Now that you’ve created a character sketch , with your main character’s personality traits, flaws, quirks and secrets, what do you do with it? As beginning writers, we often think we need to put this all up front, so the reader will know exactly who this character is, what influenced him and how she got into whatever mess she’s found herself in. We’ve all read books that start out with a great hook—the character in the middle of a situation that makes us want to know how he/she gets out of it. So, we’re all primed for the action, the world of this story. But what happens if the whole next chapter takes us back to the character’s childhood, explaining how mistreated he/she was, describing all their physical traits, and reasons she hates men or he wants to climb the highest mountain. That should give us all we need to know about the character so we can go on and enjoy the rest of the story, right? Wrong. Including big chunks of backstory in the opening pages is like s...

Since I am one of the many authors whose novels fall within all three categories, I’ve been known to use "women’s fiction," "book club fiction," and "literary fiction" interchangeably. I use "women’s fiction" when I’m around women who embrace the term, "book club fiction" when among men and women, and "literary fiction" when among academics or women I know to be especially sensitive to gender politics. I don’t mean to misrepresent; I just want to give my book its best chance of being read. So what do these terms mean, anyway? Women’s fiction is a story that portrays the emotional journey of a woman. It is not necessarily written by a woman (Nicholas Sparks) nor read exclusively by women, although these implications bother many who choose not to use the term. It need not have any romantic elements, but if it does, the story will not resolve on the heroics of a man. The stories typically end on a note of hope as oppose...

I’m a big fan of the singing competition shows. I could live without the competition part. I just love to see people perform. Season after season, hopeful performers cross the stage. Some are picked. Some are left behind never to be heard from again. Some of the decisions I do not comprehend.  Someone eventually wins. It isn’t always a performer I liked. So what does that have to do with writing? It is a very similar selection process. Writers submit their work. They wait to hear if they have been selected. Even after they are selected, audiences may not love them. They may be one-hit-wonders. Once in a while fifteen minutes of fame translates into a life-long career. What separates one-hit-wonders from stars? 1) They never give up. Nothing ventured; nothing gained. You can't win if you don't play. There are contests provided by Writer's Digest, Amazon, etc. Find them and submit. It might help you jump ahead of the line. 2) Original conte...

SHEEP #1: Ahem. Silence. SHEEP #1: Ahem. Silence. SHEEP #1: Are you there? WRITER: Sorry. I wasn’t paying attention. SHEEP #1: I can’t say that doesn’t hurt. SHEEP #2: But you just did. SHEEP #1: Don’t be so literal. WRITER: Let’s not go there. I’m paying attention now.  SHEEP #1: You made me ‘ahem.’ WRITER: Sorry. SHEEP #1: Twice. WRITER: I’m sorry. SHEEP #1: And that’s it? No groveling? No present? No insincere promises that you’ll try harder? WRITER: Hey, I don’t make insincere promises. SHEEP #2: Should I remind you of the 2,500 word a day promise? WRITER: No. SHEEP #1: How about the ‘I’ll have this manuscript ready for beta readers by Christmas’ promise? WRITER: ( cringing ) Stop. SHEEP #2: You are the Queen of insincere promises. WRITER: But it’s spring. Aren’t I allowed a touch of spring fever? SHEEP #1: You’ve had it. WRITER: When? SHEEP #1: The ‘ahem’ debacle. WRITER: Tha...

That's me in a big way this year. You see, I've signed up for the Blogging from A to Z Challenge . Along with 2,000+ other bloggers - yes, more than 2,000! - I'll be blogging daily starting with the letter A prompt and ending with Z at the end of the month. Why do something like this? Well, the best way to boost your blog traffic and get notice from search engines is to post meaningful content on your blog regularly over an extended period of time. This is proven. The blog I'm working with was created to support a book title, the first in a trilogy, and deals with environmental themes, as well as murder and romance. So my goal going through the alphabet will include topics I might be writing about in the series. I'll also be reporting my daily word counts and hope interaction with other A to Z bloggers will inspire me, and maybe even garner a few new friends. Are any of you reading this post planning to join the A to Z venture? What is your blogging focus...

Writers search for the ‘right’ names for the people who populate their books (or, they should!). There are many resources available for finding everyday names, of course. At the foot of this post you’ll find a suggested list; but wait a moment before you drop down there. Why? Because here I want to invite you to consider the naming of characters living in invented worlds. Fantasy, of whatever sub-genre, generally requires names that aren’t in common use. Read any epic fantasy and you’ll find it brimming with constructed names, some memorable and others that ought never to have been forced onto the reading public. In fantasy, perhaps more than any other genre, it’s essential to invent names that don’t appear in other books, otherwise readers may associate your masterpiece with the work of another author. But, how to do it? How do you ‘invent’ names? For me, the most important aspect is the ‘mood’ or ‘feel’ of the work. When preparing the background for my fantasy A...

We’ve followed the multi-talented Kathryn Craft through the engaging and triumphant story of her journey from pitch to traditionally published book (which is doing fantastically well – congratulations, Kathryn). Now it’s my turn to count down to publication, with my about-to-be-self-published book, Madison Lane and the Wand of Rasputin . Thirty-four days to publication date: 1st of May (draft cover)  Why Self-Publishing? (I promise this wasn't intended as a follow-up to Stephen Tremp's excellent guest post yesterday.) I started and finished the first draft of Maddie (I nickname all my books for easier reference) while I was pregnant with my second child, more for the sense of achievement than anything else. I wrote it knowing that I would be shelving it for about two years before I would be able to begin the process of finding an agent and a publisher for it – because, with my time and energy focused on two small children, the likelihood of blowing deadlines and...

Now that I have completed a trilogy of 325,000 words, I’m reflecting on what just happened while wondering what direction I need to move forward. I chose to self-publish mainly because I keep 100 percent of royalties while maintaining control over the content and cover art. I also maintain the rights. It’s a passion thing, not a money thing, although I do like money. For my initial launch into writing, publishing, and promoting I had to do it myself. And now that the trilogy is completed, at least the writing and publishing part, I feel great. Like I accomplished something similar to scaling a high mountain or running the Boston Marathon. Accomplishments to Date:  My first two books, Breakthrough and Opening, have been sold in Borders Books and Barnes & Noble bookstores in every major city from Los Angeles to Boston. I’ve had over 10,000 in sales and downloads. Moving Forward: The cover art is not a maker or breaker though. Neither is keeping all th...

Photo courtesy of stock.xchng Hello, dearies! After a touch of R&R, I’m back for a bit of Q&A. It seems that a dear friend is at a loss; she’s come up against a crop of royal characters and is anxious to ensure that there’s no mix-up between Queens and queens. Off we go to the CMOS, trailing our cloth of gold behind us. When dealing with titles and offices, the general rule is that “civil, military, religious, and professional titles are capitalized when they immediately precede a personal name and are thus part of the name.” There are, naturally, exceptions to this; after all, people have been known to wear white after Labor Day. It stands to reason that the world of writing has few hard-and-fast rules. For the time being, we’ll stick with the use of royal titles. If you’re using the word alone, such as the queen of Denmark or the sharif of Mecca, you may omit the capital. But , when used as a title, these same words “form an integral and … permanent part of a...

Sending out your work without a careful edit is as unthinkable as sending your daughter to the prom in her nightgown and slippers. But it may be a challenge to find exactly the right editor, especially when you're just starting out. That's why the Story Circle Network created its Editorial Service. Story Circle has vetted each editor and stands behind her work. You can trust her to be reliable, efficient, and thoughtful-exactly the kind of editor every writer wants and needs. --Susan Wittig Albert , bestselling author and founder of the Story Circle Network -- So, you've worked hard on that article, short story, book of poems, memoir, or novel. You've taken Anne Lamott's advice and sat down every day and written your story, bit by bit, bird by bird. Some days your fingers moved like lightning across the keyboard; on others, you spent more time gazing out the window wondering what it would be like to be on a beach in the Caribbean, far away from a computer scre...

Many writers like to do a character profile before they write the story. You can also create one as you go along. It’s handy to keep track of small details like hair and eye color, relationship to other characters, etc. But it can also help establish a backstory—the character(s) personality, motivation, quirks, philosophies, and why he/she might act a certain way when confronted with an obstacle. Along with the name, age, and birthplace, here are some characteristics you might want to think about: · Physical description (any scars, a limp, etc?) · Family background: (financial & social status, get along w/parents etc.?) · Occupation: · Hobbies: · Marital Status/children/pets? · Moral standards: · Extrovert or introvert? · Taste in music, books, food: · Character traits (strongest and weakest): · Philosophy of life: And digging a little deeper to help with your plotline: · Wha...

14:46 Edinburgh (Regent Road) to Stirling bus station via Kirkliston, Bridgend, Linlithgow and Polmont Photo by Ingy the Wingy , via Flickr If you’ve ever taught high-school English, you’re familiar with the time-honored dictum that characters reveal themselves through (1) what they do; (2) what they say; and (3) what other characters say about them. This article is concerned with Item 2. You can tell us – in detail – what a character looks like. You can even tell us what kind of voice a character has (squeaky, gruff, sexy, etc.). But the single biggest challenge for the writer is the question: how much information can you convey about a given character on the strength of dialogue alone? Ideally, your readers should be able to distinguish which character is speaking on the strength of diction, grammar, and syntax, and speech mannerisms indicative of age, gender, and cultural background. To illustrate the point, I’ve prepared two sample scripts. Conversation One: I wa...

Last month, our theme was sex and romance. I was talking about the 12 Steps to Intimacy which romance author Linda Howard adapted from Desmond Morris's book, Intimate Behaviour . There wasn't enough room for all 12 steps in that post, so I'm continuing them here. If you missed that first post, you can find it here . However, if you missed that post, then you missed the link to the foundations for human sexual behavior, so you might want to start here . A quick recap of the steps, for those who simply want a refresher without the details: 1. Eye to Body 2. Eye to Eye 3. Voice to Voice 4. Hand to Hand 5. Arm to Shoulder 6. Arm to Waist Moving on to the last 6 steps: 7. Mouth to mouth Kissing. The first kiss is a milestone in any romance novel. Both parties are vulnerable. Look at the romance books you've read and see how many of these 'first kiss' encounters are cut short. The author is creating tension by pulling the characters apart. How is the...

Right, writers - here is your reminder to move and stretch your bodies so your dedication to your craft doesn't end up causing you physical pain. Here's a video chosen by our Style Maven to make it easy for you to get moving: And some previous yoga- and exercise-related posts you might want to browse through: Stretch Your Body To Revive Your Writer Mind I've Got My Eye on You  

To be successful, ghostwriters must be more than good writers. We also have to be part therapist, part marketer, part bartender, and part busybody. Ghostwriters have to ask a lot of questions. During my association with a client, I ask hundreds of questions, many of which arise spontaneously during conversation. But I have some standard questions that I almost always begin with. Here are ten of them: 1. Who are your desired readers? (Do NOT let them get away with answering “everyone.”) Be as specific as possible. 2. What do you want your readers to learn? Why don’t they know this already? Why would they want to learn it? Why wouldn’t they want to learn it? 3. How do you want your reader to feel? What emotions do you want to awaken, and why is it important to you that they feel this? 4. What is the purpose of this book? Make money? Educate? Entertain? Save the world? 5. What are the hot buttons, hot topics, or controversies in your subject? If there is a lot ...

March is the month of whimsies, contrasts, and change. Consider the Ides of March, the day Julius Caesar was murdered in 44 B.C. Contrast that with the merriment of St. Patrick’s Day just 48 hours later, when liquid spirits flow freely and the “wearin’ o’ the green” identifies those of proud Irish descent worldwide. What about the weather? In Colorado, March can send six inches of snow to cover the ground one day and melt it with sixty degree temperatures the next. In several areas of the country, early-blooming perennials peek through the ground, only to be snowed upon or frozen before they have a chance to blossom forth in all their glory. Whether it comes in and goes out like a lion or lamb, only one thing is certain: March is most predictable in its unpredictability. What does March teach us about writing? First, we are inspired not to write predictable stories. (Can “predictable” be a synonym for “boring”?) While groundwork for events that affect our characters needs...

Platform One at Minehad Railway Station Photo by Ross Hawkes , via Flickr. One thing that agents and acquiring editors often look for is whether the author has a platform.   Exactly what a platform is can cause people to stutter while trying to explain the term. Some say it means you have a cause. Your book is about curing cancer. Or your protagonist is a recovering alcoholic. Or … you have something to talk about that might get you publicity. Even more so, if you yourself have conquered cancer or been sober for twenty years.   Some think it means that your book touches on a topic that is hot, like the politics in the Middle East or the two lovers end up together because of their work on global warming. Because those topics are relevant, you could get on talk shows. Although all of that would most likely be a help in promoting your book and can be part of a platform, it’s not really THE platform. Your platform is your ability to get publicity and sell your book. ...

Ladies and gentlemen, and all the little children we pretend we wouldn't rather be sometimes, it is once again time to throw off the shackles of responsibility and deadlines and marketing and all that other stuff we writers have to do and just have fun. In recognition of the brutal winter we have all suffered through, I thought we'd start with a joke about the weather. Image Courtesy of StayForeverCrossFit.com In B.C . by Mastroianni and Hart, B.C. peeks out of his cave and sees that it is raining, so he goes back inside to get an umbrella. Then the rain stops and he comes out to see that the sun is shining, so he closes the umbrella and takes it back into the cave, coming back out with fishing pole in his hand. Then it starts to snow, which has him go back into the cave and emerge later with a pair of skis. Now the snow has stopped, and the sun is back out, so he once again goes into the cave, coming out with a golf club. As he steps out of the cave, the snow starts agai...