Started to . . . Really?

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

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

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

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

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!

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

Read what you want to write

and

write what you want to read.