Work In Progress Wednesday!

I feel like I haven't done a progress report like this in forever, because I've been revising for ages, and recently, querying :).

I feel like I've learned a ton writing my first novel, Legacy of the Empress, and now that I'm ready to dive back into my second (Hollow Land), I know what to change and what to avoid.

I'm about 5500 words into my novel right now, and I realized, I had a lot of backstory and needed to start with more action. However, to start with action, I needed to fill in some holes in the brief outline I'd created. My husband and I sat down last night and brainstormed like you wouldn't believe. I feel incredibly confident now that I know where the story is headed, and now that I have someone else who thinks my plot is solid, too.

Here are some tips I've picked up from this experience:

1) If you find a plot hole in your outline--PLUG IT. I've learned from experience that it's better to brainstorm various options now then put it off until later and get stuck and have to do a big re-write. Last night, when I came to a sticky spot, my husband and I threw out crazy ideas while I took notes until something stuck. Don't be afraid to experiment :).

2) Get a partner to help with your outline. Get someone you trust and show them your outline, then talk about it step by step. They'll be able to tell you up front if parts of your plot seem wonky, weak, or missing entirely. You can go into your first draft with a boost of confidence that you're at least working with a solid foundation.

3) Take notes! If you have an idea about what feelings you want a scene to evoke or how you want your characters to react to it, note it briefly in your outline. Trust me, this will help later on when you're writing it.

4) Remember that nothing's set in stone. You can change anything you'd like at any time :). An outline isn't a ball and chain, it's a key to freedom! Now, you don't have to be afraid of getting "blocked" because you don't know where you're going, but you're also free to let the story take on a mind of it's own. Use the outline as a tool--don't let it use you!

So, what about you guys? Are there any projects that you're working on? :)

Blog Chain: Dialogue Rules!

It's blog chain day!

This time around, we're going to do some talking about... well... talking :).

The chatty Kate asked:

Do you enjoy writing dialogue? Do you use a lot of dialogue in your writing (for our purposes "a lot" will be defined as more than a smidge and yet not so much that the quotes key on your computer is completely worn out.)? Do you have example(s) of dialogue you especially enjoyed from something you've read? Do you have example(s) of dialogue from your own writing? What about these examples makes them special?

Great questions!

I'm going to follow the thought train of the kick-ass Cole and talk about my undying and passionate love for Joss Whedon. Have any of you guys seen the show Firefly? If you haven't, seriously, go get it! It's one of the best shows I've ever put into my eye holes. Two words: Space cowboys.

However, it's not just the space cowboy goodness that makes this show one of my favorites. What is it, you ask? The dialogue! Joss is the king of witty repartee.

Here are some of my favorite exchanges from the show:

Kaylee: "Well, we're headed for help... right?"

Zoe: "Captain will come up with a plan."

Kaylee: "That's good. Right?"

Zoe: "Possibly you're not recalling some of his previous plans."

Mal: "Well, look at this! Appears we got here just in the nick of time. Whaddya suppose that makes us?"

Zoe: "Big damn heroes, sir."

Mal: "Ain't we just!"

Mal: "I would appreciate it if one person on this boat would not assume I'm an evil, lecherous hump."

Zoe: "No one's saying that, sir."

Wash: "Yeah, we're pretty much just giving each other significant glances and laughing incessantly."

What I love about this dialogue is that it is jam-packed with voice, and each little scenario gives us not only something to snicker at, but lets us get a glimpse at the character.

Great dialogue is the epitome of showing instead of telling.

Instead of describing someone as "sassy," you can have him/her sassing someone before our very eyes. Much more effective, don't you think?

I personally love dialogue, but I also don't overuse it. There is a place for everything. As a wise man once said, in all things moderation is key.

So, what do you guys think? Do you love dialogue? Why or why not?

Everyone's Got a Story

Have you ever people watched? Just sat and stared at strangers and imagined what their life is like?

Today being the day before Halloween at work, I got to do a lot of awesome people watching :). I realized as I was watching a lady from the call center walk by as a Klingon that there might just be some great story material here!

1) The lady in accounting who is mean all year long, and then does the best decorating and puts out the most candy on Halloween.

2) The shy guy who puts on a mask and runs around scaring the HR ladies because he feels free when he's in disguise.

3) The loud guy pretending to be Billy Mays while everyone raises and eyebrow and says "Whoa, dude. Too soon."

4) The tiny Spiderman grabbing a candy out of the dish, dropping it on the floor, and then unable to pick it up because his foam muscles make it hard to move his arms. Awwww. Little help there, Spidey? :)

The great thing about people is that everyone has a story. People have eccentricities you just can't make up, and some have that kind of golden heart that make you want to be a better person. There are heroes, villians, adorable babies dressed up like chickens--the whole gamut!

So next time you're stuck on a character trait, go to Walmart or sit on a park bench to people watch. Just remember to take your notebook with you!

*Halloween costume picks coming soon ;).

Paragraphs & Premise: Starting Your Novel

This past week, Agent Extraordinaire Nathan Bransford wrapped up a First Paragraph Contest on his blog!

He received over 2100 aspiring authors' first paragraphs, read them all, went blind, got Lasik, came back, and chose the top few paragraphs that really spoke to him, and finally, one glorious winner.

The best part of the contest, is that today he told us why he chose the paragraphs he did, and why they jumped out at him from the contest Slush Pile. Go check it out! Not only can you read the paragraphs from the finalists, but you get Nathan's commentary free of charge on why they were so awesome. Also, if you go back to the Original Post, (and like a challenge), you can read each and every one of the entries he received to see what works for you in a first paragraph and what doesn't.

What a great opportunity for us to learn a) what the slush is REALLY like (only this slush comes soley from smarty pants blog readers who have a leg up), and b) what makes a truly great opening. I learned a lot from reading what other people did about my own preferences and how to make my opening even sharper.

On the opposite end of the spectrum, last week I was one of two runners-up in the Guide to Literary Agents' Blog "Worst Storyline Ever Contest." LOL! I know, I know. I'm the best at being the worst. I'll take it ;)!

The best part is, you can check out the hilarious story premise that took the cake, as well as the fantastic finalists.

Go on over. You know you want to!

What makes a good premise or start to a book in your minds? Are there any books on your shelf that grabbed you? What made them special?

Taking Care of Yourself

As writers, we are very driven people. Passionate. Some may say obsessive.

I've heard a lot of writers describe the writing process as "writing because I have to" or "the story idea has to come out or it drives me crazy."

We write for hours whenever we can, but most of us also have day jobs. And families. And chores.

How do we deal with all of the passion but at the same time balance it with the stresses of every day living?

I'm currently trying to figure that out.

I've been sick for the past few weeks, and it just got worse last week. I've been having stomach pains, nausea, fatigue, and finally dragged myself to the doctor. The diagnoses? I'm way too stressed out, and it's making me ill. The solution? A acid reducer the size of a hockey puck daily, and learning to relax.

Easier said than done, right? ;) I think every writer deals with the same difficulty in leading a balanced life.

However, an interesting thing happened to me at that appointment. When the doctor was frowning over her clipboard at me and telling me that I seriously need to take a chill pill, I felt a weird calm creeping over me. Okay, well, first I felt a wee bit embarrassed, because heh, I'm giving myself an ulcer (oops), but then I felt calm.

Before, every time I thought "I need to take a night off from writing to recover from my day" or "I should exercise/read for a while/sit quietly and drink tea" I immediately felt guilty. Guilty that I'm not as dedicated as other writers because I already write less often than they do. Guilty that I wasn't getting my novel done more quickly. Guilty that I was being "lazy" if I wanted to relax for a little while. Then, when I finally did crash, I'd just lie in front of the TV like I was in a coma. There was no balance. And I felt like crap.

The doctor telling me I needed to relax was as powerful as a prescription for anti-guilt pills. In that moment, I gave myself permission to relax.

Over the past few days, I've been trying to take a half hour to an hour each day to be quiet and spend some time for myself, drinking tea and reading, reading my Bible, or taking a hot bath. Afterwards, I can write or do chores or whatever, but I have the freedom to spend time taking care of myself.

I also try to look at one beautiful thing a day, eat slowly, and walk slowly. Did you guys know that the leaves are changing right now? :) Have you noticed how absolutely gorgeous that is? I have. I realize that I missed paying attention to these things.

I wanted to write about my experience today, because I'm sure I'm not alone. Do you guys give yourselves permission to relax? Do you balance your time by allowing yourself some room to be still and recharge?

Or do you need to take a look at your schedule today and carve out a half hour for a bubble bath or a walk outside?

Do you take care of yourselves?

How can we be the best artists we can be if we don't take the time to be still once in a while?

How to Write a Synopsis: Helpful Tips!

Writers are crazy, but what makes us even *crazier* is the thought of writing a synopsis.

"It took me 95,000 words to tell my story, and now you want me to boil it down to 500??!"

Well, yeah. Basically.

No pressure, right? :P

Luckily for us, there are those wiser than we are to give us a helping hand!

Chuck over at the The Guide to Literary Agents blog posted some great tips on writing a good synopsis of your story.

Search wikipedia for movies and read what the wikinerds had to say! How did they sum up the movie? How did they describe the main character and conflict? It's one of the best ideas I've heard in a long time for finding examples of tight story outlines. Hats off to you, Chuck!

Author Anne Mini also had a very detailed post about questions you should ask yourself while writing your synopsis. Go check it out! It's extremely thorough and will whip your synopsis' butt into shape!

I also read a neat trick somewhere (I forget where, so please clue me in if you know, and I'll give credit) that if you're stuck on how to begin, follow these simple steps:

1) Sum your book up in one sentence. That's all you get! Think about what you'd tell someone if they asked you what your book is about, but you only had ten seconds to spit it out.

2) Now that you've sweated some blood and have your sentence synopsis nailed down, summarize your book in a single paragraph! This should feel much easier now that you've boiled it down to a sentence. Focus on the barest most essential pieces of the main conflict. What's at stake? Who is the MC? Why do we care?

3) Expand your paragraph into a one-page description! Some agents prefer a single page synopsis to the garden variety 2 page synopsis. This should feel like a walk in the park compared to what you've already accomplished. Stop and have a glass of wine. You're almost there!

4) Expand to 2 pages! Ahhhhhh. It's like unbuttoning your pants after a big meal. Finally, some room to breathe! The daunting task suddenly doesn't seem so daunting any more.

Hey, you've now got a 2 page synopsis :). Go send some queries, and good luck!

Does anyone else have any tips for writing a great synopsis? What works for you and what doesn't?

Step Into My Laboratory: Experimenting Is Good!

These past two weeks I've embarked on a terrifying experiment. No, I haven't been inventing anything or reanimating corpses.

I gave up shampoo!

You heard right, guys. I haven't shampooed or conditioned my hair in two weeks. To the left is what my hair looks like as of this evening.

Turns out the hippies were right! My husband did a sniff check, and my hair not only looks nice, but smells like shiny clean hair goodness.

This bizarre and unexpected success got me thinking. It's easy for me to experiment with real life things like new foods (I'll try anything once) or my hair, but I have a hard time experimenting with my writing.

Why is that? And am I alone?

For instance, I recently rewrote some scenes in my WIP, LEGACY OF THE EMPRESS, and it was some of the most difficult writing I've done. My husband kept telling me to just "let loose and see what happens," but a I found myself hesitating. I didn't want to let go of the words I'd written, my previous ideas, or even my inner editor, shouting "don't screw this up!"

Eventually, I cringed and just did it. These new scenes are now some of the coolest moments in my book. The experiment paid off!

Are there times when you struggle to let go when you're writing? What do you do to give yourself permission to experiment?

Do you find the results equal success? Are you too afraid of failure to even start?

On the hair front, it was a complete disaster the first week before it balanced itself out. Somehow it was both frizzy and oily at the same time. Not pretty, my friends! But, I stuck it out. Fear didn't stop me from seeing it through, and now I'm glad I did.

What about you?

Dealing With Rejection

Rejection got you down?

Well, faghetabowtit!

Here are some simple ways this holiday weekend that you can harness your qi (chee) and prepare to deal with that dastardly foe, Rejection.

I call these techniques REJECTION-FU! *wacha!* (karate chops a rejection letter)

Step 1: Clear your mind.

Before you begin querying your latest book, it's crucial that you give yourself some stuff to keep busy with, otherwise you'll be refreshing your email until your fingers bleed.

Start gardening. Throw yourself into your work. Take your kids to the zoo. Or, best of all write another book!

Do something to keep yourself off the streets (or off Gmail as the case may be.)

Step 2: Be Realistic.

Tell yourself the truth. You are not going to send a query off, and five minutes later receive a call from an enraptured agent begging you to be their client.

These things take time. Tons of time. Eons worth of time. And that's normal! That's okay :).

Let yourself have realistic expectations. That way, whatever happens, at least you're not going to be nutty about it.

Step 3: Batten Down the Hatches.

The winds are blowin', and there's a crap storm on the way!

Everyone says a great percentage for querying is if 10% of your queries lead to a request for a partial. After that, the statistics only get worse. And here's the real kicker: even if you send out 50 GREAT queries, your 5 partial requests could all come at the same time after 45 rejections in a row. Don't let it get you down!

Shit's gonna happen. You have to be prepared for it, and ready to weather the storm.

Step 4: Know Your Allies.

Have you ever told a family member or a friend that you're trying to get a literary agent and get published only to hear them say "Huh, well good for you. But you know, you can always self publish if it doesn't happen." Well intentioned? Sure! Encouraging? Not so much.

Find one or two people who really believe in you and cling to them like a crazed spider monkey.

For me, it's my husband and some of my fabulous online buddies (I love you guys!!) For others, it's a mom, a co-worker, an imaginary friend--whatever works!

The point is, everyone needs someone to believe in them. There is going to be a point when you don't believe in yourself, and having someone there to take the edge off your Crazy is invaluable.

Hell, I believe in you!

Step 4: Believe in Yourself!

You have a reason for doing what you do. It's your calling, your gift, your life's ambition. And dammit, you've worked hard to get here. This is your time! Go kick some ass!

Even if it doesn't happen this round, if you're determined enough and take every opportunity to learn, you will be a success!

Remember what your goals are and why you love to write. You're doing something few people ever set out to do! You've finished a novel you're proud of, and that is an INCREDIBLE accomplishment in and of itself.

Remember: the stats may be ridiculous as far as how many people query and how many get published, but 99.99% of great, determined writers get published.

The stats aren't against you if you're the cream that rises to the top :). Everyone else is just looking up and wondering what happened.

So, go forth and karate chop your rejections in the face!

It only takes one YES to get an agent. It just takes the courage and the stamina to wait for it to happen.

How do you deal with rejection?

I'd love to hear your thoughts and tips!

_____________________________

Happy Labor Day Weekend!

Blog Chain: Words of Wisdom for Writers

Blog Chain time again! :D

This time, the lovely Cole Gibson started by posing this challenge:

This blog chain is a game!

Your subject is writerly advice. (I just made that word up. Hee) Pretend you are addressing a crowd of aspiring authors eager to soak in your words of knowledge. The problem is, you've only been given a time slot of five seconds. In one sentence (no more than 20 words), please summarize the most important words of wisdom you can impart.

Check out her pearl o' wisdom here, and please leave one of your own: (http://colegibsen.blogspot.com/2009/08/blog-chain-post-only-one.html) The best part about this topic, is that EVERYONE can play! Leave a pearl of wisdom on her comments, or here, and I'll pass them along.

Hooray for group knowledge! :)

But, no pressure, this means I have to contribute my own tidbit of advice, the most important thing I've learned so far in 20 words or less.

Ready?

Okay, no more stalling. Here goes!

Take it slow--make sure your writing is the best it can be, then research all you can before querying!

BOOYAH! 20 words exactly.

Now it's your turn! What is the one Wisdom Nugget you'd like to bestow upon newbie writers, or wish someone had bestowed upon you?

I'd love to hear! :)

Next up, answering this question is Kate Karyus Quinn on her blog tomorrow: http://katekaryusquinn.blogspot.com/. Don't miss it!

What do you use Twitter for?

I admit it. I'm a Twitter N00b.

So far I tweet, but I'm worried that maybe I'm not using the site to its full potential.

Many writers say it's crucial for their networking, but I can't help but wonder--am I doin' it right?

A lot of you are internet experts and navigate social networking sites with the greatest of ease. How the heck do you guys do that, already?

Stealing a page out of Nathan Bransford's book, You tell Me:

How do you utilize Twitter as a writer?

How has it helped/hindered you?

I'd love to hear from you!

Thank you in advance for your brilliant comments :).

Beware the Smeerps: Making up Words in SF/F

ofWho of us doesn't love a little world building? After all, that's why we read and write what we do. Imaginations, get ready to run wild! :D

However, even our imaginary worlds can be full of potholes, most of which we created ourselves in an attempt to be Overly Fancy. Oops!

Book blogger Vonda N. McIntyre over at Book View Cafe posted a helpful article on one of the traps to avoid: silly neologisms (or in layman's terms, funky made up words in your fantasy world.)

The article:

http://blog.bookviewcafe.com/2009/08/02/pitfalls-of-writing-sf-fantasy-7-neologisms/

Ms. McIntyre points out that calling a rabbit a "smeerp" doesn't make it any more alien, and makes you look like a bit of a regular, earth-breed "doofus" rather than adding depth to your story.

I have to admit, I've read a few fantasy/sci fi books where someone uses a fancy-pants alien word for something I later find out is..... bread. It's disappointing. And then after that, distracting.

As we know, every fantasy has to have some made up words, but my question is this:

When is it okay to use your own terms, and when does it get goofy?

Is food/travel/time okay, or should it be reserved for names and places alone?

What is your favorite successful made up fantasy/sci fi word?

Any that drive you crazy?

My favorite made up word to date is: Frak. Fake cursewords are always fun! :D

What about you?

Writing a Synopsis or Outline

Happy Friday, everyone!

This will be a short post because it's my 4th anniversary (yaaay!) and I'm off to go watch Transformers 2 and hang out with my husband.

I wanted to share this post I found the other day on the fabulous blog The Rejector: http://rejecter.blogspot.com/2009/06/infamous-synopsis.html.

The Rejector is an agent's assistant, and is giving out tips on how to write a good outline or synopsis, and more importantly, telling us that all of the obsession and panicing we do over these things just doesn't matter.

What I learned from the article? DON'T PANIC.

The agents want a 1-2 page breakdown of your plot, not Shakespeare. We can all relax a tiny bit because we won't be instantly rejected if we use Times New Roman instead of Courier, etc.

What do you guys think? Have you ever worried about your synopsis/outline?

Any tips you have to share?

Happy Friday! :)

Writing Tip: Dialogue Tags

There was a great discussion happening on the QueryTracker.net forums where folks were discussing what annoys them when they're reading. One of the biggest pet peeves?

Unnecessary dialogue tags!

As a recovering Tag-aholic, I definitely agree that these are annoying and bother me when I'm reading.

Have you ever read dialogue that looks like this?

"You're so hilarious, Cindy," John laughed.
"Shut your mouth, you little bitch!" Cindy yelled angrily.
"But you are," John hissed, becoming angry himself.
"No, I'm not," Cindy argued.

Yeaaaaaaaah.

From this discussion and my own Adventures in Rewriting, here are the Top 10 Things To Avoid:

10) Don't make people laugh or giggle their words. They can laugh in-between words, but laughing a whole sentence... yeah, not so much. Try it sometime. If you can actually manage to do it, it doesn't sound like you want your characters to sound. It doesn't sound breezy and fun. It sounds nutso.

9) People can't "hiss" words without an "S" sound. "But you are" can't be hissed, but "Silenceeee!" can be.

8) If you put inner monologue in italics, there is no reason to add "he thought" or "she thought." This was my #1 offense in my novel, and I am surgically removing any "thinking" tags. If thinking has been set apart visually, the reader gets it. Trust them.

7) Adverbs! Adverbs are like chili peppers. One used at the right time makes things zazzier. Tons of them all over the place give you watery eyes and flaming indigestion. Use words like "angrily," "happily," breezily," "saucily," sparingly if ever. And make sure not to rub your eye!

6) Redundancy. "BLARGH!" he yelled. "I hate going to Disneyland," the kid complained. "I despite you," he said, getting angry. We get it. If you show with the words, you don't have to tell with the tags.

5) Name dropping. This applies to both the dialogue itself and any tags.

Example of Badness:

"Hi, John," Cindy said.
"Hi, Cindy," John said.
"So, John, do you have any plans for today?" said Cindy.
"No, but if you want to go to the movies, Cindy, I'd love to join you," John said.

Just... whoa.

If you think about it, people don't often say one another's names in conversation. We also get who's talking after the first couple of tags, so you don't have to attach a name to every piece of dialogue. Put in enough that it makes sense, and leave the rest out.

4) Pronoun-a-palooza. He said/she said gets old just like name dropping. Make sure all of your sentences don't end the same way with a "he said" moment.

3) Structure Repeats. If all of your sentences end with a tag, try either removing the tag, or moving it to the beginning or middle to mix it up. If everything is "Blah blah blah," he said, then it will be jarring to the eye.

2) "Said" is the invisible word. Remember that when in doubt, using "said" instead of "hissed," "cajoled," "spat," "demanded," is invisible to the reader's eye, and not distracting like the others.

1) Do you even need one? The best tip of all is to use as few tags as you can while still getting across who is talking. Most of the time, you can do to delete a few.

I hope this is helpful! Any dialogue tag advice or tips from you guys?

What have you noticed when reading or writing that just drives you nuts?

Revising: When is Your Book Actually "Done?"

There has been a great discussion going on over at agent Nathan Bransford's blog today on how you know when your revisions are finally over with and you can type "The End."

Yesterday, he posted a very helpful Revision Checklist (http://nathanbransford.blogspot.com/2009/06/revision-checklist.html), and followed it up today with a post titled "You Tell Me: How Do You Know When Your Novel is Really Finished?" (http://nathanbransford.blogspot.com/2009/06/you-tell-me-how-do-you-know-when-your.html)

A ton of people are participating in the discussion in the comments section, ranging from aspiring writers working on their first manuscript, all the way up to agented/published authors.

It's amazing how similar everyone's experiences are, which I find strangely comforting :).

Me being sick of Legacy of the Empress is apparently a good sign. The elusive end is near!

So, jumping onto the Bransford Bandwagon, I ask you...

How do you know when it's "done?"

Writing Exercise Happy Fun Time Hour!

I'd like to share something that I discovered today! This website: (http://www.redwhirlpool.com/3CH/3ch_web.php) is a Random Premise Generator.

How great would this be to create writing prompts?

Here's what I've gotten so far today:

1) A flying police officer completes a panda next to a waterfall. (Can we say "Movie Rights??")

2) A thundering dog zombie ignites a redneck in a giant crystal forest. (The dog zombie will be portrayed movingly by Ben Kingsley.)

3) A rough blind man catches a vehicle in space. (Hitchhiker's Guide meets Oscar night!)

4) A headless witch destroys a hired killer in the jungle. (I would read/watch the crap out of this.)

This is actually kind of addictive...

Anyway, enjoy if you need a quick writing prompt or just something fun to play with while procrastinating.

Do you guys have any writing prompts you enjoy? :) I'd love to hear about them!