Showing posts with label Editing. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Editing. Show all posts

Monday, August 23, 2021

Making It Perfect by Victoria Chatham



AVAILABLE HERE


Question: Do you have any character habits or favourite words that always crop up in your writing?

Oh, boy! Do they ever. But – that is why we write first drafts. Once I have started writing, I try to keep going. I say try because I am a Virgo, and if you know anything about astrological signs and their characteristics, you’ll know that Virgos are perfectionists. I like the first sentence, first paragraph, first chapter to be perfect – except there is no such thing as perfection.

I learned by trial and many errors to get on with the story, taking Nora Roberts’ advice to keep writing as you can’t edit a blank page. Quite apart from those niggling fillers like had, was, just, really, very—I could go on but won’t—I find that I have a different ‘crutch’ word with each book I write.

In one of my books, my hero grinned so much I’m not sure that he would ever have straightened his face out if I hadn’t taken myself in hand and did a painstaking search to rewrite practically every instance of where I had him grinning. Another hero groaned—a lot— and a Regency heroine was forever sighing. I’ve had my moments with ‘however,’ ‘especially,’ ‘nevertheless,’ and many more.

Then there are the phrases that crop up everywhere like weeds, the unconscious shorthand if you will, of many Regency novels. A hero’s hair may be ‘slightly longer than fashionable’ (a phrase of which I have been guilty) or ‘curl over his collar,’ and a heroine’s toes may ‘her curl in her boots,’ plus my pet peeve of romances in general ‘she shattered.’ As writers, it behooves us to find the words to create the emotion and the moment to satisfy our readers fully.

But this is where self-editing comes in. Being aware of the nuances of what you’re writing means you can go over your work and search out those offending words, which are often repetitious. The editing process gives authors a chance to weed out those wretched stumbling blocks, and in that process, make their writing more powerful by rewriting sentences and phrases for more of an impact. (this is an example of redundancy. It means much the same as ‘more powerful’ so it has to go.)

Writing a book is not usually a solo effort. It starts with the author’s idea, building on the original concept by brainstorming with writing buddies to create a setting, characters, plot, and conflict. (Wine is frequently involved!) However the book comes into being, the first revision will include (or should) a thorough search for repetitions and redundancies, and those words ending in -ing (gerunds) and -ly (adverbs.)

The next stage will be beta readers who, if they are doing their job, will point out any character or plot holes and often pick up a ‘crutch’ word the author may not have been aware they were using. Early in my efforts to become a published author, a wise writing tutor warned me to ‘learn to love rewriting,’ and she was right.

Getting the idea down in the first draft and then editing and editing some more, and likely more after that, is the grist of learning the craft of writing.


Victoria Chatham

  AT BOOKS WE LOVE

 ON FACEBOOK



Images: courtesy Adobe freestock
 

Saturday, July 3, 2021

Book Coaching 101 by Diane Bator

 


NEW RELEASE!! An explosion leaves a gaping hole in the streetscape where the Nine Lives Consignment Shop and the former martial arts school once stood. When police find remains of a bomb inside, Gilda Wright needs to track a killer before her suspects scatter like debris.

 

In today’s world, anyone can write and publish a book, but few of us get the help we need. Sometimes we’re stopped by external forces such as lack of money, lack of tools, and lack of support, which is a big one. Sometimes, we’re stopped by internal forces like fear, Imposter Syndrome, and a perceived lack of knowledge.


Imposter Syndrome is that voice in your head that tells you, “I am not talented enough to make this happen,” or “I’m afraid of messing up,” or “Why bother? People will hate my work.” If you’ve ever read BrenĂ© Brown, then you recognize that is vulnerability at it’s finest.


We’ve all dealt with it no matter who we are and what we’ve achieved. I have a friend who’s a comedian and author. He’s been fortunate to meet some amazingly accomplished people who will say, “I don’t know why I’m at this event. I’m just a writer/astronaut/musician.” Meanwhile, he’s trying hard not to beg for autographs, but he does have some great photos!


One of my biggest reasons for starting my Escape with a Writer blog, was to help promote other writers brave enough to launch their books. To be honest, when I first started my blog in 2019, I never expected to have authors sign up to do an interview with me. After all, “Who am I to think I can do this?” But I did. In no time, I had my calendar full 4-6 months ahead and now work alongside a publicity firm in Saskatchewan.


Then I learned there was such a thing as a Book Coach. That was my AHA moment!


It took me ten minutes to sign up and I’ve loved every minute of the training as well as working with writers and a great accountability partner. The funny part is, I wrote an entire series of blogs for BWL Publishing about the Who, What, Where, When, Why and How of Writing two years before I’d ever heard of book coaching. That’s how naturally the role comes.


So, what is a Book Coach and what do they do? A Book Coach is someone who assists with the book writing process. We help writers improve their work, their writing, and give moral support along the way. Whether you plan to self-publish, reach out to agents or traditional publishers, or use a hybrid publisher, a Book Coach can help you smooth out plot problems and improve your book. We can help you smooth out your entire book or clean up a pitch to send to agents or publishers.


How can a Book Coach help me? That varies from coach to coach. Some do strictly Developmental Editing to help make sure your book flows without any flaws in timeline or storyline. They can also help prepare your book to be line edited before you submit. Others will help you get from the basic story idea right up to preparing your manuscript to be submitted to an agent or publisher, which we’re happy to help you find. We cheer you on throughout the process and celebrate with you once your book is in print!


How do I find the right coach? When writers reach out to a Book Coach for help, we have a list of intake questions we ask to see if coach and client will be a good fit. Not all coaches are comfortable working with all writers—and vice versa, just like any other sort of coaching. The best way to see if a coach (or even an editor, for that matter!) is a good fit, is to ask if they will edit the first ten pages of your manuscript. If you like they way they edit or give suggestions for your work, chances are you may work well together.


Won’t a good agent or publisher do all that? Not as many publishing houses have the staff or capacity to do all those things. The cleaner, better, and stronger you can submit your book, the less time and energy they need to spend to get it prepared for publishing. Agents and publishers love it when writers do their homework and send them solid stories they don’t have to spend days editing.


Where do I find a Book Coach to learn more? Right now, there are some fabulous coaches out there! You simply have to Google to find us! We’re always seeking new clients who are eager and willing to work with us to develop their manuscripts into things they’re proud to publish. Be sure to read the fine print, check out what genres they prefer to deal with – please don’t send a romance coach a sci-fi novel! –  study their packages as to what they offer and what they’re fees are, then find out how they prefer to be contacted. Most have an intake form attached to their contact page and may ask you to attach the first 10 pages of your manuscript so they can get a feel for your work.


What if the coach I contact doesn’t accept me? There could me many reasons. Some will contact you to let you know if you’re not a good fit. Others may say they are already overwhelmed and refer you to another coach. Either way, there’s always another coach, just like there are more than three agents and publishers. The right fit is out there.


Does having a coach assure that I’ll get an agent or publisher? Nope. But, we can definitely help you to submit a great query and synopsis that will give you a solid chance at getting their attention.


If you’re interested in learning more, please check out my brand new website at www.dianebator.ca.


Have a fabulous weekend!

Diane



 

Monday, February 3, 2020

Up to my ____ in Edits! by Diane Bator


Introducing my New Release:  Dead Without Shame




Once more, Gilda considers leaving the karate school to work for her friend Happy (no one has ever called him Harvey). When three men rob Happy Harvey’s Hangover Hut killing the woman at the front counter, Gilda is stunned to think that could have been her. Was this a mere robbery, or does someone have a vendetta against Happy, including his good friend Gary del Garda? The evidence keeps piling up while both her mother and another karate instructor come to town bearing secrets that may cost Gilda the life she loves in Sandstone Cove.
You can find it at:  https://bookswelove.net/bator-diane/


I'm up to my ___ in edits! I was blessed to be able to go to Mississippi and Louisiana with my honey to visit two of my sons and one of their girlfriends. Visiting New Orleans and Biloxi was a great way to spend the Christmas holidays. Unfortunately, it was not conducive to editing.

I was supposed to be working on finishing and editing my newest release Dead Without Shame. I had the book printed, I had 18 hours in the car... Just not the drive to get it done!

Some writers dread edits. I have to admit that I actually like the editing phase of the whole writing process. I like reading my stories and being able to make changes and tighten things up before I submit the book to my publisher. The opportunity to bring flat characters to life and color the settings to make them more real, is something I enjoy doing, especially in a little coffee shop or on the beach at my honey's cottage.

One piece of advice I would offer any writer, no matter what level, is to edit, edit, edit. We all miss things. The little typos your eyes don't see after sitting at the computer for hours on end. The kink in your story's flow of having things happen before they logically should. After days, months, or even years of writing, we no longer read what we actually see in print but what we think should be there. 

I write in longhand then transcribe to the computer. In spite of that, I always edit on paper before I make any changes in my computer. Why go to all the trouble? I find reading words on paper easier than on a screen. Maybe it's just the way I see. Maybe it's just that I like being able to make marks, squiggles and notes all over the paper. Whatever the reason, it works for me.

What do I watch for when I edit? 
  • repetitive words. 
  • using characters' names to the point that the flow becomes stilted. 
  • lack of description
  • too much description that takes away from the story
  • characters being too wordy
  • especially in a series, not filling in readers on important character information that appeared in earlier novels
  • typos
  • missing words/double words
  • double periods or missing periods
  • overusing he/she/it
As with any other writer who can't stop the flow of words, I'm off to the next new project. Since the book is already written, that means... More Edits!
And a chance to begin a whole new project.

Have an amazing day!


Diane Bator

Wednesday, July 31, 2019

Revisiting and Revising by Prscilla Brown


From its first incarnation, this contemporary romance was ruthlessly reworked; 
the character on the cover received a new name and personality.

  
I've been involved in a textile arts exhibition showcasing items which the artist has revisited, upcycled, recycled, remodelled, or transformed in some way.  Think jeans cut off above the knee, rebirthed as shorts and decorated with bright fabric, or, with appropriate stitching, reappear
as a bag again embellished.A floral skirt way out of fashion is reconstructed into a shade for a table lamp; several kinds of textiles, fabrics, knitting, crochet, in pieces of carious sizes and colours, are hand-stitched together covering all surfaces of a second-hand wooden dining chair.
 
As I chopped up boring old scarves into sections and reassembled them onto a length of fabric, the new cloth to metamorphose into a wrap, I thought about how I use the rethinking terms for this kind of creativity in my fiction writing.

With all my novels, having reached what I initially consider to be the final draft, I print them out and put them aside for an indefinite time. I do enjoy editing and prefer to edit this "final version" on hard copy.
Write without fear. Edit without mercy. 
(Quotation found on Internet, source unknown.) 

For me, returning to a manuscript always reveals assorted plot holes, inconsistencies, repetitions,
weak characters and other glitches. Class Act (not its original name) remained in the drawer for the
longest period, four or five years. When I revisited it, I was shocked. Is this the best you can do?  Too long. Too much detailed backstory. Too many secondary characters. Extraneous events and trivia. Unbelievable female protagonist (insufficient qualifications and experience for the job she's appointed to). I wrote this while I was working in the same environment as the story is set, and this version now read as if I'd wanted to include several incidents which did happen but which were entirely out of place in the novel.

A major revision was required.

The prologue had to go, all 4000 words of it. Necessary information was salvaged and worked where appropriate into the first and second chapters, which also better defined the personalities of the protagonists. Realising I was making more changes to her than to him and to some of the scenes together, I severely chopped up and altered her backstory, reassembling the pieces into a shorter and more credible version (her one-time Mexican lover was not necessary), and stitching bits into the story where relevant.
 
A number of secondary characters lost their places (she did not need to have a childhood nanny with whom she keeps in touch). I found several scenes which did not move the story along. Some were beyond redemption and permanently discarded (whyever did they go to the zoo?); those I had fun writing and wanted to keep received remodelling so that they did provide forward momentum (adding a thunderstorm while they were eating outside at a restaurant nudged their growing attraction up several notches); others could be reconstructed and their timewise position in the story relocated. These and many other repairs, including a re-vamped ending, in this extensive revision transformed both the energy and the length of Class Act, sending about 30 000 words to the bin.

And now, it's time to take out another manuscript from its incubation in the drawer. I'm wondering how much editing will be required for this one!

Enjoy your reading. Priscilla.

 

 
 

Wednesday, March 27, 2019

The joy of polishing the novel - by Vijaya Schartz

Find this and many other BWL titles from Vijaya Schartz HERE

I just finished the sixth or seventh rewrite of Black Dragon, to be released in June, the first book of a new series. It is set on a space station named Byzantium, featured in the Azura Chronicles series, and set in the same universe. Like all my novels, it has a lot of action, adventure, and romance… a courageous heroine, and a brave hero… as well as a spoiled telepathic cat, a white Angora named Marshmallow.


When I went searching for illustrations of my setting, here is what I found: 


 Polishing is my favorite part of writing a book. It has been read by my critique partners and beta readers, and now that I have the finished product, comes the task of making it shine. 

Polishing is the most important part of a writer’s job. It’s an art. It can turn a mediocre first draft into a decent read, and a great story into a fantastic book. But the lack of polish can also destroy a potentially great novel by washing it out, diluting it in too many words, and leaving it vague, ordinary, or forgettable. 

This is the time to deepen the characters, make sure their motivations are on the page, find the secret links and motivations you may have overlooked or understated, show, rather than tell, and deepen the point of view. Ramp up the emotion, or wax poetic on some descriptions or feelings, make the setting part of the story, etc. 

The process will take me a month, then the book will go to the editor. If you want a taste, here is what it’s all about: 

Czerno Drake, AKA Black Dragon
A gambler is cheating in a den of the Byzantium space station, and Lieutenant Zara Frankel intends to catch him in the act. She always gets her man, but this one could prove more than she can handle. 

Captain Czerno Drake, code name Black Dragon, has come under cover to break his innocent uncle from the most secure penitentiary in the galaxy, the Fortress, on the Byzantium space station. He will stop at nothing to succeed, even enrolling the help of the lovely straight arrow GTA enforcer. When Zara realizes that she’s been duped by a shrewd but seductive Resistance fighter, her reaction surprises everyone, most of all herself.



Zara Frankel, undercover security forces

A previous and much shorter edition several years ago, received this review: 

"I love this one by Vijaya Schartz. As always, her action-packed, well-plotted out prose kept me glued to the pages of Black Dragon from start to finish." TwoLips Reviews 5-kisses review and a RECOMMENDED READ

Vijaya Schartz, author
High Octane Romance with a Kick
http://www.vijayaschartz.com
amazon  -  B&N  -  Smashwords  -  Kobo  -  FB  - 

Monday, August 14, 2017

VINTAGE...NOT OLD...by Sheila Claydon


I am in the middle of re-editing several books that I wrote in the 1980s. They are being re-published as Vintage Romance, and that word vintage got me thinking about how my writing life has changed since they were first published.

In those early days I produced a top copy and a carbon copy on a portable manual typewriter, and both copies were stored in box files until I typed The End on the final page and sent the top copy off to a publisher with a covering letter. To get them even looked at instead of ending up on a junior editor's slush pile, writers had to do their homework. Woe betide any hopeful author who didn't produce a manuscript to each publisher's exact specification. I remember having to send 200+ single-sided, double-spaced pages to one publisher (no more than 10 chapters, one inch margins all round, each page numbered  centre bottom and with name and title at the top).  The pages then had to be boxed and secured with an elastic band, and I had to include a stamped addressed envelope for the reply; a reply which would probably not arrive for months.

When, after quite a lot of rejection letters, I was finally invited to meet an editor to discuss one of my manuscripts with a view to publication, I was beside myself with excitement. The editor was positive and her suggestions helpful. I left the meeting walking on air and spent the next few weeks revising and re-writing, sure that it was only a matter of time before I took the publishing world by storm. Pride, of course, always comes before a fall, and what a fall it was. The revised manuscript received a very swift rejection. I don't remember the exact words of the letter except that it said my editor had now left the publishing company and her successor did not feel my manuscript was a fit.

That was quite possibly the worst day of my writing life but I eventually followed the advice in Jerome Kern's song and picked myself up, dusted myself off and started all over again. After all I had a completed manuscript that needed a home. It eventually found one I'm glad to say and a long life too. Initially published in 1983, and then again in 2012, it will soon go to a 3rd edition when it is re-published in digital and paperback by Books We Love in 2018. In the meantime two of its contemporaries have already been republished: The Hollywood Collection and Bouquet of Thorns. 

Re-reading and editing all those early books has been a more enjoyable experience than I anticipated because they have stood the test of time surprisingly well. I also found myself remembering where the stories had come from and what had prompted me to write them. The Hollywood Collection for example was triggered by a magazine article about a handsome and up-and-coming young British dress designer. To research it, however, required a lot more graft than nowadays. With no Internet it was libraries, newspapers and magazines.  Also I had never been to Hollywood.  Nowadays I only write about places I know, but then I was much more cavalier. Ah, the arrogant confidence of youth.

Reading those books again definitely brought back memories of that time before I also became vintage!

You can find details of all Sheila's books on the following sites:





Saturday, January 14, 2017

I cried when I reached the end... but in a good way....by Sheila Claydon




Katy was used to losing things. First she’d lost her childhood home, then her career and reputation, and finally, and most dreadfully, her identity, so she knew she should be used to it. She wasn’t though and she couldn’t bear the thought of having to leave her job and start over, not now she was beginning to make a new life for herself. On the other hand she wasn’t prepared to play second fiddle to her boss’s girlfriend. Thank goodness she’d found out what he was really like before it was too late…or had she?

We have all read books which made us cry. Stories that have so gripped our emotions that we have totally identified with the characters even though we know they are fictional. It happened to me earlier this week...except it wasn't quite like that. You see I wrote the book!

It was Saving Katy Gray. I developed the storyline and created the characters. I knew the outcome too, obviously, so why on earth did I cry? There are two possible explanations. The first is that I need to get a grip! The second is that I might...just might... be a halfway good writer. I hope it's the second one but the only way a writer can ever really know is if a reader posts a good review, or makes contact by email or letter, and when that happens it's thrilling.

Saving Katy Gray is the final book of my When Paths Meet trilogy and it was published in 2014. As is the way with most writers after the excitement of publication day, I moved on and started writing another one. Now, several years later, Books We Love is adding a print format to all those eBooks, something that thrills me greatly even though it entails a considerable amount of work. As well as having to reformat the books, there is an opportunity to re-edit before they go into a second edition, so that's what I was doing. Re-reading and editing. What I wasn't expecting was that one of my own books would make me cry..

It also made me realise how much emotion a writer invests in each book and, in my case, even more when it is a series. By the time I finished writing the third book the characters were like family. Even now I think of the local but anonymised house and garden that I 'borrowed' for Book One, as 'Marcus' and Jodie's house' whenever I walk past it. The same goes for the local riding stables. Although I moved their location in my book, they still  belong to 'Jodie' in my mind.

Re-reading a book published several years ago was interesting too. I was surprised by how much I wanted to tweak things...not the story, but some of the dialogue. Some of the prose as well. While it was fine (and edited) the first time around, reading it again in a couple of sittings made me want to tighten it up. It was a good exercise and well worth it because now I'll be able to have print copies of each of my books too.

I know fellow writers will understand  about the crying and the relationship with my characters. I'm less sure about the reading public, but if they like the books then that's enough. I just hope they don't think I need to get a grip!

My books can be found at Books We Love and on Amazon
I also have a website and can be found on facebook  and twitter





Tuesday, June 14, 2016

The blog that isn't...by Sheila Claydon



My turn to blog and I haven't even thought of a topic. Why? Well for a start I've been too busy editing my next book. Remembering Rose, which is due out at the end of the month, is different from my previous books. Although it's still a contemporary romance, this time it also includes time travel and history, and it could even be considered a family saga, so it's complicated.That's not really the problem though. Writing and then editing a book has its own momentum and I know I'll finish in time for publication. What is really challenging me is trying to think up the title for a series.

When I started writing Remembering Rose, it was going to stand alone. It was still going to stand alone when I typed The End. Then I handed it over to the two readers whose opinions I value before finally sending it off to the Books We Love editor for checking. They both sent it back with the same comment. It should be Book One of a series because they want to know what happens to some of the other characters in the book.

My first response was a groan because writing a series isn't easy. Every fact has to be checked against previous books, and every character has to move on. I discovered this when I wrote my When Paths Meet trilogy. By the time I started Book 3, Saving Katy Gray, Jodie and Bella from Books One and Two were years older with growing families, and I had to remember this every time I referred to them. The other thing about a series is that it has to stand alone if it is to appeal to all readers because not everyone wants to invest in three books at once, so any reference to the characters from the earlier books has to be in context. Also, if on occasion a back story explanation is necessary, then it must be short, concise and relevant, because nobody who has read the earlier books wants to waste time revisiting the stories.

My second response was elation though. If my advisory readers were engaged enough to want to know more about some of the secondary characters in my book, then I had to listen to them. Keeping this in mind I re-read the manuscript, and soon I was listening to one of the characters as she told me her story. Yes, I know that sounds far-fetched, but it's sort of how it works. I start off directing the character and then he or she takes over and before I know it my story has changed.

So now here I am with a series to write but no title. How do I make it an interesting enough series title for readers to want to pick it up? How do I convey the overall theme in two or three words? How do I make it different enough to stand out? The stories are set in Mapleby, an imaginary village in England, and the characters are ordinary. No billionaires or high profile celebrities, just everyday folk living and loving as best they can. I only have a day or two to come up with something and send it to the book cover artist with an apology for asking her to revisit work she has already done.

So that's why I don't have a blog topic today.

On the other hand, I might just have come up with that elusive title. How about Mapleby Memories? I'll sleep on it and see how it looks in the morning. It might just be a winner though, so thanks for listening.



Sheila's books can be found at Books We Love and on Amazon. She also has a website and can be found on facebook

Thursday, March 3, 2016

If something works, it works. By Diane Bator

Writers love words.
We love them so much, in fact, that we cram as many of them into one sentence, sometimes without really saying anything or being extraordinarily superfluous with our vocabulary to the point no one understands what we just said.
That's where a great editor comes in.
No matter how experienced the writer, everyone needs a second or even a third set of eyes to read through their work and clean up the extra words, the flow of the timelines, and even the typos spell check doesn't pick up. Sorry, writers, spell check isn't perfect either.
Many publishing houses have their own editors and a traditionally published author may go through several different edits before their work is published. Even Stephen King and J.K. Rowling have editors.
For a lot of beginning writers, especially those of us who do not have an English degree, and people who self-publish, editing is just as daunting and can create anxiety in our stomachs. Where do we start when there is no editor who will not cost us a mortgage on a small house?
Critique groups are a great place to start. Find an online forum. Find a Facebook group. Make connections. Before you trust anyone with your baby, aka your novel, be sure to read a sample of their work. Even if you're not a great editor, you should be able to read and understand their work as well as pick up on errors, grammatical and otherwise.
Writing groups can be local or online as well. Many of these groups offer critiques from group members. Just remember to take their input with the proverbial grain of salt. Not all the advice people give will be helpful, some will be more than willing to help hone your piece, some will be happy to simply tear it apart until you want to give up and crawl into a cave with something stronger than sugar in your coffee.
If you let several people read your work and several people make similar suggestions, be open to re-reading and editing. On the other hand, if only one or two people point something out, it may just be their own personal preference and making changes will be up to you and not vital.
Unless they're family.
Word of advice, don't give copies of your work to your entire family and expect a positive, good critique. Not unless Uncle Bill is an editor for a major daily or works for a publishing house. Expect kind words and to hear how great it is. That doesn't mean it is. A neutral third party is always best.
Good editors and critique providers abound on the internet. Just keep in mind, you not only get what you pay for, but you still have the final say about what you end up publishing.
Writing guru Natalie Goldberg gives the best advice on editing your work:  "Be willing to look at your work honestly. If something works, it works. If it doesn't, quit beating an old horse. Go on writing. Something else will come up."
Just never give up!

Diane


You can find my Wild Blue Mystery series on Amazon and through Books We Love. My books can also be ordered into any bookstore in Canada.


Monday, September 7, 2015

Domino Theory by Tia Dani

                                             Click to purchase from Amazon



Self-editing is tricky. For example as the author you are so familiar with your story you could absentmindedly forget to include information along the way...say an important point you thought of but, without thinking, left out.

Keep this point in mind while editing, a reader knows only what you have actually told (or shown) them on paper.

When we go back through our stories during the editing process we try to remember this and work together to make sure that we haven’t left out important details and confused our readers.  Plus, we don’t want our writing to be choppy and sound like there are two writers. We have worked very hard to create the Tia Dani voice.

We call this particular part of our editing process the Domino Theory.



Imagine you have spent hours, aligning hundreds of dominos, narrow-end up, across a flat surface. You’ve placed the black, shiny tiles perfectly so they form an intricate and unusual pattern. Once finished, your finger is poised at the beginning. You tap the first domino lightly. With pride you watch as the line tumbles gracefully, one clicking against another, until the formation comes to a glorious end.

Writing a well-designed story is very much like setting up the dominos. Each sentence, paragraph, scene, and chapter must be aligned in your intricate formation. The writing dominos you work with generally are combinations of showing vs. telling, description, view point, senses, mood, voice, plot, dialogue, characterization, humor, and motivation. If any of the writing dominos are off-centered or missing entirely, your beautiful story will falter or even fail.

Writers who understand the power of correct placement look upon their manuscript as an exciting challenge. They instinctively study a newly finished scene and ask themselves what needs adjusted, added, or deleted. Will they need a domino from their bag of writing tricks for a missing slot? Or carefully adjust an off-centered tile so it aligns perfectly with the others?

For beginners (and for those who haven’t yet developed this gut instinct), condition yourself to recognize what a missing or an off-centered domino looks like. If time is available, put the work aside, return later and reread with fresh eyes. Or have a trusted friend read the scene and ask if anything seems unclear. Don't ask them to edit, just read for clarity. After while you will begin to see a pattern of how you misaligned your work or left something out entirely. The bottom line here:  Knowledge comes with practice, hard work, and common sense. It is also called pay-attention-to-what-the- reader-sees.

For examples, let’s look at some obvious missing dominos.

Problem:  Imagine paragraphs one through twelve has Katy in the house washing dishes and talking to her mother on the phone about her lack of boyfriends. Suddenly in paragraph thirteen Katy is outside washing the car and talking to her dog about going for a walk.

Solution:  Transition Domino. Add a short paragraph between twelve and thirteen to show why Katy ended mom’s phone call and went outside with her dog. Voila! You’ve filled in the missing slot.

Problem:  Veronica is home, alone, with only a dozing cat for company. She’s just finished reading a romantic love scene in one of her favorite books and is staring dreamily into the fire. Suddenly Veronica throws the book across the room and jumps to her feet, dislodging the sleepy animal from her lap. She mumbles something under her breath then walks slowly into her darkened bedroom to get ready for bed.

Solution:  Motivation Domino. Let’s say the author used the correct dominos needed to build a believable scene; such as the five senses, description, and mood. However why did the character suddenly throw her book? The author neglected to explain poor Veronica hasn’t had a date for over a year and she feels that her chances of meeting an interesting man are nil to none.

Problem:  A scene takes place outdoors. The day is sunny, horribly hot with no wind. The characters walk and engage in a captivating conversation which has drawn the reader in, yet something feels not quite right.

Solution:  Off-centered Domino. The characters appear to be totally unfazed by the high temperatures. This scene requires one of the five-senses realignment. With a few short sentences the author can adjust the scene to show perspiration dripping from HIS brow or SHE rapidly fans her face with her hand.

Problem:  Envision a scene where Charles is hiking and has stumbled across a rattler. The snake coiled, ready to strike. Yet paragraph after paragraph, the author goes to great detail in describing the beauty of the reptile, the sound of the animal’s ominous rattle and the texture of the sand surrounding it.

Solution:  A 'mis'-aligned domino. The detail, though well-written, is not pertinent to Charles view point. Charles would not be noting sand textures here. The snake is about to strike! Try going back over the scene and weave in some extra dominos so that the emotional dominos and descriptive dominos form a dance in time with each other. It might take some work but will be worth it when completed.

Here are some important points to remember.

* A domino line can be fixed at any time by concentrating on one very important rule. For every action there must be a reaction. Use it as a mantra.

Beverly Petrone                   Christine Eaton Jones



Tia Dani is the writing team made up of good friends, Christine Eaton Jones and Beverly Petrone. Together they create endearing and realistic characters, humorous dialogue, and unusual settings. 






To find out more about the writing team Tia Dani and our books visit us at:

Thursday, March 12, 2015

4 REASONS FOR MAKING TIME TO READ by Rita Karnopp


I think all of us on this blog love to read. I’ve often heard people say, “I absolutely love to read, but I just don’t have time.”  WHAT?
     Even if you read while in line at a restaurant . . . or a page every night before bed… you'll finish reading a book. When I had three jobs and kids to handle . . . I still ‘found’ time to write.

1-Reading Nourishes Your WritingI don’t think I’d have written a single book if I hadn’t been a reader. There were times while reading I’d tell myself, “Now why didn’t that author do this or that?” Or I’d ask, “Really?” to the ending.”  Now it’s a given, if I’m writing Native American – be sure I’m reading my favorite Indian historical or documents on Native Americans. I go as far as to watch movies and documentaries about the genre’ I’m writing. Same goes for when I’m writing suspense; I’m reading suspense books, I’m watching suspense movies, and I read books on killers and why they kill.  You get my point.

     I also find reading novels and documentaries inspire my creativity. I have more ideas come to me when I’m reading historical facts than any other place. When does inspiration strike you? Once you figure that out – there is an endless source of book fodder for you to cultivate!

     Reading opens a world of new styles of writing, and although one wouldn’t ‘copy’ another author’s ‘style’ it will inspire you to ‘create’ your own style with the information.

     I recently read an article where an author said, “You should read something from every genre to ensure you haven’t missed a tool from another novel style.”  That’s great advice – one I’m working on for sure.

2-Reading Builds Confidence – When I first started writing – I studied my favorite author’s style; was pacing even and pulling me through the book? Did characterization make me fall in love with the hero/heroine and hate the protagonist? Was setting written so I felt I was right there with the characters? Did the plot make me turn those pages?  etc. NO, I didn’t copy the writing, but I learned a lot from writers such as Stella Cameron, Roseanne Bittner, and Dee Brown. I knew there were great writers right in Montana; such as Kat Martin and BJ Daniels, whom I might add were great inspiration to me when I first started writing, and still are.

     A spanking new author carries so many insecurities, that it’s frightening to share even one sentence – for fear of it being torn apart.  At the beginning the thought of sharing a completed manuscript with a friend or stranger was scary enough to send me running hysterically into a closet, slamming the door, trembling – manuscript gripped tightly in-hand.

     Once I got over the fear of having my manuscript critiqued, then came the heart-pounding fear of reading what was said about my ‘baby.’ I have to be honest here; the first critique I received was from a contest. The person who marked in red all over my manuscript was not kind. She was honest – brutally so – and not concerned with my feelings. She said, “Learn to write before wasting time creating such a disaster.” I was devastated! I was going to throw my Selectric IBM typewriter out my front bay window. I cried for days. I ranted and raved to my friends. I secretly called the author (whom I truly admired and liked – until the critique) just about every name I had in my ‘bad name’ arsenal (I’m not much for swearing – so there weren’t many … but I was angry and hurt!).

     Two weeks (or more) later, I decided I would read through the comments again – just in case one or two of them made sense, and perhaps I could learn from them. With a new attitude about reading those comments, I found there were a lot of them I could learn from.

     I went through the entire manuscript and rewrote … rewrote… and rewrote. I asked this ‘author/critique guru’ if she was willing to review it again – and see if it was better. She suggested I learn on my own.

     Hmmmm that was not a good beginning. So I got angry and when I get angry – I get determined and stubborn! That was good for me.  I started reading ‘how to’ books, and from there I pushed myself to apply what I learned into book after book.

     Then I stopped. I could read and re-write until I’m blue in the face. What I needed to do was WRITE. From that point on I started my writing career and wrote Whispering Sun, my first Indian historical romance.  Ask me how proud of that novel I am!

3-Reading Enables Revision –  My point here is that after years of confusion and frustration, what I learned is there is a time when you just need to write and learn how to improve each novel as you go. I believe it’s important to study books you totally enjoy and become a better writer for it by learning what worked in someone else’s writing. That helps you become a better writer in your own work.

     When I find things that don’t work in a book I’m reading, I learn it won’t work in my writing either. You want honest feedback?  This can only happen when you’re ‘honest’ with yourself. Evaluate your work as though it were someone else’s work. You’d be surprised how many things glare back at you then.

     What this consequently does for you is builds confidence and helps you improve the quality of your writing. Good writers are always learning and improving their craft. You need to be a ruthless editor of your own work. You are only as good as your next novel.

4-Reading Helps You Sell – There is one added-plus if you're well-read. If you're discussing your work with other writers, authors, or even editors, you will be prepared if they ask, “Where do your books fit in today’s market?”  You'ill know, with confidence, where to pitch your work and how it will fit into the universe of existing books..

     My advice is to never stop reading . . . always find time to read. Life is too short not to be enjoying a good book. It’s my goal to read a book every week. When I was so busy that I didn’t have time to think – my goal still was to read at least one book a month. I couldn’t bring myself to stop reading.

     My ultimate goal is to have readers out there wanting to ‘fit my book’ into their busy schedule. I want to be the author of the book . . . that took them away from it all.




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