A Writer Writes . . . Sometimes

Born to Write?

2012-01-30T23:46:00.000-08:00

"Each of us has been designed for one of two immortal functions, as either a storyteller or as a cross-legged listener to tales of wonder, love and daring."

Bryce Courtenay

(contemporary, best-selling author in Australia www.brycecourtenay.com/ )

I agree with this statement. I have found, though, that I also enjoy being the listener, or the reader. Storytelling started around the campfires right after language became useful. I can see in my mind, primitive folks way back then, who probably did a mime type storytelling we would think of as charades.

Remembering

2012-01-23T23:51:00.000-08:00

"It's a poor sort of memory that only works backward."

Lewis Carroll

Alice laughed. "There's no use trying," she said: "one can't believe impossible things."
"I daresay you haven't had much practice," said the Queen. "When I was your age, I always did it for half-an-hour a day. Why, sometimes I've believed as many as six impossible things before breakfast."
(Through the Looking Glass, Chapter 5)

Writing fantasy tends to open your mind to remembering things that haven't quite happened yet and believing impossible things quite easily.

Now see? If you believed that statement in any way, shape, or form, you have proven it.

Who is your Internal Editor?

2012-01-21T16:05:00.000-08:00

The one thing I have learned about editing over the years is that you have to edit and publish out of your own tastes, enthusiasms, and concerns, and not out of notions or guesswork about what other people might like to read.--

Norman Cousins

(June 24, 1915 – November 30, 1990) was an American political journalist, author, professor, and world peace advocate.

I remember Mr. Cousins mostly for his practical use of this verse: A merry heart does good, like medicine, But a broken spirit dries the bones. Proverbs 17:22
You can read about that adventure here: The Healing Power of Laughter

Experienced writers seek more knowledge, better understanding of how techniques work, and how to put them together to write more affectively. In order to maintain your own "Voice" as a writer, these cerebral influences have to be relegated to the background so a writer can just write.

Novice writers do need to absorb as much information about the skill of writing as they can. But as they practice the craft, ultimately it must be their skill, their craft, their "take" on life and how they want to express the important truths in their fiction.

Again we must say, "Write what is on your heart, and write to an audience of One." You prepare to write your story by mastery of the art. You prepare to write to your audience by being in tune with the One.

Success

2012-01-19T11:52:00.000-08:00

"Of course there is no formula for success except perhaps an unconditional acceptance of life and what it brings."

Arthur Rubinstein (January 28, 1887 – December 20, 1982) was a Polish-American classical pianist who received international acclaim for his performances of the music of a variety of composers; many regard him as the greatest Chopin interpreter of the century. He is widely considered one of the greatest classical pianists of the twentieth century. Wikipedia

I like this quote. Success, in my mind, is not what other people count as noteworthy, but what God blesses. Small acts of kindness, large commitments to the betterment of others, everyday determination to follow Christ, and the realization that life is lived with more than the accolades of others, but also, the silliness of not taking yourself seriously.

Success is acknowledging Who is the Author and Finisher of our work.

Hebrews 12:2

"looking unto Jesus, the author and finisher of our faith, who for the joy that was set before Him endured the cross, despising the shame, and has sat down at the right hand of the throne of God."

Jane Austen and I agree

2012-01-17T15:27:00.000-08:00

"Let other pens dwell on guilt and misery."

Jane Austen

When I pick up a book to read, I don't want to suffer along with the downtrodden. I don't want to sludge through the mires of mankind.
I want to laugh. I want to look at the glass half full, and I get very impatient with people who are trying to pound it into my head that the glass is half empty.
Yes, I have read some heartrending fiction. I cry easily when the plot takes me to an emotional pothole. But by and large, I don't want to DWELL on gloom, despair, and agony. The brooding hero doesn't get much sympathy from me.
And therefore, when I write, I write what I would like to read. One parent gave me one of the best compliments I have ever had. She said she trusted me because even though I took her children to a dark place, she knew I would not leave them there.

Writing Advice from CS Lewis

2012-01-17T08:40:00.000-08:00

In 1959, an American schoolgirl appealed to C. S. Lewis for writing advice, and he sent her a list of eight rules for good writing: Always write (and read) with the ear, not the eye. You shd. hear

1. Turn off the radio [and television].

2. Read good books and avoid most magazines.

3. Write with the ear, not the eye. Make every sentence sound good.
4. Write only about things that interest you. If you have no interests, you won't ever be a writer.
5. Be clear. Remember that readers can't know your mind. Don't forget to tell them exactly what they need to know to understand you.
6. Save odds and ends of writing attempts, because you may be able to use them later.
7. You need a well-trained sense of word-rhythm, and the noise of a typewriter will interfere.
8. Know the meaning of every word you use.

Source: C. S. Lewis. Collected Letters. New York: Harcourt, Brace and World, 1966, 291-292. Quoted in Kathryn Lindskoog, Creative Writing for People Who Can't Not Write. Grand Rapids, Michigan: Zondervan Publishing House, 1989, 253. not sound nice, try again.

Let it go

2012-01-11T22:13:00.000-08:00

"Kipling believed that the author's intent is the least important aspect. What is important is that the author create his work. The later interpretation of it has nothing to do with him, being entirely in the hands of the reader."
Jorge Luis Borges (a prolific writer from Argentine, essayist, poet and translator born in Buenos Aires. His work embraces the "character of unreality in all literature." He dabbled in everything from poetry to photography.

Borges makes clear a concept that is sometimes hard for an author to accept. Once your thoughts are formed into to words, the words are put on paper, and a random reader takes up the book, the author is no longer in control of his work. All written communication is at the mercy of the interpreter. This is a good and a bad thing.
The writer must represent many things to produce meaning in the readers' minds, and feel confident enough to allow the reader to claim the images evoked and shape them to his own understanding.

To say windmill might bring up the image of an old wooden contraption on an dilapidated farm. Or, windmill might be visualized as rows and rows of tall, sleek steel generating energy on a wind farm.

^{When the reader is allowed to bring his own memories and experiences to a book, he or she}^{invests in the story. The consumption of the book is a more satisfying adventure.}
^{A good description is only specific enough to make parameters for the reader to use in constructing his own image of the scene.}

Analysis paralysis

2012-01-10T19:06:00.000-08:00

One of my writer friends introduced me to this term. It occurs when a writer becomes bound up in rules and can't write. As Mae West said, "I like restraint, if it doesn't go too far."

So know the rules so your story structure supports your tale.

Description

2012-01-07T14:34:00.000-08:00

"Good writing is supposed to evoke sensation in the reader - not the fact that it is raining, but the feeling of being rained upon."
E.L. Doctorow (American author, with a long list of awards and accomplishments)

This is one of my favorite quotes about description. When the author uses more than just the sense of sight to describe a setting the problem of the reader being on the outside looking in disappears.

Write Good! er, um, well

2012-01-05T14:42:00.000-08:00

"There is only one way to defeat the enemy, and that is to write as well as one can."
Saul Bellow Jewish-American author, who won the Nobel Prize. Jewish Virtual Library

This quote can cover lots of territory. Out of context, we don't know who the enemy is.
Who? Our critics, reviewers with a tendency toward sadistic literary knife twisting? Definitely, superior writing will put them in their place.
This cartoon is a good example of writing well. The point is made through sarcasm. Words count, but must be written with care to actually express an idea.

Or could the enemy be someone against what we hold dear? Does the enemy undermine the American dream? Thomas Paine used writing to communicate the ideas of the Revolution to common farmers as well as to intellectuals, using words to stir the hearts of the leaders and followers of the Revolution. But Thomas Paine espoused a deist's anger against God and the Bible in later tracts.
So the enemy might be a good person with a concept that does not glorify God. A bludgeon does nothing to change one's opinion, but carefully crafted words can. It behooves us to write well when we wish to influence our readers to ponder the things of God.

Writing well is a worthy goal.

Perseverence and Discernment

2012-01-03T11:35:00.000-08:00

"Just keep writing. Your perfect beginning is probably right ahead of you."
Johanna Harness (writer of YA fiction)

I very often use the very first line I type into the blank document, but rework the other lines on the front page until the mix is just right. I've never dropped the whole first chapter or any substantial chunk of writing. Jumping into the middle of the action helps avoid the need to lop off the beginning. The "action" does not have to be a high-speed car chase. The action is more likely to be an embodiment of the main character's normal life.
I know many authors who write in speed mode to get thoughts on paper. They feel that the pages they discard were valuable in getting into their characters' heads, the scene, and the tone of the book.

Wow! It looks like I didn't write at all in 2011.

2012-01-02T12:08:00.000-08:00

Of course, that is not true. I did write, but I was handicapped by a bunch of physical things. Bah! Bad Body, bad! I will attempt to do better in 2012. Occasionally I will have something from my daily writing, but there might be other material here as well.

For instance, I recommend this book Seize the Story by Victoria Hanley. It is a Handbook for Teens who like to Write. Her website is Victoria Hanley . I gave this book as a Christmas present to one of my young friends.
So, it looks like I will occasionally mention books I've read. You can go to my book list to see a number of books I have liked. I no longer put number ratings on the books. I know many of these authors and they are all five star people.
I love writer quotes:
"There is no way of writing well and also of writing easily."
Anthony Trollope (24 April 1815 – 6 December 1882) was one of the most successful, prolific, and respected English novelists of the Victorian era.
More info: A.T. Overview
Trollope treated literature as a trade and wrote by the clock. No author has been more methodical. He was prolific and astute in depicting those he rubbed elbows with. I confess I have never read a whole book by A.T., but I have seen the BBC works based on his writing.

Here's to a new year! I pray for productivity in 2012. Good health to you and wise decisions.

Transition

2010-09-15T20:26:00.000-07:00

finished Chapter 32!: 66,730 word count

Writing Tip: transition.
Effie has been under the barrage of several conflicting emotions as she talks to Old One. Quite suddenly she wants to change the subject and she says:
"Is Orli better this morning?"
But the shift is too sudden. The reader might get whiplash. So, I put an action tag before the dialog line.

Fleeing the emotions that confused her, she sought another subject. “Is Orli better this morning?”

Back on Track Again

2010-09-09T22:31:00.000-07:00

chapter 31; 64,919 word count

Writing Tip: I'm not one to say that you have to eliminate all -ly words, but it is good to limit them.

No words came from His mouth, but still she heard Him gently command.
Edited:
No word came from His mouth, but still she heard His gentle command.

How easy was that!

Back on Track

2010-09-06T19:19:00.000-07:00

Starting Chapter 32; 64,813 word count

I guess it is pretty obvious that I have been under the weather. Puniness comes at the most inconvenient times. I wonder if I could truly be allergic to the last third of any book I am writing, or I'm a hypochoncriac. Or perhaps, I don't eat and sleep as i should and my body gets out of whack.

Writing Tip: Take care of yourself! You can't think creatively when all you want to do is sleep and drink something very hot for your throat and then something very cold for your throat.

Naming Characters

2010-08-28T13:11:00.000-07:00

This is a great place to find names:

http://www.funpetnames.com/cool-pet-names.html

-ing

2010-08-18T12:45:00.000-07:00

finished chapter 28; 58,543 word count

Writing Tip: a string of words ending in -ing really messes with the rhythm of a sentence. I even try not to have two in a row.
Example from today's writing:
"Are you proposing organizing the little band?"
Rewrite:
"Are you proposing to organize the little band?"

think, thank, thunk

2010-08-13T09:34:00.000-07:00

Finished chapter 25; 51817 word count

Writing Tip: Occasionally similar words will show up in a sentence and although they are not incorrect, they have an awkward sound to them. (One of the reasons for reading your work aloud.)

Original: He didn't want her to think he thought she was oddly dressed.

Revised:
He didn’t need her to misconstrue his opinion. Effie wore odd combinations, but she managed to look comfortable, not self-conscious.

Writing Tools

2010-08-09T12:07:00.000-07:00

Finished chapter 23, 47,714 word count

Writing Tip: I use YWriter5. You can get a free download from spacejock.com.
Here are some of the features as listed on the website:
"Organise your novel using a 'project'.
Add chapters to the project.
Add scenes, characters, items and locations.
Display the word count for every file in the project, along with a total.
Saves a log file every day, showing words per file and the total. (Tracks your progress)
Saves automatic backups at user-specified intervals.
Allows multiple scenes within chapters
Viewpoint character, goal, conflict and outcome fields for each scene.
Multiple characters per scene.
Storyboard view, a visual layout of your work.
Re-order scenes within chapters.
Drag and drop of chapters, scenes, characters, items and locations.
Automatic chapter renumbering. "
The reason it is so valuable to me is my many weird names need a central place of registry, so when I'm writing chapter 23, I can go back a find out how to spell that thingymajiggy I mentioned in chapter 3. Today I couldn't remember the name of a village. I am so glad I did't have to look through pages of manuscript.

Do you have a program you use? How about sharing what it is and why you like it?

Getting rid of "wases"

2010-07-31T15:25:00.001-07:00

Polished Ch. 18; 38,570 word count; Yeah! passed 200th page in the manuscript.

Writing Tip: You don't have to get rid of all wases, but too many wases on a page of your manuscript hurts the narrative. Wases can be used more in dialogue, because that's the way people talk. If you have wases in your narrative and your dialogue, your reader can become over-wased quickly. And it is so hard to get rid of them. (If it is hard to get rid of them, and your rearranged sentence is twisted beyond comprehension, just leave the was in.)

The square of cloth he wanted to use was in the breast pocket of his jacket, which hung on the back of a chair clear across the kitchen.

To fix, pick a different subject and give him something to do with the original subject.
Original subject: square
Original verb: was
Revised subject: he
Revised verb: tucked

He’d tucked the square of cloth he wanted to use in the breast pocket of his jacket, which hung on the back of a chair clear across the kitchen.

Checking Facts

2010-07-27T09:51:00.000-07:00

finished ch 18; 35,545 word count

Writing Tip: In today's chapter, one of the characters fell on a sharp object. I had the poor thing suffering from a severed artery. After some consideration, I realized that wouldn't do. She'd bleed out before I could get her help. And severed is a pretty strong word, implying completely cut through. So I deleted and changed it to nicked an artery. Still very bloody, but fixable with what the other character had at his disposal.
Think through the consequences of injuries and make the scenario from start to finish plausible.

Hurrray!

2010-07-21T16:11:00.000-07:00

Finished chapter 17; 33,391 word count
Writers Tip: Celebrate! Writing can be lonesome, discouraging, frustrating, and non-profitable, to name just a few of the negatives that authors put up with. It is important to celebrate, enjoy each turn of phrase that is particularly appropos. Celebrate the end of a chapter. Some days you may have to celebrate the end of a paragraph. Celebrate when you character displays amazing insight, fortitude, intelliect, or discernment. Celebrate rejection letters that are from a real person, not just a copied check list that indicates your work does not fit their current needs.

Today I am celebrating being one-third done. I passed the 33,333 word in chapter 17.

Hurray!

Loooooooong sentences!

2010-07-19T11:46:00.000-07:00

Finished CH. 16; 31,375 word count

Writing Tip: I have a rule of thumb. If a sentence spills over to three lines of manuscript, it is too long. (I use Courier New because I can read it comfortably. For those who use Times New Roman, which is all scrunched up, you would have to make that all of two lines.)
From today's chapter:

Bealomondore and Efficinderpart poured over the journals the next morning, while they waited for Laddin to come back with news of a house that might supply their daggart-making needs.

The fix is almost too simple and requires one less word a period and a capital, not at all arduous labor:
Bealomondore and Efficinderpart poured over the journals the next morning. They waited for Laddin to come back with news of a house that might supply their daggart-making needs.

One of the things I'm fond of is having my manuscript read aloud so I can hear it. Those long sentences require readers with great lung power. Even when read silently those whopping long sentences tax the brain. Most readers read to relax. So be easy on those who pick up your book and chop the behemoth wordage into easy chunks to conquer.

Lay, Lie

2010-07-17T12:30:00.000-07:00

Finished 15; 29,218 word count.

Writing Tip: I had this sentence in my chapter.
“If he’s going to go to sleep, he has to lay down. Make him lay down.”
There was a green squiggly under the first lay, so I changed it to lie, and my computer was happy. Then I came to the second lay and saw no green squiggly. What's the difference? I confess that lie and lay, set and sit challenge me. I finally got a hold of set and sit, but lie and lay? Oh brother, can I rewrite the sentence so I'm not using either?
Here are two sites that help with this kind of problem: English Plus
and Grammar Girl, Quick and Dirty Tips
English Plus says: Lay is something you do to something else. It is a transitive verb. My characters are going to make him lay down, so I guess that qualifie. Although I might argue that it is the verb make that is transitive. In the long run, I don't know for sure, and that makes me very grateful for copy editors who understand this sort of thing.

PS The consensus of my writing friends is that the second lay should be lie as well.

Repetition, good or bad?

2010-07-15T08:12:00.000-07:00

finished 14, which was a really fun chapter; 27,346 word count

Writing Tip: In this chapter I had one character echo what was said by another character in a previous chapter. In the first, Bealomondore asked, "Do you know what I would like to do?" In this chapter, Efficinderpart asks the same exact question. Why does this work? These two characters are becoming friends. The repetition of the question establishes that they are beginning to feel a connection, they can banter, one recognizes the other will see this as an "inside" joke.

Repetition of a preposition idea:
The book landed flat and poofed the old flour up into the air.
Not good.

Repetition of a word:
He crouched as he approached the door. Effie also stooped as came to the door. Tak and Airon stayed at the back door and kept their eyes on the alley. Bealomondore manipulated the large dead bolt.

He crouched as he approached the door. Effie also stooped as she joined him. Tak and Airon stayed at the back and kept their eyes on the alley. Bealomondore manipulated the large dead bolt.

And . . .

2010-07-14T17:01:00.000-07:00

One of the worst things that can happen to an author is the incomplete thought that often comes up in conversation with a new acquaintance and then gets interrupted.
Friend: Let me introduce you to Donita K. Paul, she goes to our church and writes dragon books.
Strange look comes over new acquaintance's face. Could be interpreted as "I've never seen her in church." or "Aren't dragons evil?" or "Where have I heard that name?" Just a strange look that makes the author feel unsettled.
Friend: My teen loves her books, and I confess, I read them too and sent them to my Dad to read."
NA: another strange look.
Friend: We have them in the church library. DragonSpell, DragonQuest, DragonThis, DragonThat.
NA: nods in recognition. "Yes, I've read some of those."
Now the subject changes. Topic of books drops like a lead balloon. Did NA like the books? Did she burn them as sacrilege in her barbeque pit? Maybe her teen saw her reading one and confiscated it. We can always hope for that one. Maybe her teen wrote a scathing review anonymously on Amazon.com. Let's not hope for that one.
My plea: If you tell an author you read her book, please say it with a smile so if your conversation gets interrupted, the author walks away with the hope that you liked her work.

It, that, them, and so on

2010-07-11T22:09:00.000-07:00

finished Chapter 13; 24,810 word count

Writing Tip: Avoid indiscriminate pronouns. These are place holders for better nouns most of the time. This principle should be used in the same way that the admonition not to use -ly words is used. In other words, know the rule, follow it mostly, but don't go quackers trying to avoid them.
Example from today's writing:
“Every minor dragon collects information from the people around them. They collect songs as well as musical history. You might have heard the other verses, and they were buried in your brain. In that case, she dug them out. Or she recognized something she had learned somewhere else and remembered it.”

“Every minor dragon collects information from the people around them. Singing dragons collect songs as well as musical history. You might have heard the other verses, and the lyrics were buried in your brain. In that case, she dug the words out. Or she recognized something she had learned somewhere else and mined the information she had stored.”

A Promise

2010-07-09T17:53:00.000-07:00

Finished 12 and started 13; 22,937 word count

Writing Tip: I dropped a figurative time bomb on the reader. Bealomondore is talking to Effie:

" . . . And Lady Peg gave me a word to describe liars who mean no harm.”
“Liars that mean no harm?”
“When you meet Lady Peg, you will understand. She has a very unique perception of the world.”

Now that is an intriguing comment, meant to arouse the reader's curiosity. But the conversation goes off on a tangent (an important tangent. Never wasite dialog on the inane.) Several pages later, the riddle is explained. The original tease was a promise to the reader. I, as the author, have made a non-verbal agreement to answer the questions that the teaser raised in the reader's mind. If I do not fulfil the promise, then I have broken something precious between author and reader. If this happens often, the reader will not be interested in the next book. She has learned that reading my work results in a multitude of minor irritations. Who wants to spend time with someone who constantly disappoints.

Typos

2010-07-08T20:28:00.000-07:00

Finished 11; 21,153 word count

Writing Tip: My particular goof ups saw the light of day in today's writing. The thing with typos is that each writer has his/her own list of frequent foul-ups. Mine are our for out, and for an, and of for off or off for of. And you know spell checker doesn't catch that kind of error. But if you know your particular foibles, you are more likely to catch them on the re-read. And if you read a scene several days later, you are even more likely to see them.

Learning Opp

2010-07-06T12:57:00.000-07:00

Check out his website: http://www.jamesscottbell.com/

Author of legal suspense and How-to books on the craft of writing. Jim is one of my favorite speakers. I have learned so much from his lectures. And now there is a chance for you to benefit from his teaching, too.

James Scott Bell will be doing a series of
webinars for Writer's Digest this month. The first is on structure:

http://www.writersdigestshop.com/product/wgf-build-solid-story-structure-webinar/r=wdjfbl062710%5BY0351%5D-%5Btweets%5D ersdigestshop.com/product/wgf-build-solid-story-structure-webinar/r=wdjfbl062710%5BY0351%5D-%5Btweets%5D

Ellipsis or Emdash

2010-07-05T20:05:00.000-07:00

finished chapter 10; 19,279 word count

Writing tip: Ellipsis are those three little periods that take he place of words. To make them space out when you are using word, you must type space period space period space period, or the dots scrunch up when you hit the space bar after the last period. I don't like mine scrunched up.
Emdash is a dash that is as wide as the letter m. Endash is the one that is as wide as the letter n.
Endashes are also called hyphens. And Emdash is used in dialogue when the person speaking is cut off. And abrupt ending in other words.
Ellipsis are used when the person's speech trails off.
I didn't use any emdashes today, but I did use ellipses.

Examples:

“Is she . . .?’

She nodded. “Did you know they have . . .accidents?”

Stuck!

2010-07-03T19:25:00.000-07:00

Finally finished Ch 9; 17,160 word count

Writing Tip: I don't really believe in writer's block. I get stuck, but I tend to think it is because of character flaws. Not the characters in my book, but flaws in me. Procrastination, laziness, distractibility, aversion to work. Anyway, when I do find myself wasting time and not "getting on with it," I close my eyes and watch the scene in my mind as if it were a movie. That usually gets me revved up again.

Just Talking

2010-07-02T09:24:00.000-07:00

Finished Chapter 9; 16,140 word count

Writing Tip: In Donald Maass's book Fire in Fiction, he talks abou clean, precise dialog that is stripped of attributes and action tags. Sometimes this is a very effective way to deliver conversation between two characters.
Example from Dragons of the Watch:

Bealomondore shook his head, agreeing.
“How old are they?” asked Effie. “Do you know?”
“They are all six, every last one of them.”
“Six?”
“Six.”
“So someone has been feeding them for six years.”
“No.”
“No?”
“I have found documents in the library, written by hand, probably by Old One. Rumbard City is under some kind of wizardry.

Point of View

2010-06-29T08:07:00.000-07:00

Started chapter 8; 14,053

Writing tip: POV is Point of View. This means that everything in the scene is presented by the POV character and anything the POV C cannot see or experience cannot be used. If another character is hidden, perhaps eavesdropping on the conversation, the POV C does not point him out. Unless, of course, he discovers him.
Here is a POV adjustment in editing today's work.
Example:
He reached to open the lid and laughed again when Efficinderpart peered over the tumanhofer's shoulder while the goat tried to push between him and the box.

He reached to open the lid and laughed again when Efficinderpart peered over his shoulder while the goat tried to push between him and the box.

Bealomondore (the "he" in this sentence and also the POV C) would not think about his shoulder as the tumanhofer's shoulder. He would think of it as his shoulder.

Action Tags

2010-06-27T10:55:00.000-07:00

finished Ch. 7; 12,875 word count

Writing Tip: We use action tags to give rhythm to dialogue. The tags can slow the rhythm or speed it up. In the original writing, I used asked and said, which are almost invisible to the reader. The brain registers the word and the meaning, but doesn't conjure up an image like another word, say, "hollyhocks." (he said, she said, he asked, she asked are called dialog tags or attributions)

Effie asked, “Is it safe?”
“Yes, they’ve gone for noonmeal," said Bealomondore. "Hand me the goat."

But when the author wants the reader to visualize, some cues are needed. These cues or action tags also help creat the pace and rhythm. The best way to catch this and pinpoint a need is to read aloud. I read everything aloud or have it read to me.

Revised lines: Effie grabbed his coat sleeve. “Is it safe?”
“Yes, they’ve gone for noonmeal.” He went over the edge and disappeared. She heard a thud and this his voice. “Hand me the goat.

Started to . . . Really?

2010-06-25T10:41:00.000-07:00

Finished Chapter 6; 11,284 word count

Writing Tip: This time the answer is "Yes. Really."

“Let’s go.” Bealomondore started to climb out of the drawer.
Effie grabbed his coat sleeve. “Is it safe?”

Started to and began to should only be used when the action will be disrupted.

Emote, Not You, But Your Character

2010-06-23T19:12:00.000-07:00

Finished Chapter 5; 10,335 word count

Writing tip: I editing this chapter I had to tackle pacing. In two places I hurried: the intro and the concluding paragraphs. In the opening, I went back and tapped into Effie's emotions to satisfy the reader's need to identify with what is going on. And lo and behold, the problem at the end was also skimming over my main character's reaction her plight. Remember emotion!

Alas, Alack, Summer is Too Full and Too Short

2010-06-19T08:41:00.000-07:00

Finished chapter 5: 9,405 word count

Now I have to get cracking. It is the middle of June. How'd that happen?

Writing Tip: Don't procrastinate. Don't visit a relative for a month. Don't get vertigo (This is a truely nauseating affliction.). Don't play or have fun in the sun.

Another Tip: I almost ended this chapter with my heroine making herself comfortable and going to sleep. Then I remembered authors should never end a chapter with everyone asleep unless there is a monster around to possibly disturb them and the reader knows this. So I made it morning and allowed her to wake up and get ready for the adventure ahead.
The reason we do this is so the reader, who is reading in bed, will not feel contented, turn out the light, and got to sleep too.
So now you know. Author deliberately try to keep their readers up unti the wee, small hours of the morning.

Syntax

2010-05-21T09:57:00.000-07:00

Finished chapter 4; 7,337 word count

Writing Tip: Varying the sentence structure keeps the reader interested and awake. Awake is very important. I do have a book by my bed that I read when I can't go to sleep. It cures insomnia.
Syntax (from American Heritage dictionary): The pattern of formation of sentences or phrases in a language.

Syntax has a great deal to do with your writing "voice."

Hemingway is never mistaken for William Faulkner because his syntax defined a different voice.

Example of varying syntax from Dragons of the Watch:
When she looked again, she saw that the eyes no longer blazed at her. The expression on the dragon's face was cold and unfeeling.

Better: The blazing eyes, on second examination, appeared glazed over, cold and unfeeling.

Best: On second examination, the blazing eyes appeared glazed over, cold and unfeeling.

Aha! parallel construction

2010-05-17T14:43:00.000-07:00

Working on chapter four; 6018 word count

Writing tip: Parallel construction just means that like verbs must be presented in like manner.

Example: A little breeze kicked up, and the mist swirled and eddied, clearing in some patches and stretched thin across others.

A little breeze kicked up, and the mist swirled and eddied, clearing in some patches and stretching thin across others.

Tighten. . . Tighter! . . . Got it!

2010-05-03T10:55:00.000-07:00

Almost finished with ch. 3; word count - 5,273

Writing Tip: Sometimes you want your work to feel loose, casual, meandering. Gentle words drifting around the point of view character's perception of the situation accentuates the readers' interpretation.
However, more often than we like, our writing benefits from precise execution of plot, setting, and character with fewer, straightforward words.

So we rewrite for tightness:
Effie placed a hand on her stomach that felt hollow.
Effie placed a hand on her hollow stomach.

Effie searched through the mess the ranger had made when he ransacked the house. While her hands worked to uncover the map, her mouth muttered descriptive words of the rogue ranger.
Effie searched the ransacked house. Outrage fueled her frenzied search. Epitaphs against the rogue ranger released her steaming frustration.

Best Writing Advice Ever

2010-05-02T22:53:00.000-07:00

Read what you want to write

and

write what you want to read.

Read Aloud

2010-04-30T09:39:00.000-07:00

I plotted and didn't get much written. One sentence is all I produced and that defines "didn't get much written."

Writing Tip: Actually, I worked on an article to submit to a homeschooling magazine. The article is on the importance of reading aloud to emergent readers. The sound of story is very important in developing that part of the brain that craves reading.

And that brings us to this writing tip. Not only do I read my chapters aloud, I have them read aloud to me. Hearing your story reveals two important things. The author hears mistakes in vocabulary, grammar, and syntax easier than when reading the material silently.
Second, the cadence of the language is more apparent. People say that "the narrative flows." This is akin to that nebulous thing people call "The Author's Voice." Largo, allegretto, messo di voce, and crescendo all describe dynamics and tempo for music. The dynamics and tempo of a written piece are important in the delivery of story. This integral part of emphasizing mood in your writing is there in print, but more easily recognized, and thereafter, fine-tuned when you hear the words.

Okay, all right, alright

2010-04-29T22:00:00.000-07:00

Finished Chapter 2; 4,121 word count

Writing Tip: Which word is correct for your story? Okay? All right? Alright?
I have no idea when people started saying okay. I could look it up, but never have because I use it in contemporary and not in historical. My fantasies tend to take place in a pre-industrial society, so I don't use okay in my fantasy character's speech.
There are dictionaries that tell you when a word began to pop up in a culture. So if you are writing a historical, check to see if words (not just okay) were being used back in the time which is part of the setting of your story..

Alright is colloquial and is okay for use in informal speech because we speak with less formality in most situations. The visual alright cues the reader of the relaxed nature of the interchange.

I can't bring myself to use alright, even in speech. Just fussy, I guess.

All right should be used at all times in narrative. (That's the bit between the bits of dialogue.)

Now how do you feel about the distinctions between the three words? Are you okay with this? Does it seem all right? "Alright, I guess you're good to go."

Language vs. Words

2010-04-28T15:32:00.000-07:00

Still on chapter 2

Writing Tip: As in most things in our lives, our writing must be balanced. The difference between journalistic writing and purple prose needs to be understood. Neither is suitable for storytelling. One is too stark, the other is too extravagant.
Words lined up to convey meaning is where we start, but the simple sentence is just the jumping off point. When creating literature, we stretch and create language expressive of mood and emotion. Language can compel change. Language can assuage guilt. Language can motivate or release an individual from striving, giving peace.
Language lifts the story rather than just relays the facts. Many people will tell you that the mastery of language is the accomplishment that infuses the narrative with voice.

Language that reveals life, truth, and beauty moves an ordinary piece of writing to classic stature.
Literature that sheds light on life exposes the relationship between the comparatively small package of one man's experience to the vast "big picture" of the universe.
Literature that simplifies a universal truth expands the understanding of the reader.
Literature that clarifies beauty amplifies what can be seen to what can be felt.

Words can convey a set of facts, but language interprets facts and raises the reader's awareness. Language speaks to the soul as well as the intellect.

And in the end, language that brings the reader to the point of sharing in the common experience of mankind (themes like love, hate, loss, faith, innocence and the loss of innocence) has a unique role in reminding God's creation that there is something beyond the here and now.

The story is important. The theme is important. The expression of your Christian worldview is important. Expressed in mere words, your rhetoric falls flat. Painted with the brush of masterful language, your message has wings.

"Press on."
Philippians chapter three

The $365 Writing Tip

2010-04-27T08:53:00.000-07:00

finished editing Chapter One of Dragons of the Watch. Plowing into Ch 2

Writing Tip: Some time ago, I went to a writers conference. It was a good writing conference, but honestly only one thing stood out as something new and startling in the realm of improving my craft. So I call this tip my $365 writing tip. That was the price of the conference.

We were going through a critique, and the instructor noticed a grammar error on one of the submissions. The sentence was something like this:

She ran through the underbrush avoiding the thickest tangle of vines that would trip her.

That sentence needs a comma. Where? Look for the first -ing word.

avoiding

What does the phrase beginning with avoiding modify? As it stands, avoiding modifies underbrush. Now here comes the $365 writing tip. I hope you have two thumbs, because you need them. Taking your thumbs and placing the left thumb before underbrush and the right thumb after avoiding, read what is in between. Between your two tumbs is "underbrush avoiding." Does it make sense? No. So you have to put a comma there. The comma signals the reader to apply this modifying phrase to a noun further back in the sentence, usually the subject. The sentence makes sense if "She" is the one "avoiding."

New sentence:

She saw him struggle to hold on with the rope slipping through his hands.

One thumb in front of rope and the other behind slipping.

rope slipping

Does the author really mean to say the rope is slipping through his hands? Yes! no comma!
If the words are meant to go together then don't separate them with a comma.

He ran into the station hoping to find one more person to help rescue the boy.

Thumbs in place?
Is the station hoping, or the subject "He" hoping? Building and hoping don't go together so separate them with a comma.

Several years later this thumb trick is the only thing I remember clearly about what I learned. I don't often forget the comma when it is needed, and I rarely put it in when the comma is not needed. I still think the writing tip was overpriced.

More "seemed to"

2010-04-26T07:52:00.000-07:00

finished edits on Two Tickets for a Christmas Ball. Working on chapter two of Dragons of the Watch

Writing Tips: If used in moderation, "seemed to" can be used in first person. But avoid using it because it is really telling.
He seemed dislike the flavor of the pudding.

vs

He put a big spoonful of Granny's bread pudding in his mouth. His eyes popped, his mouth screwed into a funny-looking twist, and tears flowed down his cheeks. Someone should have told him about the jalapenos.

Started to . . . Really?

2010-04-24T14:57:00.001-07:00

Still working on edits for Two Tickets to a Christmas Ball.

Writing tips: started to, began to, seemed to are all over used.
With started to and began to, you are implying that the action will be stopped.
He started to wash the car, but a a cloudburst put a stop to that.
If the action is not going to be interrupted then use the subject and the past tense of the verb.
He washed the car. The day was sunny and perfect.

Example: He began to explain why he was late, but his date shut the door in his face.
He explained why he was late and his date understood his dilemma.

Seemed to. Really? He seemed to grow in appreciation of the arts.
Well, did he, or didn't he?

She seemed to understand what had held him up.
Did she, or didn't she?

He seemed to be listening to her theory about microbionic soil, but then he poured his coffee into a bush.
The last one is acceptable, but don't pour your leftover coffee on plants. It will seem to kill them and they will begin to rot.

Edits!

2010-04-23T09:48:00.000-07:00

Just as I got started on Dragons of the Watch, I got the edits for Two Tickets to a Christmas Ball and Dragons of the Valley back from the editor. That means you go line by line and approve or disapprove of changes made. (Usually the changes are minor like caps and punctuation.) and there are some places where you actually re-write a paragraph or sentence for clarity. I always know what I mean, but sometimes the reader doesn't.

Writing tip: Avoid there is, there was, there were at the beginning of a sentence in your narrative. You can let them ride in dialogue, because people talk like that. But outside of dialogue, using there+to be verb is lazy writing.

Most often this blunder occurs in description:

There was a flowerpot teetering on the windowsill .

A flowerpot teetered on the windowsill.

There was a curl dangling over one ear.

A curl dangled over one ear.

There was an old sofa in the room, centered against the opposite wall.

Centered against the opposite wall, a sofa squatted as if it had been mashed into the floor by a hundred elephants.

The Beginning of a Novel

2010-03-23T23:09:00.000-07:00

finished chapter one; 1,806 word count

Writing Tip: I feel good. I finished the first chapter. I've introduced one of my main characters and her sidekick. I've established her "normal" world. I've indicated her immediate desire. And I've plopped in the inciting incident.
I probably should go back and put in a little more description of the characters.
I feel like saying check, check, check, check, and oops. But the oops doesn't bother me much. It's fixable. And now, NOW, I am excited about this adventure.

Goats

2010-03-22T12:30:00.000-07:00

The new book, Dragons of the Watch, has a goat in it. So how much do I know about goats. On a scale of one to ten, a low three. So I went to the Internet and read. Then I went to You Tube and watched goats. My next plan is to find the teen I know who raises pygmy goats and see if I can visit. I love this kind of research.

On to the next book

2010-03-19T13:51:00.000-07:00

This next book is Dragons of the Watch. I've started, but I only have around 500 words written.
I have to praise my crit group for keeping me from embarrassing myself. In the first few page they read, they called my attention to two names I'd chosen. In my ignorance, I didn't realize one was a euphemism of a cuss word and the other was slang for a sexual term. Oh dear, I am truly a sheltered grandma.

Where did it go?

2010-02-22T16:50:00.001-08:00

Last week I worked through my edit notes and made changes in my .doc. This morning I opened it and started reading. No changes. Hmmm? Okay, now I remember. I made a new file so I could keep the original to compare with the edited version. Where is it? Nowhere!
Thankfully, I just got an online back up program that will allow me to pick a day and restore that version. Ummm. What was the name of that program? Oh yeah! History. I pull down the history thingie and look through the websites I visited last week. There it is! I click. This is the sign up page. I've already signed up. How do I get to the page that isn't a sign up page? Found it. "My account." Phew! Email address; that's easy. Password? Um? probably used the bank password. Nope. maybe used the shopping password. Nope. Probably used my oldest password because I haven't used it for a while. Nope. Where's the button that says click here if you've forgotten your password? Don't see it. Where's support? Ahhhhhh. Ohhhhhh. You have to access your account before you can get into support. maybe I used one of the passwords backward. Aha! Thirty minutes later. Found this, which led to that. That is undecipherable. Found another this, and it also led to that. That still makes no sense. Found it! Found it! Found it! Won't open. Found support. Support leads to an endless scrolldown of FAQs and outlined step by step procedures, none of which sounds any more comprehensible than instructions for assembling an electric train set. Joy! Joy! Joy! found email to support. phrased question. Erased question. I sound like an idiot. Rephrased question. Erased question. I sound like someone trying to sound like he or she knows something when he or she does not. Rephrased question. pushed send before chance to erase was taken. now I am going to go look for our puppy we got for Christmas. Oh where oh where has my little dog gone. Oh where oh where can she be? Unless she'd been sucked into cyberspace and is residing in the computer, I'll find her.

Now What?

2010-02-21T19:54:00.001-08:00

When you are first writing to get published, the answer to this question is to send the manuscript off to likely publishers, then dive into your next project.

Fortunately, my next projects are lined up for me. I am doing an edit on Two Tickets to the Christmas Ball which is due to come out Oct. 10th. I suppose I should write about this process. There are many times when writing tips should come up naturally.

Done! Done! Happy Dance! Done!

2010-02-10T08:21:00.001-08:00

Ch 54 and epilogue done!!!; 93,890

Writers Tip: It is a good idea to put a manuscript away for a week to a month after completion, then take it out and read through with fresh eyes. Don't be alarmed when you first finish. Often your impression at the end of the long haul is that this is the worst thing you have ever written. After a break, you can be more objective.

Remaining in the Scene

2010-02-08T22:22:00.000-08:00

Finished 52: 91,990 word count

Writing Tip: Remember what the other players are doing. In this scene characters A and B are headed into a dangerous situation. Lots of action is going on around them. This is the battle. So, I have to get A and B from point one to point two without taking them out of the scene and setting them back down where I want them. They still have to be a part of the ongoing action. So, as they skulk along, they overhear enemy chatter, they watch a dragon fight in the sky, and they aid a fight going on by snatching a weapon from the bad guys, and eventually get to point two. Lots of fun, not boring, and feels realistic.

Realism

2010-02-07T15:16:00.000-08:00

Finished 51, started 52; 89,825 word count

Writing Tip: Remember these characters are not real people! I'm writing the battle scene and it is so very, very hard. Why? Because I don't want anyone to get hurt.

Rewriting for imagery

2010-02-06T11:41:00.000-08:00

Finished Ch. 50; 88,423 word count

Writing Tip: Evolution of a sentence:

The dark night whispered with chilly breezes.
Chilly breezes whispered in the dark night.
Chilly breezes whispered among the nearby bushes.
Chilly breezes whispered among huddled bushes.

Creative Paragraphing

2010-02-02T12:50:00.000-08:00

finished CH 49 again; word count 87,042

Writing Tip: In fiction, we can get away with re-writing some of the rules, some of the time. Not all the time, even though poet e.e. cummings did banish capital letters in his work. Sentence fragments are something that fiction writers can get away with. Again! only if they don't over do it.
So what is creative paragraphing? You may have already picked up the idea that it is breaking some rule. Right! To add emphasis, the sentences are listed instead of running along back to back.
This is The Grawl thinking:

So where were the statues? Where was their protector? The castle? The island? The mine?

But this is the same stream of questions in creative paragraphing:

So where were the statues? Where was their protector?
The castle?
The island?
The mine?

Short Sentences, Short Chapters

2010-01-31T22:38:00.000-08:00

Finished 49; 86,925 word count

Writing Tip: Fast action scene=short, clipped sentences with simple language. This syntax moves the reader forward in the same staccato rhythm of a boxing match. As I come to the climax of the book, I find myself with short chapters as well. In this instance, the brevity of the chapters, the short accounts of where the main characters are and the direction they are going lends an urgency to the writing.
Boy, I can't wait to find out what happens next.

Prepositional Phrases Proliferating - No! No!

2010-01-29T13:27:00.001-08:00

finished chapter 48; 85,597 word count

Writing Tip: When I present myself with a string of prepositional phrases, I know it is time to reword.

She tasted the breeze as well as luxuriated in the brush of warm wisps of breath on her skin.

Four prepositional phrases in a row are too many. Three is pushing the limit. This is the way I rewrote the sentence:

She tasted the breeze as well as luxuriated in the brush of warm breath-like wisps on her skin.

All on its own, it looks a little like purple prose, but since it is in Hollee's POV and she is rather flamboyant, it works.

Purple prose = overdone style, usually in descriptions.

Whoopee! Fight Scene

2010-01-26T16:00:00.000-08:00

Finished 47; 84,090 word count

Writing Tip: First, when writing a fight scene, don't have too many participants. In a battle scene you can say the flank took a hit, but that means all the men in the flank are counted as one person.
In a fight scene you have to stage the people in your mind and have your hero tackle one person at a time. Or two in quick succession. But don't, don't, don't have the hero all over the place. You have to move him through his offense and defense with precision.
Also it is handy if your foes are named. Named foes don't have to be labeled the burly man, the thin man, or the redhead. After you've said the thin man did this and the thin man did that, then the thin man did this and then the thin man did that, you and your reader are going to wish the thin man had a name.

Sustaining Creativity

2010-01-25T16:33:00.000-08:00

Finished Ch 46; 82,270

Writing Tip: Two readers have asked basically the same question. One wanted to know how I kept going and didn't get stopped by writer's block. The other wants to know how I keep the creative spark going page after page.
The answer is in how much you've invested in the story. The best books come out of an author's obsession with the characters and their "what ifs." Life can be awkward when a story has a hold of you. But without that compelling curiosity to find out what happens next, how your characters are going to react, and if the poor hero is going to make it through his/her next personal challenge, you might as well hang up your hat, or in this case, your keyboard.

So when a period of non-productivity raises its ugly head, focus on your characters. Eat with them, go shopping with them, drive the car with them, until you are forced to go to the computer and confine their activities to the printed page.

"the"

2010-01-25T11:59:00.000-08:00

Writing Tip: Sometimes "the" is not needed.
I'm not really done for today so I am not going to list chapter and word count. But a reader note brought my attention to this passage, and I saw another edit. In the end, my editor has to take the manuscript away from me, or I would tweak forever.

In this sentence:

Tipper gasped as the pain shot from her foot, up her shin, and beyond her knee.

we can take out the "the."
And have:
Tipper gasped as pain shot from her foot, up her shin, and beyond her knee.

I like the second version a lot better.

What's up?

2010-01-23T20:51:00.000-08:00

finished Ch. 45; 80,603 word count

Writing Tip: This was a hard chapter, and I know why. Every scene should move the protagonist toward or away from a goal, or the scene should reveal character development. This chapter was weak in those areas. Chapters with strong ties to progress frustration, or character are much easier to write, but this is a necessary chapter and had to be written.
Why is it necessary? Because it is one of those chapters that covers what someone is doing even though what they are doing isn't that riveting. But if you don't let the reader know what this character is doing, the reader is going to be saying, "Yeah, but what about so and so? What's up with him?"
So, since I had to write about what Tipper is doing while the war is going on, I decided to put her in some danger, demonstrate what the advancing forces were like, and put in a humorous defense. I admit, that Tipper's character didn't grow. She didn't move towards any goal except to stay alive, and that is always a worthwhile goal. And the plot did not make any leaps forward. Sigh.

Show don't tell in dialogue

2010-01-19T00:05:00.000-08:00

Finished chapter 44; 79,102 word count

Writing Tip: You don't have to say that the character speaking is embarrassed. You can add a couple of words and say it in the spoken dialogue.

“The main point of your father’s message is that he is proud of you.

“Well now then, the main point of your father’s message is that he is proud of you.

Implying Culture

2010-01-12T12:39:00.000-08:00

Finished Ch. 43; 76,620 word count
broke 400 pages and 75K Hurray!

Writing Tip: Part of developing a world is establishing the culture of the society there. You could say, visiting with this dragon would require certain protocol. Because of his age and position among his fellow dragons, your character needs to dress well, speak in very polite terms, don't whistle, don't hiccup and giggle at the same time, for this is considered to be very rude.
That is telling, not showing.
So how do you imply what is correct behavior?
In this chapter, I had Fenworth instructing Hollee on how to behave while she was talking about something all together different. Other times you might have an outsider watching and reporting the ceremony. You could have someone do everything wrong and another person constantly correcting the first. make it fun instead of an information dump.

First sentence

2010-01-08T10:16:00.000-08:00

finished Ch. 42; 74,968 word count

Writing Tip: It is important in a novel, a scene, a chapter to establish who, where, and mood. So as close to the first sentence as you can manage, tell the reader the setting and characters present and the mood of the passage.

Hollee hummed a sprightly tune as she followed Wizard Fenworth through the long tunnel that took them from the statue site to the surface.

More on Names

2010-01-05T08:42:00.000-08:00

finished chapter 41; 73,090 word count

Writing Tip: How does one find names, or create names for characters and locations? I have several methods.
Phone book. I open the directory to a page and look for long names. Then I separate two or three into lists of syllables. I scramble the syllables and put them back together until I find a combination I like.
I do the same with names in a friend's family.
I take off the first letter of a friend's name and use what is left.
I do a modified pig latin thing with friends' names. For villains, I use celebrities I am NOT fond of.
I look up meanings in the website that gives you the word (like light) in dozens of languages.
I call my language professor friend and ask him to think up a cool name for something. That's how I got Wulder, which is an anglo-saxon word used for God. Actually it is only part of the word.
I had a friend who worked at Compassion bring me a list of names of children around the world. That's how I got kimen.
The one thing I avoid like the plague is alphabet soup names. Things like A'argriotisdaree'motarbtusnottabyph. Even my tumanhofer names are pronouncable by standard phonic rules.

They have got to have NAMES!

2010-01-02T18:56:00.000-08:00

Finished chapter 39; 69,767 word count.

Writing tip: In the last chapter I had some minor players come on the scene with the purpose of transferring some important information to the villains, so they could act upon it and cause my good guys a lot of trouble. I didn't name them for they truly are very minor charactors. But as I entered into the next chapter and it was time for them to speak, I ran into a problem. The first man spoke, then the younger man spoke, then the first man spoke again, then the character who wasn't speaking moved to another spot and in the end, I just couldn't handle these nameless folks properly. So I gave them short names so that I could keep track of them and so could the readers.
Often the cab driver can just be the cab driver. Or the cowboy is the cowboy. Or the cop is the cop. No names need to be introduced as these people are going to walk onto the set, do their duty, and depart. But once in a while the scene calls for multiple bit players to have labels, and names are the handiest form of label to use.

Passive Voice

2009-12-30T18:15:00.000-08:00

Finished 38, started 39; 67,609 word count

Writing tip: the subject needs to act, not be acted upon.

He was briefly stalled by two guards at the door to the tent.

At the door to the tent, two guards briefly stalled him.

Point of View

2009-12-28T18:26:00.000-08:00

finished Chapter 37, started 38; 66,157 word count

Writing Tip: The point of view character must be clear to the reader at the beginning of each scene. I started a scene with:

Fenworth sat on a rock and contemplated a column he’d just sculpted from the salt-saturated sandstone.

Then realized I was not supposed to be in Fenworth's POV. (I avoid his POV at all costs. Can you imagine being trapped in his roving thought process?)
Hollee is my POV character for most of Fenworth's scenes, but she is in the other room, cooking.
So how did I fix it. With a paragraph that began:

Hollee peeked around the corner to see her wizard.

Simple. And POV purist will be satisfied.

run, runt, run

2009-12-27T18:56:00.000-08:00

Finished Ch. 36; 64,178 word count

Writing Tip: Sometimes the same word of a similar word sneaks into a sentence. I ran into that in this chapter.
I had:
Verrin Schope asked the innkeeper to put several tables together so his party could sit together.
Oops! Rewrite:

Verrin Schope asked the innkeeper to join several tables so his party could sit together.
This wasn't in today's writing but it is something that can happen:
The runt kept running back and forth in the dog run.
Even though runt isn't related to running and run, it still has too much similarity to be allowed.

2009-12-25T21:39:00.000-08:00

“Christmas gift suggestions:
To your enemy, forgiveness.
To an opponent, tolerance.
To a friend, your heart.
To a customer, service.
To all, charity.
To every child, a good example.
To yourself, respect.” —Oren Arnold

Where'd he go?

2009-12-23T21:46:00.000-08:00

Working on Chapter 36; 63,499

Writing Tip: I do this all the time, especially since I have quite a few characters to work with. Someone who should be with the group is never mentioned. I get to the end and think, "Where'd he go?" It can happen with an object, too. The villain is carrying a large pouch of ill-gotten loot. One minute he is at the bottom of a cliff that he must scale, soon he is at the top. How did he transport that big burden? I carefully described how he had to search for handholds and how hot it was and when he nearly slipped. But where was that bag?

Reread

2009-12-23T07:11:00.000-08:00

Finished 35, started 36, 62,455 word count

Writing Tip: Reread. If I lose momentum, it helps a lot if I go back and read several chapters previous to the one that is giving me trouble. This is not a waste of time. I always edit, tweaking words and sentences and catching typos, etc while I read.
BTW, the name of the book has officially changed to Valley of Dragons.

Moving on?

2009-12-09T15:27:00.000-08:00

started chapter 35; 60,233 word count

Writing Tip: I can say that I started Chapter 35 because I put 35 in the middle of the page, hit enter and put Title, hit enter twice and moved to the left side of the page and put ho-hum.
Today was a busy day with a clinic appt. and shopping. And I fiddled with fixing up a few earlier chapters with a word here and a sentence there.
But I am ready to do 35 as evidenced by the page I set up. I almost always put ho-hum as a place setter because I definitely do not want anything ho-hum in my work and almost anything I write to replace the ho-hum will be better. I've set myself up for success.

First words in a scene

2009-12-08T16:03:00.000-08:00

Finished Chapter 34; 60,228 word count Yippee! Broke 60K!

Writing Tip: I started the scene as Hollee admires the cave Fenworth had found for a special purpose. Can't tell you what the special purpose is. Anyway, I re-read that paragraph, and decided I need to back up one step to when Fenworth, Librettowit, and Hollee are "whirling" to their destination. Whirling is a wizard form of transportation. The chapter began much stronger by just backing up one step. We are often told to begin in the middle of action. If you want to talk fancy it's in medias res. Hollee was in the middle of spinning around and around to see the whole cave, but it was much more interesting to begin in the middle of being transported. Think carefully when you begin a chapter or a scene. You want to make a good first impression.

Writing down a sound.

2009-12-07T10:51:00.000-08:00

Chapter 34: 59,090 word count

Writing Tip:
A friend sent me this site today. Great place for all kinds of sounds:

http://www.audiosparx.com/sa/links/sound-effects.cfm

Sometimes its good to listen to a sound in order to do it justice in your manuscript.

Onward

2009-12-06T17:34:00.000-08:00

Finished Chapter 33; 58,240 word count

On Thursday I found out that DragonLight has won the new Clive Staples Award. Pretty cool, eh? Made me feel extra guilty about being stuck in the doldrums and not writing.
You know, God is so good to me. He is faithful, even when I am not.

Writing Tip: A villain has been captured and Paladin is questioning him. Well, the reader would not want to hear all this information that has been explained in chapters before. So a third party, Bealomondore, is watching the interrogation, and I wrote about what he is thinking and only summarize a bit of what the reader already knows. Ta-duh. No boring the reader. It is very, very bad to bore the reader.

Thanksgiving

2009-11-26T23:07:00.000-08:00

I thankful for you. Readers who give me feedback, who encourage me to keep writing, who tell my when my writing has encouraged them. I'm thankful for this world that prepares us for the next. I'm thank for Jesus who has gone to prepare a place for us. I'm thankful to God for revealing His beauty and His plan.

Changing Tense to enliven a scene

2009-11-25T09:09:00.000-08:00

Finished 32: 56,894 word count

Writing Tip: My character walked up to a pond and rather than just say that the water wasn't really brown, but looked like it was, I chose to say that the character knew if he held the water in his hand it would be almost clear with some floaties. After I finished the chapter I re-read and discovered the character needed to move out of "he could have," "he would have," and "he knew that," into action. So he dipped his hand in the water, observed the exact color and noticed the floating debris. Must more "in the scene," and much more satisfying for me and, I hope, the reader. The reader is now sharing an action rather than a reflection.
By the way, I think the name of this book is not the Wandering Artist anymore, but Dragon Guard.

Woot! Passed 300 pages!

2009-11-24T20:13:00.000-08:00

Finished chapter 32; 56,766 word count

Writing Tip: In this passage, I did something I usually avoid. I like telling straight out tales, and I stick to that in most cases. But this chapter is a turning poin,t and I picked up the challenge of creating image within image.
The country is being invaded, and ordinary men are going to be called into extraordinary circumstances. One young man realizes this, and he contemplates the serenity of the moment he is presently in, knowing that all that is about to change. He picks two things from nature, a dried leaf and a handful of dirt, and looks more deeply into what they are. He doesn't vocalize any great metaphor, but in his analysis of what these things are, the reader should be able to make deep comparisons.
Now, a lot of readers will zip through these two pages and not bother to make the connections. That's okay. But perhaps some English teacher, somewhere , sometime, will torture a class into really thinking about dead leaves and decomposing stuff that makes dirt. And maybe some philosophical reader will mull over these things without the threat of a C- if he doesn't come up with something profound.

Anchor lines

2009-11-23T15:55:00.000-08:00

Finished chapter 31 and made a big dent in 32 ; 55,851 word count.

Writing Tip: I've been reading Donald Maass' Fire in Fiction book. One section talks about the importance of the first line and last line of every scene. We all know we want to hook the reader on the first page, but I wasn't aware of the concept of these anchor lines in each scene. I'm experimenting with it to see if it works in my writing. (By the way, there are so many ideas about craft, it would be ridiculous to try to implement them all. If one appeals, give it a test run. It may or may not work with your voice, or it may or may not work in this particular piece you are writing.)
The first line of chapter 32:
Fenworth did not take the plate Bealomondore offered him.
And the last:
She grinned as she chewed.
The first one raises a question. Why didn't he take the plate?
The last one gives a concrete image to hold on to. Of course yours is nebulous because you haven't read this section and don't know who she is. But, if you had, you would have a tight grasp on how this scene moved the character who is grinning.
Anchor lines are fun when they work.

I'm back!

2009-11-22T21:03:00.000-08:00

and raring to go.
Almost finished chapter 31 tonight; 55,063 word count

Writing tip: When you are published, don't read your reviews. One person says you copied heavily from Tolkien and Lewis; another says your work is refreshingly different from the traditional rip-offs of Tolkien and Lewis. One says your descriptions stink; another says your descriptions are the only thing that saves your hollow plot line and depthless characters. Sigh. Ignore both sides of the criticism. Chances are you aren't that great, but you aren't that bad either.

Really Writing!

2009-11-15T16:30:00.000-08:00

After a non-productive week, it feels very good,
Still on chapter 30; word count 54,078

Writing Tip: don't repeat words and don't forget contractions in dialogue.
Tears surprised Tipper, running down her cheeks. She swiped at them but not before her kimen guide saw them.

Got to get rid of them twice. She swiped at her cheeks? No, cheeks is in the previous sentence. Leave of the second them? No, the sentence ends too abruptly. Running down her face. She swiped at her cheeks? Better. Maybe I'll keep that.

"You are tired and hungry. I will bring you a cool cloth and you can wash your face. Then you are to lay down and rest."
Better: "You're tired and hungry. I'll bring you a cool cloth. You can wash your face, then you're to lie down and rest."

Got to fix lay to lie. Lay/lie always traps me. And Kimen have a short sentence pattern. Plus this kimen is bossy, so I rearranged the syntax a little bit.

Ahhhhhhhh!

2009-11-14T21:53:00.000-08:00

Chapter 30; 53,085 words

My new computer is wonderful. I am rapidly becoming acquainted with its bells and whistles.

Writing Tip: Never, ever, take a break. I'm really joking, but it seems to me that if I write steadily every day, then every day I write steadily. But if life, circumstances, or a sudden bout of laziness keeps me away from the keyboard, then it take several days for me to find my rhythm again. I am glad to be back with Tipper and her dragon. Now I need to pick up some speed.

By the way, we have decided to rename this book. Something with dragon in the title. Wandering Artist will be called something with more of a fantasy ring to it.

New Laptop!

2009-11-12T12:36:00.001-08:00

I am home from Sam's with a new laptop. Now this technologically challenged author must try to get it out of the box.

Overworked Mac

2009-11-12T08:41:00.000-08:00

My computer died on Tuesday. Wednesday I took it to the Apple Genius Bar. The genius on duty said I'd have to spend $300 to $1200 to have it fixed. No can do.

So I am off to do some computer laptop shopping.

Oh dear, Oh dear

2009-11-09T23:03:00.000-08:00

I am chagrined. I've been going over the first 29 chapters and beefing up the tension. I beg your pardon for not posting and not writing anything fresh. Sigh. I knew this blog would be good for me. Thanks to those of you who have been encouraging me.

Exciting Work Today!

2009-11-03T17:37:00.000-08:00

Today we got the first preliminary sketches for the picture book, The Dragon and the Turtle. This book will come out in June of 2010. Our job was to give more suggestions to the artist, Vincent Nguyen, and trim more words out of the text. In picture books, tight is right. We'd already trimmed by quite a bit, so when Evangeline and I got that message, we kind of groaned. Evangeline Denmark is my daughter who has children of her own and is in that phase of her life where she is, out of necessity, an expert on picture books. She's paid attention and knows exactly which books she is going to have to read five times during a week of bedtime rituals. If you'd like to visit her blog it is Breathe In Breathe Out.

So we went through the picture book mock-up and commented on the pictures we loved and made a few suggestions. Then we took a pencil and drew straight lines through text. It wasn't really as hard as we expected. With the pictures in the background, much of the narrative plummeted on the importance scale. We had a ball, and we can't wait to share this project with you All.

Who's Thinking?

2009-11-01T20:01:00.000-08:00

Started chapter 29 in earnest; 52,169 word count

Writing Tip: When writing a novel in several POVs (points of view) it is important to tell the reader whose head you are in from the very first lines of the new chapter.

"Awk!"

"Oh, I'm sorry, Bec." Lady Peg patted his feathered back. "Did that hurt?"

"A twinge," said Sir Beccaroon, squinting his eyes and refusing to utter unkind words to Tipper's mother.

This scene is in Sir Bec's POV because we are told his thoughts. He's thought something unkind and chooses not to utter them. Lady Peg had the first action, but it was something felt by the grand parrot. We don't know what she is thinking other than what we can surmise from her words and actions.

Where Are You?

2009-11-01T09:50:00.000-08:00

Your turn.

Hound me.

Bug me.

Crack that whip.

Texture

2009-10-27T15:19:00.000-07:00

Haven't started 29: 50,757 word count

Re-reading and adding texture.

Writing tip: Titling this texture is kind of an inside joke. There has been great discussion among authors as to what an editor means when he/she says of a work that it needs more texture. Texture seems to mean anything from deeper characterization, more flavorful descriptions, another subplot, to pizzazz.

One day, texture can mean that the manuscript, which depicts life in the deep south, needs more cultural display in setting and characterization. The next day texture might mean giving the villain a more balanced personality, developing some aspect of his backstory which explains his inclination to do evil deeds to the point that the reader understands and may even sympathize with this horrid antagonist. And the next day, texture may mean to use stronger verbs. When an editor says texture to me, I try to remain calm.

So, when I go back to page one and read for continuity and to give me impetus for the rest of the novel, I say, I'm adding texture.

A and The

2009-10-26T17:26:00.000-07:00

Read through seven chapters today and edited, so very little word count change.

Writing tip: Some people do not realize the difference between the articles a and the. If my character takes a candle from the table that implies he chose from several, maybe just two, but he did have to choose. If the character takes the candle from the table, there was only one. That seems elementary to me, but I play with words all day. Also, if there are rows of keys on the jailroom wall, and the character takes a key, that implies he might not know which one is the right one. If he takes the key from among many, he knows it is the key he wants.

Cliffhangers

2009-10-24T10:07:00.000-07:00

Finished 28; 50,229 word count

Writing Tip: Cliffhangers are fun for the writer and can sometimes be torture for the reader. The object in the author's mind is to stimulate interest in the next scene. The reader sometimes thinks the author's objective is to keep her up all night, always reading one more chapter.

Example: Now he would conquer another country. And the monetary gains he made from his occupation richly rewarded his efforts. Yes, he was a happy man. He folded the maps and prepared for bed. Tomorrow promised to be a busy day.

Half-way

2009-10-23T17:19:00.000-07:00

I just crossed the 50,000 word count.

50K

I'm half-way!

Hurray! Hurray!

Those Long Names

2009-10-22T11:21:00.000-07:00

Started 28; 49,781 word count

Writing Tip: I remember getting very irritated when I read some of my son's fantasy books. What is the use of having a name like N'brt'caeultf'putfieuo? I'd end up reading "N" whenever I saw the name. I determined never to subject my readers to such folly. Thus, I came up with Dar, Kale, Leetu Bends, Wizard Fenworth, and . . . mmm? Those tumanhofers just had to have long names. But the names are phonetic. The new one in The Wandering Artist is Graddenmitersay. It looks hard but it isn't.

Gradden

miter

say.

I suggest when you make up a fantasy name, to make it easy to read. Irritating the reader is never a good move.

Something to do

2009-10-21T21:47:00.000-07:00

Finished 27; 48,677 word count

Writing tip: Give your characters something to do while they talk. This breaks up long strings of dialog and reminds the reader of the setting while the conversation is taking place.

The commander decided not to take a chance. "First, don't do it right outside of town. Second, don't leave any witnesses."

Kulson nodded and continued with his meal. Groddenmitersay lifted his empty tankard as a server went by. He needed a drink.

Sentence Fragment

2009-10-19T09:15:00.000-07:00

Working on Chapter 27; 47,263 word count

Writing Tip: In writing fiction, the author is allowed to break rules once in a while. Below is a sentence fragment. The third "sometimes" is what the villain is anticipating, and therefore, more important. Set alone in a sentence fragment brings attention to this "sometimes."

This can also be achieved using ellipses . . . but that is not as strong as a clean break.

The pretty day would lure the lady from the inn. She often walked, sometimes with her husband and sometimes with the parrot. And sometimes alone.