Thoughts That Keep Me Going

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Whew! I have been an editing fiend this week and need a break! So, I'll share a little thought that has come into my mind today by way of three friend's blogs - this one , this one and this one.
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Have you ever had a friend say, "You have got to read this book!", only to be disappointed? Have you ever sat through a book club meeting where half the group has loved the book and the other half just didn't get it?
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Exactly.
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Not everyone will love my work - your work - our work. So, when the inevitable rejections come, remind yourself of that. We are not putting our work out there against an even board of judges to be accepted or denied. Oh, no it is nothing like that and you are setting yourself up for a long, sad road if you let that idea creep into your mind and heart.
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Friends, we are on the treasure hunt of our lives. Searching for that agent, that editor, that audience that appreciates our voice and work. It is an exciting adventure - filled with ups and downs. So when you get that rejection don't say to yourself, "I'm less than". Don't even say to yourself, "One step closer" (I personally hate that one!).


I propose you simply say, "I guess I was wrong to think this was a fit for them. Is there something I can do to:


1- make it better for next time (ie edit)

2- do better research to aim my query?"
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See? way less painful! What thoughts keep you going?
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I'll Drag You Along With Me, OK?

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I really enjoyed the comment discussion yesterday - thanks so much to everyone who took the time to weigh in.
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I'm going to keep with the editing tips for one more day because I am in the deep trenches of editing my manuscript. Hey, if I have to do all this stuff, I might as well drag a few friends along, right?

I dug this idea out from some notes/handout at a SCBWI-LA conference four summers ago. I took the time over this past weekend to apply it to my manuscript and was amazed. Truly. It's funny how we think we know our writing. We read the books, go to the conferences, take our studious notes. We ponder on the rules, remind ourselves of them as we write/edit/revise, and feel fairly certain we are on the right track.
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Maybe we are. Maybe we have missed a thing or two in the flow and rush of discovering our story.
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So, here it is. Think about doing it, maybe even actually do it and then let me know what came of it all.

USING HIGHLIGHTERS TO CHECK PACING

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Does your novel drag in places? Or, is it high paced and exciting for chapter after chapter without giving any reprieve to your exhausted readers?

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Try this tool for analyzing:

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1. Get a pink, yellow and blue highlighter. Then highlight the main plot points as follows:

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BLUE for narrative and reflective areas

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YELLOW for rising suspense

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PINK for action and plot twists

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Then stand back and see what you have written. A well paced novel has rising and falling tension - scenes with high suspense and action are tempered by scenes of investigation and reflection. Plot twists are spaced out.

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If you have scene after scene coded blue, you may want to look at hiking up the tension somewhere in there. If you have scene after scene of yellow or pink, consider slicing in a little bit of reflection.

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No highlighters? No problem! I used crayons from my daughter's art box. I just ran a blue, yellow or pink line down the side of the manuscript according to the pacing of the scene.

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Do you think you'll ever do this? It really helped me see my novel in a more objective light.

You Have Got To Do This

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We all know about the search function on Word (edit, find, write word in box, find next). If you don't - you really need to figure it out.
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It is one of your best friends.
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First, search for passive words like: had, were, was, that, when
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Then figure out your own list of overused words. Everyone has them...yes, even you. You don't realize that you use them. You don't see them when you read your manuscript -- but they are there.


Case in point: one of my words is 'little'. I don't know why, but it is.


One friend who read my manuscript said "You sure like the word 'little'."

What? I never use that word. Well, I next to never use that word. Right?

So, I ran an edit - find - little - find next and guess what I found?

The word 'little' on every single page of my manuscript.

Every. Single. Page.

I had Little Ellen and the little kitten and the little black eyes of the frog.....


It doesn't take long for that to get annoying.

Some of my other overused words include: just, some, walking, turned, still, quiet, really and so

I run a search for those words after each revision. I ask myself: Is this word necessary? Can I make a better choice? Most of the time, I can.
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Lastly, you need to run a search for adverbs. Now, let it be said that I am not of the mind that all adverbs are bad. In fact, well placed adverbs can add to the tone and voice of a piece.

For example, one line in my manuscript reads :

He was sorrowfully thin and looked like he hadn't seen a speck of soap in weeks.

Sorrowfully is an adverb, but I like it here. It adds to the voice.

Still, adverbs need to be looked at and individually addressed. But, again, that sneaky brain of yours will likely skim right past them.

So -- do your search. It would be impossible to think of every adverb and search for it...not to mention a waste of time.


That is why you should:

1. click edit (top of screen)

2. click find

3. put: ly(space)

4. click find next

It will take you to the adverbs that are within a sentence. Address each one. (I know not all -ly words are adverbs and not all adverbs end in -ly. It is still an effective way to search your manuscript).


THEN: do it again, only this time use ly(period) -- it looks like this: ly.

Click find next.

Now your computer will take you to the adverbs at the end of a sentence. These should almost always go.

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Another example from my manuscript is when I did a ly. search after the first draft. I had written the line:

"Maybe," he said nervously.

Not great writing.

So, I changed it to :

The boy hesitated. "Maybe."

I think it's better. You may decide for yourself.

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This will take some time, but it is worth doing. You may believe that you have been careful. You may tell yourself that you don't overuse words or use passive tense or that you carefully avoid schlucky adverbs.


I promise you will be surprised at what you find.


Questions for you: Are you already doing this? What are your overused words? I'd love to hear your thoughts....
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And The Winner Is....

Man alive were my kiddos excited to be in charge of the drawing! Here are my two youngest pulling the name. And the winner is....





Liana Brooks! (cute stripey socks friend) If Liana would please e mail me at : tesshilmo(at)comcast(dot)net with your address, I will gladly pop that gift card in the mail.

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Thanks for playing. I have to admit, that was way more fun than I expected and I plan on having lots more Free Stuff Friday's in the future (try saying that ten times fast)

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The favorite books listed by our fabulous contestants were:

-Bedtime for Francis

-Narnia series

-Green Eggs and Ham (x4)

-Berenstain Bears

-Halloween

-The Five Chinese Brothers

-The Little Engine That Could

-Light in the Attic

-Harriet the Spy

-Amelia Bedelia

-Uncle Wiggly

-Where the Sidewalk Ends

-Where the Wild Things Are

-Whitemouse the Fieldmouse

-The Hobbit

-A Chocolate Moose for Dinner

-A Wrinkle in Time

-Ramona Quimby

-Charlotte's Web
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What a great list! Check back tomorrow (Tues) for a really wonderful computer 'trick' that will help your mansucript significantly!

Contest Closed

See you Monday for a report of the winner

Free Stuff Friday

Happy Friday! Today I am going to give away an awesome prize of a $25 gift card to Barnes and Noble in honor of Green Eggs and Ham by Dr. Seuss.
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Last night my son came bumbling upstairs with a 1974 edition of Green Eggs and Ham. It was mine when I was 6 years old. I loved that book. In fact, I memorized it from cover to cover and tortured my siblings by reciting it over and over and over and over and over and over and over (you get the idea?)

So - I am sponsoring this fun give away and what you need to do to enter is:

1 - be a follower of this blog (meaning, actually sign up in the left side bar)

2- post a comment today (anytime from the time of this post until Friday night at midnight Mountain Standard time)

3- in your comment, tell me what your very first favorite book was

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You must meet all three of the above criteria to be included in the drawing.

I will put all the names of the eligible comment-ors in a hat and have my son draw a winner at random.

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Check back Monday morning to see who the lucky friend is!

Do's and Don't's by...well, by you

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First of all...will someone tell me how to write the word don't's -- don'ts -- dont's (no, that one is certainly wrong) Grammar police anywhere?
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Ok, on with today's thought:
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As aspiring writers, we have read books, attended conferences, enjoyed great blog posts from fellow writers --

all in an effort to glean a little insight into the writing process. To learn, to improve our craft, to move closer to our goals....and to have a little fun along the way.
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Such fun is the purpose of this post.
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Let's all post one "DO" and one "DON'T" in the comment section. It can be anything.....anything at all.

something learned long ago or just yesterday

something you have worked into your skill set or something you strive for, but have not yet achieved

serious or goofy

you get the idea

Oh, I do hope you all particiapte

One more thing : these do not have to be original thoughts and you only have to give credit when you can remember the source. Let's keep it easy to play, shall we?

Ok, I'll go first:

DO: let your readers be smart

DON'T: rush the journey of writing (great post found here -- thanks, Lady Glamis. I've been pondering on it and it has helped)

see you in the comment section....oooh, I can't wait to get some good old fashioned advice :)
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How To Write Humor

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"People say I'm a horrible person, but that's not true. I have the heart of a young boy.

I keep it in a jar on my desk."

-Stephen King
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True confessions: I suck rocks when it comes to humor. I have friends, including this one to whom the medium comes naturally. I have to study and work at it a bit. Even then, it's a shaky endeavor. Anyway, as part of my recent study on this topic, I came across some fantastic notes I took at a SCBWI conference a few years back. Bruce Hale was the presenter and I thought I would share my notes from his session:

7 Rules for Writing Humor by Bruce Hale
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1- Know your audience:
a. make the humor suit the tone of the story

2- Humor comes from character:
a. your character does not think they are funny -- they must be serious (or it is ruined).
b. create contrast between your characters and their world
c. take flaws to an extreme
d. humor thrives on conflict...create conflict between your characters

3 - Write for the set up NOT the punch line:
a. set up is everything
b. after your set up - delay payoff as long as you can

4 - Spring a surprise: (this is where Mr. Hale gave the Stephen King quote above)

5- Use the three point method:
a. establish the situation, create an expectation, pull a reversal

6- Good humor is good writing:
a. try different variations until you hit the right one....craft you humor carefully

7- If all else fails, tell the truth:
a. pointing out the obvious using one of the lines above can set up a beautifully funny moment in your manuscript.
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I believe even the most serious or suspenseful read requires an occasional emotional break (i.e. laugh) What have you learned in your studies or experience about writing humor? I need serious help in this department and would greatly appreciate any insights!
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Winners, Winners, Winners

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The Query Tracker blog is announcing their One Line Pitch winners here.

Miss Snarks First Victim is announcing her Secret Agent Winners here.

Nathan Bransford is announcing the Agent For a Day winners here.

Congrats to the winners. If you entered, how did you fare? Was it fun? Did you learn anything?

What contests will be next? Comment if you know of any....I'll start digging too.

What's All The Hub-Bub, Bub?

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I was trolling over on Nathan Bransford's blog and he noted that he just didn't get the whole Susan Boyle thing. Several comment-ers agreed with him as well.
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Really? Well, I left my two cents there and decided to bring it back here.
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First, you must watch this link. If you have already watched it, it is worth watching again.
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Ok, now that you've seen it - what do you think? Here is my take:
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This is not a run of the mill underdog story...it is much more.
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- As writers -- and sometimes with life in general -- we feel undervalued. We feel like other people just don't *get* us. It's as if we know we have all these amazing things tucked away...just waiting to be discovered and loved and appreciated and cheered for. We know that we can write that really wonderful/exciting/heartfelt/to die for novel if those darn publishers and agents would just SEE that!

We envision ourselves up on that stage -- being mocked and giggled at (what a silly fool to set such lofty dreams for herself....this should be very funny to watch) and we secretly want to rock the house -- just like Susan Boyle did.
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Yes, well when each of you have your chance to do just that, I would love to be in the audience jumping up out of my seat and whooping and cheering and saying to the world, "Look at the beauty that has been right under our noses this whole time and we didn't even have a clue!"

(steps off soapbox)

thank you.

That's how dense I am....

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Well, not really dense in the stupid way (although that happens more often than I'd like to admit) but dense in a still learning so much way. Now, let it be said that I've gone to my fair share of writing conferences and workshops....I am blessed with a great critique group (the wad) and have finished three novels (started lots more, but that's another story)

Still, I have much to learn

Case in point: beta readers
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I've seen that term floating around the blogosphere - but didn't know much about them.
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So, a few weeks back, I began digging and do you know what I found?

Of course you do! You probably know all about beta readers....I am the one who is painfully behind on these sorts of things.

I learned that a beta reader is an anonymous person who will read and critique your novel for no other reason than to be nice!!! There are whole websites with lists and lists of these amazing people (betas). You can literally look through their posts and shop for one that would be a good fit.

Amazing!

Let me tell you why a beta reader really appeals to me. I love my family, my friends, my neighbors and my critique group but sometimes you just need some distance and objectivity to your critique. You see, if the person is anonymous and I will never hang out with them, then I think their critique might be:

A. less painful
B. more honest

So - I got connected with some beta readers. I can't tell you how excited I am to receive a no holds barred - not afraid you'll be mad at me - tell it like I see it - review of my work.

I neeeeed that. Really, I do.

So here is my question for you:

Do you use beta readers?

How did you find yours?

Is it working for you? Why or why not?

Courage

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I was recently telling my hubby that writing was a bi-polar experience. A huge high one day when you get a request for a partial/full or a good critique and then a huge low the next day when a form rejection comes in the mailbox.
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He laughed.
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I thought...hmmm...maybe that could be a discussion point.
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It takes courage to be a writer. We are putting our hearts and souls out there and asking total strangers to validate what we do. I believe that 'voice' is akin to 'soul' and found a great discussion and post over at Lady Glamis' blog on that very point. So this is the hard part...if we put our souls into the work (in an effort to create an authentic voice) - how much courage does it then take to submit that work?
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A heck of a lot.
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When I was blog hopping, I came across a great post that hit on this very idea. It was found over at Half Crazy Mommy (funny blog and super cute kids!)
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When you type the amazing words, "THE END"....do you get butterflies? What now? What is my next step? Will others love it like I do? Is it right? Is it really finished? Is my life ready for any changes this might bring?
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Or, my personal favorite: Am I fooling myself? (pathetic, I know - but oh, so true)
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Please tell me I am not the only one who has those thoughts :{ I quite often feel 'too close' to the work to really see it objectively. Hence my desire for an agent who will partner with me in this journey. But, will I ever snag an agent if my work isn't perfectly polished to begin with?

See? Courage -- and a bit of a thick skin. That's what I have to work on developing each and every day.

How do you do it? Any ideas and help would be sincerely appreciated!!!!

Building An Author Brand -- please weigh in...

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I am learning so much and began to do research on what it means to build an author brand. Is it our books? Is it our name? I tend to think the latter. Anyway, my colleague Amy recently landed her first contract (hurray, Amy!) and wrote about her marketing efforts in this great post It really got me thinking.
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I'm going to list a few of my thoughts and hope you will weigh in on any other ideas that you might have regarding this concept.
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ONE: start a blog and/or website. Blogging is free, fun and relatively easy. This seemed like an obvious first step for me...was it yours? I've learned that you really should have your meta tag populated and submit your blog to search engines like Google, Yahoo and Technorati. If you own a website, run it through websitegrader.com it's free, quick and super easy! Website grader gives you a report on how your website ranks amongst competitors.

TWO: Share the love: the best part of blogging is being part of this amazing community of writers. Be generous. Sign up as a follower on other sites that catch your interest. Make helpful comments. Respond to those who visit your blog. Link to other blogs in your posts. Basically, participate in the discussion.

THREE: Be authentic.

FOUR: Start compiling the mother of all mailing lists. This great idea came from this post I saw over at Buried In The Slush Pile. The editor there says "this (list) should make that wedding invitation list...look like a quickly jotted grocery list." The point here really the same as the one above...make connections....pay attention to the people around you.
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So, that's my start. What would you add?

Onward...

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I was going to do a post about what it means for us as writers to create a brand, but I'll save that for another day and give an update on the home writing front.
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Yesterday the one week exclusive came and went and I was starting to feel a tiny, teency, itty bit worried that the agent who requested same wasn't so interested.

THEN I found this post over at Call My Agent!. (loved his line 'it takes me three weeks just to get back to myself')


It helped.

Deep breath, Tess. Dont' be neurotic.

So, today I will send out the two fulls that were waiting for the exclusive to be over. I will adjust my expectations to meet the realities of the publishing world (again) and I will remind myself that I am blessed to be in this predicament.

1...2...3...4...

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Today is a fun, fun, fun Monday. Here are some contests that should keep us all entertained and involved this coming week....
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ONE: Secret Agent contest going on over at Miss Snarks First Victim. There are two submission windows open but the first filled up in one minute (that's some competition to get in!). Even if you don't enter or don't get in, think about being a critter - it's good stuff.
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TWO: Fantastic contest going on over at the Query Tracker Blog where Joanna Stampfel-Volpe has agreed to review a one line synopsis or "hook" for your completed manuscript and give out wonderful and generous prizes of query/ms page reviews. There is no limit on the number of submissions other than a 24 hour window (I am very curious how many submissions she will receive!)
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THREE: Nathan Bransford is hosting Be An Agent For A Day over at his amazing blog...should be a very eye-opening experiment.
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FOUR: I got another request for a full over the weekend! (that's four for four on the agent responses...very cool!)

Secret Agent Contest Coming...

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Have a finished novel? Looking for critique? Hoping to catch the eye of a literary agent? Well, pop on over to this great site and check out the Secret Agent contest hosted by the illustrious and elusive Authoress. I entered the last go around and got amazing feedback and an honorable mention (invite to query/promise of non generic review of first few pages) from last month's secret agent, Josh Getzler at Writers House. It was great fun and the critters over there are top notch!

Flurries

So much of the writing life is measured out in slow dribs and drabs. It takes months - sometimes years - to plot, research, write and rewrite a novel. Then comes the dubious task of getting it out there, as they say. No quick fixes on that front, either.

But, every so often there comes a flurry of activity.

Such a thing has happened to me.

With A Name Like Love is the third novel I have finished...the first one that I am actively seeking representation on (yanno, a literary agent). After researching and querying a small and select group of agents who I believe would be a good fit for me and my work, the flurries came.

I was tickled to hear back with one partial request and two full requests (one of which is on a one week exclusive until this coming Monday...the other is so graciously holding on to her partial and advised to send the full post exclusive).

Now, I am fully aware that a request to review the manuscript does not mean anything other than an initial interest in the piece. Still, it is thrilling to imagine finding the right agent to partner with -- someone who believes in my work, who loves my characters as much as I do and who has the professional ability to help me find its way to print.

Say a prayer for me and my little stories!

Mark yourself a follower (see sidebar on the left) and watch me as I stumble along.