Pen Perfect Associates

Hypothetical Questions

2010-02-28T08:24:00.001-05:00

I just blogged a new post over at the Writing Jungle, Focus, with hypothetical questions and answers to offer to ignoramuses that feel they need to pester you with because you are a writer and they just don't get what that means.

I find many of us writers agitated because we try and try and try and try and try to blast it in our family and friends that writing is part of our blood, it's who we are and we're happy with it so just puh-lease, leave us alone. Is that too hard? Apparently, it is.

So, if you want a nice chuckle, hop on over and see my hypothetical questions and answers and then come back here and post some of your own angst you've had with family and friends pestering you about your writing and what you answered. Offer some more ammunition on top of what I offered at the Writing Jungle to our fellow readers.

New Muse General Forum for Writers Unveiled

2010-02-23T08:09:00.001-05:00

There's a new writers forum now available. Tons of goodies to explore:

THE MUSE MINGLE AND NETWORK CAFE

THE MUSE WRITING CAFE

THE MUSE BOOK CLUB

THE NANO SUPPORT GROUP

and more.

Registration open to all writers 18 and over.

http://www.themuseonlinewritersconference.com/Forum.html

Please read the guidelines once you land on the page above before you register.

Great Business Card Tips...NOT!

2010-02-21T22:05:00.000-05:00

If you want potential buyers to toss your business card in the garbage then make sure to do the following:

Get the most obnoxious color and splash more ugly tones to give your business card a rainbow effect.

Use a different font for each letter. Yeah, they’ll love you for that one.

Make sure the printing is very small so you can fit in tons of stuff.

Just write the name of your book. No one is really interested in your name or any other contact info, like where to email you, where to buy the book, or an ISBN number. Gee, why would you want to offer them all that info where they can Google it and get it if they really want your book, right?

Okay, so you made a few typos on your card. Do you think anyone will notice? You forgot to check it before printing your cards. An honest mistake.

Make sure to have everything in capitals. Hey, some may have a hard time reading so help them along.

I sincerely hope my tips above have helped you design the right business card. And if you follow my advice above to the tee, you will be guaranteed that your card will end up kissing the bottom of a garbage bin somewhere on this planet.

Your Hook Posts

2010-02-14T16:42:00.002-05:00

Hop on over to The Writing Jungle to read my post on hooks and then come back here to post your one line openers for some critique by me and fellow readers.

Oh, don't be shy. Come on, click above, read, and then come back here for some fun.

Editing Mi-steaks

2010-02-09T16:27:00.004-05:00

There are some who enjoy a juicy steak and the fat lacing its edges. Then you have those who prefer to take the time and trim the fat, section by section, until that juicy steak is lean and mean and growling to be eaten.

Which of the two are you if you compare the steak to a manuscript? Do you leave in a typo or two thinking a reader/editor/agent won’t notice? Or are you the type who diligently goes over each word making sure excess wordage is eliminated?

The latter is a persistent writer. The first? Perhaps dependant on the editor to catch everything. However, once you realize what to look for when editing, each subsequent manuscript will have a tighter first draft.

This article I want to concentrate on ‘redundancies’:

“Martha, I have a free gift for you.”
FREE GIFT: is there a gift that isn’t free? Perhaps, but for this sentence the added ‘free’ part can be eliminated and the sentence doesn’t lose its meaning.

The loud banging woke me up at 4a.m. and I couldn’t go back to sleep because I was now awake.
Hmm…beginning states the character woke up. Adding everything after sleep is redundant.

The clerk looked over the register and said, “The sum total is twelve dollars.”
The sum…The total…but not The sum total

The report was adamant at his closing: The final outcome…
The outcome suffices.

“Oh, Nancy, come see the extra additions I’ve made to the first floor.”
Come see the additions…

“Oh my. This is an unexpected surprise!”
Not sure about you but a surprise is usually unexpected.

June looked at the clock. It read 9p.m. in the evening.
What part of the planet does one have to live in not to know that p.m. means evening?

James pulled the chair for Isabelle and she sat down.
No need for ‘down’ because one usually sits down. It’s part of a logical order of things in life.

Excessive word count can be found in every manuscript. I may have a few in this article, although I tried to eliminate the added word count that sounds like unwanted luggage that is going to cost me a pretty cent and may eventually end up reading like a run-on sentence. GRIN

Here are a few more that can easily be cut down to size:

I am in possession of the silver dagger…
I have the silver dagger.

It is my opinion that many writers rush their work…
I think many writers rush their work.

All of a sudden, the clouds turned murky gray...
Suddenly, the clouds turned murky gray.

Due to the fact that one sister didn’t talk to the other…
Because one sister didn’t talk to the other.

Do you have any repetitive words or phrases you’d like to share?

So what the heck is an editor looking for?

2010-02-02T10:11:00.001-05:00

Your manuscript is finished and it’s time to submit to an agent or editor. Blogs, articles, and discussions have put you in a spin as to what exactly an agent or editor is seeking. Many have told you to make sure you offer something different, a unique voice, otherwise you’re going to end up in the slush pile followed by a rejection letter. But what is a unique voice? What is that something different they’re searching for? Ah…that’s the million dollar question Regis hasn’t asked yet. And to be honest, you should be asking these questions before or while writing, not after you’ve completed and edited the book.

Editors, those who study and know the market, can spot a quality book offering a unique slant to an otherwise similar storyline read hundreds of times. Yet a rejection letter might come your way only because the acquisitions editor for a publishing house knows that although the submitted book is amazing, it’s not one their readers would be interested in. Publishers sees what sells or doesn’t and perhaps your book was in the lower sales category so they don’t want to take a chance. This, however, might have a different end result if you are a proven writer with a high selling track record and larger following. Is this fair? Don’t ask me. The name of the game is salability and as any business, publishing houses want to make money, just like a writer.

Let’s get back on track here, however. Editors are seeking writers:

Who have a grasp on grammar
Who use words to move and bring an emotional connection between readers and fictional characters
Who have come up with a plot that stands apart from the other slush pile manuscripts
Who have crafted such a captivating beginning they can’t put the book down
Who have unique characters with their own distinct personalities
Who know how to tie up loose ends and offer a satisfying ending
Who maintain an even flow in every scene without headhopping or changing tenses from past to present to past to present to past to present…
Who have thoroughly gone over their manuscript with a critique group/partner/editor unlike others who hand in a first draft thinking it’s perfect as is

The above is what an editor/publisher/agent seeks. They want the novel that isn’t like the other one million they’ve read. Offer that to them and maybe you have a shot.

Agent Contest-deadline January 31

2010-01-30T20:55:00.002-05:00

Kidlit Contest

Mary Cole, one of the agents at Andrea Brown Literary Agency is having a contest.

Show her the first 500 words of your completed middle-grade or young adult novel!

Click the link above and HURRY!! Contest ends on January 31st.

Hate writers - Hate editors - NOT

2010-01-21T22:28:00.002-05:00

Do you feel at times like pulling your hair out? Does that migraine hit you hard when you get the edits back from your editor? Feel all stressed out?

Now why do you feel like that?

I've been wondering this for a while now and have a few theories I'd like to pass on to you.

CAUTION: This post is not for the faint at heart. If you don't like to hear the truth then skip this post and move on to another blog.

1- There are different writers out there - the serious writers and the wannabe writers. Nothing new in this information. The biggest difference is that the serious writers absorb suggestions from their editors and contemplate them, analyzing the different ways it will improve their manuscripts. In other words, they work as partners, not against each other. They may debate a chapter or scene, but it's a healthy discussion of pros and cons for the over all enhancement of the manuscript. No egos involved. No hurt feelings. If feelings are going to get hurt at this stage, imagine the devastating emotional roller-coaster ride once negative reviews begin to enter the picture. Editors are there to try and avoid the latter.

The wannabes know it all and prefer to email or call their editors to ask them why they dared to suggest a change in a scene when it was working just fine the way it was written. Hmmm...can you say NOT BEING OBJECTIVE? I will add more to this thought in my closing below.

2- But let's give writers some leeway - there are horrible editors out there who have a title and proud of it, but have no clue what industry standards are, what publishers are seeking, or how to bloody begin editing a manuscript, let alone what to look for in the editing stage. This worries me. Why? Because writers are duped into thinking their manuscripts are in good hands, and they trust what these 'editors' have to say. It's like one of my daughter's grade four teacher where parents complained constantly about her poor teaching methods. We trust the educational system to teach our children. Writers trust their editors to improve their manuscripts.

3- Which brings me to my closing and a few more words I'm biting back to be diplomatic about.

The writers who are not objective are like that perhaps of the vast number of publishers out there now who are more interested in getting tons of books in their bookstores than really caring about the quality of the books they are dishing out to the general public. Remember this is only my own theory and not based on fact, so allow me my little rant here.

Where was I...oh yes...getting back to the writers who are not objective. These writers may be published, were told they had a good manuscript, little editing was needed, and voila, they are published authors. But I can't help but wonder:

if these authors were given editors who knew to explain to them why they can't headhop from one paragraph to the next
if these authors were shown by their editors how to eliminate the passive telling voice
if these authors had the opportunity to flesh out their characters and make them memorable to their readers
if these authors had editors who understood the elements of a good beginning, eliminating backstory and descriptive details that only bog down the read from the start
if these authors had a chance to grow as writers because of their editors

So I don't fault a writer most of the time because I just assume the editors they may have had in the past just didn't know how to mentor and allow these writers to improve their craft.

What I do despise with a passion, however, is when a writer turns around and says that 'so-and-so does it in her book and her publisher said it was okay, so therefore I'm going to do the same thing' - this annoys me because not every publisher has the same standards. If so-and-so's publisher wants crap just to rob readers and stagnate a writer's ability to perfect their craft, why jump off that same bridge and die? Your present publisher is demanding higher standards, be happy for that.

Writers and editors need to work together, period! Editors should not change a writer's voice. Writers should not eagerly dismiss what their editors suggest. The confusion between a good partnership happens because of past editors and the mishaps writers may have gone through with them.

And the reason some writers get headaches is because of the confused state they are in, listening to contradicting comments and suggestions from one editor to the next. Other than unique writing voices, there are elements in a story that should not be ignored nor overlooked.

The moral of this post? Live and learn.

Helpful tips when self-editing

2010-01-17T22:52:00.002-05:00

Although I strongly believe that writers should either seek out a critique partner or editor to help improve their manuscripts, here are a few tips I’d like to share with you when self-editing.

The number one top on my list when mentoring writers is to check your work. Don’t rely on spell checker alone, do ewe get my meaning? Words may be spelled correctly but not in the context you intended.

Go over each sentence for clarity. You may know what you’re saying but is it clear to the reader? This is where a good critique partner or editor can help you out. A second pair of eyes is crucial. For example, think back to your school days, to that teacher who taught but really didn't know 'how' to teach. Everything she said was a mystery to you because she explained things in a puzzle-like way, omitting things crucial to a better understanding of that lesson. She knew what she was talking about, but the class didn't!

Another trick I use is I open my own personal CHECKLIST file and note any common mistakes or misspelled words in each of my manuscripts while in the editing stage. This helps me improve and not duplicate those errors. With time I finally delete the ones that are now implanted in my head forever.

Step away from your manuscript after you’ve been editing for a while. What happens is that you begin to rush your edits, tired sitting by the computer, and you speed read at some point but don’t realize it because you’ve read that passage over and over again – that’s when mistakes and oversights happen. As an editor I’ve experienced this with my own manuscripts and curse myself when my critique partners hand back my manuscript with red markings – two instead of too, bye instead of buy – simple mistakes I should have picked up on but didn’t because I was speed reading.

During one of the editing rounds, read your book out loud. You’ll be amazed how you pick up on sentences that read awkward but sound okay in your head. While reading, try to imagine your target audience. Again, you will be amazed how many clarifications and edits you will need to do when you are reading to your pretend audience. For some odd reason, while focusing on your audience you realize what you’ve omitted to offer them a fully fleshed out story according to that genre’s needs.

My last round of edits begins at the very last page of my manuscript. That’s right, the last page. What this does it allows you to actually read words and sentences without worrying about the plot and story progress. This is usually done to ascertain I didn’t miss eliminating any passive sentences. One powerful word beats three or four mundane passive ones.

I won't go into the boring tip about eliminating as many 'was', 'that', 'began to' passive tone--okay, I guess I sort of did--but these are elementary stuff every writer, beginner or seasoned, should know by now.

And if you're still stuck, hey, stop biting your keyboard!! PEN PERFECT ASSOCIATES is officially open for business. Check us out. Website is still under construction.

Happy New Year!

2009-12-31T14:57:00.001-05:00

May 2010 bring you and your family health, happiness, and success.

Happy New Year!

Lea Schizas

Article Databases and Ghostwriting

2009-12-23T14:47:00.002-05:00

I just wanted to pop in and give you an interesting link posted by Karen Cioffi on her blog:

If you have a newsletter you distribute, Karen offers a few links to get some articles. She also posts information on ghostwriting.

Woah! Where are all of these coming from?

2009-12-22T22:58:00.005-05:00

He ran fast, quickly.
She snored, sleeping.
She smelled like a fresh flower, roses, lilies, carnations.
He muttered, whispering softly.

Is this a new trend? First off, pick and choose your descriptive details…once. Don’t be redundant. May read like a new method but it’s nonetheless repetitive, redundant, similar, the same. Get my drift? You’re not inventing a creative voice. Just adding extra words for no reason that will be edited, or at least a good editor should catch and comment to reword. Everything in moderation, please. No overkill.

He ran fast, quickly? Pick one.

She snored, sleeping. Um…is there any other way to snore without sleeping, unless you have a nasal problem.

She smelled like a fresh flower, roses, lilies, carnations. “A” is the optimum word here so pick one.

He muttered, whispering softly. Not sure about you but when someone mutters it’s because he’s eating his words and whispering. Then again, maybe the folks I hang around with are just plain weird.

So, how many other words have you come across while reading that are redundant and feel like yelling at the writer?

Art of Critique: One

2009-12-20T08:27:00.004-05:00

Nothing is more crucial than getting a second pair of eyes to look over your manuscript. Many writers can’t afford a professional editor (great special on editing by the way)so they rely on a critique partner or group for help to hone their manuscripts. Yet, there are far too many who believe they can edit their own work, and this is evident by some of the published books reviewed in the last year.

In total honesty, every book should go through an initial reader, and that first reader can and should be a critique partner or group, if you can’t afford an editor.

Here are some of the benefits and musts of joining a critique group or teaming up with another writer to exchange critiques:

A good critique will not change the writer’s voice but suggest ways to improve scenes. When critiquing, never add, “If I was writing this I would…” – instead write, “Suggestion…” and add your comments why you feel that scene/passage needs changing.

A good critique group never bashes. There is no point for hurt feelings. Everyone is trying to help each other and by saying things like, “This sucks.” you are offering nothing but total insult. A better way to express this would be, “This scene didn’t move me because…” and give your reasons along with suggestions how to improve it. A writer won’t understand your ‘insult’ if you are not clear why that scene didn’t work.

As part of a critique group make sure to be objective where your work is concerned. If you are going to argue and explain your reasons for writing that scene you won’t get the full impact of the group. Be polite even if you don’t agree with some of the suggestions, and thank them for their time. Then go over their comments and suggestions and pick and choose what you feel best suits your work. Much better than returning with smart-ass zingers and "I'm going to hunt you down." comments.

When more than one writer suggests a change in the same passage, then be objective where your manuscript is concerned and really look at their comments. They are your first readers, after all, and if they are stumped in a scene imagine the reactions of your buying readers.

Some critiques may contradict others. This is where you need to evaluate each comment and see which, if any, enhances your manuscript.

Remember that not every writer knows the ‘needs’ of a particular genre. For this reason I always suggest to pick the right group or partner who either writes or is an avid reader of that genre.

Stay tuned for more on the art of critique in future posts.

Passive Writing

2009-12-19T17:33:00.003-05:00

I was going to write about passive writing, but then I decided that maybe it was better to show you what I mean, so decided to write this sentence that includes passive voice, a run-on sentence, and just extremely long and boring heading nowhere but to give you an extreme headache.

Passive voice is the replica of a smashed mirror. You have fragments of words stringed together. Does this makes sense? No? Picture a mirror. Now picture a broken mirror, tons of pieces lined in a row on top of a string. Llft the string and you chance a piece falling off. Too much of a metaphoric explanation for you?

The pieces of mirror are your readers who are reading your book. At some point they break away from your book because you’ve bored them to death with nothing but passive and telling passages. They are the pieces falling off. In all reality, every single piece will fall off that string unless they are tied down…so tie your reader down with an active voice.

“But, editor, passive is the way we speak.”
“Yes, but passive should be in the lower percentage of your writing.”
“I don’t get it.”
“Then you haven’t read as much as you think you have.”

The one constant thing I repeat to writers is to connect your character to the reader. When this magical event takes place then a reader cannot put the book down, cannot forget about the character, will feel the same urgency and emotional upset as your character, and will stick it out until those last two words come into play: The End. And one way to connect reader and character is to use an active voice, showing rather than telling their story.

Think of a story as your canvas. Without the fine, intricate ‘showing’ paint strokes the message hidden within the portrait is lost to the viewer. Same rule applies to a story. You need to show the details using vivid and powerful words along with the five senses.

Choosing weak verbs only allows a reader to simply ‘read’ a passage without pulling them into your fictional world.

For example:

I watched as she ate breakfast.

Does this excite you? Can you ‘see’ this other person? Do you care? It offers nothing. Now let’s change it around a bit:

I watched as drool and bits of cereal dribbled down the side of her mouth. She munched away as though given her last meal.

Now we have some sort of a visual, and get the sense this character ate like a pig and extremely hungry without having to say:

I watched as she ate like a pig.

Eliminating passive tone and bringing it to an active voice changes how a reader connects to the story. One causes them to take an outsider’s view, while the other brings them right into the story.

YOUR TURN: Write one passive sentence and then change it to active. Come on, don't be a chicken.

Santa's List

2009-12-18T17:59:00.004-05:00

So Santa's checking his list...twice. You know...that 'naughty or nice' list of writers who had made goals this year. He's checking to make sure if they were nice and met most of them, or naughty and missed most of them.

Which side of his list are you on?

What were your goals for 2009 and how many did you meet?

Setting yearly goals is a must in order to keep your career and writing moving forward. If your goal is to finish that one manuscript facing you every day then set a daily or weekly schedule to write an x amount of words that day/week. But whatever you do, don't get disappointed if you don't meet your goal. If you've set realistic heights and everyday life gets in the way, then simply evaluate your weekly accomplishment. Pat your back and give yourself kudos for even having written anything while you were sick, drove the kids back and forth to school, stayed overtime at work, entertained, nursed the pet back to health...remember to factor in these elements.

The things NOT to factor in are:

talking on the phone
going shopping with a friend
volunteering to do everyone's chores

The above need serious butt-kicking out of your system in order to meet your goals.

So, are you on Santa's naughty or nice list? What goals have you achieved this year?

Leave your comments so we can cheer you on.

Elements in a book

2009-12-17T08:36:00.002-05:00

Novels have a particular outline a writer follows, one that empowers a novel to fulfill its capacity as a fully-fleshed out novel.

You need an MC (main character, antagonist, hero, heroine) who has a goal to obtain.

This goal now ups the stakes. Your MC will face obstacles because of this goal, setting him back several times, changing him in some way during the course.

The goal needs to be something a reader can relate to in their ‘real’ world and glue them until the end to see the resolution.

You need to figure out who the secondary characters – along with the antagonist is – and how they help or hinder the main character’s ability to reach his goal.

Your setting must fit the storyline and be thoroughly sketched before you write. Having an idea of the world you are about to create helps to add that ‘believable’ factor.

The period you are setting your book in is crucial. Knowing what people wore, spoke, acted in that period enhances the story.

In what way will your main character grow at the end? Will he achieve his goal? How?

What will the subplots be and how will you tie everything together at the end.

These are major points to contemplate when outlining your storyline because they will help flesh out your manuscript.

Please Vote

2009-12-12T15:31:00.003-05:00

This may be a new blog but hopefully you're enjoying it enough to consider voting Pen Perfect Associates as one of Writer's Digest's 101 Best Writing Sites:

If so, then please send an e-mail to writersdigest@fwmedia.com with “101 Websites” in the subject line. Within the body of the email include Pen Perfect Associates--http://penperfectassociates.blogspot.com/

Thank you for your support.

Runaway from run-on sentences

2009-12-12T13:23:00.003-05:00

“I can’t believe she told him what I told her blabbed all over the campus getting dirty looks.”

Come again? The above is called a ‘run-on’ sentence. It’s several sentences melted into one to make one heckuva confusing read. Different thoughts in a sentence need their own space. Use a combining word and a few commas:

“I can’t believe she told him what I had told her, and then blabbed it all over the campus, causing many to give me dirty looks.”

Although the above is still quite long and fuses a few different umbrella thoughts together, it’s passable, not recommended, but passable. The better approach would be to give that last thought its own space:

“There were so many dirty looks coming my way I wanted to hide underneath a rock.”

To avoid run-on sentences simply use:

• a period to end one thought and begin a new sentence
• a conjunction
• or use a semicolon

Your aim is to make sure each sentence is clear, crisp, and makes sense by allowing one complete thought to finish. You know what you’re trying to say, but readers may go ‘huh?’

YOUR TURN: Have you ever come across a book where you were totally confused? You know--the huh? factor!

New Year's Editing Special

2009-12-11T13:27:00.005-05:00

Pen Perfect and DKV want you to get 2010 off to a GRRReat start. How? By offering you our annual New Year’s Editing Special. With these affordable—yet limited time so act now—prices you’ll start 2010 with a fully and professional edited manuscript. But wait…I’m not done. Need to give you the scoop:

• Special begins January 1, 2010
• Special ends January 15, 2010
• Queries begin immediately.

Guidelines:

Pen Perfect with Lea Schizas:

Query me at museitupeditor at gmail dot com with the following:

1. Your name and email address
2. Genre
3. Word and page count of completed manuscript
4. Short blurb what the book is about
5. Time frame you’re looking to have edited manuscript back

Regular price: $3.00 a page
Special for limited time only: $1.00 a page

Not only will I edit the full manuscript using Track Changer for you to see my edits, comments, and suggestions, but you’ll have an opportunity to send me your final ms with all of your new changes using Track Changer so I can spot them, and I’ll go over these changes and comment on them.

Don’t delay. Special begins January 1 and ends January 15, but you can query me now and get your book in the queue for edits. NOTE: Not all queries will be accepted. I’m honest that way. If a book is not something I feel I can properly bring it up to its genre standards, then I’ll let you know. Books must be completed. If I have an opened door to a publishing house and feel they may be interested, then I’ll give you the contact info once edits are finalized.

Payment: Payment can be via Paypal or cheque through snail mail. You have the option of paying half before we begin and the rest once I tell you the manuscript is complete, or the full amount right away.

For more information, feel free to email me at: museitupeditor at gmail dot com with EDIT REQUEST on the subject heading. Do NOT send me an attachment until I’ve emailed requesting your manuscript.

DKV with Karen Cioffi:

Same dates apply here: January 1 – January 15, 2010
Basic editing and critique of picture books through children’s chapter books:

Picture books and easy readers (up to 1000 words): $5.00
(Regular pricing is $10)
Chapter books (and others above 1000 words): $1.00 per page
(Regular pricing is $2.00 per page for each service separately)
Note: 12 font Arial is preferred

Will provide feedback on revisions

FREE picture book and chapter book critique or review
(1000 word limit – first 5 query/requests)

FREE blogger site creation (first query/request)

FREE 1 page copy ad or press release (first query/request)

Depending on number of requests, 2-4 week turn around. I reserve the right to extend turn around an additional 2 weeks if needed.

You can query me now and get your book in the queue.

NOTE: I will make every effort to accept all requests, but if circumstances warrant and I need to dismiss a query, l will provide an explanation to the party involved.

Payment: Payment can be via Paypal or cheque through snail mail. You have the option of paying half before we begin and the rest once I tell you the manuscript is complete, or the full amount right away.

For more information, or to send your requests, email Karen at: karenrcfv at yahoo dot com. Please put DKV January Special in the subject box. Please do not send attachments before contacting me.

So, my fellow writers, Pen Perfect and DKV Writing 4U are offering you a chance to begin 2010 with a bang. Query us NOW! Don’t delay. Deadline is just around the corner.

Lea & Karen

Excuses and Five Senses

2009-12-10T09:34:00.004-05:00

Don’t make excuses. Don't make funny faces. Write. So what if the laundry is piling higher than your roof. It ain’t going anywhere.

Yes, some days your Muse will decide to hide and sleep. That’s fine, we all deserve a break. But allow your Muse to go on a long holiday and you’re done for. Force her back by reading, enticing her to join you and maybe come up with new ways to have ended or written that book.

Reading and writing is an escape from the usual daily chores in one’s life.

Perhaps your Muse went away because she was stuck using the same old words and fed up. Help her. Buy a Thesaurus.

The Muse might have been sick and tired of the boring passages in the novel because she couldn’t smell, taste, touch, see, or hear anything in your fictional world. If you lost your Muse imagine how quickly your reader will leave you.

YOUR TURN. Let’s try an exercise in using some of the five senses. Look at my exercise and then post your one paragraph description.

You're held captive in a dungeon, hands tied tightly, burning into your flesh. In one paragraph describe your situation, using as many of the five senses as possible. Be creative.

Run-on sentences

2009-12-10T00:08:00.003-05:00

Tame those run-on sentences. Check this out:

“I can’t believe she told him what I told her blabbed all over the campus getting dirty looks.”

The above is called a ‘run-on’ sentence. It’s several sentences melted into one to make one heckuva confusing read. Different thoughts in a sentence need their own space. At least use a combining word and a few commas:

“I can’t believe she told him what I had told her, and then blabbed it all over the campus, causing many to give me dirty looks.”

Although the above is still quite long and fuses a few different umbrella thoughts together, it’s passable, not recommended, but passable. The better approach would be to give that last thought it’s own space:

“There were so many dirty looks coming my way I wanted to hide underneath a rock.”

To avoid run-on sentences simply use:

• a period to end one thought and begin a new sentence
• a conjunction
• or use a semicolon

The best method, however, is to make sure each sentence is clear, crisp, and makes sense by allowing one complete thought to finish.

Creativity Abounds

2009-12-09T09:38:00.006-05:00

“My mind is numb. I can’t think of any storylines.”

I hear this at times and want to strangle someone. Perhaps I’m an oddball, one of a few out there who have so many ideas floating around in their heads there’s not enough ‘life’ time to get them all penned unless we stay up 24/7.

Your inspiration for a storyline is everywhere. Look around.

Across the street there’s a little old man helping a woman with her grocery bags. Why? Does he have an alternative motive? Is he harassing her?

You noticed the mailman limping the other day. Wonder if he was in an accident. Or could he be the serial killer the victim said she shot in the leg?

Your son invites his best friend over and your dog barks up a storm when he sniffs him. Why? Does he sense something evil in him?

You're vacuuming and suddenly your cat starts walking around looking up as though following someone. A chill shakes your body...is there a ghost in the house?

Do you see where I’m going with this? Use your imagination! Notice something and then pose questions. These questions need answers, and eventually turn into your outline.

YOUR TURN: Have you ever started a storyline using the 'what if' factor or looking at something and asking questions, like I mention above?

Psst...Killers

2009-12-07T19:30:00.002-05:00

No, not actual killers, but things you might say that will cause an agent or even a publisher to consider killing you, strangling you, or worse…rejecting you.

First off, tell them that they’ve never ever come across a book like yours and you turn them off. They hear this so often it’s a turn-off.

Mention that your book is going to make them rich because it’s going to be the next best seller and you have now succeeded in boiling their blood and one step closer to strangulation.

Tell them that everyone who read your book – mom, dad, sister, brother, aunt, uncle, neighbor, cousin, best friend, grandma, grandpa – absolutely loved it. Yep, they now have removed strangulation from their thoughts and have made a list on how to kill you off. Congratulations. You’ve made a mild-mannered agent/publisher into a killer.

However, maybe your book is different. Maybe your book might make them rich. Maybe those first readers were right to say they loved it. How the heck will they know if they are too busy contacting hit men? Geez!

No wonder we writers are nutty!!!

YOUR TURN: What one thing turns you batty about the publishing world?

Readers Love Conflict

2009-12-05T20:11:00.002-05:00

Readers want action, suspense, something that will grab a hold of them and not let go until The End is reached.

What exactly is conflict in a story? It’s quite simple; a problem or obstacle your main character must overcome by the end of the story. Think of it as your engine that drives your car forward. Without one your car remains idle, collecting dust in the driveway. Give your car a super booster engine and you’ll coast the streets with no worries. Well, until the police stop you.

In a story conflict steers your character through various situations he must overcome. This intrigues and pulls your reader deeper into the story, connecting with your character’s predicament. A character needs a hurdle, makes for an intriguing situation to find out the outcome. Without an outcome, there is no magnetic ‘sparkplug’ charge with your reader.

Before writing your story and making up your character profile, ask yourself these questions:

1- What will be the main goal the protagonist will face and need to overcome?
2- Who will be my target audience?

The second question is important because it helps you to focus your words and subject matter to suit the appropriate audience. For stories aimed at children, your focus will need to adapt to a child’s view of the world around them. Remember that a child can only comprehend events that they may have heard or experienced according to their age. Keeping this in mind it shapes the conflict to fit their understanding.

What subject matter can you write about for this age group? Middle grade readers love mysteries, soft spooky tales ( no knife-wielding maniacs, head chopping, blood and core etc, more suspenseful and ‘goose-bumping tales like in the “Goosebumps” books), magical tales (Harry Potter), even teeny bopper stories like “The Babysitters Club” or “Sweet Valley High”. These latter ones are suitable for the Young Adult market, too.

TYPES OF CONFLICTS:

Here are some examples of conflicts in some books:

- the almighty tried and successful ‘good against evil’
Think Harry Potter, The Lord of the Rings, Star Wars, Little Red Riding Hood, The Three Little Pigs…yes, these fairy tales were using the ‘good against evil’ method if you sit down and think about it. The wolves in both fairy tales were intent on overcoming their ‘so-they-thought’ weaker counterparts.

In the above examples, something stood in the protagonist’s way:

Harry tries to defeat Voldemort but problems and other antagonists along the way makes this quest difficult for him.

The Lord of the Rings finds Frodo’s quest to destroy the Ring but evil and dark forces stand in his way, too.

Luke Skywalker in Star Wars needs to defeat the new order of evil, and he, too, faces many obstacles and characters along the way.

In each of these examples, these obstacles (new smaller conflicts against the bigger goal they are after) causes a reader to continue reading to find out if he’ll be successful, how he will outsmart them, and what change will this cause in the main character. Along with these obstacles, throwing in some inner conflicts alongside the outer emotions helps to cast them more as three-dimensional beings, for example:

Luke Skywalker deals with the knowledge he has a sister somewhere out there. His inner being and emotions help to make him more sympathetic, which eventually bonds the reader to him. The same with Frodo; his world has been thrown for a loop when he takes on the quest of the Ring…along the way he begins to doubt if he, indeed, is the best man for this job. Also, he questions his will power to avoid succumbing to the dark forces once he has tasted the Ring’s power.

Another example to show you what ‘inner conflict’ means:

Let’s assume your book is based on a police officer who mistakenly shoots a young child while pursuing a suspect. It’s dark in the building and the kid jumped out of nowhere with a toy gun. The police officer is suspended while the case is being investigated.

INNER EMOTIONS:

How he deals and is dealt by his immediate peers
His struggle to remove the visions of the killing
The emotional turmoil as he waits for the investigation to conclude.
His dealings with the parents of the child he accidentally killed.

Throughout all of these emotions the one factor that will bind your reader to continue will be: How will he fare at the end of this book. The way you first portray this particular character in the beginning will be totally different by the end because of the various upsets he’s had to deal with. Show him as upbeat, nonchalant, no change at the end and you will lose your reader’s interest in the book and in you as an author.

Beginning, Middle, and Ending

2009-12-02T07:00:00.000-05:00

Writers have asked me in the past how to begin a story. There are a few ways to go, such as: begin with the action and move forward in a straight line, adding perhaps some back-story/flashback to offer a peek as to the ‘why’ of the action taken place.

Transitions for a smooth telling of flashbacks needs fleshing not to confuse the reader.

You may begin with a flashback taking the reader slowly into the present. In other words, show the dilemma of the story upfront then work your way until you’ve reached the point where the story continues in the present stage. This method works best as a prologue, where the reader gets an opportunity to see the premise of the story’s happening before Chapter One begins. For example, in one of my newest novels I’m writing, The Brother’s Three, I begin with the prologue showing the main character, Zylorp, the hero of the book, in a trial determined to give him the death penalty. What I’ve done is take part of the ending to entice the reader as to this man’s fate, then began the first chapter somewhere in the past, slowly bringing the reader to the eventual happenings that have sealed Zylorp’s fate.

As for chapter endings, I am one who loves to finish with a cliff-hanger. However, not all chapters need cliff-hanging endings. But what they do need is a forward movement of the plot in each chapter, something new, whether an introduction to a new obstacle in your character’s path, a revelation he/she has finally discovered…whatever it is, it needs to extract a need to find out what’s going to happen in your reader and this applies to both children and adult writing.

Just remember when you feel stuck at any point as to how to continue, each obstacle/dilemma you’ve thrust in your character’s path needs to be resolved. So use them, figure out how they need to be unfolded and lay it out intertwined throughout the beginning and middle with the rest of the obstacles, and conclude them in the ending part or scene 3 as I call it, of your story/book.

Another thing to remember is never forget to revisit and explain or further indulge in a foreshadow you’ve seeded in a reader. You can’t hint about a hidden gun in the attic if this gun doesn’t come into play at some point. This is called cheating your reader and it may cause them not to read anything further from you.

For example, let’s take the Exorcist: a ouji board was used in the beginning. Its purpose? To show us the portal of evil was opened. Let’s assume now the ouji board was not used, then the possession of Linda Blair may or may not have made such a clear impact on the reasons for the possession of this young girl’s soul. A small bit of information; yet the foreshadow’s action of play demonstrates the clarity of information this seed planted.

Keeping the pace of character emotions and reactions, plot movement, unveiling of foreshadows in an orderly fashion will generate a sense of understanding in a reader without any confusion. And this is your goal: to entertain by bringing your world to life, wrapping your reader somewhere else other than their own everyday surroundings.

Happy Beginnings, Middles and Endings!

Loglines

2009-12-01T07:00:00.000-05:00

Now what the blazes is a logline? Simple…a logline is your story’s heart and soul summarized in one or two sentences when asked, “So, what’s your story all about?”

Writers, at times, have a hard time pinpointing the core of the story and end up rambling on and on…a logline will help perfect the answer to the question above. Although loglines are usually associated with screenplays, even novelists will find them a tremendous help in sharpening their response.

Pinning your story down to only a line or two is not easy but with practice you will be able to give your reader a true account on what your book entails. Think of loglines as flash fiction: a need to pick and choose words carefully to give a complete picture.

In order to figure out the elements to place in a logline think of your book separated into three scenes: the beginning, the middle, and the end. From each scene take the essence, or high point, and write it down. When this exercise is done look over your ‘scenes’ and simplify them by somehow combining them into one or two cliff-hanging sentences.

For example, let’s take Harry Potter:

Beginning: Harry Potter discovers he has magical powers and receives an invite to enhance these powers to a school he’s never heard of.
Middle: He discovers his parents were killed and he is in the path of Voldemort’s anger. He befriends two students who become his sidekicks.
End: With the help of his two best friends they riddle out the puzzle of the Stone and Harry faces Voldemort for possession of the Stone.

Now let’s place the above info into a ‘hooking’ logline:

A young teen’s world is turned upside down when a seemingly innocent invitation to a school soon reveals a magical world possessed with a dark force waiting to take revenge on him.

You’ll note I didn’t mention the best friends since they are secondary to the plot and not as crucial to entice a reader. Voldemort’s name and the Stone were also omitted but given a darker overall image by placing ‘a magical world possessed with a dark force’. Also, by seeding ‘the revenge’ into a reader it ups his curiosity to find out what will happen and how the teen will deal with it.

Here is a basic and simple outline to follow what a logline should contain:

Who your protagonist is, which will also answer the question who the story is about
His goal, what he/she is striving to achieve
Who/what stands in his/her way

A logline won’t explain the whole storyline nor any of its subplots but will give a good impression of its genre and what the main character’s strive is all about.

When setting up a logline instead of giving a name give the descriptive detail of your character, for example:

John Smith’s adamant belief a witch living in his neighborhood is the cause of his recent bad luck, begins to hound the old lady into submission until she suffers a fatal heart attack and now haunts his dreams to the point he takes a family as hostage to prove his sanity and her existence.

Now replace his name with ‘An eccentric loner’s…’ and it gives the reader the impression of no one coming to his aid since he isolates himself from everyone. Or even ‘ a lonely man’s…’ now implies a man with nothing better to do than to come up with his own devices to give himself something to do.

Examples of fictional loglines to study:

A pair of vigilantes who believe they are cleaning up the streets in their neighbourhood only succeed in riling up the wrong gang.

Three musicians are on the ride of their life when they sign on with an agent who ends up embezzling all their money, leaving them back on the poor side of the track to make the comeback of their life.

A wealthy woman puts her life on the line when she sets herself up as bait to catch her husband’s killer.

The logline for my own soon-to-be-released paranormal/thriller “Doorman’s Creek” is”

A young teen and his friends discover a cave…and an entity that puts them in the path of a serial killer they must track down before he murders another family member.

A logline is your ad, your hook to cause a reader to pick up your book and purchase it. Offer enough of the essence of your plot to intrigue them, build their curiosity level to such an extent they ‘need’ to find out what happens.

You only have those few precious initial minutes to impress an editor/reader with your storyline so make it count.

Rejections

2009-11-30T21:13:00.002-05:00

Writers often look at their work and believe, “This is really good. I’m sending it off.” I won’t say in most cases but quite a few, these submissions often come back stamped ‘REJECTED’. Why? The reason is simple- these writers didn’t step back to look at the piece objectively wearing a reader’s hat but looked at it wearing a ‘mommy’s’ hat. These are two different hats to be wearing when it comes to really looking over your manuscript. Another reason is they submitted a first draft they believed was fully fleshed out, their characters were realistic and not stick people, and subbed it to various publishers they happened to come across while researching various markets.

What is wrong with this scenario?

First Draft

I will admit I’ve read quite a few first drafts that were tight, but haven’t come across any first draft that read complete in any which way you looked at it. Something always needed changing: characters needed more dimension, setting needed more presence, dialogue had to be spruced up and taglines removed, or more of the five senses had to be written in to bring the scene to the reader’s mind with more clarity and vividness.

Characters

Are your characters flat, lifeless, no personality to set them apart from your secondary characters? Not sure? Well, that’s why it’s a good idea to get your story critiqued by another pair of eyes other than your own. These critiquers will be able to pinpoint areas they feel, as readers, need more fleshing out. Remember that you can’t please all of the readers all the time, but if you can offer a character that is three dimensional from the start, then perhaps you will please most of your readers.

The one biggest flaw I find in some writers is the fact they do not accept any comments where their work is concerned. Writers are always learning, always open to suggestions in order to guide and help them enhance their talent. The more they understand the areas they are weak in, the quicker these flaws disappear.

Publishers

Publishers know who their readers are. This is an area a writer also needs to understand. When you research a publisher, make sure to take the time and read one or two of their books to see if your genre fits in with their ‘style’. If you wrote a young adult novel, and you Googled ‘Children’s Publishers’, don’t send your manuscript to them UNLESS you check their guidelines. There you will see if they accept young adult manuscripts, their preferred word count, and other information needed in order to process your submission.

Do not be one of the writers who eagerly wait for months for a response only to discover the rejection letter states, “We are sorry but at this time we are not accepting any Young Adult manuscripts.” Waste of time.

Be smart, after all, you worked long and hard on your book, it deserves a chance to reach the right publisher.

Interview with Vivian Zabel

2009-11-29T08:25:00.000-05:00

I’m thrilled to have Vivian Zabel as my guest today. She is the publisher of 4RV Publishing.

I had the privilege of meeting Vivian a couple of years ago at my online Muse Conference and we hit it off. Right after I submitted a YA manuscript. The waiting period to see if her readers liked the book or not was excruciatingly suspenseful, but at the end their comments on my unpublished book elated me. It actually gave me insight as to what this market liked or didn’t, and the reading level for my target audience. Very helpful to say the least.

Now, without further delay, my interview with Vivian Zabel:

What is the most consistent error you see many writers doing?

This is a difficult question to answer because I see more than one consistent error.

1. Writers are "satisfied" to submit a draft I would consider a rough draft, not one that's finished. A well-written manuscript often takes many edits and revisions

2. I realize "show,don't tell" has almost become a cliche, but too many authors don't show. They are lazy and tell.

3. I guess everything comes down to writers willing to learn their craft and doing what is needed to be a good writer.

Vivian, as an editor, I totally agree with you that many writers feel their first or second drafts are ready to go. I always suggest they put the manuscript away for a spell and move on to another. Giving some time to put that book out of your system allows you to reread it with a pair of fresh eyes. Only then will you possibly see errors needing a fixer-upper.

What, for you, defines a fully rounded manuscript?

A fully rounded manuscript has strong three-dimensional characters, a consistent and interesting plot, coherency, clarity, and an acceptable level of believability. Correct grammar, spelling, sentence structure, and other mechanical elements are a must.

Is the synopsis for 4RV Publishing the make or break part for you as a publisher whether you ask for sample chapters?

The synopsis is not a make or break element, but if it gains interest, it helps. It is a guide for us to see what the manuscript should offer.

What do you look for, once a writer has passed the synopsis stage, in the sample chapters submitted to you?

Interest must be grabbed immediately. I won't wade through more than a page or two at the most before tossing something if the writing hasn't caught my attention. Coherency, clarity, and comprehension must be apparent from the beginning.

Do your manuscripts go through readers as a test cycle before considering it for a contract?

Our first readers/acquisitions editors include youngsters for books written for children and middle/young adults (yes, we have a special acquisitions editor who is 14). We have parents and grandparents who read to children. Our other readers/editors for older level books are avid and voracious readers.

As a publisher, what advice would you give writers?

Learn your craft, keep learning, and never give up. I taught writing for thirty years and studied writing for over fifty years; but I'm still learning. If I had allowed rejection to stop me, I would never have anything published. However, every rejection caused me to look at my writing and try to find what was wrong, why it was rejected -- learning and not giving up.

Thank you, Vivian, for stopping by today. If anyone has any questions for Vivian, please leave a comment and she’ll get back to you as soon as she can.
I’m thrilled to have 4RV Publishing as one of my publishers. Bubba and Giganto: Odds Against Us, a book about friendships, bullying, and secrets is a YA novel published in 2008. For more information or to purchase, CLICK HERE

I also have another manuscript contracted with 4RV Publishing, a children’s picture book also about bullying, Libby the Odd Squirrel, but aimed at the younger readers.

Plot To Die For!

2009-11-28T15:11:00.000-05:00

In every genre what a writer needs to remember is that, although we may think our plot or ending or theme hasn’t been done, chances are it has. This is where reading tons of books in your genre will help you figure out what would make a totally different end than others similar in plot. This takes someone like my Mr. Muscle with tons of determination and perseverance to accomplish his goals.

I’m not saying to go out and buy the whole section on the genre you love to write, but just remember to study the few books you are reading, and spot what makes that book so irresistible to you, how does the author string you along, what makes his character so ‘alive’…then put these thoughts down on paper and refer to them often when you are beginning a new story. These seemingly inconsequential tidbits will, down the line, be very valuable to you as a writer since they will have your initial reactions to books you've read and what made them magical to you.

Developing your own writing voice is something you need to practice.

Although we may study our favorite artists, taking some of their qualities and then turning it around to fit who ‘you’ are will define you as a writer and not as a ‘copycat’ writer.

And if you can pick a subject no one has even thought of, well, kudos. You’re on your way to becoming a ‘thinking’ writer.

Now just another point I need to make or rather an observation: if you, as the writer, are not remotely drawn into the storyline...guess what- neither will your reader. So find a plot that excites you, motivates you, makes you pick up that pen and not stop writing because that character of yours is so riveting you can't help yourself.

Okay, now that I've fired you up, go write your book.

New Writers Boo Boos

2009-11-26T14:21:00.000-05:00

At times I wonder how many band-aids it would take to cover one writer with all the writing boo boos he or she makes. An odd visual, but clearly a funny picture to visualize. As an editor I do have a few of these boo boos to mention and beware of when drafting your manuscript:

Passive Voice and Stuff

The only thing passive voice successfully does is to remove a reader’s connection to the storyline and/or the character. A writer cannot eliminate passive voice entirely, but a good proportion of it. Delete ‘was’ for one thing from your sentences. Yes, it takes time to reword sentences, but in the long run you will build stronger sentences with more clarity and visualization.

Choosing the right words to paint a picture is another area to improve your writing. For instance, and I’ve used this example hundreds of times:

A dog ran after him
A Doberman ran after him.

The first doesn’t give the full scope of the ‘fear factor’ in the person running. Replace ‘dog’ with ‘Doberman’ and now a visual of the ferocious animal chasing this person becomes clearer. (Apologies to all the Doberman owners for using them as an example.)

‘Walk’ is another word I find quite often in manuscripts I edit. Depending on the character’s situation, ‘walk’ doesn’t always give you the right picture to fit the situation at the moment. Someone who is being chased won’t ‘walk fast’ – first off you’re using two words where ‘ran’ tells the same thing. So choosing the right words to give a better image is one important step editors look at while going over your manuscript.

Another area some writers are weak in is…here, let’s see if you can guess:

“Hey, what’s up?”
“Nothing, what’s up with you?”
“Nothing, same old thing just a different day.”
“What’s in the plans for today?”
“What do you want to do?”
blah, blah, blah, blah, blah…

Yep, you guessed it – DIALOGUE. Although we actually do have conversations like the example above, in fiction it’s boring, tearfully boring. More than that, it doesn’t move the plot forward. We break up narrative passages and use dialogue to reveal something in the character’s personality, their actions and reactions to situations, to reveal part of the plot or inner/exterior conflicts. Place the above dialogue in your book and not only will the reader put it down you risk them tearing up the pages for toilet paper. Okay, bit of an exaggeration but you get my drift. Remove idle chit-chat – no room for it in any manuscript.

YOUR TURN: What other areas have you discovered over the several drafts you've edited that made your manuscript read 'dull'?

Emotion Connects Readers

2009-11-25T08:55:00.001-05:00

Characters need a deep emotional level to connect to readers. Their woes become the readers woes, bonding them. It helps to solidify the situation on a realistic ground. One way of achieving this is to give your characters inner and outer conflicts.

Another way to bond a character to your reader is by offering visuals they can feel, touch, see, hear, and smell. Yes, the good old fashioned ‘Using the Five Senses’ ploy. Using body language helps your reader to step into your character’s shoes, allows them to feel the heart pounding, the goosebumps taking over her/his skin, the wobbly legs, etc. You are bringing out an awareness factor in your reader by using precise words to reflect emotions and other feelings or situations experienced by your character.

So bring out emotions in your characters to bring out the deep realistic connection to your readers. Remember that readers have issues that connect them to your characters situations. The more three-dimensional and fleshed out a character’s plight and struggle to overcome and the steps they take to achieve their goals, the closer you bring your reader to the storyline. However, don’t forget to give flaws to your character. No one is perfect in real life so why should it be any different in fiction. Who would want to read about Mr. or Mrs. Perfect?

Flaws add tension to a storyline. Readers know that the flaw(s) will create a problem down the line and anticipate this. Don’t disappoint.

So go, make my day…pen that story that will make my skin crawl with anticipation and suspense, melt my heart with romance, fire me up with characters I want to bash one minute and hug the next.

If you don’t know how to do this then consider using either Pen Perfect Associates and/or DKV - http://www.dkvwriting4u.com - for your editing needs.

Marketing 4 UR Writing

2009-11-24T18:30:00.000-05:00

Act like a stomping ferocious dinosaur when it comes to your promotion. Okay, this dinosaur looks a bit too happy, but...Marketing is a part, or it should be, of any writer’s life. Without it no one will ever hear about your efforts. This is where an outline of your goals and how you are going to achieve them come in handy. By putting them down on paper you have committed to them – in some way if you are determined – and will move the process toward an attainable victory.

One of the items on your goal plan can be to submit so many manuscripts and/or articles a month to various sources. Before you do this, however, you need to research your target, find out what their guidelines are, what they are seeking, etc. Don’t target romance if it’s a children’s book you have penned. I know, I know, this sounds ridiculous but it’s not. I know writers who have done this because in their haste the only thing they notice is ‘publisher’ and assume everyone takes any genre for all audiences. Very far from the truth and a BIG rejection will be headed their way.

Remember that writing is a commitment, it’s your business. Like in any business plan you need to formulate a plan to achieve goals. Writer’s block or not, marketing is a chore that needs tending to every week. Whether it’s blogging, twittering, updating your site, sending out your newsletter, seeking out blogs/interviews, setting up blog book tours, preparing for booksignings/workshops/conferences…these are all part of the game and you must, must, must be prepared to spend at least one day a week in promoting yourself because you’re neighbour ain’t gonna do it.

Creating a buzz about your book and branding yourself as a writer builds your readership/followers. Without a buzz, once again, no one knows you. Therefore, unless you’ve got the bucks to get a publicist, you need to do some legwork.

A few of us got together a couple of years ago and put together a sample PDF we distributed for FREE on our websites to help promote ourselves. Within this sampler each of us had a short bio, links back to our sites, blurb and jpeg of our novel, and a short excerpt that gave the gist of our books. At the end of the excerpt we had a direct link to the purchase page.

For those with a new book coming out why not host a Birthday Bash. Sounds ridiculous but how many writers consider their manuscripts as their ‘babies’? Invite family and friends for a cup of coffee, prepare the room in the book’s theme – if your book’s locale is in an exotic island locate a restaurant that’s similar to your settings and have them ‘lend’ you a part of their establishment for your booksigning – be creative! Bookstores are not the only place to host book signings.

Hold a contest and promote it through fellow writers’ websites.

Exchange links with like-minded writers who pen in the same genre as you.

Consider donating a portion of your sales to a local school library, cause, charity.

Get your fliers and business cards ready to distribute to anyone and everyone you come in contact with. Heck, many place business cards when they pay a bill.

Put a book trailer together.

What it comes down to is this: be creative, get out there, talk up a storm, and do some legwork. You’re a writer. I’m sure you’ll think of other creative things to add to my list above.

YOUR TURN:
What’s some of your marketing and promotional legwork you’ve done?

I want to take a sec and promote DKV Writing4U, another excellent editing resource:

With any writing project or marketing campaign you need the right resources and content. That's where DKV Writing 4 U comes in. We offer: blog and article content; ghostwriting; proofreading, basic editing, or professional editing (by award winning author and editor, Lea Schizas); simple, yet effective copywriting; resumes; press releases; research; editing of college papers; and more. For information visit: http://www.dkvwriting4u.com. Check out our Learn to Write page.

And, check out http://karenandrobyn.blogspot.com for two free ebooks about writing for children.

Come On...Talk To Me Dirty

2009-11-23T15:45:00.001-05:00

Before you get excited, I’m not going to talk dirty. Instead, I’d like to discuss romance…erotica in specific. Many believe that erotica is nothing more than porn, tons of fast and meaningless sex, with no storyline. That can’t be further from the truth.

Yes, erotica does have the vivid and at times graphic descriptions of the sexual act, however, the good writers understand that erotica also needs a bonding of characters that will grab and capture the reader’s emotional attention.

Erotica is not the physical abuse, rape, incest, torture that many fear. Although in some erotica you find these elements, the ‘good’ writers again understand how and when to use them to fit in with the storyline just as any other genre requires you to round off a good read.

Some characters in erotica love to fantasize and in their stories they are lucky enough to find the right people to play out these fascinations. Some props used might be candles (tons of candles), bath scenes, romps in the kitchen, car, and anywhere else the couple feel is a ‘danger’ zone to be caught, wine, sex toys, whipped cream, etc.

Erotica is much more than ‘just sex’ – there is an actual story told, or at least there should be. As an editor I toss stories out that have nothing more but sex after sex page after page without the deep emotional pull between two characters. I can’t connect with these types of characters. There is no story to reveal their hardships, their goals, their final resolution to come at The End.

An erotica story must also use the five senses to bring its world alive just like any other genre.

So go on…make my day…say something ‘dirty’ to me.

YOUR TURN: Do you read erotica? Do you find most of them are romantic reads or filled with nothing but filth?

Your Beginning

2009-11-22T19:59:00.001-05:00

How many times have we read the beginning must capture your reader’s attention? Numerous times, right? Then why is it so many writers still don’t grasp this all-important step? If you don’t grab, hook, nab, chain them to your book from the beginning, do you believe they will stick it out until page 103 where the action begins? I don’t think so. And for those nodding your heads saying, “They will.” I’m so sorry but you’re going to be very disappointed.

When a reader puts down a book they tend to remember who the author is and vow never, ever to buy a book published by that author again. Is this the first impression you want to give? Again, I don’t think so.

Although many writers, and I’m one of those writers, love to freehand a story with no plot outline or direction, there are those who spend more time plotting than actual time writing the book. Regardless what type of writer you are it’s the end result, the final draft to be submitted that counts. And the grabber is THE BEGINNING. That’s not to say the middle and end don’t play a big part for the reader, they do, but we’ll post more on those at a later point.

Let’s look at these two beginnings and you tell us which is more interesting:

1- The sunlight gleamed through the lace curtains and Martha leaned against the counter. She basked in its warmth, forgetting about her woes.

2- The woman clutched the dead child in her arms as she ran across the mine field.

Which one grabbed your interest right off? To be honest, they both caught my interest as I wrote them, but it was the second one, as a reader, that would keep me interested. I would ask myself why is she holding a dead child. Is it her child? Where is she to be in a mine field? Who is she running away from?

For the first one I would ask what are her woes, and that’s it.

The more questions a reader asks the more you’ve captured their attention. They are going to want to seek the answers and that’s where the middle comes in – making sure you answer these questions and not disappoint your reader. Never place foreshadows or imply anything you are not going to fully flesh out. A no-no.

YOUR TURN:

Leave a comment and give us the best opening you’ve read in a book. Tell us why it grabbed your interest. Your answers alone will help new writers better understand what they need to do to flesh out their own beginnings. This is an interactive blog and we welcome comments. While here, make sure to follow our blog. We've got tons more coming your way.

Pen Perfect Associates NOW OPEN

2009-11-21T16:59:00.000-05:00

We may be the new kids on the blog corner, but far from new in the editing and writing world.

We want to welcome you to the Pen Perfect Associates blog, where each week we'll post info to help you in your writing career.

If you've been inundated with rejection slips maybe it's time to consider a professional editing service. There's nothing like a second pair of experienced eyes to tell you where your manuscript needs fleshing out. This is where we step in.

We currently edit for several publishing houses and understand what it takes to make a story spellbinding, to bond with the reader, and ascertain they keep on reading.

Our motto: quality over quantity! is something we're proud of. We won't rush a job, nor will we sugar-coat. We're diplomatic and to the point, offering suggestions and comments throughout the manuscript to allow the writer to grow and learn for his or her next project.

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