck for words. And then my anger flares. “Who are you, and what the hell do you think gives you the right to pass judgment on me?” I snap. “You know nothing about me.” I’m speaking loudly, but he seems unabashed.
“Nothing? Well, let me see… you’re at the biggest sex exhibition in the northeast in a provocative outfit, and you’re caressing a whip. And you have very vulnerable eyes.”
I scowl. I’ve been told often that my eyes look innocent, and I don’t like it.
“I’m just working here, helping a friend out, and I got bored waiting for her.”
He reaches into his back pocket and pulls out one of Dominique’s flyers. “This friend?”
I fight to keep my expression blank. “Have you been watching me?”
“What if I have?” His face displays such evident enjoyment that I want to slap him.
“You’re a freak.”
He takes a half step closer, and his smile doesn’t falter. “If I am, then so are you,” he says in an undertone. “But seriously, you don’t need any of this crap.”
I fold my arms. At this point, I don’t even know why I’m continuing to stand here and give him an audience, but I can never back away from confrontation. “No? What do I need?”
“You need a man whose breath in your ear is enough to make you yield all control.” Again, I can feel his breath, and its warmth makes me shiver, all the way to my nipples, which instantly tighten. Then he straightens up and, without another word, turns around and walks away from me.
BUY LINK: (His To Have is 99 cents during the tour!)
Amazon: https://www.amazon.com/His-Have-dark-romance-novel-ebook/dp/B0734W3GQS/
[image error]ABOUT THE AUTHOR:
Devon Birchley writes wild romances with a dirty twist. Her stories are full of sexy, dominant men, forbidden adventures, guilty pleasures and spine-tingling happily ever afters!
Subscribe to Devon’s mailing list and be the first to know about new releases, promotions and giveaways. http://eepurl.com/cSebqD
Devon loves to hear from readers – please connect with her here:
www.facebook.com/DevonBirchley
www.facebook.com/DevonBirchleyAuthor
www.twitter.com/DevonBirchley
Enter to win a $30 Amazon/B&N gift card
Leave a comment and visit the other stops on the tour for more chances to win!
Filed under: Giveaways, Guest Posts Tagged: books, guests, romance
July 26, 2017
When Characters Go Bad
[image error]
As writers, we’re forever creating characters. It’s kinda what we do. And you would think these characters would be grateful to us–we give them life, we give them a story and purpose, we love and nurture them and help them grow. But sometimes, this isn’t the case. Like a rebellious teenager who won’t listen to anything you say, some of them just aren’t grateful at all that you gave them life and they want to spend all their time and energy acting up. The nerve!
The truth is, not all characters are our precious babies, and I’m not just talking about the villains and bad guys. Some characters just suck. A bad character can mess up a good story, and sometimes you have to kill them or cut them. In addition to being a writer, you’re now forced to be a murderer. Congratulations!
Here are some of those wayward, pesky character types who just stomp all over our story and screw everything up, necessitating either a harsh correcting, or an untimely severing:
The character who tries to take over. This character was just supposed to be a side character supporting the protagonist. Two chapters later, you’re telling us more about their life than about the main character. Where did the main character even go? Suddenly, the side character is hogging the spotlight and telling you this is the book you really meant to write.
The character who won’t cooperate. Sometimes you can’t get characters into the scenes and positions you want them in. Try as you might, it’s like attempting to push a muffin through a tennis racket. They just don’t fit, they’re awkward, and there’s crumbs everywhere.
The character who is void of personality. Despite giving this character some lovely traits, they just fall flat. Their dialog is boring. Their personality is a gaping vacuum. Why can’t you bring them to life? They’re a shuffling zombie. Maybe you should turn this into a zombie novel.
The character with no name. Why can’t you figure out a name for this character, and why does nothing sound right when you try it out? Why do they not want a name? Can you just name a character Asshole?
The character who chews the scenery. For some reason, every time you write this character, they’re way too dramatic, over the top, colorful, and absurd. You try to tone it down but they just return worse than before in the next scene, wearing clown shoes and shouting about fluctuations in the stock market.
The background character who just makes themselves at home. They were supposed to be briefly in one scene and now they’re in twelve? How did this happen?
The mystery character. You’re editing your manuscript and suddenly a character appears that you don’t remember writing. They seem awfully important and yet you can find no reference to them earlier in the story. Were you asleep when you wrote this? Was it aliens?
The twin characters. These two characters act, talk, and even kind of look alike and you totally didn’t mean to do that. It’s hard to distinguish them. One of them needs a makeover. Time to hit Sephora.
Bad characters are everywhere…be on the lookout! They can creep into your story at any time. The worst is when a good character goes bad–it will break your heart! Have you had to deal with bad characters?
Filed under: Uncategorized Tagged: characters, funny, writing
July 25, 2017
July 24, 2017
We’re In the Showing Off Business
If you want to write stories and sell them, there’s something you already know, or if you haven’t gotten that far yet, you will eventually learn: writing is a business. Books are a business. More specifically, it’s the entertainment business and you’re going to have to learn all the extra things that come with that. It’s not enough, at least at first, to just write stories and have them published. You also need to sell your work.
[image error]What I mean by that is, you have to show off, be a salesman and a pitchman at the same time, and hope to God someone notices and more importantly, cares.
Even if you land with a publisher, most often they want you to write the description of your book that will go on the cover and be used to advertise. The people in the marketing department might change it a bit, or offer suggestions, but they want you to write it, along with things like taglines, teasers, and other descriptions that will be used in marketing. This is because, mainly, no one knows your book better than you do and knows what needs to be mentioned in the description. If you’re self-publishing, of course, this is entirely and completely on you anyway. The problem is, it takes a lot of practice to write book blurbs and taglines and also make them catchy, sensational, and interesting enough to hook readers.
How can you learn to sell your book in a way that will make people want to read it? Here are some tips for when you’re trying to get noticed in a sea of a million books:
What makes your story unique? What’s the thing in this story that readers haven’t read a thousand times before? The thing that makes it different, interesting, and dynamic? It’s true that originality is difficult to come by, but pick something in the story you think is a new twist and at least give it a glancing mention.
What DOESN’T make your story unique? Readers of your genre expect certain things from the books they read. Make sure you focus on that aspect of your story, too. People who want to read mysteries will be looking for a mystery plot. People who read romance want love and relationships in your book. Make sure you clearly define why your book fits in your genre, too.
Try to be snappy and yet descriptive. Book blurbs, and especially taglines, are brief and succinct. They get right to the heart of the matter and say only what’s important–but remember, you’re selling a product and trying to get people to read it, so that description needs to be engaging as well.This doesn’t mean slathering the adjectives on like spackle, though. Instead of saying a character is terrific, brave, or smart, instead show us why they are those things. Here is a romance novel example: Instead of saying “Jane meets John, a smart, sexy bachelor with a heart of gold,” say “Jane meets John, a single guy with a PhD, a body straight out of the gym, and a love for children and animals.” Instead of listing traits, tell us WHY.
Where’s the tension? Make sure you outline the main conflict–and every story has a conflict, from something as extreme as a literal war to a kindly grandma who wants to win a knitting competition. Let the reader know what sort of ride they’re about to go on, and what’s at stake. This can pique interest better than anything else.
Why should we care? You’re literally one voice shouting in a gigantic gymnasium full of shouting voices, so it’s very hard to be heard. As we know, luck plays a big role in getting heard, but you should also be genuine. Do you truly believe in your story and love it? Do you think it’s good and interesting? Make sure that shines through in the way you talk about it. Don’t be shy. Don’t be modest. Now is not the time. That way when the right person walks by and happens to hear your voice, it won’t be weak.
Selling yourself is hard, and selling your product in a show business way might be even harder for you–but it’s part of the game. To get noticed, you have to sparkle.That means learning how to make your book sound like the greatest book that has ever been written. Hopefully, someone agrees with you.
How do you sell your work?
Filed under: Monday Blogs Tagged: advice, creativity, writing
July 21, 2017
Still Editing…
I’m still powering through edits so I can have something ready for the IWSG Twitter Pitch Party on Thursday (I’m almost there!) so I’ll keep this short and sweet today. Also, Tuesday is my birthday, so I want to be able to just chill out that day. So here’s me saying hi, bye, and have a great weekend! Do you have any fun plans?
[image error]
Filed under: Behind The Scenes Tagged: me
July 19, 2017
Looks Aren’t Everything–Or Are They?
No matter what genre you write in, there’s a particular difficulty that every single author experiences, in every single book, novella, or short story they write. Not once, not in a few things, but literally every single thing they write. That is, the difficulty in conveying to the reader what your characters look like.
[image error]In some genres, your character’s appearance is more important than in others. I write romance, where how people look is integral to the story. Especially when it comes to the protagonist’s love interest, how they look, how attractive they are, and repeated references to their appearance is part of the narrative. The focus is on attraction and looks. In other genres, appearances probably don’t matter as much, but you still want to convey to the reader, most of the time, what your characters look like. Some things about their appearance might even be important to who they are and to building their personality.
The difficulty in conveying appearances isn’t in managing to build a description for what you see in your head, though. Rather, the problem comes in how to describe the character, specifically, where you can shoehorn this description in without making it seem clunky, obvious, or like the author has taken over. Doing so means you risk jarring the reader out of the story. Also, where does this description come in? How early in the story do you need the reader to know what your characters look like? After all, you don’t want the person reading the story to form their own completely contradictory vision and then mess everything up for them.
Here’s a few ways you might describe your character’s appearance:
If you have more than one viewpoint character, of course, it’s easy for the characters to look at each other and note each other’s appearances. This is the easiest way, but only if you’re writing from more than one viewpoint.
If the entire story is told through the eyes of one character, their appearance can be revealed through actions–while they’re brushing their hair, while scrutinizing things they don’t like about themselves (or alternately, appreciating things they do like about themselves), or comparing their features to someone else. I am very much not a fan, however, of the character looking in a mirror and giving a detailed description of themselves. After all, how often do you look in the mirror and specifically note the color of your eyes, hair, and the shape of your face? However, this can be done creatively, by having a woman putting on makeup and thinking about how the eyeshadow compliments the color of her eyes, or someone noting that a new haircut flatters the shape of their face.
If you’re writing in first person, it can be very difficult to convey a character’s appearance without getting awkward. You can think about the ways we consider our own appearances though, and figure out how to put these same kind of thoughts in your character’s head. Most of us spend at least a portion of our day focused on how we look, and your character can too.
But really, the absolute best way to describe a character is to just do it. Simply tell us what they look like as part of the narrative and move on. Introducing the character on the page can also include a brief description of what they look like. Keep it to what is important to know about them, however–there’s no need to describe every inch of them, just the relevant parts. Other things can come up later when there is a need–things like scars, defects, unique features, and other things of this sort.
And when, exactly, should you describe what a character looks like? I feel it should be done as soon as possible without giving an info dump. As I said above, you don’t want the reader to form their own vision and then completely shatter it. Also, your character’s appearance is an important part of their overall personality, just like how we look in real life is always an integral part of who we are.
How do you describe what your characters look like? When do you think this description should come in? And as a reader, when do you expect it and how much do you want to know?
Filed under: Uncategorized Tagged: advice, creativity, techniques, writing
July 17, 2017
Editing Hell
I’m knee-deep (more like waist-deep, but I’m trying to get down to the knees) in editing/revising right now, trying to get a book polished up and ready to go for the IWSG Twitter Pitch Party on July 27th. Did I just finish writing this book? No, I finished the first draft some time ago. Did I have plenty of time, even months, to get it ready? Yes, absolutely. Did I save all this work for the last minute anyway and put myself on a self-imposed tight deadline? Of course I did! I like to think I do all my best work while sweating and screaming, after all.
The thing about editing and revising is that there’s no absolute, set way to accomplish it. When writing, you can follow a few rules. Stories tend to follow a pattern, or at least have some kind of structure, but the editing process is freehand. Every writer edits in a different way. Some do it very meticulously and take a lot of time, some do it in chunks, some are quick and efficient. I’ve found the longer I write, and the longer I edit, the better I get at it, like anything else. Also, the more you write and the more you understand writing, the less editing you find yourself having to do. After all, do it (mostly) right the first time and there won’t be much to change. There will always be something to change, of course–no one can write a perfect first draft–but you can minimize the work in post.
[image error]My editing and revising techniques have changed over time, but I have a few basic things I stick to. I have a list of words and phrases to watch out for, including ‘filtering’ words and overused words, and grammar mistakes I often find myself stumbling over. After one thorough read-through/revision, I then do a search for each of these words/phrases and try to find ways to eliminate, change, or fix them. When that’s done, I do a second read-through to see how everything flows, now that it’s all ‘technically’ correct. This may sound simple and straightforward, but depending on how long the manuscript, it can take a few weeks (especially if I’m procrastinating). Of course, if I put my nose to the grindstone, it can take a lot less time.
I do actually enjoying editing. There’s a certain satisfaction in fixing and tidying up. It’s another chance to play with the words and make them sing. And sometimes I impress myself–what I thought was really boring, clunky, or just downright bad turns out to be pretty good, or at least not nearly as bad as I imagined.
Editing can be hellish, too. While writing is often free-flowing and fun (not to say it’s never aggravating, though), editing tends to take a lot of concentration, brain power, and meticulous work that can wear you down. By the time you get done with just one read-through you might be feeling a little crazy. And you’ve got a few more passes to go! That’s probably why it’s important to not let these things linger when you have a deadline approaching…
What are your editing methods? Do you enjoy the process, or does it drive you crazy? Have you gotten better at it over time, and find yourself with less to fix up?
Filed under: Monday Blogs Tagged: creativity, editing, writing
July 14, 2017
Upcoming IWSG Stuff
Hey, hey! If you’re part of the Insecure Writer’s Support Group (and if you’re not–joining is easy) there’s a couple upcoming things that you might want to be a part of:
July 31st is the deadline to submit an article for the The IWSG Guide to Writing for Profit.
What to write: Share experiences about making a profit as an author, what it takes to become a successful writer, the many skills a writer needs to learn other than writing, share the experience going from hobby writer to published author (without making it a self-promotion piece), the fallacies behind writing for profit, the little known facts learned along the way, what you wished you knew when you first started writing, or marketing tips based on experience of what has worked and what hasn’t.
If you gave any questions, email us at admin AT insecurewriterssupportgroup.com
Word limit: 500-1000 words.
Submission eligibility: All members of the IWSG Blog Hop, IWSG Facebook group and/or members of our IWSG Goodreads Book Club. It’s free to join any of these groups and a great benefit to be a part of these communities.
Deadline: July 31, 2017
Send your piece to admin AT insecurewriterssupportgroup.com as an attached Word document and note which IWSG group you belong to. Please include your name, a one line bio, and one website link.
***The BEST 100 articles will be included in the book!***
Also, July 27th is the first ever IWSG Twitter pitch party! Here’s how you can catch the eye of agents and publishers with your complete, polished, unpublished manuscript:
July 27, 2017
8:00 am to 8:00 pm Eastern Time
All writers and authors are invited to participate in our very first Twitter Pitch.
Create a Twitter-length pitch for your completed and polished manuscript and leave room for genre, age, and the hashtag. On July 27, Tweet your pitch. If your pitch receives a favorite/heart from a publisher/agent check their submission guidelines and send your requested query.
Many writers have seen their books published from a Twitter pitch – it’s a quick and easy way to put your manuscript in front of publishers and agents.
Rules:
Writers may send out 1 Twitter pitch every 1 hour per manuscript.
Publishers/Agents will favorite/heart pitches they are interested in. Publishers can either Tweet basic submission guidelines or direct writers to their submission guidelines. (Writers, please do not favorite/heart pitches.)
No images allowed in pitches.
Pitches must include GENRE/AGE and the hashtag #IWSGPit.
Ages:
#C – children’s
#MG – middle grade
#YA – young adult
#NA – new adult
#A – adult
Genres:
#AD – adventure
#CF – Christian fiction
#CO – contemporary
#F – fantasy
#H – horror
#HI – historical
#LF – literary fiction
#MCT – mystery/crime/thriller
#ME – memoir
#NF – non-fiction
#PB – picture book
#PN – paranormal
#R – romance
#SF – sci-fi
#WF – women’s fiction
I’m definitely going to write an article for the first one and TRY to get my currently finished but not polished manuscript ready before the pitch party. *sweats* Will you be joining us?
Have a great weekend!
Filed under: IWSG, Promotion Tagged: information, insecure writer's support group
