Tag Archive | Books

Write Another Book

Oct26

As an author, it can be discouraging when you can’t seem to get an agent or publisher to notice your work. You’ve put yourself into every page and want to share it with the world, but at every turn you keep getting a “no” or, “sorry, but I’m going to pass on this one,” or my most recent favorite, “pass, but God bless.”  Hmmm….

So, what do you do to keep yourself motivated? My suggestion: Write Another Book.

I keep a quote from Edgar Rice Burroughs on my refrigerator:

“If you write one story, it may be bad; if you write a hundred, you have the odds in your favor.”

I don’t want to believe that all my stories written thus far are bad, they simply haven’t found the right home. That being said, with every book I write, I believe my writing improves. So, eventually, I know I’m going to write that masterpiece that the world will be chomping at the bit to read! Yes, I believe in the power of positive thinking. ;0)

In an age when everything seems to be “on the plate” so to speak, it’s hard for me to understand why an agent didn’t like my “accidental incest” story line. I write emotional, epic sagas, and I didn’t feel my theme was out of line. However, I’ve gotten the reaction of “OOOH” from more than one person. But, I’m not going to change the story, because it’s what drives it. Without it, there would be no story.

I decided to make my new book a bit more traditional, and maybe I won’t get that stomach churning reaction when I pitch this one. But one day, when I’m published, I may just reintroduce my saga. By then, I hope to have a following that loves my writing, and understands that things happen in life that aren’t always “happy” and pleasing to the stomach.

So please…I urge you…

WRITE ON!!

WRITE ON!!

WRITE ON!!

 

Should Have Gone There First

Oct6

Sorry I’ve been absent on my blog again! Shame on me!

If any of you have ever orchestrated an estate sale, then you will understand that all my time was consumed. But now, I can breathe a relieved sigh, and get back to what I truly love…writing!!

In the midst of the craziness, my husband and I got away for a one-day trip to Chattanooga, TN. Beautiful city with a gorgeous downtown area and riverside. The purpose of the trip was to meet up with an old friend who now works with her husband on the American Queen and other steamboats. They’re both entertainers and have been working on the boats for the last fifteen years. (What a great job, huh?!)

Laura Sable and I used to do theater together. We hadn’t seen each other in twenty years! Of course, neither of us have aged. ;0)

So, here’s my advice to you. When you write a book about steamboats, and have only traveled on a pint-size one on a lake, it’s wise to take a tour of a REAL steamboat like the American Queen. Laura was one of my Beta readers on my book, “Marked.” The book takes place in 1850 on a Mississippi River steamboat. I researched via the internet as well as books and photos, but stepping aboard the luxurious boat was an experience I’ll never forget! There are things now that I know I could add to the descriptions in my book, (and I still can). I’m happy to say that both she and her husband, Bill read the book and told me that I got it right on the money. WHEW! And…they enjoyed it, which made me feel even better.

I know that we can’t always go to the places we write about, but it sure helps if you’re able. I use Google Earth frequently to check out landscape and such, but there is nothing like breathing the same air your characters breathe. I know…I can’t time travel, but I can use my vivid imagination to sense what it must have been like way back when. I’m a romantic at heart, and there’s something glorious about an elegant ship, and picturing ladies and gentleman in fine clothing cascading down the fanned stairway.

When I stepped into the dining hall, I felt like I’d walked into a scene from “Titanic.” We now want very much to travel by steamboat. And…I may have to write another book about them with all the new tidbits I’ve learned.

Thank you Laura and Bill for an amazing tour and adventure!

And to all of you working on your next masterpiece…step into the shoes of your characters, and walk where they walked.

WRITE ON!

All aboard!

All aboard!

Dining Room
Dining Room

Rollin' on the River!
Rollin’ on the River!

Descriptive Words

Sep13

Adverbs and adjectives are part of our English language, so why not have tons of them in writing? This is something I’m still struggling with. I could never understand why  I should limit their use, but I’m learning.

First of all, as a writer, you always want to find the best way to say what you mean, without rambling. (Unless you have a character who rambles as part of their personality.)

I tend to ramble, so that’s something I’m learning to overcome. Have you ever written a sentence that just rubbed you wrong? You knew that there was something wrong with it, but you couldn’t quite put a finger on it? My best suggestion is, highlight it, then walk away from it. Days later, revisit it. You may be surprised at how the right fix comes to you. Reading it aloud helps, too.

So, descriptive words, whether adjective or adverb are important, but try to find a better noun or verb to say what you mean. One of my fellow writers pointed out that one thing that has always bothered her when she’s editing is the phrase, “whispered softly.” Granted, sometimes whispers are loud, like a stage whisper, but most whispers are soft. There is no need for the adverb here.

“I love you,” Jake whispered.  What more needs to be said?

Or how about this example: The muscles on his arms were really big.

Yes, it paints a picture of a man with big muscles, but the sentence is dry. What’s another word for ‘really big?’ How about enormous, or gigantic, or gargantuan? You could change the sentence to: The muscles on his arms were enormous.  Still dry. So, paint a bigger picture.  His taut shirt sleeves encased his enormous muscles.  Okay…maybe that’s a little overboard, but you get the picture!

Back to the adverb. I’ve had a lot of fun playing with sentences in order to find ways to avoid adverbs. However, I must confess that sometimes I still use them.

I struggled with a sentence that I loved in one of my books, back before I learned that adverbs should be limited. So, I asked my fellow writers how I could rewrite the sentence: She walked stealthily behind him. I thought the sentence said all that needed to be said. And I loved the word ‘stealthily.’ But, being that I was trying to rid the ‘ly’ words, I tried to envision how she walked, and what made it stealthy. It ended up being: With the stealth of a tiger, she remained some distance behind him.

So, what do you think? Better?

Always remind yourself that you are an artist with a paintbrush creating a masterpiece. Each word you type is a brush stroke adding color and form to your artwork. Paint with vivid colors.

I would love your input! Because I’m constantly (yes an ‘ly’ word) learning new things, I’d appreciate having you share what you’ve learned about adverbs and adjectives. But whatever you do…keep writing.

WRITE ON!

 

The muscles on his arms were really big.

The muscles on his arms were really big.

Passive or Active?

Aug31

One of the best articles I read recently, regarded writing in a passive or active voice.

Since I’m in the process of a major edit, I’ve noticed that I frequently write passively. That’s something I’m changing, and I’m amazed at the difference in the way my book reads.

Even though I’m writing in third person, and I use the word ‘was’ frequently, it’s easy to fall into the trap of always using it, and it’s not necessary. Let me explain…

Here’s a simple sentence: He was alone. Okay…that works. Cut and dry. (very dry) But, it paints a picture in my mind, and it’s alright.

But here’s what you don’t want to do: He was  walking down the street going to the grocery store. (passive voice). To make this sentence active, change it to: He walked down the street to the grocery store.  See/hear the difference?

Of course, these are made up, sample sentences, and not something I would put in a book. If I did, my readers would be bored to tears!

One of the first sentences I ever wrote in a book was: She had grown up there, and it was all she’d ever known. Learning what I know now, that sentence became: She grew up there, and it was all she knew. (But, to tell you the truth, I have completely removed that sentence, because it was in an ‘introduction’ to my book which has been completely eliminated!)

Here is another simple example: He was standing in the doorway.

The simple change: He stood in the doorway.

It’s always good to read aloud what you’ve written. If it flows off your tongue naturally, that’s a good sign. If it jolts you, and doesn’t feel right, then it will most likely jolt your

readers and you will need to look closely at what jolted you and fix it. It’s important to get your thoughts on paper, (computer), but remember that it can always be changed. It sometimes helps to walk away from it for a while. I’m surprised at how many times I can go back to something I wrote, and after re-reading, see exactly how I need to fix it and make it better.

If you’ve ever written a sentence that makes you wince each time you read it, it feels really good when you come up with a way to say what you mean in an “unwincable” way. (Yes, I know…it’s not a word!)

WRITE ON!!

 

He looked out the window.

He looked out the window.

 

Silly words, Silly rules…

Aug23

How important is it to have a “clean” manuscript when the time comes to submit to an agent or publisher? And by clean, I don’t mean “G-Rated.”

This kind of clean deals with punctuation, spelling, and grammar.

Coming from a writer who is on the edge of being published, I can tell you what I’ve learned. The cleaner, the better.

Yes, if you intend to publish traditionally, then you will have an editor who will go over your work with a fine-toothed comb, but I believe they appreciate effort on the writer’s part even before they see the manuscript. I know that if I was sitting in their position, I would be more inclined to read something clean, than something that had bothersome errors staring at me in every sentence.

Have you ever read a book and found typos? I know I have, and they tend to throw off my reading. I know that we’re all human, and it’s impossible to catch every typo, but give it your best. This definitely applies if you plan to self-publish. And if that’s something you plan to do, I would highly suggest you hire a professional editor to go over your work. The last thing you want to do is publish something that isn’t ready.

As for the rules of writing…they can change.

Years ago, (back in the days of typewriters), the rule for spaces after a period, was two spaces. Somewhere along the line, that changed. The rule is now, one space. This may seem trivial, but it makes a difference. It took me a while to get used to not hitting the space bar twice at the end of a sentence, but have now almost mastered it. I occasionally slip!

Which brings up something else. The word, (or words), awhile. I read a very good article about how to know when to use awhile, or a while. I’ve been using this little trick ever since: It will almost always be two words, unless you can replace the words in your sentence with “for a short time.”

So, if I were to write: I’m going out for a while, it would be two words, because it wouldn’t make sense to say: I’m going out for for a short time.  However, if you wanted to write: I’m going out awhile, (leaving out “for”), then it would work.  If you replace awhile  in this sentence with, for a short time, then it would read: I’m going out for a short time.  I hope that makes sense!!

I use Word 2010 for all of my writing, and I drive it crazy! I write dialog to fit my characters, and most of them do not speak proper English. So the automated “grammar and spell check” freaks out. I laughed the first time I saw the message, “this document contains too many grammatical/spelling errors to display.” I don’t think those are the exact words, but close.

If you have any fun little rules of writing that you would like to share, please do. I find that I’m constantly learning new things and would love your input.

No matter, what…keep on writing. The more you write, the better you will get.

WRITE ON!!!

I think I'll lay down awhile, or maybe sleep for a while.

I think I’ll lay down awhile, or maybe sleep for a while.

And where have I been?

Aug20

The best made plans…

Last week, I told myself that I needed to be more faithful with my blogging. I jotted down a few notes of things I wanted to discuss, and then…

My husband had a heart attack on Friday night. Believe me, it’s something I hope to never have to go through again. He had open heart surgery seven years ago, but that was prompted by a bad EKG at a regular check-up, not a heart attack. I wouldn’t wish either of these scenarios on anyone, but believe me, the experience I had Friday night was terrifying. Luckily, we live only 15 minutes from a hospital, and I was able to get him there quickly. I opted to drive him myself, feeling I could get him there quicker than waiting for an ambulance. Maybe not a wise idea, but we live out in the country, and it seemed the smart thing to do at the time. Besides, he wasn’t completely convinced he was having a heart attack, but was hurting something fierce.

I’m happy to report that that he’s doing very well, thanks to the care of amazing doctors and nurses, and a successful emergency surgery.

This is one of those life experiences that I had witnessed on TV and movies, but having lived it now first-hand, I have a whole new perspective. My sister had a heart attack some time ago, and so guess who I turned to when I was in the ER, waiting, while they worked on my husband? Yes, my poor sister! I doubt she’ll ever forget the panic in my voice, or the little-to-no sense I was making in conversation. But, simply by hearing her voice, I was comforted. Thank you, Sis.

When he had his open heart surgery, I stayed by his side throughout his week’s stay at the hospital. At that time, I read “Harry Potter” while he slept. This hospital stay was only three days, (Yeah!), but I was glad I had my laptop. Rather than reading, I edited. I rested my mind by escaping to 1870-something, and caught myself up in the trials and tribulations of my fictitious family. At one point, I read to my husband, and promptly put him to sleep! He promised me that it wasn’t out of boredom. I believe him…

So now, you know where I’ve been! I still have my notes for the “writing” posts I intend to do, and will post them soon.  I pray that we’ll have smooth sailing for a while. Enough drama in our lives this past year to last a very LONG time.

Thanks for stopping by, and…

WRITE ON!!!

Me and my sister...Always there for me, even way back then!

Me and my sister…Always there for me, even way back then!

 

Finding Your Voice

Aug2

Every writer has a unique voice. As a reader, you should be able to hear the unique qualities of the book’s author  in your head.

Some authors write with a natural flair for humor. Others, have a more subtle approach. But it’s your voice as a writer that will cause a reader to keep reading. You may have the best plot in the world, but if you have a dull, monotone, completely uninteresting voice, your reader won’t get far enough into your book to see that you have a killer plot!

It was easier to understand “voice” when I was working as a singer. My voice was obvious. It boomed out into the lounge thanks to a great sound system. I’m happy to say that no one ever threw rotten vegetables at me. A good sign that my voice was appreciated. But, everyone has different taste in music, and not all people liked to hear me sing. I didn’t rap, (okay…I made an attempt at it once), and I wasn’t into heavy metal. Also, opera was, and is, something I’ll never attempt to sing. It’s not me. It’s not my voice.

When I first decided to sing, I had people ask me if I was going to take voice lessons. Should I have been insulted? No. Though I chose not to take voice lessons, I look back now and believe they could have helped me. I was afraid that they would take away my unique qualities and make me like everyone else. What I didn’t understand is that I could have learned techniques that would have enhanced my voice, not change it. Perhaps it was pride that kept me from taking that next step. Whatever the case may be, I know now that it never hurts to learn ways to improve your craft.

So, how does this influence me as a writer? Well…again, I have a unique writing voice. But what I’ve learned is that I’m not going to shy away from learning ways to improve my writing. When I first joined RWA and my local MCRW chapter, I had someone tell me that I needed to learn what everyone else in the group knew, so that I could be like everyone else. My thought was, ‘why would I want to be like everyone else?’

I understand now. Others in the group knew more than I did about the industry. They knew techniques to improve my writing. Sitting around me was a vast amount of knowledge in the minds of other writers who had no hesitation about sharing what they knew. All I had to do was listen and learn. Wow!

So, instead of being insulted believing that I was being told I was unable to write at that point, I jumped in and started soaking up knowledge. And, after nearly two years in the chapter, I’m still learning. And loving every minute of it!

My voice is still my voice, but now I’ve learned ways of putting it on paper that will make a reader want to keep turning the pages.

Keep your unique qualities, but don’t shy away from learning ways to improve them.

WRITE ON!!

Find your voice...

Find your voice…

Reconstruction

Jul19

Since the South went through a difficult period of Reconstruction following the Civil War, then I “reckon” it’s appropriate that I’m going through Reconstruction with my trilogy, “Southern Secrets.”

The trilogy takes place for the most part in Mobile, Alabama, six years after the end of the war. When I wrote it, I was writing in an omniscient format. After learning about the romance market, and the fact that the current market prefers single person point of view, I decided to take on  the task of changing my trilogy.

This is a MAJOR undertaking. In previous posts I described the length of these books, but if you’re new to my blog, then I’ll go ahead and re-tell. Each book is between 190,000 and 250,000 words.  Because I was in everyone’s head, I shared thoughts of the simplest characters. (Even the cook, who rarely spoke!)  Now I’m dissecting each chapter.

In case you have to tackle a similar project, here’s how I’m going about it. Maybe this will help you.

First I had to decide which characters are the most important in my books. Of course, the hero and heroine are the logical choice. I’m going one step further, since these books are epic tales, and a few minor characters take on rather major parts of the story line. So, I decided with Book one, to be in the heads of four characters. The hero, heroine, and another couple who ends up having their own story which filters into Book two.

Next, chapter-by-chapter, I decide whose point of view is the most relevant. Of course, it’s alright to have more than one point of view in a chapter, but not at the same time. If you plan to switch POV, then be sure to make the switch obvious. You can do this by adding an extra space between paragraphs, or even using a simple *** separation, centered on the page.  Then, I scan the chapter to see what needs to be deleted.  I have a separate word document opened, entitled “omitted,” which is where I paste anything I’ve cut from the text. I want to be certain that I haven’t lost any important details to the story line. As I add those details in other ways, (conversation, etc.), I highlight the facts on the omitted sheet, so that I know they’ve been dealt with.

I also initially had a four page “introduction” in Book one. It’s gone. I learned a lot about “info dumping” over the last two years. There was no need for an introduction at all. Everything comes to light within the story.

It’s scary removing text! But what I’ve found is that I’m going deeper into the feelings of my characters, and I’m not losing anything from the story. I’m gaining so much more!

In addition, because I’m not so blatantly telling everything, it leaves a greater mystery for the reader.

When I originally considered changing my books, the simple thought of it stressed me out! But now, as I’m doing it, I’m having a ball!  Not only am I revisiting characters that I love and a story that I cherish, but I believe in my heart that I’m making it better. I certainly hope so!

My mom, (who is my biggest supporter), is more nervous than I was about my changing the books. She loves them the way the are. So, to keep her calm, I saved a copy of the omniscient versions. I hope that when all is done, she will read the new books and love them just as much.  Keeping my fingers crossed!!

My other hope is that I can trim these books down to maybe 150,000 words each. That’s my goal.

Thanks for stopping by my blog!

Write On!!

Mt.Rainier9

Life Happens…

Jul12

For those of you who follow my blog, I apologize that I’ve not been posting recently.

Many of you know that for the past four months, I’ve been a full-time caregiver for my mother-in-law. On July 3rd, she passed away. For several years she had battled Alzheimer’s disease, and the last month of her life was very difficult. I know there are many of you who have dealt with family members with this disease, so I’m sure you can understand how hard it was.

I’m happy to say that the decision we made to bring her home from the nursing home was a good one. The first three months, she made remarkable improvements. She gained weight, (liked my cooking!), and even though we were told by the nursing home that she would never walk again, we got her walking with the assistance of a walker. We saw her smile, and laugh. Something we hadn’t seen in a very long time.

It wasn’t always easy. There were nights that she was unable to sleep, and there were times she would try to get up and walk on her own, forgetting that she didn’t have the full use of her legs. So, we had to watch her constantly. But still…as hard as it was…I would do it all over again in a heartbeat.

In her final week, she was no longer able to eat, drink, move, or speak. It was heart-breaking seeing her that way.  Hospice helped us through the final week of her life, and I’m grateful for their love and gentleness with her. I believe in my heart that she is now in a much better place, and no longer suffering with confusion and inabilities.

Strangely enough, I finished writing my newest book, “Forgotten,” the day before she died. I know that whenever I re-read it, I will be reminded of where I was, who I was with, and what I was doing while writing it. A part of her will always be in the pages.

Thank you, Mama, for your love and inspiration…

The last photo I took of Mama

The last photo I took of Mama

Thesaurus or Dictionary?

Jun25

A thesaurus and a dictionary. Two of a writer’s best friends. As someone who tends to use the same words over and over again, I would often turn to the thesaurus to find alternatives. It’s a great tool, but I recently read an article that opened up a whole new idea for me. An idea I just had to share!

In my very first book, one of my beta readers remarked that I used the word “surprised” too much. So, I did a word search, and highlighted all my ‘surprised’ entries. I’m too embarrassed to say how many times I’d used the word. Picking up my thesaurus, I found the alternatives: upset, taken unaware, astounded, astonished, bewildered, shocked, confounded, startled.   Not too bad. Gives me some options.

But, let’s go a step further. Pick up the dictionary. Definition: to bring to light by some sudden, unexpected action. When you take that extra step, you can use the definition to further the meaning in your sentence.

Example: She was surprised by his incredible good looks. Hmm…okay sentence, but a little flat.  So, how can I make it better? I could go the thesaurus route: She was astounded by his incredible good looks.

Or, take the dictionary route: Her eyes widened. His incredible good looks were completely unexpected.  Better.

So, how about the word, incredible? Thesaurus: unbelievable, improbable, impossible, ridiculous.  Dictionary: so remarkable as to be hard to believe.

Playing with the same sentence, it can now become: She was astounded by his unbelievable good looks. OR: Her eyes widened. His good looks were so remarkable, that she could hardly believe he was real. They were completely unexpected. WOW!  Fun, huh?!

Since I read the article, I’ve had more fun playing with my sentences than should be allowed. In fact, I recently changed a sentence where I used the word “playfully” to “in a teasing way.” A simple fix, but it made a big difference in the flow of the sentence.

I have the paper book version of both the thesaurus and dictionary, but having the ability to use them in my Word program has me spoiled. If you ever write a sentence that simply isn’t working for you, have some fun. Pick out the words that don’t seem to flow, and look them up. You’ll be amazed at what you can do with a sentence!

On a side note, my grandson was disappointed when he found out that the thesaurus was not a book about a new type of dinosaur. But, he loves words, and even at age five found it to be “fun.”  That’s my boy!!

Write On!!

Nathan-art6