Writer Wednesday–Blog Crit

Laura Barnes was gracious enough to critique my blog last week and I wanted to share her blog with you guys today.

Click HERE to see her critique of my blog.

Laura does a great job of assessing a blog’s aesthetic appeal, informational content, design, and scope.

I IMMEDIATELY implemented many of the suggestions she gave me.

You can sign up to get your blog critiqued too!

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Deb’s up for the Sisterhood of the Traveling Blog topic. Stop by her blog and say hi! Check out her dragons figures too–she designs and molds them herself.

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Writer Wednesday–Being A Worthy Beta

So I’m beta reading a project from a new writer friend I met through the interwebz. I offered to read her novel because I’d read other work by her and was really curious to see more. (Kind of self-serving, eh?) Anyway, I read the first sentence and was BLOWN AWAY. Then the second sentence was just as FAB. And the third, fourth, fifth, EVERY SENTENCE was GREAT! Strong verbs, powerful descriptors, clear actions, crisp dialogue, dynamic characters–it was ALL there!

“Geez, I’m not a worthy beta,” I thought. “How can I possibly give a helpful critique when I’m so impressed with the writing that I don’t think anything needs changing???”

OK, every writer DREAMS of a beta saying: “I LOVE IT DON”T CHANGE A WORD!!!” But really, is that realistic? I mean, shouldn’t there be something I could point out that may need work?

*sigh*

(Truthfully, I’m developing some thoughts for the writer to consider, but really, changes are not necessary. At. All. I pretty much have only stylistic comments rather than critical ones.)

What do you do when you’re so impressed with a beta project that you’re at a loss as to what to offer for a critique?

(Photo credit)

(Photo credit)

Check out Lydia’s response to the Sisterhood of the Traveling Blog response to if non-writers have found/commented on her blog!

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Sisterhood of the Traveling Blog–Who Else Is Watching You?

This month, Lydia asks:

Outside of your writing friends, do other people (work, family, friends) know you blog? What do they think of it? Have you ever been hit with a, ”Hey! I read your blog today!” from someone you never expected to read it?

FANTASTIC question, Lydia!

When I first started writing (over 3 1/2 years ago now!), I didn’t tell anybody. Back then, I wasn’t sure where my writing was going. I had dreams, of course, but really it was a way to destress, do something creative, and it was FUN!!!!

Then I joined QueryTracker’s forum and met a bunch of fantastic people! With time, I became comfortable enough to start this blog. It was slow going at first, but as the months passed it developed into what you see today.

My blog posts are connected to Twitter and Facebook and since I’ve friended some co-workers, friends, and family there, they’ve seen the links. Much to my surprise and delight, my blog has spread from writer friends to people in my “real life” circle.

It’s been nice to see them “like” a post and even comment on them!

What’s more, they whole-heartedly support my endeavors. They send “*hugs* and chocolate” when I get a rejection and they send “CONGRATULATIONS! and SQUEEEs!!!” when I announce accomplishments.

Even better, it’s hard for me to go a day to two without someone asking me about my book and my short story!

SO. COOL!

How about you? Any non-writerly peeps find your blog?

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Writer Wednesday–How Do You Review?

So, I’ve been watching my writer friend, Kendall Gray, on her journey of self-publishing. I’ve been lucky enough to read an ARC of INHALE, the first novel in her JUST BREATHE trilogy and, man, I just want to shout it out to the world how AWESOME Kendall’s writing is.

If you don’t believe me, check out the book trailer HERE.

Awesome, right? Seriously, you need to pre-order the entire series NOW. *waits while you go to Amazon*

*squints at screen to make sure you’re at Amazon’s website*

Okay. Glad you’re back.

What makes me love INHALE so much?

The characters are clear. They are goal-directed (sorry, that’s a psych term, but you’d be surprised how many characters are just wandering around their novels like post-lobotomy schizophrenics). They have faults. There’s great smexy scenes. There’s a TON of action and conflict.

All those things keep me reading on. It keeps me thinking about the characters when I’m not reading. I even picture myself hanging out with the main characters, Gavin and Zoe. In Australia. On the beach. Yeah. And heck, if I can picture myself hanging out with the characters, that means their writer has made it into my inner circle of favorite authors.

(Pssst, that includes YOU, KENDALL!!!!!!)

We know books sell based on word of mouth (yes, there are other things, but go with me on this one). So, I wanted to review INHALE. I wanted to support Kendall.

I wanted to really capture how I felt and why it was important for me to recommend INHALE to other people.

…And then I realized I kind of suck at writing reviews.

Why?

I worry about writing spoilers. I worry about sounding trite or saccharine. I worry about rambling aimlessly (sort of like what I’m doing now). I worry about not conveying the essence of my reaction.

So, I wrote about what I liked (as I just did above) and left it at that. Better to be short and sweet, than ambling and confusing, no?

Still, I feel like my review fell short.

*sigh*

Now I open the forum to you.

How do you review? Is there a certain template you follow? Do you only write positive reviews? Or do you “tell it like it is?”

Check out Lydia’s response to the Sisterhood of the Traveling Blog topic of the uses (or misuses) of Prologues!

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Sisterhood of the Traveling Blog–To Prologue Or Not To Prologue

This month, I ask:

The Prologue: Love It or Hate It? Are there times when it’s necessary to have a prologue?

 

Before I started writing for realz, I actually LOVED prologues. I didn’t care if they were directly connected to chapter 1 or note. It didn’t bother me if the narrator was completely different from the main character. Hell, I didn’t even mind if the prologue captured a different century, planet, or plane of existence!

 

Then I learned about the RULES.

 

And The Prologue (to me) died.

 

They weren’t allowed. Agents didn’t want to see them. Writing forum members swayed newbies away from them.

 

I was like, “Okay, no prologue. No harm, no foul.”

 

(I try to go with the flow.)

 

Then I saw newly published books (touted by the writing world as AWESOME! FANTASTIC! MUST READ!) WITH prologues!!!

 

I was like, “HUH? I thought they were a no-no!”

 

Listen, when I read a book for enjoyment, I still like prologues. I don’t skip over them. I don’t “tut-tut” them.

 

But I don’t include them in my stories. And I don’t really know why.

 

What about you? Prologues: Love ‘Em Or Hate ‘Em?

 

Tune in next week for Lydia’s take on Prologues.

 

I’m also guest blogging at Apryl Baker’s blog (My Crazy Corner) about Attitude.

 

 

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Writer Wednesday–Battling Social Networking Overload

I’ve been on the social media highway for about three years now. It all started with QueryTracker, then branched out to RallyStorm, then to Facebook and Twitter, and finally, my blog. I’ve spent countless hours on each site, chatting with other writers, learning techniques, learning how-to’s and don’ts, all the while watching the network grow and branch out in directions I’d never thought possible.

And now there’s even MORE avenues to get connected!

Klout, Google+, Tumblr, StumbleUpon, and now Pinterest…

How can I possibly keep up!!!!!!

*flails* *runs into wall* *passes out on floor*

So, folks, how do you keep a steady pace on the social networking highway without running out of gas? How do you find time to do real life things, like, gee I don’t know, WRITE???

This week for the Sisterhood of the Traveling Blog, Deb answers the question of what inspires her.

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Writing Wish Wednesday

Award-winning author Jessica Bell (blogger of The Alliterative Allomorph, poet extraordinaire, talented musician, and gifted writer) is hosting a writer’s retreat in ITHICA, GREECE this August. Chuck Sambuchino of Writer’s Digest has signed on to be there too!

Here’s the link: The Homeric Writers’ Retreat and Workshop

Man, oh man, if I didn’t have a hundred million things going on, I’d totally sign up!!!

That is my Writer Wish.

How about you? What does your writer self wish for?

Check out Lydia’s response for the Sisterhood of the Traveling Blog’s topic of Inspiration!

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Sisterhood of the Traveling Blog–Inspiration

Deb asks:

What type of book do you read for writing inspiration, and why? Do you read fiction or non-fiction, and what genres? Mysteries and YA, or archeology and astronomy?

Great question!

The simple answer is I read YA books to inspire me for my YA WIPs and I read middle grade for middle grade inspiration.

I prefer paranormal, horror, sci fi, fantasy, and all things magical. I also like unique and “odd” things. Miss Peregrine’s Home for Peculiar Children fit the bill for unique and odd. The voice, while it seemed “old” for YA, along with the isolated setting and eerie photographs, really created a fresh landscape that captivated me and totally got my creative mind going. The Marbury Lens would be another example.

I’m not big on non-fic. At. All. Lol! I’ve read enough textbooks in my lifetime. That’s enough non-fiction.

On the other hand, there are a lot of great books for writers on technique, like Save the Cat. It’s on my TBR list…towards the bottom, haha!

How about you? What books do you read for inspiration?

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Writer Wednesday–Revising Stage Fright

Over the course of the month, we’ve covered revising tips, revising how-to’s, and even shared personal experiences with revising.

Awesome!

Regardless, I often find myself avoiding the entire process.

Why?

I have stage fright. Performance anxiety.

I psych myself out.

When I picture a manuscript, I see a intricately woven tapestry built over weeks and months of looming (uh, is that a word?) and weaving threads.

Sure, there are mistakes, knots, wonky stitches, but how can you cut out a section of a tapestry without redoing the whole thing? How can you tear apart something you so lovingly created?

Well, in reality, a manuscript isn’t a tapestry at all. It’s a word document. Words can be changed. Scenes can be deleted–without upsetting the flow of the rest of the piece!

But it’s still a lot of work.

I have some thoughts on how to make things easier. (Yes, I’ve tried these and it works!)

How to get to gettin’ when revising:

• Schedule time to revise. (Saying “I’ll do this tomorrow or later” isn’t good enough. Just like starting a diet tomorrow, tomorrow never comes because a specific moment is never really determined. I mean, really, you can put off tomorrow for years. Right?)
• Make your environment comfy. (Who wants to sit in an austere, cold, drafty, dark, boring place? Get your sweater, cosy socks, water bottle, coffee mug, favorite snack, and cushiest pillow.)
• Get rid of distractions. (Turn off the TV. Lock the kids out. Turn off Facebook, Twitter, email, G+, YouTube, NPR, etc. I know it’s hard, but we survived without them before, right? So we can do it again.)
• Open. The. Document. (Just because you’ve turned the computer on doesn’t mean you’ve got your manuscript open.)
• Turn on the tunes. (I know several writers who develop soundtracks for each manuscript. I don’t, but I DO love to listen to music while I work.)
• Be in the moment. (Don’t look at the entire document. Look at the first sentence. Then the second. Then the third. And so on.)
• Copy and paste. (Hit a really tough spot? Copy the section into another document and have at it. If you don’t like it, don’t bother switching it out. But I BET you’ll make it better.)
• When revising QUALITY is better than QUANTITY. (Rough drafts are for quantity. Revising is where you make every word count. It’s a laborious process, but take your time anyway. The slower you go, the more you’ll catch.)
• Exercise Patience. (If you need a break or need to redo a section you’ve already revised, don’t beat yourself up. Listen to your instincts.)

What helps you revise?

Be sure to check out Deb’s response to the Sisterhood of the Traveling Blog topic of expectations!

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Writer Wednesday–How Do YOU Revise?

Last week, I outlined a revising strategy, describing how it happens in layers.

This week, I want to address HOW to actually revise. I mean, strategies and theories are great, but when you sit down to DO something, how does it get done?

Well, thankfully, there’s no one way, which is why I want y’all to share your strategy in the comments. The more ideas we discuss, the more help people get, right?

Lemme share my technique…which can vary depending on my mood, LOL!

Sometimes, I revise using my computer. I open the document, enlarge the screen so I can see the words without squinting (I’m nearsighted, what can I say?), and read each scene paying attention to flow and plot advancement. (I change typos during this stage too, because, darn it, they’re there no matter how many times I read the damn manuscript!) Like I said last week, if a scene doesn’t advance the plot, I delete it.

I try to read as quickly as I can…not like speed reading, but more like reading in a condensed amount of time so I don’t lose the story thread and confuse details. (Time between readings makes my memory fuzzy, you know?)

Sometimes, I’ll use my iPad. It changes the “look” of the document, making it look more like a book. Somehow, it makes the words, sentences, and paragraphs seem new. I can often pick out redundancies, echoes, wonky dialogue, etc. easier that way.

Sometimes (after I’ve already revised a couple of times) I print out the document. I may still encounter lots of cutting at this stage (by then I have lots of beta feedback, several weeks or even months have passed, and I have a whole new perspective on the project), and it’s quite fun to slash a line through an entire page. I also mark up the hell out of each page, crossing out crappy bits and rewriting better bits in the margins. Then I transcribe the changes on the computer and re-read it one to two more times, tweaking as I go.

After revising the printed manuscript, I can end up with something like this:

(Note: This is not my actual revision…aftermath. But it can sure feel like it!)

How about you? What does your revising strategy entail?

Check out Sarah’s response to her question about writing expectations for the Sisterhood of the Traveling Blog chain!

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