5 Dialogue Mistakes You Can Fix Right Now by Ashley March

It's guest Monday! Today we have one of our regular monthly contributors, the lovely and talented Ashley March (who will soon be known as Elise Rome for her new novels!)


Ashley is starting a new blog series here to help you out with those fine tuning things in your manuscript. Be sure to look for her tips each month. First up...dialogue.

Day 240: Smooch!
Photo by Brian Gosline

You Can Fix ItNow: Five Dialogue Mistakes
by Ashley March
Sincebecoming a published author, one of the things I’ve tried to do as a way of“giving back” to the writing community is to offer critiques to other writers.Sometimes these come through auctions, sometimes through networking when I offera critique to someone who’s made an impression on me. I’ve learned a lot in thepast few years I’ve been writing and critiquing, and I’d like to start sharingwith you the most common mistakes I find in the manuscripts of aspiring/beginningwriters. These are mistakes that you can fix now, instead of waiting forsomeone else to point them out to you (although I highly recommend that everywriter has a critique partner, if not two, plus a few beta readers). I’mbeginning the series with dialogue issues.
  1. Redundant Dialogue Tags
I’ve seen somewriters who include a dialogue tag at the beginning and end of a sentence.
For example:“Don’t do that,” Sheilasaid, “or your eyes will become crossed and no girl will want to dateyou again for as long as you live,” she said.
Only one tag isneeded. In fact, if Sheila were to go on for an entire paragraph, expounding onthe reasons why the person shouldn’t cross their eyes, she wouldn’t need anyfurther dialogue tags, because we’ve already established who the speaker is.
  1. Using a Dialogue Tag Every Time
It’s notnecessary to add a dialogue tag with every comment that one of your charactersmakes. In fact, less is better. You should use dialogue tags for these reasons:to establish who is speaking, or to remind the reader who is speaking; and tohelp with the rhythm/pacing of the words.
What not to do:
“I thinksomeone’s at the door,” Sheila said.
“Who is it?” Peter asked.
“How should Iknow?” Sheila asked.“I’ve been in my room.”
“Look,” Petersaid, “you’re the one who told me—”
“Just go see whoit is!” Sheila exclaimed.
And so on.Better alternative:
“I thinksomeone’s at the door,” Sheila said, motioning to Peter.
“Who is it?”
“How should Iknow? I’ve been in my room.”
“Look,” he said,“you’re the one who told me—”
“Just go see whoit is!”
Notice that weremoved one tag completely by including it in the narrative description ofanother tag. After two or three lines of pure dialogue I usually try to givethe reader a reminder of who the speaker is, as I did here. If we had twocharacters of the same gender, I would have specified a name. But because theywere different genders, I used “he” instead of a name, because the constantrepetition of names—whether in dialogue or narrative—can become tiring for thereader. If you’ll notice, the second example of dialogue now has a much betterpacing with the changes we’ve made.
  1. Using a Dialogue Tag Instead of a Descriptive Tag.
I am a huge fanof the descriptive tag. They help keep the reader in the room with yourcharacters, so your characters don’t end up as talking heads. They reveal ticsabout your characters (for example, revealing that your heroine bounces her legwhen she lies). They help to avoid repetition of dialogue tags over a long stretchof dialogue. There are several great uses for descriptive tags. However, keepin mind that these tags can easily be overused as well.
Examples ofdescriptive tags:
“I don’t know.” Peter’s hand hovered over thestair banister as he peered into the dark entryway below. “I have a badfeeling about this.”
“Don’t be awuss.” Sheila blew on herfingernails. “It’s probably just the UPS guy.”
  1. Improper Dialogue Tags
I know you mighthave seen these in published books before, but unless your dialogue tag describesthe way someone speaks—their volume, pace, and so forth—then it’s not adialogue tag.
The most commonoffenders I see:
“Sometimes Ireally do hate you,” Peter sighed.
(If you doubt meon this, try saying this sentence while sighing. It doesn’t work.)
“I know,” Sheilasmiled.
This goes forgrinning, giggling, laughing, etc. The proper way to write this would be tochange this from a dialogue tag to a descriptive tag.
“I know.” Sheila smiled.
           
Yes, you cansmile while speaking and even laugh while speaking, but when it comes down toit in terms of writing, a dialogue tag describes how the character speaks,whereas a descriptive tag describes what the character does.
Please note thatthere are a couple of exceptions to this, such as “lied” or “hedged”. But thesedialogue tags tie directly into what the character is saying, so that theycan’t be used apart from the speech itself. You never see: “Sometimes I really do hateyou.” Peter lied. Just as you never see: “Sometimes I really do hate you.” Peter shouted.
  1. Alienating the Reader Through Dialogue Tags
This is more ofa character issue and how you want to present your character to the reader.
For example,let’s say that you write about a strong, independent heroine who knows who sheis and what she wants and has a good head on her shoulders. Then you write thissentence:
“Oh, Mr. Smith,I can’t believe you said that.” Rebecca giggled.
Unless I as thereader know that Rebecca is acting like a silly coquette for a reason, thisdisturbs me. Note that if you leave off the descriptive tag, I can imagine thissentence being said in a number of ways. It’s not the sentence itself thatthrows me off, but the “giggled”.
“Whined” hasthis same effect. Be careful in choosing your words. Just one wrong word canthrow off the reader and destroy character consistency.
Do you recognize any of these issues asthings you need to work on? What other dialogue mistakes have you read inmanuscripts/books that drive you crazy?
Ashley March is a historical romance author who lives in Coloradowith her adoring (or is that adorable?) husband, her two young daughters, andtheir dog. Her latest book, ROMANCING THE COUNTESS, was released in September2011. She won’t be Ashley March for much longer, however; as of January 1,2012, Ashley will become Elise Rome. 

 

 

 

 

“...a sexy, sizzling tale that is sure to have readers begging for more!" –Jo Davis, author of I SPY A DARK OBSESSION

 

 

CRASH INTO YOU is now available for pre-order!

Read an excerpt here.


All content copyright of the author. Please ask permission before re-printing or re-posting. Fair use quotations and links do no require prior consent of the author. ©Roni Loren 2009-2011 |Copyright Statement|

 

Slow Writer Reform School

So we writers can sometimes be a superstitious bunch. We make up stories for a living and many times that creative thinking bleeds into our real life. And one way we do this is by placing some mythical or magical significance on our "process."

Shh...don't disturb the Process. Don't try new things. This is working for you. You ARE a (insert appropriate designation: a plotter, a panster, a fast drafter, an edit-as-I-go writer, a morning writer, a midnight oil burner.)

I know I've done this. I read writing craft books like they're going out of style, but I quickly discard suggestions that may go against my Process. I can't write shit down on notecards! *gasp* That will send my pantsing brain into a tailspin. My muse will curl up into the fetal position and weep in a corner!

Okay, maybe you aren't as melodramatic as I am. But I know I'm not the only one who is scared to change things around too much because it might just suddenly steal our ability to write. Like our creativity is made of some delicate blown glass that will shatter if jostled.

Here are the things I've told myself: I'm a slow writer. A thousand words a day is about what I can do. I'm a panster. Planning ahead will kill my passion for the story. I will hit writer's block at some point in every one of my stories. I'm a morning writer. I must blog brilliantly every day and must be on Twitter all the time.

Well, guess what happened though? I sold two more books which have tighter deadlines than I've ever worked under before. My kidlet switched preschools and now goes in the afternoon instead of the mornings. And I fell in love with the Save The Cat! technique.

My Process has been tossed into a blender. Everything I was doing before isn't going to fit into this new setup. I had to figure out something different.

So for book 3, FALL INTO YOU, I've changed up the sacred process. I'm calling it Slow Writer Reform School.

Slow Writer Reform School Procedures

  • I've dialed back my online time to free up more hours for writing. I don't need to be constantly available online.
  • I wrote the synopsis of this book before starting to write it. (Something you have to do, btw, if you want to sell on proposal.)
  • I wrote out a sentence for each of my major scenes and turning points on (ack!) index cards
  • I'm holding myself to a 1k a day minimum goal
  • I'm writing in pockets of time I usually wasted doing something unimportant
  • I'm am not tying my ability to write to a certain time of the day
  • And when I want to make a major change in the story, I just make a note and don't rewrite the whole thing right then.

And you know what? In seven days, I've written about 12,000 words. Now that may not seem like a lot to you fast drafters or Nano-ers (congrats, btw, to those of you who won Nano), but for me, that is a revelation. I even had an afternoon where I wrote 3200.

And it's been fun. Refocusing myself has helped me remember how awesome it is to get lost in your story and to be itching to get back to it. And having those simple plot points already sketched out has kept me moving forward instead of taking a day off to figure out what happens next.

So if you are feeling stuck or not as productive, consider throwing a few curve balls to your sacred Process. If it doesn't work, you can always go back. You never know what you might find.

And if you need more inspiration, there have been a number of posts recently about how others have sped up their writing:

2016 Update: Practice does make you faster. Now I have a regular goal of 10k a week (2k a weekday) when I'm in drafting mode. And though I haven't had 10k days yet, I have had a few 7k days.

So how about you? Do you see your Process as precious? Have you told yourself that you can only do things a certain way? What have you changed up in your process that's helped you? What hasn't worked?

How Low Can You Go? The Important All Is Lost Moment by Sierra Godfrey

It's guest post Monday! Today the lovely and infinitely wise Sierra Godfrey leads us through that dark black part of our manuscript where we go all sadistic on our characters. Fun times!


Over to you, Sierra...


How Low Can You Go? The Important All Is Lost Moment
by Sierra Godfrey

In women’s fiction, one of the main story features is the transformative journey our main characters usually go through, which ultimately ends in self-realization and a life change by the end of the story. But getting to that resolution first requires our gals to go through some tough times and situations. And it’s our job to put them through the literary wringer.

 In plot structure, one of the hardest moments in a character’s transformative process is the All is Lost point—also called the Dark Moment, or the point about ¾ of the way through the story when after everything our girl has been through, she’s lost. She’s defeated, broken, and there’s nothing left. The All is Lost point comes after the midpoint, and is the point at which our girl will fall, and then ultimately gather herself up and head into the finale where she’ll (ideally) take back the day and win. (The All is Lost moment really applies for any genre of fiction--must apply, really--but in women's fic, it's especially important in our heroine's journey.)

In the movie Bridesmaids, the midpoint of the story comes when main character Annie snaps spectacularly at the bridal shower. She throws things, swears a lot, and makes a massive scene--all in public. Her behavior is the culmination of lots of tension, and she lets it all out. After Annie storms out of the shower, her car’s pesky broken taillight (the one she was told to fix repeatedly) causes an accident and she gets stranded (which is bad). Worse, she calls the only person she can think of, the smarmy guy she was dating/sleeping with, who greets her with possibly the most insulting greeting ever—“Hi F- Buddy!” Worse, he does this right in front of the nice Irish cop Annie’s been sort of dating. Oooh. Ouch.

Cop leaves Annie, and Annie has no choice but to go with smarmy F- Buddy guy. He continues to be obnoxious, and she gets out of his car and has to walk home. It’s the movie’s All is Lost point. Annie has lost her friends, her place in the bridal party (let alone maid of honor position), her car, her Irish cop, even her smarmy her F-Buddy. The next few scenes see Annie really take in the despair of this moment by lying on the couch in misery and watching TV.You need this All is Lost point in a story so your heroine can sink as low as she can go before she can rise again. It’s a natural story dip. Your job is to make this moment as low as possible. Take everything away from your character that you can—everything that matters.


Your All is Lost moment should:

  • Feel like the heroine’s lowest emotional point in the whole story—she should die inside a little.
  • Be a huge blow to every goal the heroine’s been trying to achieve.
  • Happen after the character has resisted hard against every obstacle.
  • Take away things from the heroine and leave her bereft.
In general, the lower you go, the better the high of the bounce back up will be, and the more satisfying the story’s conclusion.Let’s look at a few more All is Lost moments:
  • In the movie Tangled, Rapunzel and Flynn finally come together and are sharing a loving moment out on a boat. But then Rapunzel’s evil mother tricks her, and takes Rapunzel back in (in a great display of maternal guilt tripping) and Rapunzel is heartbroken and bitter, and has lost her freedom and her love. Flynn is also captured by the mother’s henchmen and tied up in a boat so palace guards will capture him. For both Rapunzel and Flynn, all they’ve fought for has been lost.
  • In Pride and Prejudice, the All is Lost point can be hard to pick out. It initially looks like the point after Elizabeth hears the news that her naughty sister Lydia ran off with the equally naughty Mr. Wickham, wreaking general disgrace and havoc on the Bennett family. Elizabeth thinks Lydia’s disgrace will cause Elizabeth to end her acquaintance with Mr. Darcy. But in fact the real All is Lost moment comes when Mr. Darcy’s stink-face aunt, Lady Catherine, visit Elizabeth and tells her to renounce Mr. Darcy and that he’s engaged to her own daughter, Anne. Elizabeth goes for a walk, unable to sleep. Of course, she meets Darcy on that walk, but that walk is your moment. (Austen clearly knew about modern plot structure way back in 1813!)
In the story I'm working on now, I just took away my girl's house, fiance, and job--and for good measure, I let her see that someone had been tricking her for most of the book. And I loved doing it.

What are some of the low All is Lost moments you've put your character through?

About Sierra:
Sierra has enjoyed crafting stories for as long as she can remember. She especially likes stories that feature women who grow from the choices they face—and get the guy at the end. She’s a member of RWA and lives in the San Francisco Bay Area with her husband, two little boys, and two annoying cats. In her spare time she works as a freelance graphic designer and technical writer. To the untrained eye she can appear somewhat sassy, but at heart she loves a good story and is really quite sweet, especially when the lighting is right. Visit Sierra at her blog or on Twitter.

Fill-Me-In Friday

 


It's time for Fill-Me-In-Friday where I share my favorite links of the week. Hope you enjoy!
On Writing/Publishing:
The Dark Side of Metrics by Kristen Lamb
Get in Late, Get Out Early - A Writing Tip by Bryan Thomas Schmidt
Google Now Alerts for Books by The Digital Shift
QR Codes, The New Sexy by Jenny Hansen
Do Writers Need to Think About SEO? by Erin MacPherson (via Rachelle Gardner's blog)
How To Make Your Own Book Trailer by Jungle Red Writers
Just For Fun:
Yoga, Jersey Style by JM Randolph
Wendigisms compiled by Todd Moody 
What You May Have Missed Here:

by Sierra Godfrey
by Mina Khan
What You Missed on my Author Blog:

 
(even if you're an 80s purist like me)

Favorites from Tumblr this Week:
(for bigger pic, click here)
(for bigger pic, click here)
(for bigger, click here)
Alright, so those are my favorite links of the week, what were some of yours? 

Hope everyone has a fantastic Halloween!

 

 

 

 

"Hot and romantic, with an edge of suspense that will keep you entertained.” --Shayla Black, New York Times Bestselling author of SURRENDER TO ME

 

 

CRASH INTO YOU is now available for pre-order!

Read an excerpt here.

 


All content copyright of the author. Please ask permission before re-printing or re-posting. Fair use quotations and links do no require prior consent of the author. ©Roni Loren 2009-2011 |Copyright Statement|

 

Fill-Me-In Friday

 

I've been visiting family in New Orleans this week and haven't gotten very much computer time so today's links list will be short but still awesome.
Master the Craft of Writing by Rachelle Gardner
and on the same topic...Numbers Are Our Friends and the Wild World of Metrics by Kristen Lamb
What You Missed on the Author Blog:

 

What You May Have Missed Here:

 
by Suzanne Johnson
Favorite Tumblr of the Week:
VIDEO: Joe Manganiello accepts an award, remembers to thank the author, and GROWLS. 

Alright, that's what I loved this week. What great links did I miss while I was out of town? Fill me in via the comments. :) Have a great weekend!


"Hot and romantic, with an edge of suspense that will keep you entertained.” --Shayla Black, New York Times Bestselling author of SURRENDER TO ME

 

 

CRASH INTO YOU is now available for pre-order!

Read an excerpt here.


All content copyright of the author. Please ask permission before re-printing or re-posting. Fair use quotations and links do no require prior consent of the author. ©Roni Loren 2009-2011 |Copyright Statement|

 

5 Tips For Not Screwing Up Your Character's Name by Suzanne Johnson

It's genre Monday and today Suzanne Johnson is going to cover a topic I seem to always have trouble with--naming characters in a way that isn't confusing, redundant, or just plain wrong.

For the record, these tips also apply to naming your children. :)

Take it away Suzanne...

Hello, my name is anonymous

Photo by quinn.anya

 5 Tips for Naming Your Character (aka I Screw Up So You Don’t Have To)

I’m in the throes of writing the third book in my upcoming urban fantasy series, and have spent the last hour looking at a key scene involving my heroine and a regent (think: big boss) vampire who might or might not be a murderous necromancer. So far, the vampire’s name is VAMPIRE. Catchy, eh?

Names are no different for paranormals than for romance—or any other kind of fiction. They have power. They resonate (we hope in a good or bad way, depending on the character) with readers. Sometimes we struggle to find them, and sometimes they come to us unbidden. They are important, in other words. And if we are writing series....we’re going to be stuck with them for what we hope is a very long time.

So here are a few lessons about character names I’ve learned the hard way. Think of it as “Suzanne screws up...so you don’t have to.”

The cardinal rule: LOVE the name because you never know how long you might be stuck with it.
I’m like most writers, I suspect, in using a hodgepodge of methods to come up with names. My heroine—technically the only character in my series who cannot be killed—is Drusilla Jane Jaco. What a horrific name for a young, cute blonde wizard, in retrospect. When I started the first book in the series in 2008, I thought naming her after my great-great grandmother would be fun. A little in-joke between me and, well, me. Three books later, I’m tired of finding new ways to explain how she goes by DJ and was named after great-aunt Dru and hates her name blah blah blah, because that has to be done in Every. Single. Book.

Just because Charlaine Harris got away with it doesn’t mean you should try.
Just as you don’t want names that are uber-pretentious (Lord Ar’guth’nirz) or unpronounceable (Cthulhu), you also don’t want names so plain they put your readers to sleep. In one of my manuscripts, Beth Harris was Beth Harris for 93,000 words...until I realized she was bland and vapid, and her name proved it (my apologies to any of you named Beth Harris). The exception to this rule is if your own name is Charlaine Harris. In her ridiculously popular Sookie series (technically, the Southern Vampire series, from which HBO made “True Blood”), Harris planted tongue firmly in cheek and gave the well-endowed Sookie the surname of Stackhouse. Her vampires were Bill and Eric (again tongue in cheek...Eric, who was a Viking when he was turned vampire, uses the last name Northman). But still, I wonder, now that the series has reached book number twelve or something like that, if Ms. Harris ever wishes Bill were named...Jackson, or something un-Bill-like.

Want a really cool name for your character? Use surnames. There are several good online databases of surnames, even broken down by country. One of my own favorite characters is named Mirren. And yes, he was named after Helen Mirren (but don’t tell him since he’s a big macho alpha male and would feel emasculated. I’ve managed to keep that secret from him so far).

Use a name that’s pronounced like it’s spelled.

Just for your own peace of mind. I love my merman twins Rene and Robert Delachaise and their daddy Toussaint, but I know people are going to pronounce their names wrong unless they’re from South Louisiana. It really doesn’t matter except that I like their names with the correct pronunciation: “Renny” and “Row-bear” and “Too-sont” “Della-shay.” So if I’m the only one who enjoys the way a name sounds tripping off the tongue, isn’t that kind of like a tree falling in the woods with no one to hear?
Check your history.

This is a lesson most applicable to writers of historicals or paranormals. Poor, dull Beth Harris’ love interest in my paranormal romance was a 400-year-old Irish vampire named Galen, born in 1570 in the area near Kinsale and turned vampire when he was in his early 30s. I loved Galen Murphy. He was Galen for months and months...until a savvy beta reader, damn her, did a little research and pointed out gleefully that the name Galen was not in use in Ireland in 1600—in fact, it didn’t make it there until the 1800s. So Galen bit the dust, replaced by Aodhan, a fine bit of Gaelic that today is Aidan. But he’ll always be Galen to me.

Variety is good.

Look at your cast of characters as a whole and make sure there aren’t similar names. Not starting with the same letter, certainly, but also not all hard consonant sounds or soft vowel sounds. Did I follow this advice? Of course not. It’s why, three books into my series, I still have major characters named Jean and Jake. Never mind that Jean is an undead French pirate and Jake is a honey-tongued devil from Picayune, Mississippi, who owns a Bourbon Street bar. Jean and Jake; Jake and Jean—and throw in DJ, just so we’ll have another J going. And remember Aidan, who replaced Galen? His brother’s name is Owen. Aidan and Owen. Owen and Aidan. Vowels. So confusing. Don’t do it.
So, there you have it. Now, I’m still looking at my new vampire, who has to compete on the playing field with DJ, Jake, Jean, and Alex (my only character with the good sense to take a unique, likeable, pronounceable name). Perhaps Adam? No....

In honor of names, my recommended read this month is Dead Witch Walking (The Hollows, Book 1)
, a funny, sexy urban fantasy by Kim Harrison and the first in her long-running Hollows series. In it, you’ll find Rachel, Ivy, Trent, Jenks, Kisten, and Al. (AL, you might ask? Well, yeah, he’s a demon and it’s short for Algaliarept.)
 

 





What’s been your most problematic character name?

 

Suzanne Johnson is an author of urban fantasy “with romantic elements.” Her first book, Royal Street, a magic-based fantasy set in New Orleans at the time of Hurricane Katrina, will be released by Tor Books on April 10, 2012. Two more in the series will be released in Fall 2012 and Spring 2013. Find Suzanne online at her Preternatura blog, or read about her books at her website.

*Look for more from Suzanne here every 3rd Monday of the month!

 

 

 

“...a sexy, sizzling tale that is sure to have readers begging for more!" –Jo Davis, author of I SPY A DARK OBSESSION

 

 

CRASH INTO YOU is now available for pre-order!

Read an excerpt here.


All content copyright of the author. Please ask permission before re-printing or re-posting. Fair use quotations and links do no require prior consent of the author. ©Roni Loren 2009-2011 |Copyright Statement|

 

Fill-Me-In Friday

 

Woo-hoo, it's Friday! Time for a round-up of the most fantabulous writing (and just for fun) links of the week!
On Blogging:
First, everyone (including me) was abuzz about blogging these last two weeks, so here's a sampling of those posts:
I Am Tired of Blogging by Natalie Whipple
Now a few others related to blogging...
On Group Blogging by Elizabeth S. Craig
Is Blog Fatigue on the Rise? by Nathan Bransford
How to Use StumbleUpon by Lorie Huston
On Writing and Publishing:
A Time to Kill...Your Novel by Marcus Brotherton on Rachelle Gardner's blog
Tips of Marketing Your Novel at Adventures in Agentland
Standing on My Skyscraper Eating Some Crow by Roxanne St. Clair (her experience using Candace Havens' fast draft method.)
Type Hard, Type Fast by James Scott Bell  (This and the previous two links above are really convincing me that I need to give this fast draft thing a try.)
For Gits and Shiggles:
Chocolate Chip Cheesecake Dip (Food P0rn at its best. Someone try this and tell me if it's as delicious as it looks.)
Wedding Photos + Zombies via Badass Digest (These are great, dorky in the best way.)

 

 


What You May Have Missed Here:

 

 

What You May Have Missed on the Author Blog:

Favorite Tumblr Pics of the Week:
for larger pic click here
for bigger pic, click here
AND WINNER OF JODY'S BOOK FROM MONDAY'S CONTEST IS...Leona Bushman! Congrats

 

Alright, those are my picks for the week, what are some of your faves this week? And I'd love to hear feedback on this feature. I know it's not a comment-inducing post, so it's hard for me to judge if you like this round up each week or not. So let me know in the comments (or by clicking the like thumbs up/down button in the top left corner of the comments section.) Just want to know if y'all find this helpful or not. :)

Have a great weekend! 


 

 

 

"Hot and romantic, with an edge of suspense that will keep you entertained.” --Shayla Black, New York Times Bestselling author of SURRENDER TO ME

 

 

 

CRASH INTO YOU is now available for pre-order!

Read an excerpt here.


All content copyright of the author. Please ask permission before re-printing or re-posting. Fair use quotations and links do no require prior consent of the author. ©Roni Loren 2009-2011 |Copyright Statement|

 

Fill-Me-In Friday

 

It's that time of the week again to round-up my favorite links of the week! But first I want to direct you to a guest post I'm doing today over at the fabulous Writers in the Storm. I'd love if you could stop by and leave a comment! 

 

My Guest Post:

 

Okay, now on to the links...

On Writing:
Heartbreaking Borders Photo via GalleyCat -- This gave me the sads.
Twenty Obsolete Words That Should Make a Comeback by Matador Network. <--These are full of awesome.
When the Going Gets Tough at Writer Unboxed 
So How Am I Doing? (the difficulty of tracking your book sales and how Amazon rank doesn't mean much) by Books and Such Literary Agency
The New Facebook Subscribe Button at Mashable -- great explanation on who should use it and how
Happy Endings by Sierra Godfrey
What You May Have Missed 'Round These Here Parts:
(And even if you're not into the pics, the post is worth reading for my husband's comment and answer to this question at the bottom of the post.)
September 12 - 16, 2011



So those are my favorites of the week--what were some of your favorite links out there? It's your turn to fill me in. :) Hope everyone has a great weekend!

 

 

 “...a sexy, sizzling tale that is sure to have readers begging for more!" –Jo Davis, author of I SPY A DARK OBSESSION

 

 

CRASH INTO YOU is now available for pre-order!

Read an excerpt here.


All content copyright of the author. Please ask permission before re-printing or re-posting. Fair use quotations and links do no require prior consent of the author. ©Roni Loren 2009-2011 |Copyright Statement|

 

Fill-Me-In Friday

 


This week was a short online week for me because of the holiday and the fact that I had company in town over the weekend. So my favorite links list is a bit short this week and I'm sure I missed some good ones out there. So hopefully you can fill me in with your favorites too.

 

But first I do want to let you know that I have been interviewed and am answering such saucy questions as What is you favorite non-digital writing tool?--a dangerous question to ask an erotic romance author! To see the answer and lots more Q & A about writing and social networking, stop by Amy Beth Inverness's site.

Alright, now for the links...

On Writing:

Who Wrote It? Author Franchises by Julie Glover

Social Media and Your Author Brand over at Writers in the Storm <--great list of hashtags for writers included

Why Are So Many Literary Writers Shifting Into Genre? at The Millions

How To Build a Loyal Twitter Following by James Killick

Agent Jenny Bent on Why Social Media Savvy Is So Important

25 Things You Should Know About Synopses, Queries, and Treatments by Chuck Wendig (R-rated language included)

Have You Given Yourself Permission? by Jami Gold

For Fun:

Spark Facts (in which Nicholas Sparks is roasted) over at Evil Wylie which includes such tidbits as: "Nicholas Sparks once delivered a woman's baby during a reading, then signed the baby."

What You Missed on my Author Blog:

 


What You May Have Missed Here:

 
(my guest post at Janice Hardy's blog)

 

 



And for those of you who are interested in following my Tumblr, here is my fave pic of the week from over there. *Remember this is an 18+ site and is sometimes NSFW unless you work from home like me ;) 

So there's my update, what are some of your favorite links this week? 


 

 

 

“...a sexy, sizzling tale that is sure to have readers begging for more!" –Jo Davis, author of I SPY A DARK OBSESSION

 

 

CRASH INTO YOU is now available for pre-order!

Read an excerpt here.

 

All content copyright of the author. Please ask permission before re-printing or re-posting. Fair use quotations and links do no require prior consent of the author. ©Roni Loren 2009-2011 |Copyright Statement|

Fill-Me-In Friday

 

Yay, it's Friday! And a holiday weekend, so double bonus. I have a busy weekend ahead. My parents are coming into town and we're all going to the LSU v. Oregon game in Cowboys stadium. Woo-hoo! Geaux tigers! And after the week I've had I need a weekend chock full of awesome. How has your week been? What are you doing this weekend? Let me know in the comments.
And now for the weekly round-up of my fave links of the week...
On Writing:
Is Fiction Good For You? by Keith Oatley at the Huffington Post
Amazon's New @Author Feature Launches via Nieman Journalism Lab - More proof that branding is becoming more and more about the author.
On the Author Blog:




What You May Have Missed Here:

 

 

(plus a really awful Dirty Dancing outtake included)


So what were some of your favorite links of the week? Your turn to fill me in. :) Have a great holiday weekend!

 

 

"Revved up and red-hot sexy, CRASH INTO YOU, delivers a riveting romance!" --Lorelei James, NY Times Bestselling author of the ROUGH RIDERS series

 

CRASH INTO YOU is now available for pre-order!

Read an excerpt here.


All content copyright of the author. Please ask permission before re-printing or re-posting. Fair use quotations and links do no require prior consent of the author. ©Roni Loren 2009-2011 |Copyright Statement|

 

Creating Strong Female Characters by Sierra Godfrey

 

 

Welcome again to genre Monday! Today I have the funny and talented Sierra Godfrey who will be sharing posts every 5th Monday of the month on topics related to women's fiction and/or marketing and promotion. Though today her post can definitely be helpful across all genres because none of us want to create a wimpy heroine. Ick.

So over to you Sierra...


Creating Strong Female Characters by Sierra Godfrey


In April, I had a baby boy. I also have a four year old son, which means I’ve become very much outnumbered by males in my house. Sometimes I have to work to understand them, I admit. My four year old is at the stage where he’s exploring and playing with his parts almost nonstop, and my infant son uncannily pees on me at diaper changing time with an arc of urine that boggles the mind in its reach. (In fact, right after I birthed him, he celebrated our post-utero bond by soaking me with pee. Kind of the same way you break a champagne bottle on a newly commissioned boat.)

 

Anyway, with all that male in my house, I found myself recently pondering strong female characters. Well, to be honest, I’ve always been interested in them. Some of the greats that come to mind:

  • Katniss Everdeen from The Hunger Games

  • Lisbeth Salander from The Girl With the Dragon Tattoo

  • Elizabeth Bennett from Pride and Prejudice

  • Claire from the Outlander series by Diana Gabaldon

Because I write women’s fiction, creating a strong female character is of particular interest to me. Strong leading ladies are independent, smart, and plucky. But there are some other key elements to strong female characters:

 

She’s got it hard
Create sympathy with your character, but don’t overdo it. Put her harm’s way, trot her through hardship, or dump a heap of bad circumstances on her. She’ll come through it swimmingly and without feeling sorry for herself if she’s strong.

She’s relatable
Strong women are also normal ones--and we want to see that we can identify with her. Then when she doesn’t cave under pressure, or she takes high road, it’s particularly satisfying because we know that could be us, too.

She’s witty
Funny ladies are also usually smart ones. We like a sense of humor and a good attitude. There are notable exceptions to this rule--Scarlett O’Hara is one. She’s got a terrible attitude and is super selfish, but she also nails the sympathy vote.

She has great inner conflict
She’s fearless, she’s sure, and she takes action. Great! Strong character, right? Well, no. We want some inner conflict that shows she’s also human, that she struggles with the same doubts that we do, that she works her way through life figuring things out as she does, just like us. But she does these things with grace and with ultimate success. She doesn’t hurt people on the way toward solving her conflict, either. She’s a fighter--and we love her because we know she’ll fight her way to solve her conflict.

The above traits don’t just apply for strong female characters, but serve as a good blueprint for all characters.

What are some of your favorite strong female characters? What are some of the things you've done to make your ladies strong?

Sierra's recommended read for August:

Major Pettigrew's Last Stand by Helen Simonson
In the small village of Edgecombe St. Mary in  the English countryside lives Major Ernest Pettigrew (retired), the  unlikely hero of Helen Simonson’s wondrous debut. Wry, courtly,  opinionated, and completely endearing, the Major leads a quiet life  valuing the proper things that Englishmen have lived by for generations:  honor, duty, decorum, and a properly brewed cup of tea. But then his  brother’s death sparks an unexpected friendship with Mrs. Jasmina Ali,  the Pakistani shopkeeper from the village. Drawn together by their  shared love of literature and the loss of their spouses, the Major and  Mrs. Ali soon find their friendship blossoming into something more. But  village society insists on embracing him as the quintessential local and  regarding her as the permanent foreigner. Can their relationship  survive the risks one takes when pursuing happiness in the face of  culture and tradition?

The character of Mrs. Jasmina Ali is a fantastic example of a strong woman. She has a wonderful dignity, she's resolved, she's smart and funny, and she has great inner conflict.

 

 

Sierra  has enjoyed crafting stories for as long as she can remember. She  especially likes stories that feature women who grow from the choices  they face—and get the guy at the end. She's a member of RWA and RWA-WF, the women's fiction special interest  chapter, and lives in the San Francisco Bay Area with her husband, two  little boys, and two annoying cats. She is always working on a story. When she's not writing stories, she works as a freelance technical writer and designer.

Find Sierra at her blog or on Twitter.

 

Thanks, Sierra! And remember that all of our guest contributors have their own blogs, so if you like what they have to say here, be sure to check them out on their own blogs as well. :)

 

    All content copyright of the author. Please ask permission before re-printing or re-posting. Fair use quotations and links do no require prior consent of the author. ©Roni Loren 2009-2011 |Copyright Statement|

 

Getting that Sagging Middle Into Shape

Fix that sagging middle of your plot

Each section of writing a book offers its unique challenges. The beginning it's all about hooking the reader and keeping them. The ending is about tying all that work into a kickass conclusion and selling your next book with your awesomeness. But in between those two sections is that often flabby middle. This is typically where we lose our way, get stuck, go down rabbit holes, and kind of meander until we get to the "good stuff" closer to the ending. And it can absolutely kill a book. You don't want your reader putting the book down and forgetting to come back to it because your middle was saggy and unfocused. So what can you do?

Ultimately, the sagging middle is about pacing.  In the beginning of our book, we're usually very aware of pacing--don't info dump, jump right in (en medias res), hook your reader immediately.  But then when we hit that second act, we often forget all those components and start shoving everything in that we really wanted to put in the first act, but didn't because of the pacing "rules".  If you do that, however, you're going to drag your middle down.

I'm sure you've heard this before, but every page should have conflict on it, every darn one.  And that includes those in the middle.  And I know many of us can think of books we've read that this is not the case, where the pacing was more languid and subtle and were still great books--but that is the exception, not the rule.

Author Anne Mimi suggests that those books with the slower pacing often fall into one of the following categories:

1.  The book is by an already established author who can get away with more.
2.  The author is dead.
3.  The agent picked up the author over ten years ago or the book was published over ten years ago.
4.  The book was first published outside the U.S.  (Brits are apparently more patient with pacing).
5.  The book is non-fiction.

So, in other words, to give our books the best chance, we need to recognize that we live in a fast-paced, short attention-spanned, movie/internet/iphone/immediate gratification culture.  So even if you manage to hook your reader with a terrific beginning, it doesn't mean the person won't put your book down when things slow in the middle.  You have to make them want to turn every page (and this doesn't mean you need explosions and car chases in each chapter).  And every chapter should end with a hook that leaves them wanting more.  If you can't hook the chapter end, then the scene probably needs better pacing and conflict.

So what happens when you realize your middle is, in fact, drooping?  First, you may want to look at why this could be the case.  

Julie Moffett lists the following common culprits for the problem.

1.  You revealed too much in the first part of the book, whether that be about your characters or the plot
2.  Secondary or subplots have knocked you off course or run away with the story
3.  The conflict (internal/external/sexual) is nonexistent or weak or there is no real action
4.  You don't know what comes next so you're meandering around aimlessly
5.  The story is boring you or you realize you have major plot problems that are making the story illogical or unrealistic

Alright, so once you pick out why you're middle is dragging, what are some things you can do?

Camy Tang offers these suggestions:

1. Strive for constant change with increasing tension/difficulty--Picture your character driving down a race track, it can't be a smooth, straight road ahead.  Throw a speed bump in her way, then when she deals with that, put something in front of her that is even more difficult to manage (a herd of cows perhaps), and just when she's maneuvered around the bovine, have the wheels fall off the car.
2.  Give the character new information in small pieces--a hint there, a clue here, a fleeting expression across her friend's face that makes the MC wonder if the friend's being honest, etc.  And make getting those clues hard fought.  Don't just have the clues fall in their lap, make them work for it.  Give your reader just enough to want more, but also let them feel like he/she is closer to figuring out what's going to happen.
3.  Keep your character's eyes on the prize--You cannot lose sight of your characters' goals.  Every scene they enter needs to be striving toward whatever goal they are seeking. Your characters should enter each scene with a purpose--what are they trying to accomplish in this particular scene?
4.  Don't be repetitive--Do not have scenes rehash old information.  Each scene needs to add something new.  And this also goes for having scenes that "feel" too similar in setting, content, tone, etc.  If your hero and heroine are always having "let's figure out this mystery" conversations over a meal, your reader is going to get bored.  Change it up.

And one last tip from author Stacia Kane:  

End your middle (or second act) with a bang.

  At the conclusion of the middle, the reader should be unsure of what's going to happen and if they are going to get an ending they want.  Pay attention when reading books, this "end of the middle"  or black moment is usually easy to pick out.  In romance, this is often when the characters have a sex scene (truly ending with a bang, *snort*) that makes things worse, or the bad guy in a thriller looks like he's going to elude your hero.  Basically, the worst thing that could happen--happens.

Alright, I hope now you can dive into those middles and make them svelte and strong.  Now if these tips would only help with my other sagging middle--the one from all that eggnog and pecan pie.

So are you overwhelmed at the thought of conflict on every page (like I am)?  Do you have trouble getting each chapter to end on a hook?  Which books have you read that have been slow-paced but worked--do they fit those criteria above?

*This is a revamped post from Dec. 2009

You've Got Rhythm, But Does Your Story?

 

As I wade through my editing for MELT INTO YOU, I'm discovering that one of the big things I pay attention to when doing my read through is cadence, or the rhythm of the words. I think it was Margie Lawson's workshop where I first heard this term used in relation to writing.

 

We all know about voice and style, but cadence is more the way the words sound in your head as your read them. It's the flow and the music of the prose. It's why I may use a one-word incomplete sentence somewhere instead of something longer. Part of that is my style, but a lot of it has to do with making sure the rhythm works.

And one of the best ways to see if your story has good cadence or rhythm is to read it aloud. A lot of times when we read our own work in our head, our brain naturally skims. Hell, we've written it, we know what's there and what's coming. But this can hurt you because you may be missing places where a reader with fresh eyes may stumble on a sentence. Even in our heads we need places in prose to "take a breath" while we're reading.

Maybe your crit partners point this out, but most likely it's such a subtle thing that many will intuitively feel the little stumble but not really get hit over the head enough to mark it down and bring it to your attention.

So I literally sit in my office and read passages of my book out loud. Pretend you're the narrator doing the audiobook. Does it flow? Does the scene sound how you want it too--pretty, ethereal, hard and fast-paced, sensual, etc?

Not every scene is going to have the same cadence, nor do you want it to. If they're in the middle of the car chase, the words better not read like poetry. So know what your intention is and then see if the rhythm of the words fits what you were going for.

So here are my opening lines of my prologue in my draft. (And yes, I know, a prologue! *gasp* But well, it's there. I like it. Sara or my editor may cut it, which is fine, but for now, this is how the book opens.)

 

Most of the time temptation climbs onto your lap and straddles you, demands you deal with it immediately. Give in or deprive yourself. Choose your adventure.
Jace’s general stance: deprivation was overrated.
But he’d never faced this kind of temptation. The kind that seeped into your skin so slowly you didn’t even notice until you were soaked with it, saturated. To the point that every thought, every breath seemed to be laced with the desire for that thing you shouldn’t have.  
            And right now that thing was nibbling flecks of purple polish off her fingernails.

 

So okay, see where you'd take the breaths (hint: breaths happen at commas and periods)? And we're in a dude's head so the thoughts start off short and to the point, but then he gets wrapped up with how much this is getting to him. If you read it aloud hopefully it flows. It did when I went through it.

But do you see where I'm going with the cadence thing? Do you think about this when you're going through your work? Do you read it aloud either to yourself or to a writer's group?


Also, because I forgot to announce on Friday with all  of Blogger's problems, the winner of Elana Johnson's Possession (ARC) is MayDay_Aura! (I'll be emailing the winner.) Thanks for all of you who commented and entered! :)

Top Five Mistakes Writers Make at Conferences

So, I've mentioned before that I'm a conference whore. I think part of it is that I've always loved learning. I have nerd DNA that can't be escaped. But the other part is that I have so much fun being around other writers. It's like finding your home planet after feeling like you were the only weird one all these years. So for the past two years, I've attended about three conferences each year. And over those two years, I've started to notice some patterns and mistakes that some writers make--especially when they are conference virgins.

So I thought I'd put together a list of the pitfalls to avoid...

Five Mistakes Writers Make at Conferences

 

1. Attending only "industry/career" workshops vs. craft workshops.

This is probably the number one mistake I've seen newbie conference-goers make (because I, of course, have never made this mistake. *cough*) We go to a conference and there are all these agents and editors that we stalk/follow on the internet. And OMG, they are going to be on a panel and tell us all the things they want to see in a query and all the super secret insider stuff to get published. Must. Go. Right?

Well, yes, these are often helpful. And believe me, those workshops run out of seats immediately.  Meanwhile, there's an awesome NYT author in Room B giving a course on deepening characterization or something and it's half-empty.

Hear this: If you aren't actively honing your craft, the "how to query", "what are the current trends", "are you still accepting vampire novels" panels are only going to get you so far. The writing needs to come first. So balance your schedule. Pick a few industry type classes, but make sure at least half of the rest of the workshops you attend can make you a better writer. This should be your goal. Look around in those classes, who's sitting in them? Published authors. And obviously this goal changes once you're multi-published. You always want to focus on craft. We can always learn. But there's only so many workshops you can go to on the same topics. Now you can swing your schedule more heavily to the career/business panels.

2. Focusing too much on the big pitch session with the agent or editor.

Getting a chance to pitch is often the initial draw for a person to attend a conference. Screw the slushpile, you get to sit and babble like a drunken monkey in front of a real live agent/editor! I never pitched in person, as I've accepted I'm better on paper than in person.

But here's the thing--yes, pitching can be a great opportunity, but really, it's only glorified querying. Most agents will ask for a partial (unless the genre is totally off or something) so you may get a chance to get more pages in front of them. BUT it's still about the writing. SO, don't waste your whole conference stressing and focusing on the pitch and go to your workshops in a haze. You're there to learn and network first. Pitching second.

*This also goes for agent-stalking in the elevators and bars. Don't spend all your time trying to corner your favorite agent to elevator pitch them and become BFFs. I'm sure by the end of the conference agents and editors feel like gazelle in the middle of a lion pride. Their eyes are shifting left and right looking for the next writer to pounce. Don't be one of those lions. (Same goes for stalking reviewers/bloggers if you're already published.)

3. Getting caught up in the "FREE STUFF!"

This is more an issue at the national conferences. For instance, at RWA Nationals, each publisher does a book signing where you literally go pick up books for free. Now, offering writers free books is like putting out a donut buffet after you've been on a juice diet. We're drawn to it, our eyes glazed over, mumbling "boooooks, booooookkksss."

I am all about the signings. Reading widely is part of the job. But you don't want to ONLY do that. You have to skip workshops to go to those signings. Balance it out. Make sure you're not missing something really amazing in the process. Believe me, you'll end up with a lot of books no matter what.

4. Keeping to yourself or only socializing with your little group of friends.

The vast majority of writers are introverts. And when we go to a conference (especially our first conference) we have the urge to keep our heads down and stay focused on the task at hand. This can be even more the case when you're pre-published and still wrestling with your own feelings about calling yourself a writer out loud. But a big part of the benefit of a conference is the networking aspect. People are SUPER friendly. And you're all writers, so you automatically have something in common. For you shy people (like me), force yourself to turn to the person next to you in a workshop or at lunch and ask "So what do you write?" You'll be amazed how easy the conversation is and how you can meet some really great new friends. (And sidenote if you see ME at a conference, I have resting bitch face, y'all. Don't be scared. I'm friendly and happy to chat. You just might have to make the first move, lol.) 

5. Not going to conferences at all.

This is the biggest mistake of all. Yes, sometimes it's a location or finance issue. That's understandable. But if you have the means to get to a conference--there are fabulous local ones all over the place--then go! Online conferences are great, but there's something about being present in a room with others who are doing the same as you. It's awesome. I've learned so much at conferences, have met great people, and I never fail to leave them feeling re-energized about my writing. So put yourself out there.

Alright, for those of you who have been to a conference, have you made any of these mistakes? What other tips would you give conference-goers? And if you haven't been to a conference, how come? 

Writer Warning: Don't Get Lost in the Minutiae

 


So last Friday I listed nine of my favorite craft books and the problems that they could cure. As you can tell from that post, I'm a strong believer in learning as much as you possibly can about craft. It's the foundation of everything. Yes, writing is about creativity and writers write to get better, but having a solid handle on mechanics and structure and technique is often the difference between good and great. (See Jody Hedlund's post today if you need that point hammered home further.)

Maze

Photo by Adam Wyles

 

However, with all the learning of craft, I do want to put out a warning. This weekend I went to my local RWA meeting and fabulous Heather Long did a workshop on self-editing. It was awesome and went over all the little things you need to look for when going through your manuscript--repetitive words and phrasing, flying body parts, throwaway words like that, it, and just (my personal favorite.) The things that will tighten your prose and make your story shine. But here's where my warning comes in.

Do not get obsessed with the minutiae. 

When you read a whole bunch of writing books or go to a conference and attend a billion workshops, your head is going to be swimming with all this information (some of it conflicting). Don't use adverbs, never use a dialogue tag, don't say stand up because "up" is unnecessary, and on and on and on. And all that advice can literally override your whole system and shut your sh*t DOWN, people. All the buzzers in your head are going to go off and end with one conclusion--"I'm never going to be able to do this! Give up writing now! It's hopeless!"

Step back, take a deep breath, and calm down. Then start here...

The story is number one.

You could have the tightest piece of prose ever by following every rule you've ever heard. But you know what? Your story could still tank. Why? Because it's not about adverbs and dialogue tags. It's about breathing life into a story. Making it jump off the page. Showing your voice and your characters. Pulling a reader into that world. Those are the things of great fiction.

This is why you pick up books by published authors and hold them up saying, "Holy crap! So and so broke all these rules. Look how many times she used just or said 'sit down' instead of just sit or OMG, the adverbs! How is she getting published?"

Well, yes, some will say that if an author's very established, they can break more rules. However, I think that's not entirely the issue. God knows there are lots of things I did in my book that weren't perfectly tight. I do love an adverb. Even with all those things in these books you may see, ask the question--what about the story? Was it a great story? THAT is why it got published.

Yes, you want to write tight. But all the minutiae can be handled later, much later. Write your story first. Write it how you want it. Then worry about the nitpicky things. And even then I caution you not to take every piece of advice as cardinal law. Sometimes an adverb is part of your character's voice. There are times when "just" really is necessary. And if you're in deep POV, I'd argue that most people think of sitting as sitting down, so if that's how your character thinks of it--so what?

Because, shhh, big secret: These are NOT the things that will prevent you from getting published. 

If you're a mess as a writer and do all these things everywhere for no reason and it's obvious you are a novice, then yes, maybe that will get you rejected. BUT, no agent is going to turn down a fabulous story that they think they can sell only because there were one too many adverbs in it.

It's like a girl looking at the profile of a guy she wants to date and thinking, "Okay, if I learn to like sports and dye my hair blonde and start reading Stephen King novels, I'll be his perfect girl and he'll want to marry me." It doesn't work that way. You need to find your story's magic--that's what will make it rise to the top.

Know your craft, write tight, but don't get obsessed about it. Focus on writing the most amazing story you can.

So what do you think? Do you sometimes get lost in the minutiae? Have you ever read something that was technically perfect but had no life to it? Do you find yourself looking for other author's mistakes in published works?

Endings: How To Prevent Reader Rage

 

Day 346 / 365 - All The Rage
Photo by Jason Rogers (click pic for link)
Yesterday we talked about the type of endings you could choose for your story. Today, I want to look at what things to avoid so you don't have readers chucking your book against the wall or using it for kindling when they finish it.
Let's take a look at some common ending mistakes according to Edward Patterson.
1. Anti-climax
 
How to recognize it: This is the ending that when you reach it, you really don't care anymore. You're not surprised, excited, or invested.
What went wrong: This happens when the story peaked too soon in the book. The big, exciting, conflict-resolving moment was chapters ago. The only reason there is a story to begin with is the conflict, once it's resolved, you're done. It's okay to have a "afterglow"/denouement chapter, but don't drag it out.
How to fix it: Move the conflict resolution closer to the end. Or if you've resolved, say, the external conflict (yay, they've saved the world!) make sure you haven't settled the internal conflict yet. (They saved the world, but the MC still hasn't expressed her true feelings for hero, etc.) Give your reader a reason to keep reading.
2. Runaway Train
 
How to recognize it: This is where things are building up, but then toward the end, the pacing goes out of control and the wrap up feels rushed. "Wait, it's over?"

What went wrong: Sometimes this is because you, as a writer, are ready to "get 'er done" after writing the whole book, so you rush through it. Other times, this is because you didn't begin with your end in mind. You should be building toward your ending the entire time so that it's not abrupt and slapped on at the end.
How to fix it: Know what your ending is going to be so that you can work toward it throughout the book. As I mentioned in one of my beginnings post, even your first few pages should hint at the end. By the middle of the book, you should be starting to end it.
3. Contrived Endings
 
How to recognize it: This ending makes you say, "Seriously? Yeah, right." Everything falls into place in crazy coincidences, characters make decisions that don't make sense, etc.

What went wrong: This can happen if you are too tied to the ending you originally envisioned. Yes, you should know where you're going when you write, but usually your characters take over at some point and guide your story, requiring changes. An ending may feel contrived because it no longer matches what your characters and stories have developed into.

How to fix it: Know how you want to end your story, but change things organically as your characters and story grow and develop. Make sure the actions of your characters at the end are properly motivated throughout the book. And do not rely on coincidences to fix the conflicts in your story.
4. Dribble Out Endings
 
How to recognize it: This is the ending that isn't an ending at all. The story just sort of fades away and you're left wondering..."wait, what?" These are sometimes meant for the reader to be left pondering (similar to the 'things that make you say hmm" ending of yesterday) but it has no impact and falls flat. I loathe books and movies that do this.

What went wrong: The author avoided writing an ending or failed in an attempt to be profound.
How to fix it: Do not take your reader on a ride with you only to abandon them at the end. Give them something to take away--a conclusion, a lesson, something.
 5. An Epilogue is Not an Ending
Some people love epilogues and some hate them. However, if you do decide to include one, realize that it is not the ending. It is the afterglow. Your ending needs to be impactful and climactic and satisfying. The epilogue is meant to be the cuddle time after the big moment so that you can mellow after that ending high.

Have you found yourself falling into any of these traps? Or, have you read any books that have committed one of these sins? When you start writing your stories, do you have the end in mind?

**Today's Theme Song**

"It's the End of the World As We Know It" - R.E.M
(player in sidebar if you'd like a listen)

 

It's All About Me: Discovering Author Voice

OnWriting.png

 Over the weekend I read Allison Brennan's speech about finding your author voice. (Thanks Lynnette for the link to this.) I took a few things away from her speech. One, that she wrote five manuscripts before she sold. And the second was that the key to getting published (in her opinion) was discovering her voice.

Now, we've heard about voice, I've talked about it here. But what I liked about her advice was that she believes our author voice is already in us, we just have to recognize it. After trying out a few different things, she realized that her voice was naturally dark and fit well with suspense. She tried to write a chick-litty mystery and discovered she wasn't so funny on paper.

This got me to thinking (always a dangerous thing) about my own voice. My first book attempt was a dark paranormal YA, or at least that's what I set out for it to be. However, as I wrote it, I found myself with a heavy thread of romance that threatened to take over the story. I also kept slipping in humor and snark at every turn. Not exactly what I was going for, but I couldn't help myself. In addition, it was a fight for me to keep things not too sexy, because it was teens and I knew that wasn't appropriate.

So then I started my contemporary romance. All of a sudden, I didn't have to fight all those natural tendencies. I had free reign to focus on the things that I love writing about. And the book was so much more fun to jump into. It was like slipping into a comfy pair of slippers after trying to wedge my feet into stilettos. I found my voice.

Now I'm not saying that with my voice, I can't write YA or something outside of romance, but I need to probably go for a different type of story than I did with the first one. One that lends itself to my strengths. 

So when you start stressing about voice, look in the mirror. Who are you? Do you tend to see the darker side of things or do you find the humor where others don't? Are you a hopeless romantic or a realist? Are you polite or irreverent? Your voice is already in there, you just have to unearth it.

Don't you ever read a book and think, I could hang out with this author? We know based on how they wrote the story and their characters that we'll probably enjoy their personality. We're hearing their author voice bubble underneath all of it.

So how about you? How would you describe your author (not your character) voice? Have you written a story and realized it didn't fit your natural voice and style? Have you ever read a book and thought, me and this author 

*This post has been revamped from the original.

No! No! Bad Writer

 

Growing up, I was a girl who (except for the occasional rebellious moment) followed the rules. I wanted my parents, family, and teachers to be proud of me. I did what I was supposed to, got the As, and developed a bit of a perfectionistic personality. In many ways, this was a good thing. On the other hand, worrying about perfection is a bit maddening because of course it can never be achieved.

When I started to get serious about my writing last year, I jumped in and just started typing. I didn't pick up a writing book, read an agent blog, or do a lick of research. Very unlike me. But the creative juices were churning and I needed to get the words on the page before I did anything else. Once I finished my first draft, I took a breath and started to read more about writing. And boy, oh boy, there was enough out there to send me into a near panic attack.
There was so much I didn't know, so many rules I had never heard of. I thought with a firm grasp on grammer, an idea about story structure, and the show don't tell rule, I was good to go. I had no idea there was a written (and unwritten) code of the do's and don'ts of writing. This, of course, sent my anal-retentiveness into overdrive. I jumped into editing and tried to fix the things I had no idea were wrong the first time around. Then, draft after draft, I would discover a new rule I wasn't aware of and would have to go back through again. It was liking trying to break the code into a secret society.
And it hasn't stopped yet. I'm still learning new rules and agent/publisher preferences every day. At times, it's overwhelming, but I want my manuscripts to be as good as they can be, so I'll keep digging and finding out what I can. I know I can never reach perfection, but I can sure try, lol.
What I Done Learnt So Far:
1. Adverbs are the devil incarnate. They will steal the soul of your verbs.
2. Excessive adjectives are like white shoes after Labor Day.
3. Prologues (this one hurt) are not your friend.
4. Dialogue tags are like big, fat "I'm a new writer" billboards in your manuscript
5. The being verbs are the ugly stepchildren of the verb family
6. You want verbs that go to the gym--nice and strong.
7. Rhetorical questions in query letters make agents burn your letter in a weekly bonfire.
8. Backstory should be slipped in like roofies into a drink--your reader didn't even notice it happened.
9. Present Participial phrases are generally bad. (This one is a new discovery for me. Editortorent has a whole series on PPPs alone.)
10. Hidden/Buried Dialogue is not preferred and slows down your pacing. (This one is also new to me. My handy dandy critique group gave me a lesson on this one recently. Apparently, dialogue passages need to be in one of the following structures:
  • dialogue -->narrative-->dialogue
  • narrative-->dialogue
  • dialogue-->narrative
NOT narrative-->dialogue-->narrative OR (my personal favorite) Dialogue-->narrative-->dialogue-->narrative. Don't bury dialogue in the middle of narrative. I did this all over the place, including the submissions I currently have with agents--sigh).
I'm sure there are hundreds more rules, but these are the ones that made the most impact on me.
What writing rules have you discovered that you never knew existed? Which rule stabbed you in the heart when you heard it? Which one is your biggest enemy--the one who sneaks in your writing all the time?
**Today's Theme Song**
"Know Your Enemy"-- Green Day
(player in sidebar, take a listen)