A writer's journey...

When you tap into the creative side and the words pour out of you, it's euphoric —it's what I term "falling into the rabbit hole"—and it's even more magical than  Alice in Wonderland .   It's a kind of rush you can't get enough of and it seems it's something you can never truly prepare yourself for—or can you? Maybe you've been struggling with a manuscript or it's just finding the time to write. Maybe you're not sure about what comes next and you procrastinate to the point you haven't written in days. Part of you might feel like crawling under a rock and proclaiming your work in progress stalled to the point that you hide behind "writer's block."  I'm here to tell you there's no such thing as "writer's block," per se, it's another procrastination excuse invented by writers. Of course, there are times that things come up in our writing that leave us wondering what the next step should be...

Have you ever read a book and noticed that a certain character acted differently than you would have expected? Did it throw you out of the story? While most of us follow a somewhat predictable path in regards to our habits and response to repetitive situations, life events have the power to alter our reaction. When it comes to fictional characters, I always defer to real life. Have you, or anyone you know well reacted differently to a situation than you would have thought? I am certain you can think of many instances. Personally, two weeks ago, I took off last minute to see my sister who lives four and half hours away by car. I took the train adding about two hours to the journey with layovers, et cetera. But this isn’t something my husband or she ever saw coming. I’m usually a bit of a planner. I don’t typically travel alone. These are just two aspects of my personality that don’t “allow” for me to just drop everything and go. So, must characters in our books be any...

For the last number of weeks I’ve been discussing different ways to establish solid scenes. The last thing we want is for our readers to be wandering aimlessly through our story trying to figure out where they are. In fact that’s one way to lose readers fast. So in conclusion, setting scenes effectively is crucial.  We want to ensure that our readers are aware of whose point of view they’re in, location, and that we give them visceral responses by using at least some of the five senses.  However, there is one area we haven’t fully explored--purpose. If your book is going to flow properly, making every word count, then each scene will need to be there. Every one will have a reason for inclusion, otherwise, it will slow down the pacing and our readers will skim. How do we define purpose when it comes to scenes? Ask yourself if the passage is required for character development or to advance the plot. If your answer is no to both, or you’re hesitant to answer, it qu...

As human beings we have been gifted with five main senses of touch, taste, sight, hearing, and smell. We live in a world of color and textures that lift us up and feed our souls. Maybe you’re wondering how this ties into our writing? While it true that our work is fictional, as authors we do the best we can to make everything authentic. Even if you are a science fiction author, you would spring from elements taken in real life. Comparisons of some sort are required to establish setting and context. So how we create a rich tapestry that takes our readers from being a spectator to our story to feeling like they are a part of it?  One huge aspect of this is setting. Are you utilizing the five senses in your writing? Of course, it’s not logical or necessary to include all five senses in each and every scene. You definitely wouldn’t want to rhyme off the attributes as a laundry list of sorts. You will find as you hone your skill you’ll be able to paint a comprehensive sce...

Last week we discussed establishing character point of view at the onset of a new scene or chapter. (Click here to read this post.)  This week we are going to talk about establishing location. When I say location I’m not necessarily referring to the geographic element such as where in the world, but your reader needs to be able to picture your characters somewhere.  If you fail to provide location your characters might as well be acting out in front of a green screen--it’s the same equivalence. You would be leaving it up to your reader to place your characters. Needless to say this will likely make them confused and ultimately close your book which is the last thing you want. This element of setting a scene can be a tricky one as it’s not always necessary to point out in an obvious way where it’s taking place. It’s quite possible the scene is a continuation of an earlier one and your reader already has a vision of the surroundings. However, it’s up to you as the author...

Last week I announced the start of a serial post on Setting the Scene . Today’s topic is establishing the point of view character. Most books that we read are told from the viewpoints of several characters. I find this tapestry to also be effective in managing the pacing of a novel.  The question that might come to mind is with all of these different people, how do I establish the POV character in a scene so that there is no confusion for the reader? As readers get to know your characters, they become familiar with mannerisms and outlooks, attitudes, etc, that form their viewpoints of situations, but we should never leave it up to the reader to solve the riddle.  Make it clear from the start of the scene who the reader is with. This can accomplished by simply using their name in the first paragraph or an action tag to dialogue if the scene opens with them speaking. Once you’ve established whose point of view we are in, don’t head hop . This habit, unfortunately...

Characters and plot are equally important to creating a world for our readers to escape into. Breaking down the plot, we realize it consists of many scenes that make up the collective as a whole. How can we effectively establish solid scenes? There are a few ways and I’ll be discussing them on this blog over the next few weeks. I’m not claiming that this list is complete, but it will provide a good point of reference. Here are the topics I’ll cover: -           POV Character . Make sure the reader knows whose point of view they are in immediately and stick with them. -           Location . What are your characters doing in the scene? Set this up early on. -           Colorful Descriptions by utilizing the 5 senses -       Purpose . Ensure that every scene is intrinsic to making a difference to the character or outwo...

As authors, our first love was probably reading. The fact that we were able to escape into a world of the author's imagination fascinated us. It motivated us to the point we thought 'I can do this'. The process began. Your passion for reading transformed into a love of writing. You wanted to the be the one who created the worlds, the characters, who swept away readers into a place of your imagination where they could escape reality for a while.  Then you got published. It's true, it takes a lot of time to keep up in today's publishing industry. To stand out and be noticed takes more effort than ever before.  You've got your blog, your website, your online media presence--it all takes time. And that's not even counting the time we need to focus on our writing, editing, and formatting (if we do this ourselves). On top of this, we all have lives and other responsibilities. Where does reading rate with you these days? I cannot stress the i...

It's ironic how as authors we can be terrified of our own books. Sometimes the fear comes before we've even set ink to paper, or fingers to keyboard. Maybe it's our first book, or maybe it's our fifth. It doesn't matter. There can always be a bit of apprehension with any new project...but even more so when you're starting out with your first book, or a new genre to you. You wonder whether you should just dive on in, or if you should outline. Know this is a personal decision and you have to go with what works best for you. Typically you have been granted with the image of a scene, a character, or dialogue--maybe all three--and you know you have to write the book. Don't get weighed down in concerns, just write.  I know some authors who don't even write their books in chronological order. Scenes hit them and they write them. They fill in the book as they go along. (The thought of that scares me, but it's what works for them.) Some authors...

Why don’t you reach goals you set? Often times, the answer is you. That’s right.  Think about this for a moment. The last goal you put in front of yourself--what was it? What kept you from reaching it? Most of us set a goal and then think about the obstacles that may arise on our way to reaching it. We contemplate how we will overcome these. Possibly we dwell a little too long on the “overall picture” and, in concept, what an accomplishment it would be. Maybe we’ve run through it so many times that when we actually go to work toward it, we’re exhausted.  Then there are those of us who have a doubting attitude from the start. Well, it would be great “if”, but I’m not sure I’ll be able to do it. Here I am speaking to you from experience! I had an “ah ha” moment the other day and realized why I don’t reach writing goals I set for myself.  See, it’s easy to pile on excuses. “Well, I have this book to edit.” “I have revisions coming back from my editor on this...

The other week on Facebook, an author posed this question to her friends: ‘While I know both are very important, if you could only choose one which would it be—a professional editor or a graphic designer?’ For some this could be a challenging question, but her friends got it right.  While the importance of an attractive and eye-catching cover cannot be dismissed editing can really ‘make or break’ you as an author. Think of this way, whose name is on the book?  That’s right.  Your product, your book, has your name—and your reputation—riding on it.  Notice that I termed your book as a product? That is the first key to success.  Writing is a business. When you start out in the publishing world, everything can seem overwhelming.  By this point you should have established a following online via Twitter, Facebook, a blog, and possibly on other media sites such as Google+ and PinIt. These networks afford you excellent opportunities and before ...

She smiled.  This was the happiest she had been in a  long time. As authors we hear the phrase  “s how don't tell ”  often.  When we’re starting out it’s a trickier feat to accomplish than after we’ve been writing for a while, but there is still no room for an author to get lazy. To simply state how a character feels, or appears when it comes to emotion is taking an easy way out--and a boring road for our readers.  Since we’d never want to head down that path, it’s imperative that we continuously call ourselves out on this. For example, a POV character makes the observation that another is feeling upset.  Does the narrative simply read, “He knew that she was upset with him”, or does it show us what makes him come to that conclusion?  Think of it this way, what characteristics or mannerisms indicate a person is upset/angry?  Even pull this from your own life and the people around you.  Take your spouse.  How do y...

As an author, it’s our job to make sure that our readers are fully engaged in our work.  To make this happen, various elements come into play.  The obvious ones are relatable and compelling characters and a well-paced plot line that holds interest, but these cannot be accomplished if we don’t have command of the language and keep our manuscript tight. In my recent editing path, I came across some words that I think should die and made a note of them.  They don’t carry their weight and nine times out of ten can be eliminated without a tear.  I’ve provided examples for some.  Of course, there is no rule that says the words below shouldn’t be used in a manuscript, but we would want to use them sparingly if at all.  Just Simply Only – has its place but use for special emphasis.             Example:  This is only the beginning. Reason:  In this case it’s impl...

“When you feel it, your audience does.” --Nicki Minaj The above-noted advice was given to a contestant on a popular singing competition, but it applies to writing as well.  Here’s how. Have there ever been days that you made yourself write?  I’m sure you know the days...when you have a goal you want to reach, you’re consumed by a word count and are determined to attain it whether you’re feeling it or not.  How do you feel about those scenes when you’re writing them? Don’t get me wrong.  There are times when you make yourself write that something truly magical happens—the characters take over, bringing you with them in an unexpected, yet pleasant direction.  But there are times such writing sessions can result in mechanical writing. Now contrary to that are the moments you are writing a scene and your heart is racing, your breathing speeds up, you can stop laughing, or tears fall down your cheeks.  You are truly caught up in what is b...

  You ever read a book or watch a movie and think that would never happen in real life?  Heck, I know the feeling.  I had it recently when watching the Bond movie Goldeneye with Pierce Brosnan.  You know the intro part where he rides a motorcycle off a cliff in pursuit of a crashing plane.  Yeah, as you guessed it (if you haven’t seen the movie), Bond catches up to the plane and saves it from crashing and makes his getaway.  Yeah, right.   Now that’s stretching credibility! But maybe your thoughts are on a scene of a book you’re reading and the main character slips up or overlooks something they should have picked up on.  You think they should have it all together and be right on top of things.  But is that how it works in real life?  When you’ve faced a heartbreaking situation have you always made wise choices? Think about the circumstances surrounding the scene.  Is the character experiencing emotional distress,...