Category: Information

Avoid Vanilla Writing, Part 2

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Welcome to #WritingWednesday. Last week we talked about a few ways to avoid boring writing. This week, I have a few more tips for you to keep your story interesting and your readers engaged!

 

  1. Hello Again: (At these two words, I’ve got The Cars singing in my head.) Anyway, have you ever read something like the following?

“Hello, George.”

“Hey, Larry! Long time no see. How’ve you been?”

“Pretty good. How about you?”

“Well, I can’t complain. How are your kids?”

Yawn. I don’t care about George, Larry, or either of their families. While dialogue should be natural, don’t dwell on exchanges like this. Move on to good dialogue that moves the plot forward.

2. The Land of Exposition: Description is good, as is internal narrative. You’ll need both to flesh out your world and your characters. But please don’t dump it on the page in a massive paragraph. The eyes need white space to rest on. Lots of black words in a big chunk is an invitation to read a little and then skim. Some readers are fine with navel-gazing, descriptions in detail, and mental ruminations on the meaning of life. But keep it pertinent to the world-building, plot, and/or character because a little of this goes a long way.

3. Nobody Cares: The climax scene is critical.  As the two armies face each other, Minerva knows she must keep the faith. If her kingdom doesn’t win the war…she won’t make it to her bridge game on time. The only one concerned about that is Minerva herself.

Make your stakes matter. Then make it worse. What’s the worst-case scenario? Write it into the scene. That’s what your readers will care about. “Make it bad, then make it worse” so the happy ending’s satisfying. Which brings me to my last point…

4. “…and everyone lived happily ever after, forever and ever, with a big, red bow.” Hmm, maybe not. I NEED a happy ending. (I was very cross with Veronica Roth after reading the Divergent series. Just sayin’…) But that’s just me. You must decide how happy your ending’s going to be. Somewhat bittersweet? Tragic, like Romeo and Juliet? Or do we get the true HEA (Happily Ever After)? Even with an HEA, not every character is happy—not the villain and perhaps not some secondary characters. There may be unpleasant circumstances due to bad decisions. That’s okay. Just remember the expectations of your genre (romance readers expect an HEA or an HFN–Happy For Now). A spark of hope on the last page will satisfy your readers.

I hope these points help you craft exciting, riveting fiction. Do you have any rules you follow to keep your writing fresh and interesting? What are they?

Avoid Vanilla Writing, Part 1

Welcome to this week’s #WritingWednesday post!

We’ve all heard different rules of writing—show, don’t tell; avoid –ly adverbs, don’t head-hop with point of view, blah, blah, blah. But a sure death knell for a story is vanilla writing. No one wants to write the yawn-inducing DNFed story (Goodreads speak for Did Not Finish). While “avoid vanilla writing” is a bit vague, here are a few ideas to keep your readers up late turning pages.

  1. Murder your darlings: this quote is attributed to William Faulkner or Oscar Wilde (or others), but actually originated with Arther Quiller-Couch from his 1914 lecture “On Style.” Good job, Arthur! But what does it mean? It means all those things you absolutely love, the cutie-patootie characters, clever dialogue, and flowery descriptions should be eliminated if they’re unnecessary or don’t move the plot forward. Believe me, I know it’s tough—I’ll weep with you while we read on.
  2. Zzzzz: Ending the chapter or scene with the character going to sleep. I’ve done this. Sometimes it can’t be helped. But if you can find another ending, maybe a twist to ratchet up the tension, the scene will be better and the reader will keep reading.
  3. The Normal Routine: Mary Sue wakes up to the sun streaming into her room. She stretches, slips out of bed, and pads downstairs for her regular cup of coffee. She pulls her favorite cereal from the cupboard, but the dog Benny whines and dances around her ankles. She lets the dog out and gazes out on a lovely morning with white, puffy clouds and singing birds. The bird feeder was empty–she’d have to refill it after breakfast. Her thoughts turn to what she can make for supper this evening. Perhaps her husband’s favorite casserole…

Have I lost you yet? Aside from my bad writing example, it’s boring! Nobody cares about Mary Sue or her coffee or what she’ll make for supper. Summarize and get to the point when she discovers her husband is having an affair or her dog tore up her neighbor’s prize-winning roses…

Check in next week for Part 2 of Avoid Vanilla Writing. And in the meantime, go have some ice cream. After all, it’s still National Ice Cream Month. 🙂

 

 

Pictures from Pixabay

Three Different Kinds of Maps

While maps are often necessary to get from point A to B (especially for someone directionally dyslexic like myself), I also love to find them in books. It helps me understand the journey and the landscape of the characters I’m reading about. When I have a map of my own world, it also helps me write better. As I’m writing descriptions, I can check my map. What does the character see? Will the mountains or the towering trees hinder her view? What scents will carry on the wind?

Even if you think you’re not artistic, you can create a map. There are different kinds and one of them will definitely work for you.

  1. Notebook/grid map: I started with this method when writing Spark. It was originally unlabeled land masses sketched on notebook paper. That worked for a while, but I eventually started erasing, adding, and revising the map. I then redrew it on grid paper (don’t know why I went with that, especially since I wasn’t really trying for scale). I finally scanned the thing into Paint but was dissatisfied with the “flatness” of it. After watching tons of YouTube videos, I drew my own version of it on nice blank paper. I was so pleased with how it turned out, I added a map in each book of the Firebrand Chronicles.
  2. Pinterest map: This is great for those who only need pictures of landscapes. If a drawn version is beyond your skills, pick some pictures on Pinterest and put them on a board. I’ve even seen authors print them out and put the pictures on poster board as a kind of vision board. Do whatever works for you.
  3. Professionally drawn map: Some authors will hire someone to draw a map for them. Ask on Facebook for artists who take commissions; there are also artists on Fiverr who offer these services.

If you still feel you could never do any of these, just try one. As someone who really can’t draw, I never thought a drawn map would be possible. In your attempts, you might discover something new about your world or about your abilities. Most of all, have fun!

Three Great Books for Worldbuilding

Worldbuilding is hard. Right? I can hear you moaning and pulling out your hair as you try to build up your world. I’ve been there. In fact, I find it one of the more mentally taxing parts of creating. What’s unique and profound that’s never been done before? (Uh, nothing. Even Solomon said so, but we keep trying anyway. That, my friends, is called insanity.)

If you’re struggling, there are some really great resources to help you create a realistic world. While I could never list all of them, I’ll list the ones I’ve found to be most helpful. Below, I’ve listed three books (and as a bonus, one website) I’ve found invaluable while creating.

  1. Storyworld First by Jill Williamson

Aside from being a great person with a cool name, Jill is one of the hosts of the Go Teen Writers website (GoTeenWriters.com). Her book is fantastic, covering all aspects of a world, such as geography, creatures, magic, languages, etc. In the back of the book are worksheets, charts, and word lists–extra bonuses to help you through the worldbuilding maze.

  1. The Writer’s Digest Guide to Science Fiction and Fantasy by Orson Scott Card

This thing is massive at 408 pages, but it includes more than just worldbuilding information. There’s a “how to write” section at the front while the second half is the nuts and bolts of creating a world (races, cultures, religion, clothes, weapons, etc.) The last chapter was the anatomy of a castle (which isn’t much help if you’re looking to stay away from the typical European epic fantasy). The rest of it is wonderful and well worth the purchase.

  1. The New Age Baby Name Book by Sue Browder

This is not your typical baby name book. From Abebi to Zersiro, I’ve found these unusual New Age names to work for towns, races, religions, really anything that needs a name. Even better, meaning and pronunciation for each one are included.

  1. And lastly as a bonus and related to number three, this is the website I find myself going to over and over: https://www.fantasynamegenerators.com/

It generates names of diseases, political parties, superpowers, and theme park rides, among numerous other things. It’s really worth a look, not only to inspire you, but also to flesh out your world more, by seeing what you’ve missed. 🙂  Because trust me, you’ve missed something.

A last piece of advice before you go: make sure you have a notebook to write down names and places, ideas, meanings, and pronunciation. You’ll want all your choices in front of you when you start naming and labeling. Having the perfect idea there in black and white sure beats having to look it up while you’re writing.

So go. Create. And don’t forget to have fun, too.

Creating a One Sheet

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What is a One Sheet?

One sheets are strange animals. Part graphic design, part advertising copy, part business card, they’re not often needed in proposals. Sometimes they’re asked for at in-person pitches, but this is largely dependent on the person you’re meeting.

They’re one page (surprise, surprise) and include all the important information—title, word count, tagline (if you have one), blurb, an eye-catching graphic, contact information, bio, and headshot. If you’ve completed all the other items mentioned in my previous blog posts (here, here, and here), your most pressing issue will probably be finding the right graphic. There are plenty of good free graphics on Unsplash, Pixabay, Pexels, and Bing. Go more for a professional look, less cutesy. That adorable paw print pattern you were going to use for your werewolf shifter novel? Yeah, don’t. Readability is key. Use a clean font—save that cool Gothic Script for another project.

I have a love/hate relationship with the one sheet. While they can be fun, they take valuable time from agonizing over, er, I mean revising my synopsis or blurb. After you’ve finished your one sheet, do a test run. A graphic may look perfect on the computer, but be an absolute nightmare once it’s competing with all the information on the page. For example, I’d originally planned a full-page, fiery graphic for my one sheet about Spark, Book One of the Firebrand Chronicles. But on the page, there were sparks and flames consuming my valuable contact information. It was too much. I found a smaller graphic that just spanned the top half of the page.

While I’d love to tell you to skip a one sheet, because many of us are writers, not graphic designers, I used one when pitching to an agent. I’d thrown a few in a folder on my way out the door to a one-day writing workshop. When a last-minute opening became available, I signed up to pitch to an agent. I slid the one sheet across the table and waited, shaking, while he spent a few seconds scanning it. He nodded, asked a few questions, and it gave me some time to ease into the situation. To be honest, I think what was written on it was more important than the cool flame graphic scrolling across the top. So, it’s really up to you.

If you’ve done your best with all the other items in your proposal, the most important thing you can do is relax. Remember to breathe. Say a prayer. Then,  take all your nervousness and turn it into excitement. Be animated (not wooden) and share with the other person all the cool things about your story!

Happy pitching!

What Is a Blurb?

You’ve probably heard of a blurb, but I’d bet my wobbling TBR pile you’ve read one–every time you pick up a book in a bookstore or click on the link on Amazon to learn more. But writing one for your own work isn’t easy.

Also called a BCC or back cover copy, it’s like a dating profile. What can you tell the reader that will make him/her purchase this book? The tagline on the front of the eye-catching cover compelled them to pick the book up or click on the link. You hooked them. Great! Now you have to make the reader buy it, and an engaging blurb will seal the deal.

Not sure how to start? Check Amazon for some ideas. Every book there has a blurb, but I would check the bestsellers in your genre. You’ll see how the big dogs do it. Once you’ve got a few ideas from checking Amazon, try writing a summary. Remember the synopsis you worked on? Use that to make sure you include the high points of your story. Unlike the synopsis, use more interesting language, exciting action verbs and hyperbole. List and name the main characters, what they want, and the obstacle in their way. Use short sentences with words that create a certain feeling and will draw in the Ideal Reader of your genre– for example the sinister monk, a mysterious secret, or the adorkable boy next door. Oh, and DON’T tell the reader how it ends. Include the stakes. Will they find their way out of the labyrinthine rain forest? Will they be eaten by starved zombies? Will they kill the evil mastermind? What do they have to lose if they don’t?

You’ll probably have a pretty clunky piece of writing, so hone it down. Play with the wording, making sure it’s written in your voice. And definitely do it more than a few times. But trust me, after writing several versions of the same blurb, it all begins to blur. That’s when you call in your writing friends to get new eyes on it. One of my writing buddies is the Queen of Blurbs—it’s like her superpower.

While some contests call for a blurb under 200 words, ideally it should be 100-150 words. Amazon doesn’t give you a lot of room and you’ll want it to be nicely spaced on the back cover. It can be tricky, but don’t give up on this crucial item. With some work, your blurb will sparkle and shine!

What Is a Synopsis?

Few words strike dread in the heart of a writer like the word synopsis. It’s the Dreaded Nightmare of most writers. (There’s probably a few out there who don’t mind writing them, but I’ve never met them).

So what exactly is a synopsis?

It’s a one-to-two page document, usually either two pages, double-spaced or one page, single-spaced. (Check the editor/publisher/agent guidelines. If it doesn’t specify, don’t sweat it. Just pick one.) The publisher or agent uses the synopsis to see if there are plotting issues or weird tropes (i.e., it was all a dream!). They aren’t expecting advertising copy; save your gorgeous, flowery prose for the manuscript. Otherwise, write it in the same tone and style the book is written in. One caveat: if your book is written in first person, don’t write your synopsis that way. Typically, write it in active voice, third person, present tense.

Briefly introduce your main character(s) and put their names IN CAPS the first time they’re introduced for ease of identification. This document is where you spill the beans regarding your story — the interesting setup, the plot twists, emotions and reactions of characters, setbacks, climax, and resolution. Keep the details pertinent, and don’t give tons of backstory. I’ve found this to be extremely difficult. After all, every single scene feels important to me. I want to include them all.

A few important points:

  1. Yes—you have to tell how the story ends. Aside from the length, this is one of the main differences between the synopsis and the blurb. Don’t try to pass the blurb off as a synopsis.
  2. Show, don’t tell doesn’t work for the synopsis. Because this is an entirely different kind of writing compared to a book, you’ll have to do a lot of telling, not showing.
  3. If you’re a pantser and you haven’t finished the manuscript (and therefore can’t finish the synopsis), go finish your book. Agents and publishers won’t consider books that are “mostly” finished.
  4. For more information, check out Reedsy’s article on writing a synopsis.

I’ve found the easiest way to create a synopsis (or as easy as synopsis creation can be) is to take my manuscript and go through it chapter by chapter. What are the key plot points that occur? List them in order. Be brief. When I’m done,  I’m halfway to a working synopsis.  Then edit, edit, edit.

Taglines vs. Loglines

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Are you planning for a writers’ conference this summer? Or perhaps you’re planning to start querying? (Good for you!!) Either way, words like tagline or synopsis or blurb can strike fear in your heart. For the next several weeks, my blog posts will help you identify what agents and publishers want. I’ll cover some of the major items in an author’s arsenal: synopsis, blurb, one sheet, and this week’s focus, Taglines and Loglines.

 

Tagline. Logline. They sound similar, but they’re not. What are the differences?

While not every book has a tagline, a proposal may require one. (Each publisher’s requirements may be a little different.) It can also be called a sales handle. A tagline’s main purpose is to hook the reader. It should be catchy, intriguing, and give a hint of what the book is about. One-liners work best and generally no longer than ten words. Some examples: “Remember it’s only a game.” (Caraval), “Let them fear her.” (Wicked Saints), “Let the magic begin.” (Harry Potter and the Sorcerer’s Stone) One of the best examples I ever read was for Percy Jackson and the Lightning Thief. “Half boy. Half god. All hero.”

A logline is different. It’s one sentence (and one sentence only) about 35-45 words that shares what your story is about in an entertaining manner. You’ll need this when you sit down at a table to have lunch, and the acquisitions editor across from you says, “So what’s your story about?” This really happened to me. Since I was a total noob at the time, I stumbled over my words. She was interested anyway and invited me to pitch to her later. Hopefully, your logline will be better than mine and the other person will beg for more.

If this sounds like an elevator pitch, it’s not — it’s shorter. Some guidelines also call this a promo sentence. (Don’t you just love how there are several different labels for the same thing?) Anyway, the logline should establish setting, protagonist, problem, an antagonist, conflict/action, and goal.

Sounds difficult, right? But you can do this! Remember–practice makes perfect. Pick a few of your favorite television shows and work up a logline for them. (Bonus hint: Don’t use a rhetorical question in your logline—it has to be a sentence.) If you’d like more information on how to craft this magical unicorn, check out the article at https://blog.celtx.com/learning-series-lesson-1-creating-a-logline/. It goes a little deeper on how to begin setting one up.

One final note: while taglines display your knowledge of how to sell your book, an agent will probably never ask for one in a pitch. She or he will ask for your logline (“What’s your book about?”), so if you only have time to work on one of these things, make it your logline.