Have you ever read a book that has those neat little poems or quotes at the beginning of each chapter?
Ever consider including a few lines of "I shot the Sheriff" in your next best-seller?
One author did. And those two lines from that pop song cost him £1,000 or roughly $1434. And he found out after his book was already out in the market.
Have any of you used a quote or lines from other songs, books, poems, etc?
Simply citing the source is not always enough. I read this a while ago and recently heard about another author running into "issues" with his book.
Plagiarism - make sure you give credit where credit is due.
Copyright - make sure you get PERMISSION from the copyright owner. (That isn't always the author...as we all know).
The is a big difference between what is considered FAIR USE and what is considered COPYRIGHT.
Here's a great article on what authors should know about Fair Use:
http://www.thebookdesigner.com/2010/02/what-every-writer-ought-to-know-about-fair-use-and-copyright/
Here's the article in the Guardian about the author who learned this the hard way:
http://www.guardian.co.uk/books/2010/may/01/blake-morrison-lyrics-copyright
I'm not giving anyone any advice (legal or otherwise). I'm just putting this out there in an attempt to warn my fellow authors about possible problems they may face.
I hope this helped someone...or at least gave you all something to think about.
Wednesday, September 9, 2015
Monday, September 7, 2015
Does the story hurt your brain or your butt?
Reading and/or writing both long and short fiction can often be a pain in the brain and the butt. Have you ever read one of those stories that just seems to push you away rather than engage you?
Pain in the brain
A narrative that meanders all over the place, one that seems to need a warning sign: "Abandon all hope those who..."
Pain in the butt
Have you ever tried to write something that conveyed your vision into the imagination of your reader only to fall flat?
Engaging the reader
Some of the best stories I have ever read were those that completely engaged me as a reader. Stories that drew me in, authors who can weave their narrative in such a way that I am completely entangled before I even realize it. There is nothing like being totally engaged and invested in the story.
Don't throw out the expected just to be unexpected
While I loathe most attempts by authors who want to "play" with the plot or the traditional story-telling narrative by doing something unique or different. The philosophical experiment simply hurts my brain. But that's just me. I like to read a traditional story that whisks me away into the depths of imagination. Plain. Simple. Don't fix what's not broken.
But...
What do Dr. Who and the Beast Below have in common with Ursula K LeGuin, William James, and Dostoyevski have in common?
You will have needed to watch the Dr. Who episode to get an idea, but there is an amazing thread of SciFi story-telling that does not really tell a story. It takes an amazing talent to be able to construct a narrative - sans plot, dialogue, and even named characters - and then get the reader to build a story of possibility within their own mind's eye.
I'm not a big fan of the more esoteric style of story-telling, but sometimes something just hits you leaving you wondering what just happened. There is a story in my head (and/or heart) but the words on the page don't match. The author lit the match, but the fire that burns is because of the fuel I, the reader, provided.
>SPOILERS<
In the Dr. Who story, London and its inhabitants are living their lives at the expense of another's suffering. Watch it here:http://youtu.be/9bsi9wio3gw
This mirrors LeGuin's story about a Utopia surviving on the suffering of one and the rest is academic. Read the wiki on LeGuin's story here:
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Ones_Who_Walk_Away_from_Omelas
Read the "short story" here http://www.kareyperkins.com/classes/445/omelas.pdf
Dolstoyevski's novel is on Project Gutenburg https://www.gutenberg.org/etext/28054
or read about it on Wiki here: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Brothers_Karamazov
But even LeGuin says this will make your brain hurt reading it. (I didn't make it through.) But she credits William James for her most important inspiration: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Moral_Philosopher_and_the_Moral_Life
and his story The Moral Philosopher... based on the idea that "As James sees it, the psychological question is whether human ideas of good and evil arise from "the association of [certain ideals] with act of simple bodily pleasures and reliefs from pain."" Read the text here: http://www.philosophy.uncc.edu/mleldrid/American/mp&ml.htm
I include the links so that you can read for yourself. Its a lot, I know. And most of it hurt my brain...but the gist of this post is that sometimes, it is a good idea to look outside the norms of traditional story-telling to see how some of the greats have created a narrative that actively includes the reader in the process. Plus it was fun to try to find a link between Dolstoyevski and Dr. Who.
Do it Write...I mean Right. Right? Including your reader in the process, truly engaging them in the story, is what good narrative story-telling is all about. Find your own way of accomplishing this and you will have fans for life. Walk too far out on the branch and it could snap...and you fall on your butt. For me, this was a good example of what to do and what not to do - in the same story. I can't even call what LeGuin wrote a short story (although she does) without scratching my head. It really makes me think...and, well, that hurts my brain. Enjoying a story shouldn't be that hard. It should be fun, exciting, and maybe even better than sex...maybe.
But it should be something that I enjoy. As a reader, I want to be engaged. I want to feel excited as I look forward to climbing in between the covers. (OK - maybe the sex analogy was a bit much) As an author, it's my job to find a recipe that combines these ingredients into a wonderful meal that will satisfy the voracious reader. (is a food analogy any better?)
Hope this helps someone...and didn't hurt your brains too much.
Pain in the brain
A narrative that meanders all over the place, one that seems to need a warning sign: "Abandon all hope those who..."
Pain in the butt
Have you ever tried to write something that conveyed your vision into the imagination of your reader only to fall flat?
Engaging the reader
Some of the best stories I have ever read were those that completely engaged me as a reader. Stories that drew me in, authors who can weave their narrative in such a way that I am completely entangled before I even realize it. There is nothing like being totally engaged and invested in the story.
Don't throw out the expected just to be unexpected
While I loathe most attempts by authors who want to "play" with the plot or the traditional story-telling narrative by doing something unique or different. The philosophical experiment simply hurts my brain. But that's just me. I like to read a traditional story that whisks me away into the depths of imagination. Plain. Simple. Don't fix what's not broken.
But...
What do Dr. Who and the Beast Below have in common with Ursula K LeGuin, William James, and Dostoyevski have in common?
You will have needed to watch the Dr. Who episode to get an idea, but there is an amazing thread of SciFi story-telling that does not really tell a story. It takes an amazing talent to be able to construct a narrative - sans plot, dialogue, and even named characters - and then get the reader to build a story of possibility within their own mind's eye.
I'm not a big fan of the more esoteric style of story-telling, but sometimes something just hits you leaving you wondering what just happened. There is a story in my head (and/or heart) but the words on the page don't match. The author lit the match, but the fire that burns is because of the fuel I, the reader, provided.
>SPOILERS<
In the Dr. Who story, London and its inhabitants are living their lives at the expense of another's suffering. Watch it here:http://youtu.be/9bsi9wio3gw
This mirrors LeGuin's story about a Utopia surviving on the suffering of one and the rest is academic. Read the wiki on LeGuin's story here:
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Ones_Who_Walk_Away_from_Omelas
Read the "short story" here http://www.kareyperkins.com/classes/445/omelas.pdf
Dolstoyevski's novel is on Project Gutenburg https://www.gutenberg.org/etext/28054
or read about it on Wiki here: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Brothers_Karamazov
But even LeGuin says this will make your brain hurt reading it. (I didn't make it through.) But she credits William James for her most important inspiration: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Moral_Philosopher_and_the_Moral_Life
and his story The Moral Philosopher... based on the idea that "As James sees it, the psychological question is whether human ideas of good and evil arise from "the association of [certain ideals] with act of simple bodily pleasures and reliefs from pain."" Read the text here: http://www.philosophy.uncc.edu/mleldrid/American/mp&ml.htm
I include the links so that you can read for yourself. Its a lot, I know. And most of it hurt my brain...but the gist of this post is that sometimes, it is a good idea to look outside the norms of traditional story-telling to see how some of the greats have created a narrative that actively includes the reader in the process. Plus it was fun to try to find a link between Dolstoyevski and Dr. Who.
Do it Write...I mean Right. Right? Including your reader in the process, truly engaging them in the story, is what good narrative story-telling is all about. Find your own way of accomplishing this and you will have fans for life. Walk too far out on the branch and it could snap...and you fall on your butt. For me, this was a good example of what to do and what not to do - in the same story. I can't even call what LeGuin wrote a short story (although she does) without scratching my head. It really makes me think...and, well, that hurts my brain. Enjoying a story shouldn't be that hard. It should be fun, exciting, and maybe even better than sex...maybe.
But it should be something that I enjoy. As a reader, I want to be engaged. I want to feel excited as I look forward to climbing in between the covers. (OK - maybe the sex analogy was a bit much) As an author, it's my job to find a recipe that combines these ingredients into a wonderful meal that will satisfy the voracious reader. (is a food analogy any better?)
Hope this helps someone...and didn't hurt your brains too much.
Thursday, August 20, 2015
6 Things that will Get Readers to stop Reading
While this is a very basic list dealing mostly with fantasy and its sub-genres, the information can be useful to others.
Most speculative fiction readers are very forgiving, especially in the beginning. They want to find authors they will like, stories that will take them away, but in the short story market (as well as longer works) it is easy to lose the very audience your trying to entertain. How do you engage your readers? It begins on the first page....
1. Rough Road Ahead - paved with PROSE.
This is probably the hardest to self-diagnose, but if you have access to writing groups, beta readers or even just someone to give you honest feedback - make use of them. You can read your work aloud to help yourself listen for cues. Seek out honest, constructive criticism - not just praise. Submitting to markets is, ultimately, the real test. Most will tell you if your prose is too rough to be read by their readers.
2. Cheap Thrills.
Violence, sex, etc. for its own sake. Excessive/gratuitous anything in the opening. Most editors will reject any story that begins by making them cringe. It hurts your odds when you use excess rather than substance to engage readers.
3. Telegraphed Twists.
An MC who is obviously a vampire. A dream sequence or "Matrix" type twist ending or any of the many cliche'd tropes and tricks that have been so overly-used that it makes it easy for an editor to trash your story on they way to the bathroom to throw up the bile those types of twists have wretched to the surface. Save your reader from the gastric reflux that comes from yet another "Game Over Player One" or "...then she woke up and said, "You were there and you..."" or "...only then did she see that he was a ____" Remember that any surprise that your readers sees coming is no longer surprising (whether or not you wrote the clues).
4. Derivative Settings.
Other than Earth, any setting that feels too much like Hell or Hoth, Avalon or Pern, Castle Roogna or Camelot, or the office of an elf, witch, or wizard Private eye, will more often than not, find its way into the trash. Rule of thumb is to remember that if your reader remembers being in the place you created you most likely allowed your favorite movie to creep into your creative process.
5. Characters who don't have to try.
Wielding vengeance without sweating, swatting away squads of enemy soldiers with little more effort than a yawn and a stretch, or characters fighting, riding, f--king without fatigue, magic without consequence, all steal dramatic tension from your story. There is little any author can do to build suspense or create conflict if the characters can do anything.
6. Absolute powers/abilities corrupt absolutely. Gods or god-like powers corrupt plots god-awefully.
Beware of Deus ex Machina or any plot device that comes off as nothing more than lazy writing. We have all read bad stories that felt like the writer couldn't come up with anything so they simply brought in a god or god-like ability to save their protagonist. See #5 above.
Most speculative fiction readers are very forgiving, especially in the beginning. They want to find authors they will like, stories that will take them away, but in the short story market (as well as longer works) it is easy to lose the very audience your trying to entertain. How do you engage your readers? It begins on the first page....
1. Rough Road Ahead - paved with PROSE.
This is probably the hardest to self-diagnose, but if you have access to writing groups, beta readers or even just someone to give you honest feedback - make use of them. You can read your work aloud to help yourself listen for cues. Seek out honest, constructive criticism - not just praise. Submitting to markets is, ultimately, the real test. Most will tell you if your prose is too rough to be read by their readers.
2. Cheap Thrills.
Violence, sex, etc. for its own sake. Excessive/gratuitous anything in the opening. Most editors will reject any story that begins by making them cringe. It hurts your odds when you use excess rather than substance to engage readers.
3. Telegraphed Twists.
An MC who is obviously a vampire. A dream sequence or "Matrix" type twist ending or any of the many cliche'd tropes and tricks that have been so overly-used that it makes it easy for an editor to trash your story on they way to the bathroom to throw up the bile those types of twists have wretched to the surface. Save your reader from the gastric reflux that comes from yet another "Game Over Player One" or "...then she woke up and said, "You were there and you..."" or "...only then did she see that he was a ____" Remember that any surprise that your readers sees coming is no longer surprising (whether or not you wrote the clues).
4. Derivative Settings.
Other than Earth, any setting that feels too much like Hell or Hoth, Avalon or Pern, Castle Roogna or Camelot, or the office of an elf, witch, or wizard Private eye, will more often than not, find its way into the trash. Rule of thumb is to remember that if your reader remembers being in the place you created you most likely allowed your favorite movie to creep into your creative process.
5. Characters who don't have to try.
Wielding vengeance without sweating, swatting away squads of enemy soldiers with little more effort than a yawn and a stretch, or characters fighting, riding, f--king without fatigue, magic without consequence, all steal dramatic tension from your story. There is little any author can do to build suspense or create conflict if the characters can do anything.
6. Absolute powers/abilities corrupt absolutely. Gods or god-like powers corrupt plots god-awefully.
Beware of Deus ex Machina or any plot device that comes off as nothing more than lazy writing. We have all read bad stories that felt like the writer couldn't come up with anything so they simply brought in a god or god-like ability to save their protagonist. See #5 above.
Most Common Reasons Fantasy (and some other) Publishers Return Manuscripts
There are lots of reasons a submission might not be right for a fantasy market. The following is just a few of the most common (and often easily avoidable) mistakes.
Check market/editor rules for electronic submissions. Often markets will simply delete any submission that comes in as an attachment, rather than straight text in the body of an e-mail.
Most often editors (or more likely slush readers) will choose to avoid the potential risk of opening attachments by simply deleting them. It's not wise to tempt the Fates too much by opening thousands of attachments sent from all over the world.
The story doesn't match the theme of the market.
Just because your story is in the same genre does not mean it fits the goals of the editors. Stick to telling good stories. Create memorable settings (use all the senses) and interesting characters (give readers a reason to care about them) and sales will come easier. Be as original as you can in plot and setting without violating verisimilitude or the genre norms. The odds are stacked against an all-too-familiar setting or theme.
Know your market audience.
Editors have a responsibility to honor the promise their page, paper, or magazine has made to their subscribers. They won't buy a story that does not fit or that would alienate potential readers. When it comes to Fantasy (and most SpecFic) niche markets are hard to write into. Keep graphic scenes of violence, gore, sex and profanity to a PG-13 (as well as relevant and important to the plot). When it comes to fantasy there is always a more creative way to do the mundane without alienating readers.
Avoid the slow start. Short stories, regardless of genre, don't have the same freedoms of longer work. Get things movin'!
Don't waste the first 500 words of your 5k story to describe the history of the plant life. Readers of short stories are not going to spend a lot of time reading this one story. Editors will spend even less. If the reader doesn't care by the end of the first page, you may have to rewrite. Give your readers a reason to care... a reason to turn the page. This usually means a character or a question they care about.
Pay attention to your characters (or great story/idea/premise, but I just didn't care about him/her/them/it/etc).
The most brilliantly written plotlines will fail if the reader/editor doesn’t give a hoot about your MC. Worse yet, if they actively take a disliking to the cast you've created.
Over-used plot devices.
Almost anything that is derivative. Fantasy means a lot of things, but if most readers are faced with yet another hero slaying dragons, a deal-making devil, elves or fairy private investigators, or ancient gods who rent apartments in the city or (god help you) another sparkly vamp, you have increased the odds your story gets bounced in the trash. Sure, there are always exceptions, but odds are against you. Good rule of thumb: the less your story reads like ANY gaming session, the better your odds.
Deus Ex Magic (machina).
Editors tend to buy realistic fantasy in which magic is a believable tool that is useful without being the center of attention. Dueling wizards with wands and fireballs at fifty paces fails to grab most editors' interest. It can also be a sign of lazy writing when an author simply waves his hand or wrinkles her nose to fix the universe or put the planet right again. If it was that easy then the story should be very short.
Check market/editor rules for electronic submissions. Often markets will simply delete any submission that comes in as an attachment, rather than straight text in the body of an e-mail.
Most often editors (or more likely slush readers) will choose to avoid the potential risk of opening attachments by simply deleting them. It's not wise to tempt the Fates too much by opening thousands of attachments sent from all over the world.
The story doesn't match the theme of the market.
Just because your story is in the same genre does not mean it fits the goals of the editors. Stick to telling good stories. Create memorable settings (use all the senses) and interesting characters (give readers a reason to care about them) and sales will come easier. Be as original as you can in plot and setting without violating verisimilitude or the genre norms. The odds are stacked against an all-too-familiar setting or theme.
Know your market audience.
Editors have a responsibility to honor the promise their page, paper, or magazine has made to their subscribers. They won't buy a story that does not fit or that would alienate potential readers. When it comes to Fantasy (and most SpecFic) niche markets are hard to write into. Keep graphic scenes of violence, gore, sex and profanity to a PG-13 (as well as relevant and important to the plot). When it comes to fantasy there is always a more creative way to do the mundane without alienating readers.
Avoid the slow start. Short stories, regardless of genre, don't have the same freedoms of longer work. Get things movin'!
Don't waste the first 500 words of your 5k story to describe the history of the plant life. Readers of short stories are not going to spend a lot of time reading this one story. Editors will spend even less. If the reader doesn't care by the end of the first page, you may have to rewrite. Give your readers a reason to care... a reason to turn the page. This usually means a character or a question they care about.
Pay attention to your characters (or great story/idea/premise, but I just didn't care about him/her/them/it/etc).
The most brilliantly written plotlines will fail if the reader/editor doesn’t give a hoot about your MC. Worse yet, if they actively take a disliking to the cast you've created.
Over-used plot devices.
Almost anything that is derivative. Fantasy means a lot of things, but if most readers are faced with yet another hero slaying dragons, a deal-making devil, elves or fairy private investigators, or ancient gods who rent apartments in the city or (god help you) another sparkly vamp, you have increased the odds your story gets bounced in the trash. Sure, there are always exceptions, but odds are against you. Good rule of thumb: the less your story reads like ANY gaming session, the better your odds.
Deus Ex Magic (machina).
Editors tend to buy realistic fantasy in which magic is a believable tool that is useful without being the center of attention. Dueling wizards with wands and fireballs at fifty paces fails to grab most editors' interest. It can also be a sign of lazy writing when an author simply waves his hand or wrinkles her nose to fix the universe or put the planet right again. If it was that easy then the story should be very short.
Wednesday, August 12, 2015
Remember FREYTAG's PYRAMID
Freytag's Pyramid
1. Exposition: This is where you set the scene. Introduce the characters and setting, provide description and background.
2. Inciting Incident: Something happens here to begin the Action. This event usually signals the beginning of the main conflict. Sometimes called 'the complication'.
3. Rising Action: Your story builds and gets more exciting.
4. Climax: This is the moment of greatest tension in your story. The most exciting event. The rising action builds up to this and then the falling action follows.
5. Falling Action: Events happen as a logical (not always expected) result of the climax. Reader knows that the end of the story is near.
6. Resolution: The main problem/conflict is solved by the Main Character or someone solves it for them. Should be cathartic for the reader.
7. Dénouement: (a French term, pronounced: day-noo-moh) the ending. This is where readers will feel that you truly had an ending or if you left them 'hanging'. Any remaining secrets or questions are resolved or explained.
Think of the dénouement as the fulfillment of the exposition: promises made are kept, questions asked are answered. Instead of preparing to tell them a story by establishing a setting and characters, you end it with an explanation of what happened, the why and the how of it, especially the way your characters think or feel about it. This can be the most difficult part of the plot to write, as it is so closely tied to the resolution.
1. Exposition: This is where you set the scene. Introduce the characters and setting, provide description and background.
2. Inciting Incident: Something happens here to begin the Action. This event usually signals the beginning of the main conflict. Sometimes called 'the complication'.
3. Rising Action: Your story builds and gets more exciting.
4. Climax: This is the moment of greatest tension in your story. The most exciting event. The rising action builds up to this and then the falling action follows.
5. Falling Action: Events happen as a logical (not always expected) result of the climax. Reader knows that the end of the story is near.
6. Resolution: The main problem/conflict is solved by the Main Character or someone solves it for them. Should be cathartic for the reader.
7. Dénouement: (a French term, pronounced: day-noo-moh) the ending. This is where readers will feel that you truly had an ending or if you left them 'hanging'. Any remaining secrets or questions are resolved or explained.
Think of the dénouement as the fulfillment of the exposition: promises made are kept, questions asked are answered. Instead of preparing to tell them a story by establishing a setting and characters, you end it with an explanation of what happened, the why and the how of it, especially the way your characters think or feel about it. This can be the most difficult part of the plot to write, as it is so closely tied to the resolution.
A Little Advice for Authors (New and Veteran)
* Never forget the Craft of Writing.
There are rules. This doesn't mean they can never be broken. It simply means that you must first know what they. There's a thin line between Breakin' the Rules and Bad Writing which can mean a big difference in how your readers will enjoy your story.
* If you want to improve your writing - READ.
Read books, blogs, and magazines about WRITING. Attend and participate in writers' conferences, critique groups, websites or in person, anywhere writers help each other improve their skills. Remember that you get out what you put in. You can learn a lot from simply helping someone else.
Read what you want to WRITE. Read books, novellas, and short stories in your genre. Take mental notes (or better yet acutally write them down) or what worked, what didn't, and why.
* Understand the Basics.
Make sure that you are using and maintaining VOICE.
There are different points of view to choose from, each having their own sets of responsibilities, effects, and limitations. Using the right POV, or Narrative Voice, is essential to telling a good story, but even more important is your adherence to it once one is chosen. Know What POV you are using, Why you are using it, and How to use it correctly.
Make sure that you are using and maintaining TONE.
Voice is WHO tells the story. Tone is HOW it is told. It is easy for an author to fall into the trap of writing with their own voice not really knowing what else to do. While this is not always a bad thing, Voice and Tone are the tools that great writers use to bring their stories to life. Tone can give the reader an added layer, a depth to the work, that might otherwise be missing. Using voice and tone effectively can bring your characters to life, make your readers want to turn the page, and create an emotional investment that takes your writing to the next level.
* Understand and use solid fundamentals
SHOW - Don't TELL
DIALOGUE tells your reader a lot about characters. Not only does it help you move the plot along, but it gives us a glimpse into the what, why, and who of each character. Don't forget to think, act, and speak as they would.
Develop/ Create interesting CHARACTERS. Ask yourself who your favorite characters are and then outline why. If readers don't care about the major and even minor characters, the Protagonist and the Antagonist, they sure won't care about the story.
Balance the ELEMENTS of the story: Action, Dialogue and Narrative. No one wants to read a narrative exposition, listen to characters drone on about nothing (the weather, naval lint, or foot fungus, etc.) or read page after page of unrelated, pointless fighting, car chases, and/or sex and violence for nothing more than its own sake.
Learn to Kill your Darlings. Coming up with clever turns of phrase or vividly opulent descriptions, writing clever quips or poetic reflection is great. Creating pet words and phrases can even be fun or cathartic. But if it does not help move the plot or contribute something of value to the story - kill those lil' darlings. Keep them in a notebook if you want, but cut them from the place they serve no purpose.
While this may vary from person to person, it is always a good idea to sticking to the FORMATTING basics. INDENT the beginning of each paragraph. SINGLE SPACE between paragraphs, NOT two spaces. (Save the doublespaces to indicate new scene, new time or change of view.) No matter how good the story is, if the book is not formatted correctly - your readers will notice.
* SELF-EDIT and REWRITE
One of the most effective ways of Self-Editing is to set your work aside for a time. Write something else, Read a book, or just Go Outside. Come back to it with a fresh set of eyes and you'll often be surprised at what you'll find.
Watch for Favorites. Descriptions, turns of phrase, or even certain adjectives can often become Go To words/phrases. Look for and rewrite repeated words and phrases. Again, only keep what's important to the story.
Replace Ads (ADverbs that is). Try to eliminate empty or misused adverbs and replace them with descriptive verbs instead. Avoid TOM SWIFTIES at all costs! ("Stay sharp," Tom said bluntly.)
Use STRONG VERBS. One of the best ways to cut down on wordiness and to tighten up your story is to replace your "to be" verbs (I am, She is, They are). Use strong, active verbs instead. "She is the manager of all the workers in this office." VS. "She manages this office." One IS something, the other is DOing something. Readers want action, want something to happen, not just narrative job descriptions.
Use the ACTIVE Voice instead of the Passive. This is another one of those almost imperceptable changes that can significantly change how a reader 'feels' your story. The mood is set with an active or passive voice. "Writers are accused of making stories bland." VS. "Readers accuse writers of making stories bland." Subtle but distinctly different. One - The action is being done to the passive subject or Two - the subject is actively doing something.
Describe the SETTING. So often writers try to establish the setting quickly, which can lead to a lot of bland, expository writing. Not only do you need to submerse your readers into the setting, but you must maintain your verissimilitude by describing it as your POV would describe it. The narrator might see one thing, but it might look quite different through the eyes of your characters. Imagine how the Hero and the Villian might describe the same pile of gold. Each POV brings their own perspective.
* Decide what kind of WRITER you are.
Writer vs. Author. Anyone can write something nowadays. It's easy and takes no skill or effort. So setting yourself and your work apart from the thousands of options out there, you have to evolve from simply writing into an author and story-teller.
Always BE PROFESSIONAL. That doesn't mean you always get paid for your efforts. It means that you represent yourself, your work, and your brand.
An author treats others with Respect. Do you give what you get? The same? More, less? Imagine the response you will get if you are known for giving more than you get. Sure there will always be those who take advantage, but it's safe to say that you will come out ahead if you have a reputation for over-delivering rather than being selfish.
Be careful what you say and do online. Stay away from Trolls. Don't badmouth publishers, reviewers, or authors. Criticism is difficult to take but even harder to give. Don't give negative feedback to anyone who has not asked you specifically. And even then, it's a good idea to know them first. Badmouthing anyone can bring a world of wrath you don't want.
Don't argue with readers or reviewers. We all have our own opinions. We may not agree but that doesn't mean they're wrong. No one likes the same thing the same way. So don't even open that Pandora's box. An author needs thick skin. Putting yourself out there can be hard, but it makes it harder when our work is rejected or disliked. Don't get into a battle of words. You may even win the battle but lose the war of finding readers. Bad reviews are getting read more and more as readers lose faith in positive reviews. I have never seen an instance where arguing or even engaging with negative feedback or an outright attack has ended well for the author. Negative attacks tend to draw a crowd. The last thing you need is vultures circling the next post or comment you make. Stay clear.
* Find good BETA READERS
An effective tool in helping with your editing and revision is a good beta reader. Someone that can help you spot flaws in plot logic, inconsistencies in character or setting, and to give you honest feedback on just how the story feels from a non-invested perspective.
I hope that this has helped someone.
Thanks for your time,
Scott
There are rules. This doesn't mean they can never be broken. It simply means that you must first know what they. There's a thin line between Breakin' the Rules and Bad Writing which can mean a big difference in how your readers will enjoy your story.
* If you want to improve your writing - READ.
Read books, blogs, and magazines about WRITING. Attend and participate in writers' conferences, critique groups, websites or in person, anywhere writers help each other improve their skills. Remember that you get out what you put in. You can learn a lot from simply helping someone else.
Read what you want to WRITE. Read books, novellas, and short stories in your genre. Take mental notes (or better yet acutally write them down) or what worked, what didn't, and why.
* Understand the Basics.
Make sure that you are using and maintaining VOICE.
There are different points of view to choose from, each having their own sets of responsibilities, effects, and limitations. Using the right POV, or Narrative Voice, is essential to telling a good story, but even more important is your adherence to it once one is chosen. Know What POV you are using, Why you are using it, and How to use it correctly.
Make sure that you are using and maintaining TONE.
Voice is WHO tells the story. Tone is HOW it is told. It is easy for an author to fall into the trap of writing with their own voice not really knowing what else to do. While this is not always a bad thing, Voice and Tone are the tools that great writers use to bring their stories to life. Tone can give the reader an added layer, a depth to the work, that might otherwise be missing. Using voice and tone effectively can bring your characters to life, make your readers want to turn the page, and create an emotional investment that takes your writing to the next level.
* Understand and use solid fundamentals
SHOW - Don't TELL
DIALOGUE tells your reader a lot about characters. Not only does it help you move the plot along, but it gives us a glimpse into the what, why, and who of each character. Don't forget to think, act, and speak as they would.
Develop/ Create interesting CHARACTERS. Ask yourself who your favorite characters are and then outline why. If readers don't care about the major and even minor characters, the Protagonist and the Antagonist, they sure won't care about the story.
Balance the ELEMENTS of the story: Action, Dialogue and Narrative. No one wants to read a narrative exposition, listen to characters drone on about nothing (the weather, naval lint, or foot fungus, etc.) or read page after page of unrelated, pointless fighting, car chases, and/or sex and violence for nothing more than its own sake.
Learn to Kill your Darlings. Coming up with clever turns of phrase or vividly opulent descriptions, writing clever quips or poetic reflection is great. Creating pet words and phrases can even be fun or cathartic. But if it does not help move the plot or contribute something of value to the story - kill those lil' darlings. Keep them in a notebook if you want, but cut them from the place they serve no purpose.
While this may vary from person to person, it is always a good idea to sticking to the FORMATTING basics. INDENT the beginning of each paragraph. SINGLE SPACE between paragraphs, NOT two spaces. (Save the doublespaces to indicate new scene, new time or change of view.) No matter how good the story is, if the book is not formatted correctly - your readers will notice.
* SELF-EDIT and REWRITE
One of the most effective ways of Self-Editing is to set your work aside for a time. Write something else, Read a book, or just Go Outside. Come back to it with a fresh set of eyes and you'll often be surprised at what you'll find.
Watch for Favorites. Descriptions, turns of phrase, or even certain adjectives can often become Go To words/phrases. Look for and rewrite repeated words and phrases. Again, only keep what's important to the story.
Replace Ads (ADverbs that is). Try to eliminate empty or misused adverbs and replace them with descriptive verbs instead. Avoid TOM SWIFTIES at all costs! ("Stay sharp," Tom said bluntly.)
Use STRONG VERBS. One of the best ways to cut down on wordiness and to tighten up your story is to replace your "to be" verbs (I am, She is, They are). Use strong, active verbs instead. "She is the manager of all the workers in this office." VS. "She manages this office." One IS something, the other is DOing something. Readers want action, want something to happen, not just narrative job descriptions.
Use the ACTIVE Voice instead of the Passive. This is another one of those almost imperceptable changes that can significantly change how a reader 'feels' your story. The mood is set with an active or passive voice. "Writers are accused of making stories bland." VS. "Readers accuse writers of making stories bland." Subtle but distinctly different. One - The action is being done to the passive subject or Two - the subject is actively doing something.
Describe the SETTING. So often writers try to establish the setting quickly, which can lead to a lot of bland, expository writing. Not only do you need to submerse your readers into the setting, but you must maintain your verissimilitude by describing it as your POV would describe it. The narrator might see one thing, but it might look quite different through the eyes of your characters. Imagine how the Hero and the Villian might describe the same pile of gold. Each POV brings their own perspective.
* Decide what kind of WRITER you are.
Writer vs. Author. Anyone can write something nowadays. It's easy and takes no skill or effort. So setting yourself and your work apart from the thousands of options out there, you have to evolve from simply writing into an author and story-teller.
Always BE PROFESSIONAL. That doesn't mean you always get paid for your efforts. It means that you represent yourself, your work, and your brand.
An author treats others with Respect. Do you give what you get? The same? More, less? Imagine the response you will get if you are known for giving more than you get. Sure there will always be those who take advantage, but it's safe to say that you will come out ahead if you have a reputation for over-delivering rather than being selfish.
Be careful what you say and do online. Stay away from Trolls. Don't badmouth publishers, reviewers, or authors. Criticism is difficult to take but even harder to give. Don't give negative feedback to anyone who has not asked you specifically. And even then, it's a good idea to know them first. Badmouthing anyone can bring a world of wrath you don't want.
Don't argue with readers or reviewers. We all have our own opinions. We may not agree but that doesn't mean they're wrong. No one likes the same thing the same way. So don't even open that Pandora's box. An author needs thick skin. Putting yourself out there can be hard, but it makes it harder when our work is rejected or disliked. Don't get into a battle of words. You may even win the battle but lose the war of finding readers. Bad reviews are getting read more and more as readers lose faith in positive reviews. I have never seen an instance where arguing or even engaging with negative feedback or an outright attack has ended well for the author. Negative attacks tend to draw a crowd. The last thing you need is vultures circling the next post or comment you make. Stay clear.
* Find good BETA READERS
An effective tool in helping with your editing and revision is a good beta reader. Someone that can help you spot flaws in plot logic, inconsistencies in character or setting, and to give you honest feedback on just how the story feels from a non-invested perspective.
I hope that this has helped someone.
Thanks for your time,
Scott
Sunday, August 25, 2013
REVIEWS
A review is feedback that has two seperate audiences.
The Reader - fellow readers who are looking for honest, informative feedback about a book or movie that they can use to make decisions about a particular work. Writing for readers means that we remember to include the good, the bad, and the ugly without bias (or at least admitting bias) so that they can use the review to make informed decisions. This means that overly critical and overly positive are rarely given much weight. Whether that means a reviewer hates it or loves it, there is always something right or wrong with most any piece of writing. Someone who ignores one for sake of the other most often comes off as biased.
The Writer - fellow writers often say they are looking for honest reviews, but when many receive them, they are often disappointed. They have invested countless hours and tons of creative juice and most novice (and far too many veteran) writers don't react well to criticism, even when it's constructive. So, remember to temper your "honest" review with some professional courtesy. Sure, there are some authors who should never be published, should never attempt to sell the drivel that spills from their printer or pen. But, they are often the ones who won't listen to anyone or anything that criticizes what they deem their greatest work. So, remember that many writers have worked very hard on their writing and not on the thickening of their skin. Find something of redeeming quality and make sure to mention it (preferably last) when pointing out the numerous flaws you've found.
A Point to Remember - a review is an opinion.
That's it. Nothing else. Just one reader's opinion about a specific text at a specific time in their life. Imagine reading Jaws after living in the desert of Arizona all your life. How would the review change if, while on vacation in the Sea of Cortez, the reviewer is almost killed by a shark? We are made up of our experiences and can only give of what we have...ourselves. Reader or Writer, we do our best.
So, take it for what it is - an opinion from one person, at one point in their life, about a book written by another person, at one point in their writing career. People change; but then so do our writing abilities and perceptions.
Just some food for thought.
The Writer - fellow writers often say they are looking for honest reviews, but when many receive them, they are often disappointed. They have invested countless hours and tons of creative juice and most novice (and far too many veteran) writers don't react well to criticism, even when it's constructive. So, remember to temper your "honest" review with some professional courtesy. Sure, there are some authors who should never be published, should never attempt to sell the drivel that spills from their printer or pen. But, they are often the ones who won't listen to anyone or anything that criticizes what they deem their greatest work. So, remember that many writers have worked very hard on their writing and not on the thickening of their skin. Find something of redeeming quality and make sure to mention it (preferably last) when pointing out the numerous flaws you've found.
A Point to Remember - a review is an opinion.
That's it. Nothing else. Just one reader's opinion about a specific text at a specific time in their life. Imagine reading Jaws after living in the desert of Arizona all your life. How would the review change if, while on vacation in the Sea of Cortez, the reviewer is almost killed by a shark? We are made up of our experiences and can only give of what we have...ourselves. Reader or Writer, we do our best.
So, take it for what it is - an opinion from one person, at one point in their life, about a book written by another person, at one point in their writing career. People change; but then so do our writing abilities and perceptions.
Just some food for thought.
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