Category: Writing

Writer’s Wednesday: Best-selling Author Russell Davis on the Writerly Math

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I’m excited to have Russell Davis as our guest today. I first met Russ through a mutual friend, and got to know him outside of the publishing world. Since then, we’ve worked together on different projects throughout our careers. I’m always amazed at his eloquence with words. If you’re struggling with word count, this is the perfect article for you. I hope you enjoy!

Best-selling author Russell Davis has written and sold numerous novels and short stories in virtually every genre of fiction, under at least a half-dozen pseudonyms. His writing has encompassed media tie-in work in the Transformers universe to action adventure in The Executioner series to original novels and short fiction in anthology titles like Under Cover of Darkness, Law of the Gun, and In the Shadow of Evil. In addition to his work as a writer, he has worked as an editor and book packager, and created original anthology titles ranging from westerns like Lost Trails to fantasy like Courts of the Fey. He is a regular speaker at conferences and schools, where he teaches on writing, editing and the fundamentals of the publishing industry. A past president of the Science Fiction & Fantasy Writers of America, Russell now writes full time, and teaches for Western State Colorado University’s MFA in Creative Writing. His next short fiction collection, The End of All Seasons, is due out soon. He maintains an irregular presence on his website http://morningstormbooks.com. Or you can reach him at: http://www.western.edu/academics/creativewriting.

                                Doing the Writerly Math

Writing is a hard job. Oh, it’s not digging ditches in the winter or paving highways with hot tar in the desert sun, but my guess is that there are a lot more people who do those jobs every day (or something like them) who wouldn’t sit in front of a computer trying to make up readable prose for hours on end. It can be just as taxing – mentally, if not physically – and there are certainly times when it’s pure drudgery. When I’m talking to my students at Western State Colorado University, I often find that they’re intimidated by word count. Not early on, when the word count requirements are lower, but when the challenge ratchets up in the second semester and they’re required to write a minimum of 25,000 words for their end of semester project. Many of them have never written even close to that number of words in a single piece of fiction and it can seem like a huge number of words.

Then I tell them that it’s a practice work, and that they should write something brand new for their thesis, which must be at least 55,000 words. Sometimes, the mental grinding of gears, gnashing of teeth, and rending of cloth is so loud in their minds, that even I can hear it. Here’s the funny part, at least to me. 55,000 words is a short book. It’s about the length of most adult series titles like The Trailsman or Don Pendelton’s Executioner series. Also about the length of a category romance. Most genre fiction titles published today run 80,000 to 90,000 words, and in epic fantasy, it’s not uncommon for a book to be several times that length.

For a newer writer, that can seem not just like a big number, but an insurmountable one. A Mount Everest of pages in a single story. They are certain that while others have done it, they themselves will succumb to the lack of oxygen at such heights (choked to death by an errant plot line) or die in the freezing cold (axed by a villainous, yet unexpected, character). This is why doing the writerly math is important, and something I teach to every incoming group (and repeat regularly, since writerly panic is pretty common, too).

Let’s do the math, shall we? If you can force yourself to write one page a day – that’s typed, double-spaced, in proper format – you’ve got an average of about 250 words. One page isn’t much. This blog post is longer than that, right? So, subtracting one day off for life happens, let us suppose you write your page a day six days a week. 250 words x 6 days = 1500 words. Let’s make another supposition for our writerly math. Let us assume that you do this 50 weeks a year, because you take two weeks per year off to dig ditches or pave highways or something more fun than writing. 50 weeks x 1500 words = 75,000 words. That, my friends, is longer than an adult series book or category romance, and nearly the 80,000 words of a typical genre title. Not too bad, and a page a day is hardly even exercising your muse.

Maybe your muse is in better shape than the above example. Maybe you can do two pages or 500 words in a day. Suddenly, you’re writing 150,000 words per year (that’s almost three of those series books). Maybe your muse is a real badass – you know, Arnold Schwarzenegger when he was Conan or Stallone as early Rambo – and you can come up with three pages a day or 750 words. Now, you’ve gotten to 225,000 words per year.

And maybe a part of you is saying, “Three pages?! I can do three pages in my sleep! My muse is a GOD!” And you can do five pages a day, 1000 words, and with nothing more than the will to put the words down day in and day out, you’re delivering 300,000 words per year.

Here’s the thing: you probably won’t do one or two or even five pages necessarily every day, six days a week. Life happens and it gets in the way sometimes. But what does happen, if you can think of writing this way, is that the novel you want to write is possible. It can be done, by you, and here’s something even better: the more you write, the more you practice your craft, the faster you’ll be able to put words on the page. Writing is a lot like exercise, and the more you work your writing muscles, the stronger you’ll become. (Even better, most writers find that the words get better, too, and they don’t have to revise quite as much!)

So, know your pace – what you can reasonably do in a given day, allowing for life happens at least somewhat – then do the writerly math. Suddenly, your novel isn’t Mount Everest, but a gentle hill in the park. Novels are written one word at a time. Think about that for a moment. One word at a time. Not a sentence, a paragraph, a scene, or a chapter. Novels are built of individual words, and your novel – whether it’s 55,000 words or a 300,000 word epic fantasy is no different in that regard. You’ll write it one word at a time, and you should do the math so that you can see the summit before you set out on the journey.

Even the most hesitant of aspiring writers can manage one word at a time, I imagine. After all, that’s how this blog post was written, and it’s just shy of a thousand words. I didn’t even do the math.

Thank you, Russell, for sharing your experiences, and being our guest today. If you have questions, or comments for him, he’ll be with us all day. Thank you!

A New Year, A New Week, A New Day

Written Dreams

As we begin a new year, it’s easy to stress over all the writing goals you want to accomplish in a year’s time. Take a deep breath, now make a list, and prioritize it. What’s the one most important thing you’d like to accomplish that is writing-related in 2013?

Is it finishing the novel of your heart? Starting a new novel? E-publishing? Getting fresh eyes on New marketing strategies? A new look for your website? Getting a website? A map for your novel? A character novel bible for your series? Perfecting that query letter or synopsis? A writing coach to help motivate you to keep on top of your goals?

If you have a 2013 goal that is writing-related, the staff at Written Dreams can help. View our list of services here: writtendreams.com

Or email us through our Contact Us page on our website here: https://writtendreams.com/Contact_Us.html

Then, when you’ve accomplished all your goals, think of the wonderful vacation that’s waiting for you! 🙂

Writer’s Wednesday: Thoughts on Writing by Author Jackie Griffey

Written Dreams

Today, please help me welcome mystery author, Jackie Griffey! We’re so happy to have her with us here on The Editing Essentials!

Jackie Griffey’s family live in Arkansas on five acres that require keeping all the John Deere equipment (and their muscles) in good shape. Outside their home sharing the seed and feed but not the muscle strain, are wild bunnies, birds and other extremely independent beings. Inside, Jackie and her family are owned by two cats and a four inch high Chihuahua who thinks she’s a watch dog, has to keep the cats in line, and has a long list of things to bark at. Griffey writes in several fiction genres, her favorite being cozy mysteries.  Mardi Gras Murder and The Devil in Maryvale audio books will be out  Dec. 15, 2012. Visit her website: http://jackiegriffey.com/ or the links for her books here:  http://www.amazon.com/dp/B005FM7XGC  and http://www.amazon.com/dp/B004E3XH50

This is a great time to be a writer, and being an optimist, I hope it’s going to get even better. With all the opportunities now open to us, we have all kinds of opportunities to publish ourselves. These of course include in print but also digital books and audio books as well. Right now, it’s easy to get discouraged about the number of ebooks being published because there are so many free ones on the market and well, you know what shape the economy’s in. No wonder people are looking for free ones, and of course we authors are trying to get name recognition as well. I think my best sales tools are the books that people have read and liked so they bought others in the series of the novel they liked. (There’s a tip: to get your work out and keep in touch with other writers and groups, too. )

The first thing you need to write is the desire to write. So sit down and get started. If you don’t already have a basically optimistic attitude and the hide of a Rhino, you soon will have. I don’t think it’s a written requirement anywhere that you  have to have enough form letter refusals to paper a room, but everyone I know has them–don’t give up.

Right now I’ve managed to get nearly all my rights back and I’m still writing ebooks, still have some in print, and have had one audio for quite a while, plus there are three (yes, 3) audio books coming out Dec. 15 just in time for Christmas.

One of the brightest things in my days this week came from a fellow writer and reader. She was glad to hear about my audios coming out in December because she gets audios from the library and plays them as she does her housework. So know this, and rejoice–people like them and libraries do, too. Bless her heart for sharing that and making me feel good. Fellow readers and writers, audios are not only here to stay, people like them and listen to them. They are good improvements in publishing–so feel good, have fun, and write on. Good luck, good reading, and listening to all of us.

Thank you, Jackie, for being with us today. She’ll be with us all day if you have questions or comments for her. Thank you!

Writer’s Wednesday: Look Who’s Talking With Nebula-Award Winning Author Elizabeth Ann Scarborough

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I’m so excited to have Elizabeth Ann Scarborough at The Editing Essentials! I’ve admired her tenacity and determination to be a successful author for a long time. She never gives up, no matter what the circumstances. Back in 2004, I was thrilled when she wrote a story for my anthology, You Bet Your Planet. Please help me welcome her today!

Elizabeth Ann Scarborough is the author of 38 fantasy/science fiction books, 24 solo novels including the Nebula-award winning HEALER’S WAR and 16 in collaboration with Anne McCaffrey, including the two most recent, CATALYST and CATACOMBS, Tales of the Barque Cats. Her most recent novel is THE TOUR BUS OF DOOM, set in a town suspiciously like Port Townsend. It’s her third story featuring the heroic Spam the cat, and is a spoof on the zombie craze. The first book SPAM VS THE VAMPIRE is the first of the “purranormal” mysteries. Bridging the novels is the novelette, FATHER CHRISTMAS. Please visit her website at: http://www.eascarborough.com/

Look Who’s Talking

The most important thing I need to know when I write a story is whose story it is. In fact, sometimes the viewpoint is the story when the plot is a familiar or classic one and the usual cast of characters is as time-worn as the Velveteen Rabbit’s fur. There aren’t all that many plots, after all, and none of them are actually new–or haven’t been for a very long time. But the stories we want to tell, and the ones readers gravitate towards, have certain universal elements that make them familiar.

If the central viewpoint is enlightening and informative of an entirely different facet of a story, it can actually make it new, suggesting an entirely different series of events than the original. Reinventing the villain from the Wizard of Oz, Gregory MaGuire created Wicked, the Life and Times of the Wicked Witch of the West (The Wicked Years). As Elphaba’s thoroughly grown-up tale, it becomes not only one different Oz-ish story but a series of them almost as extensive as the original Oz books. Elphaba isn’t thoroughly wicked, and those characters we’ve previously seen as thoroughly good, turn out simply to have had good press.

On a less complex level, other fairytales are often retold from a different character’s viewpoint to try to shake up a stereotype and allow readers to rediscover the tale from a new angle. Cinderella has been written, acted and sung from the viewpoint, at least partially, of the wicked stepsisters and their mother. In the past year, two different movies were made about Snow White, who may have been the protagonist, but the wicked queen, her stepmother, was the interesting, glamorous one. The reinvention of her character for Julia Roberts was brilliant and put a modern, accessible twist on the role that it never would have had if told only from Snow White’s viewpoint.

The “villain” usually doesn’t see himself or herself as a bad person, and neither should the writer when telling their versions of the story. It’s very possible the hero and the villain simply have different goals in life, or different interests in certain outcomes. We probably all know someone who has a lot of “bad luck” although there is never, according to them, anything they did to bring it upon themselves. They were either justified, victimized by circumstances, or someone was plotting against them.

Your characters don’t have to be totally good or wicked to see things in such dramatically different ways as to set them at odds with each other.

I had a very nice mother, but her memory of certain events we both attended is so unlike mine that they might not have been the same occasions. If we were characters in one of my stories, I’d try to understand why she saw it her way as well as why I saw the same incident so differently.

That kind of conflict is certainly less dramatic than the fairytale kind and yet can be used to good effect if one bears in mind how annoying and baffling it can be to have people you thought you knew and even liked behave in ways you consider immoral or selfish, as in The Help, while they disapprove of you just as strongly.

I do admire an author who can capture the nuances of human nature accurately and use them to turn a plot at the same time. M.C. Beaton, aka Regency romance writer Marion Chesney, writes a series of contemporary mysteries that’s fun partially because it counters traditionally romantic stories while retaining a sense of reality.

The heroine, Agatha Raisin, a successful ad exec now a detective, is always falling madly for some good looking man, and at least two of them are interested in her only when she stops stalking them, and starts stalking murderers. There’s nothing remotely like a romantic novel romance in Agatha’s life, but there is friendship and admiration, unexpected emotional support when she least expects it and sometimes fleeting mutual lust. It isn’t done cynically but it seems very true.

The mysteries themselves aren’t nearly as involving as the characters. By now we all know that if the killer isn’t a psycho nut job it’s someone who stands to gain through love, or more probably money. But Agatha’s character makes it fun again, and ventilates scenarios that otherwise might be a bit stale.

Less specifically, but still of great practical benefit, understanding your characters and writing them as if they were real people with their own memories of events can be very helpful in submitting stories to theme anthologies. I edited four and published stories to about fifty more.

For instance, in an anthology about Warrior Princesses, which I proposed during a time when Xena was very popular, each contributing writer had a distinct idea about what a warrior princess was. I was particularly floored by a two page submission from a friend who hasn’t written another story before or since, about a retirement home for aging warrior princesses, as told through correspondence between the facility and Her Fierce Highness’s anxious adult daughter. Absolutely ridiculous and yet well enough grounded in familiar concerns that I felt that if there were real warrior princesses, of course they would need a specialized retirement home.

In Anne McCaffrey’s touching story, The Ship Who Sang, Helva, the heroine, is challenged about whether or not she has been trained to have a sense of humor. “We are directed to develop a sense of proportion, sir, which contributes the same effect.”

As writers, it’s up to us to find our characters’ perspectives.

One other thing. While it’s necessary to have speeches properly attributed in dialogue, if you can tell who’s speaking by what each character is saying and how he or she is saying it, it is very successful dialogue.

Thank you, Elizabeth, for your sharing your tips and being with us today! 🙂 If you have questions for her, please feel free to post. Thank you!

 

Essay by Elizabeth Ann Scarborough, © 2012.

 

Reader Review: The Immortal Life of Henrietta Lacks

Written Dreams

Reader Review: Reading non-fiction can be just as entertaining as fiction.

Title:                 The Immortal Life of Henrietta Lacks

Author:             Rebecca Skloot

Version:            Paperback

Genre:              Nonfiction

Publisher:         Crown Publishing

Reviewer:         Stewart

The Immortal Life of Henrietta Lacks is a nonfiction book that engages the reader as grippingly as a good novel. Skloot was sixteen when she heard about HeLa cells, which in 1951 had been grown from the cancer of a woman named Henrietta Lacks. The cells had the unexplained ability to replicate in tissue culture “forever,” and they provided the basis for thousands of important scientific studies during the following decades. Yet nothing was known of Henrietta Lacks. This story stayed with Skloot through college and graduate school and led to her 10-year research for this book–the story not only of Henrietta and her family, but also of the doctors who treated her, the scientists who developed and used her cells, the journalists who, during the 1970’s, sensationalized her story without regard to the privacy or feelings of the family, and the impact of all of this on family members.

Henrietta and her family were poor and black, deprived of education, work, and other opportunities in Baltimore, where Jim Crow in the 1950’s was still strong. Most hospitals did not offer care to black patients, and Henrietta received “charity” care in the “colored” sections of the Johns Hopkins Hospital. Medical care was primitive by today’s standards and medical research was even more so. Communication between doctors and patients was governed by the notion that the all-powerful doctor was obliged to tell patients only what he felt was in the patient’s interest. “Informed consent” did not cross the minds of early clinical researchers, who conducted many potentially harmful studies on patients without their knowledge. Henrietta received standard radiation treatment (with severe side effects) and died 6 months after her diagnosis. Her medical care was not unusual; it was an example of how bad care was for everyone, especially poor people.

But Skloot doesn’t stop there. She describes medical progress (through the lens of HeLa cellular research) during the following years, as well as the efforts to improve communication with patients and their families, including Henrietta’s family.

The stories are complicated, but Skloot writes with feeling and an eye for detail that keeps the different narratives lively and connected. For me the book was a page-turner.

WD’s Editorial Tip: This is a good example of a nice balance of medical research and storyline so the reader learns about the topic at hand, but can also take away the hard lessons learned about the people in the story.

Take Action!

Written Dreams

E. Tip of the Day: Take action!

It’s important to have a continuous flow of activity for your characters–whether they are renovating a house, cleaning their closet, or skydiving–readers want to read about what the characters are doing.

And action is the best way to do this. With their actions, show how the characters react to certain issues that in turn show who that character is by showing their emotional responses. I’m not saying have your character weep at the drop of a hat. I’m talking about action. Show the good deeds of the character, or their devious thoughts. Show how important it is to that character to have good will by donating their time around the holidays. Show your character actually at a food pantry, or homeless shelter interacting with people in their community. Show your characters doing things in every day situations readers can relate to. Do this, and your readers won’t be bored.

If you have questions on whether or not your plot needs a bit more action, feel free to contact us. We’ll help you improve your plot so your readers will be intrigued about your story. 🙂

Writer’s Wednesday Guestblogger: New Author Greta Buckle

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I’m happy to introduce new author, Greta Buckle, as our guest today. I met Greta through Brenda Novak’s Online Auction for Diabetes Research. We’ve worked together on several projects, and it was a real pleasure for me to work with her on today’s feature novel, Mything You. It’s been a pure joy to get to know her and watch her grow as a writer. Please welcome Greta!

Greta Buckle grew up in Irish Catholic Boston before moving to the Miami sun. She’s worked in engineering, then in law. After realizing she hates clients, she became a high school teacher. Teaching is fun, but writing is her passion. She wrote one hundred and one fan fiction stories online before deciding to transition into writing her own stories. Never ask her about republishing her fan stories from age eleven- horribly written stories of princesses. Greta dreams of writing full-time, where her barista can make her coffee, and a walk on the beach can motivate her tales. The ‘Theseus’ story came to her when she was a freshman in high school when her English teacher, a nun, told her how life was hard and tragedy teaches lessons. The sci-fi stories come from years of Star Trek and Star Wars fandom. Greta’s love of writing has kept her centered and focused. How is she crazy? The voices in her head are characters in novels, and she’s not insane. Visit her website at: http://gretabuckle.com/

What event/person made you interested in writing? 

There wasn’t one event, exactly. I spent years and years writing fan fiction as a mental release. I wanted to tell stories not seen on TV. What happened to me to write full length novels was a realization. I was unhappy with my life, and no book told the story I wanted to see. I was so tired of not reading the story I wanted to read, then I realized why not write your own? I wrote it, finished, then asked myself what do I do now? This set off my interest in pursuing more. Do you know my eighth grade class in the yearbook voted I would most likely be a writer? My reaction then was to go home and cry. In my head I thought writers lived in the fortress of solitude like Superman’s home and never got to go outside. Such a strange reaction! I giggle over this now.

What made you interested in the Greek myths?

My family are nerds. My sister and brother had an argument in the ancient ruins of Rome over the Latin translation they were both doing there. At the dinner table we might discuss who killed who during the French Revolution. And, my father is a huge history and science fiction fan. Unlike most of my friends, I tended to know every story in the Bible and myths. Plus I took a class on the classics in high school. Either way, I’m a nerd and I love the stories.

What was your inspiration for Mything You?

I came home from a writers’ conference in Chicago, then I saw an open call for stories on Ancient Athens or Rome. They were looking for dark and gritty with more sex, so it wasn’t like my novel at all. Unlike the 50 Shades novels, I won’t write what I don’t feel. I was pumped from the conference, and the thoughts of the Ancient world had me buzzing. I penned the outline. I wrote the first chapter. Then I watched a movie starring Theseus to confirm… no my story is nothing like that movie at all. Good. At that point, I penned the story. I wanted to retell an ancient myth as a romance, and, of course, the characters had to be young. Theseus is in search of his father, and thirty year old men aren’t looking for adventure the same way a newly turned man is. In my rendition, love helps him win everything.

Tell us about your characters–Theseus and Ariande. How did you come up with these characters? Were your characters–the way they act in your novel– inspired by anyone specifically?

I wish I knew someone on an epic adventure. I’d have joined them. In my head I saw Theseus as an Indiana Jones, or Prince of Persia type character. The man on his journey, larger than life action hero intrigues me and grabs my attention. He’s on a mission, and will accomplish his goals.

Ari had to be strong-willed in order to keep up with Theseus. She was not to be weak and she’s not going to kill herself because a man might leave her. Vulnerable, yet strong. Not just the hero must save her girlfriend, but she’s not the kick butt, doesn’t need a man because she’s strong and hard either. Guess I was going for Drew Barrymore type in Charlie’s Angels, which is hard to mix. She’s strong yet soft.

What else can you share about yourself personally?

I worked from high school, through college, and after in the Engineering department of a major company. In high school, I made the photo copies of the plats. Talk about bored! I decided to go to law school. Think Legally Blond, though I’m not blond. In school, I thrived. I tutored people on course work. Then I had to get a job in the legal field. I had to meet clients… with problems…eww. Yes, I met interesting people, and I met lawyers who worked their entire lives, giving eighty hours a week, to Lady Justice and the reward was a huge alcohol bill and a lonely life. I couldn’t live like that either. So, again, I quit, and became a teacher. While teaching is a rewarding job, it’s not everything I want. Writing is the one constant in my life.

I have a cat, and his name is Anakin Skywalker though he’s yet to display any evil tendencies, at all. I’m excited about the Disney merger and new Star Wars movies.

I’m not married, no children, etc. But I do have two parents, two sisters and a brother. One sister has read my stuff, but the rest of the family hasn’t. I love my family, but I always call them the crazy Scorpio nest. Everyone but me, the exception, are all water signs, mostly Scorpios. I’m the odd one in the family. But if anyone knows Scorpios, you know they are intense. Growing up in that household meant living in a constant state of defensive warfare. Shouldn’t shock anyone I’ve turned to writing.

What is your plan for future novels?

Writing has taken over my life. Let’s see I’m penning a sci-fi short, which Brittiany, my editor, doesn’t know about yet. I always wanted to write my own version of Star Trek, but for that to happen you must have a ship full of interesting characters.

I’m writing a sequel right now for Haemon and Antigone. If anyone is familiar with the classics, I will state now, Antigone will not die. I never thought she should have. I’m mixing Antigone and Haemon’s love story with the original tragedy and the Seven Against Thebes myths. Add in a love story. Minus out the tragedy, and I’ve set up a nice war for a city state.

But what I’m really excited about is how we’re getting to work on my contemporary fantasy mixing in the Greek Gods to modern age, with a science fiction, Ancient Aliens angle. One epic bad guy. Seven love stories that must be told to break a curse and restore powers. This is the story that made me want to write. It started with the question, what if you were a god or had super powers, but you never knew it? You lived an ordinary life, never accessing your potential.

Which authors do you enjoy reading?

This is a hard question. I read so many throughout the years. This is the equivalent of ‘the what’s your favorite movie’ question. My dad worked for Warner Brothers before I was born. I’ve seen thousands and read even more than that. If I state Julia Quinn, Nora Roberts, JK Rowling, I skip a hundred more.

Thank you, Greta, for sharing with us today! If you’d like to leave a comment for her, she’ll be checking in throughout the day. Thank you!

 

Naming Characters

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E. Tip of the Week:

A name is a great way to add more depth/backstory to a character’s background. Usually when an author uses a name of foreign origin, there’s a reason and a backstory that goes with it. For instance, using the name Nikita: perhaps Nikita’s family roots are Slavic and her mother wanted her to have a traditional Slavic name even though her family lives in the U.S. To learn more about her family roots and the meaning of her name, Nikita might explore the region where her ancestors once lived. This could be a journey she might not otherwise take, but because of her name’s origin, she’s curious.

Another way to add more depth to your character is by making their name an unusual spelling. My parents named me Brittiany, with an extra “i” in there. I have a few theories why my mother spelled my name differently–one of them being she just wanted my name to be special.

However, using a different spelling can sometimes lead to confusion with your readers. They may not know how to pronounce the name in their head, and could stumble upon it, taking them out of the story. So, be very cautious when using an unusual spelling. A lot of people pronounce my name Brit-ti-a-nee because of that extra ‘i’. It’s just Brit-nee.

I get questions like “Did you realize there’s an extra ‘i’ in your name?” all the time. “Yes,” I tell them. “I’m aware, and thank you for spelling my name correctly.” I’ve yet to meet someone with the exact spelling of my name.

But a unique name can be a great ice-breaker. I love the story I can share with people when I meet them for the first time, and they ask me about my name. 🙂

To find a unique character name, go to a baby names website, or get a few baby names books from the library. Find a name that has the meaning of what you’re trying to portray for the character. You might be surprised at what you find. Good luck!

Please Clarify…Please Clarify…Really, I Need More Clarification Here

Written Dreams

E. Tip of the Day: Clarification

When an editor says, “Please clarify,” or “More details are needed here,” or “Clarify the reasoning here” what does it mean exactly?

Every editor is different, with varying opinions on what needs clarification in any specific story. As an editor, I tend to look at this way: if I’m confused about what is happening in a story, there’s something wrong, and that something needs to be fixed. Immediately.

Why? The fast answer: Because it’s not a good thing to alienate and confuse the readers. 🙂

As an author, what can you do to understand better what the editor is trying to tell you? Listen. Ask questions. Ask your editor to clarify to you what they need more details about, if it’s not clear in the comments they’ve made in your manuscript. Ultimately, what they’re telling you, is there’s not enough details being conveyed to the reader in order for the reader to understand what is happening in the story. If the reader is confused, that’s not good. So, when an editor mentions clarifying an area, whether it’s setting, eye color, or something happening in the plot, you should stand up and take notice. And then, find a solution that fits both your needs as the author, and the reader’s needs for understanding.

Here’s a cheat sheet–in my opinion–of areas that usually need clarification and how they can be addressed. And please, keep in mind, every novel is different, so some areas in a story may be more important to clarify than others.

1) If the comment is made on dialogue and is something the reader is explaining that happened, ask yourself: how much does this comment pertain to the overall plot? If my ending will be unaffected by anything I add to the story, how important is it that I add more details (in this specific place)? Or, is this something that can be cleared up later?

2) If the comment is made on setting, and the setting is as much a character as the rest of the cast of characters, it’s probably a good idea to make sure what is being conveyed makes sense. Ask yourself literally–maybe even by making a drawing of a chicken’s scratches map–if I took this route, would I get to my destination?

3) If the comment is made on your character’s personality, in my opinion, that’s a biggie. If your characters are inconsistent, it’ll make your novel a much more difficult read. The story is all about the characters, and when it comes down to it, is the reason why the readers are reading the story. So, ask yourself, why is my character acting this way here? How are they acting differently than in the previous chapter? Why is it important for them to act this way, or can I have them act more like themselves, and still get my point across?

Make your revisions based on your best judgements. Take time to read your work out loud after the revisions have been made. Put yourself in the reader’s shoes, not having any of the back story in their heads before they begin reading. If you’re still confused, and the editor is unhappy with your choice of clarifying on the revisions, it might be time to a) find a new editor, or b) do a self-evaluation on your writing style. It’s important to work with an editor who understands where you as an author are coming from, and what the story is at heart that you’re trying to tell. Editors are there to help the process, not hinder it. 🙂

Writer’s Wednesday: Introducing Cheryl Yeko

Written Dreams 8 Comments

Today our special guest is Cheryl Yeko. Cheryl is relatively new to the publishing world and wanted to share her experiences. She is a Wisconsin author. Visit Cheryl’s website at: http://www.cherylyeko.com/ or contact her through the social media sites: Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/ProtectingRose, Twitter: https://twitter.com/cherylyeko, or Goodreads: http://www.goodreads.com/author/show/5406425.Cheryl_Yeko

My writing journey was swift and exhilarating, and my head is still spinning. My life quickly immersed into the world of writing. I love it! But, there have been surprises and setbacks along the way.

When I was younger, I devoured romance novels. My problem was that once I started a novel, I found it impossible to put it down until I reached the happily-ever-after. As such, as life’s struggles crept in, I found the time spent reading was interfering with work and family. I went cold turkey, and stopped reading novels altogether. A decision I now sometimes regret, but it is what it is. Whatchagonna do?

Then a few years back, my husband bought me a Kindle and I rediscovered my love of all things romance. My children are grown so I now found the time to read. Two years later, I finally came up for air and decided to try to write a novel. So, I checked out some books from the library, signed up for some online classes and began my manuscript on PROTECTING ROSE. I spent the next eight months writing my novel. When I had finished it, I was clueless on what to do next. I found the local RWA group in Milwaukee and joined. I also joined a critique group, which I think is an essential writing tool.

That’s when I realized I had written my novel in a passive voice, instead of an active voice. A newbie mistake that most new writers make. I spent three months fixing this issue, as well as tweaking overused words and learning the ‘romance’ language. I even entered my WIP (work in progress) in some contests, receiving some really nice feedback, and finaled in the 2011 Launching a Star Contest. I submitted PROTECTING ROSE to three publishers, and received two offers. The coolest thing I’ve learned is that the very weakness that caused me to stop reading romance novels years ago, is now my greatest strength. My muse is always active.

PROTECTING ROSE won the 2012 Gayle Wilson Award of Excellence. What a thrill! I was hopeful that the New York Times bestselling list was next. LOL! Well, color me naïve.… But, it was still awesome to be recognized by my peers! PROTECTING ROSE was released in paperback in October, so, we’ll see how that goes. I have to say, it is really cool to hold a book in my hand that I wrote, and I’m looking forward to conducting some book signings in the near future.

PROTECTING ROSE has garnered some nice attention, and I’ve actually grown a decent fan base, but it still tends to get lost in cyberspace among the many, many other novels offered on Amazon and Barnes & Noble. I had no concept of all the marketing activities being an author would entail, and I’m still struggling to wrap my mind around that. But, if you don’t market your books, you can expect your novel to fall into the novel wasteland. Isn’t that a song? If not, it should be!

My latest release A MAN TO TRUST is based on a double murder trial that I sat on as a juror last summer. Of course, the romance is totally made up, but the details of the crime are based on what I learned over the two weeks of trial. I plan to market more strategically and consistently from here on out! No. really, I mean it ;>)

The characters in A MAN TO TRUST are loosely based on individuals involved in the case as well. I built a romance between the lead detective on the case, and the widow of one of the murdered drug dealers. How fun is that!

This is the second book, in a series of three. The first, PROTECTING ROSE, was my debut novel and released last December. A MAN TO TRUST came out October 24th this year. My third novel planned for this series is Rick and Sheila’s story, (no title yet) who are both characters from PROTECTING ROSE. Rick is also in A MAN TO TRUST. My plan is to complete the arc and bring all the characters together one last time. This time, Rick gets the girl!

Thank you, Cheryl, for being our guest today! If you have questions or comments for Cheryl, she’ll be with us all day. Thank you!