In our digital world, the concept of perusing bookshelves has taken on a whole new dimension. While brick and mortar bookshops still exist, they are closing at a rate faster than real estate agents can post their For Lease signs. These days the majority of readers surf the web and online bookstores for new releases and old favorites, a place where they can 'take a look inside' at the teasers and sample chapters authors have posted, and have email reminders sent with new releases and promotions.
Yet, however much the physical act of perusing bookshelves has changed, the process readers employ in deciding on which books they'll spend their hard earned money has intrinsically stayed the same. With the exception of Amazon's free reads program that is all the rage now, for the most part, books are still picked up, flipped through and examined before being purchased.
So what lures a reader in? What is it that entices them to pick up your book and scan it? In the world of publishing, there are varying answers, in varying order...a provocative cover, endorsements from other well-known authors, glowing reviews, marketing, social networking, price... But I would be my next royalty check, editors abound who would all agree it's the hook. That more than anything else, it's those first few beginning paragraphs/pages and intriguing back cover blurb that seal the deal.
Since "Beginnings" is our topic for the month of March, I thought it apropos to talk about how one crafts the beginning of a story. Of course, it all starts with an idea. Some inspiring thought, dream or experience that takes root in our fertile imagination and grows from there. But that's not the beginning I'm talking about. I mean, once the idea for a story has formed, and you're sitting with your hands poised over your keyboard, how do you get from staring at a blinking cursor on a blank page to those first all important words?
I have to chuckle, because the first thought that popped into my mind as I asked the question was the phrase, lather, rinse and repeat. I don't mean I suds it up before I sit down to write, but I will invariably write, read, delete and then repeat the process until the words in front of me not only sound right, but feel right. Most authors I know, write from their gut. Their stories, like mine, aren't formulaic. They have a life of their own, as do their characters, and when you live a character's life through your words, you have to feel the truth of it...viscerally. To sane people, that sounds more than a little crazy. But to writers (and artists of any kind) it makes perfect sense.
How many of us get to the end of our stories, type the coveted words The End, and then go back and reread the opening few paragraphs of Chapter One and tweak them? I know I do.
But what's the best way to write a good hook? Should you begin with dialogue, plunging your reader straight into the mix? What about prologues full of description and back story? Are you a fan of starting your hook in that way? I think there are as many right answers as there are different authors. It all has to do with style and voice. I myself have done it with dialogue, and I've also done it with full bodied description, pages before I got into any real dialogue...both equally successful and both putting the reader right into the story. So, what's your style? How do you hook your readers into wanting to hear your voice tell your story?
I'd love to know...
Marianne Morea
Showing posts with label writing. Show all posts
Showing posts with label writing. Show all posts
Monday, March 26, 2012
Thursday, January 19, 2012
Focus on Today not Yesterday
This morning I decided to check my cupboards (evasion tactic, number 128) to check the statues of all my basic writing material. What I noticed shouldn't have surprised me, but it did.
On one side, stacked high, were dozens of brand new notebooks and binders. A colorful array of pens and pencils, many still in their packages, reams of unopened printer paper and a new box of printer ink.
On the other side?
A thin folder sat perfectly centered. Inside a copy of my latest writing endeavor, waiting for edits of course. Like I said, I shouldn't have been surprised. A little over two weeks ago, I'd drawn up an action plan, one that went into great detail, mind you, as well as my writing goals for the new year. Yet, there I stood staring at proof that I'd forgotten not only the detailed plan, but where I'd even written it down.
What next?
Do I shake my head at my lack of commitment and head off to my favorite chair to pick up one of the books waiting in my "to be read" pile? Or do I lift my chin, pull back my shoulders and head to the computer.
What do you think?
Well, you're right. I planted myself in that chair and started reading. Didn't last long though. In the back of my mind, a little voice started yelling at the top of its lungs. "GET UP!"
Yep, I have one of those pesky little voices that I like to call my writing fairy, more like evil fairy in this instance.
Well, here I am following through with my New Year's action plan. A little bit of a late start, but a start. AND that's what counts. Right? Right!
So, if you're finding yourself in the same boat. Don't fret. Ignore any and all signs that your behind on your goals and tell yourself, "I can't change what I did or didn't do yesterday. I can only focus on the moment."
Then, DO JUST THAT! Focus on the here and now. You want to change the way your writing is going? Start today, because today is what you have to work with. Think about it. If you are always letting yesterday rule the way you do things today-you'll always be one-step behind where you want to be.
As for that lopsided cupboard.
I pulled out a new notebook and pencil and made notes for my next project. Today, I leveled the cupboard a little bit.
Tomorrow? Well, that’s not here yet, I'll focus on it when it gets here and not a minute sooner.
What about you? Have you been evading your writing goals? DeAnn Sicard A Writer's Quick Reference Guide to Words
Tuesday, January 3, 2012
Now Is The Time To Plan Your Writing For 2012
As we move into the new year and in the US we start thinking about tax returns, we find ourselves in the perfect time to plan for 2012 writing. This is the time of year you look at how many books you sold, advertising expenses, profit and loss. This information is vital to planning your taxes for the year, but it's invaluable when it comes to planning your writing.
Now before I continue, let me say that writing to the numbers, be they sales or income, I think is a bad way to go about this business. Yes, you do need to keep an eye on them, know what is working, and what might be more risky in the marketplace. But writing is a creative endeavor, and all creative works benefit from heart. If you don't love what you're writing. If you don't feel the story in your heart and soul, then the story isn't going to be as captivating as if you're just writing to the numbers. (This is something I feel strongly about, as I have thought it best to write to the numbers at some point in my career. Now that I write pagan inspirational romance, yeah, I don't think you can acccuse me of this now. LOL!)
So how do you use this information to plan your writing, without simply writing "what sells"?
1) If you have multiple years of information then look at months. Are there some months which do better for you? Perhaps you will want to talk to your publisher about scheduling releases during those months.
2) Are there publishers that are selling for you and publishers that aren't? You may wish to focus your efforts.
3) Are there genres that you're writing, which might not be doing as well, and which you aren't really enjoying?
4) The writing you're enjoying--how is it doing? Those quirky stories, are they selling as well as you thought? Do you think they'd do better with a different publisher or a different length?
5) Were you comfortable with your writing pace? Do you think you were doing too much or is there room to do more?
I hope these questions will help you plan your 2012 writing schedule. Wishing you all the best in the coming year!
Now before I continue, let me say that writing to the numbers, be they sales or income, I think is a bad way to go about this business. Yes, you do need to keep an eye on them, know what is working, and what might be more risky in the marketplace. But writing is a creative endeavor, and all creative works benefit from heart. If you don't love what you're writing. If you don't feel the story in your heart and soul, then the story isn't going to be as captivating as if you're just writing to the numbers. (This is something I feel strongly about, as I have thought it best to write to the numbers at some point in my career. Now that I write pagan inspirational romance, yeah, I don't think you can acccuse me of this now. LOL!)
So how do you use this information to plan your writing, without simply writing "what sells"?
1) If you have multiple years of information then look at months. Are there some months which do better for you? Perhaps you will want to talk to your publisher about scheduling releases during those months.
2) Are there publishers that are selling for you and publishers that aren't? You may wish to focus your efforts.
3) Are there genres that you're writing, which might not be doing as well, and which you aren't really enjoying?
4) The writing you're enjoying--how is it doing? Those quirky stories, are they selling as well as you thought? Do you think they'd do better with a different publisher or a different length?
5) Were you comfortable with your writing pace? Do you think you were doing too much or is there room to do more?
I hope these questions will help you plan your 2012 writing schedule. Wishing you all the best in the coming year!
Saturday, November 26, 2011
Tips and Tricks...
This month's blog is on hyperlinks. Hyperwhat? Hyperlinks...those little blue underlined words you see in the middle of articles that when clicked, link you to other places on the web.
So? What about them?
I'll tell you...
If they end up attached to your manuscript, even in a hidden, innocuous way, they will wreak havoc in your digital formatting.
Like a parasite, they attach themselves to words or phrases in your manuscript, and you most likely won't realize it until it's too late. Trust me...I just went through the nightmare of cleaning up the mess they can cause.
If you're like most writers today, you use the internet to do research. You look up facts, double and triple check the sources, order books on historical topics or locations...all with the aim of giving your readers the most factually correct information you can within the fiction you create. This is where a hyperlink can attach itself without your even knowing it. All it takes is one cut and paste. It can be something as simple as cutting and pasting the proper name of a place or historical person, (even if it's just for the correct spelling), and BAM! Hyperlink. The source text doesn't even have to be blue...or underlined, to contain a hyperlink. That's what makes them so hard to catch.
So, what can they do to your manuscript?
How about missing words or even missing blocks of text, for one. In my manuscript, the entire second half of my book ended up underlined. The hyperlink was attached to the name of a town in Spain that I had gotten from a source article. One word caused a tremendous amount of trouble, and the problem wasn't detected until a reader emailed me. Even the master digital copy my publisher had didn't show the problems. It wasn't until the digital file was converted for Kindle and Nook that the problems became visible.
Needless to say, the hyperlink had embedded itself in the last half of the document, three layers deep. It took days of line by line reformatting to fix.
I have since emailed Microsoft, and found that removing a hyperlink when the manuscript is still in word format is the easiest way to handle things. Select all and hit CTRL+SHIFT+F9 and that should remove all hidden hyperlinks from your document.
I'm not sure how well that works, but I do know one thing. I will NEVER cut and paste a proper name from the Web...or anything else for that matter...again.
Readers are hard enough to come by and keep, without adding to things.
I hope this post helps some other unsuspecting author from making the same mistake I made.
All the best,
Marianne Morea
Author,
Hunter's Blood
Blood Legacy
Saturday, August 27, 2011
Pace Yourself.....
Ladies...I am in lockdown trying to prepare for Hurricane Irene. Keep my family in your prayers as it's about to hit in a matter of hours. I reposted this from an email I received a few weeks ago from www.suite101.com. I promise to post something more personal when I finally get out of hurricane mode. Enjoy!
Writers must consider pacing when they learn how to write a novel. Pacing is a writing device used to control the speed at which a plot advances. Many people claim to have read a book they just couldn’t put down, which means they have read a book with great pacing. The pace of a novel features elements like knowing when to use description and when to add cliffhangers. It can encompass the style and structure of sentences. With pacing, writers need to make sure they don't go too fast or too slow. They need to find the right combination to keep the readers involved in the story.
Evaluate the Pace of the Novel
When it comes to writing a novel, a person can evaluate the pace of the story by reading it aloud and by asking questions. By paying attention while reading, he or she can identify areas that need an adjustment to the pace.
In some cases, people may feel like their eyes glazed over. Or they may suddenly find themselves thinking about what they need to buy at the grocery store? If so, they have most likely allowed the pace to slow down too much.
At other times, a writer may read a section and feel drained, tired, or out of breath? These types of feelings can indicate that the pace is too fast. Writers should expect to their readers to feel the same way they do about a certain section.
Control Pacing With Sentence Structure
The way a person writes sentences can play a role in the pace of his or her fiction writing. Long, flowing sentences slow down the action. By adding in descriptive sentences, an author allows the reader to take a break from action-packed moments. Short sentences build tension. They propel the reader forward.
Depending on the scene, authors can use sentence structure to improve the pace. If a paragraph seems to drag, a person can look at the sentences and consider whether he or she can cut some of them or reduce them to be quick-paced. When a writers feel like they are rushing through a scene, they can consider adding a descriptive element. This can be done by pulling in the details of the setting. What does the main character hear, see, smell, taste, know, or feel? By weaving these answers into the story, a writer can slow the action down.
Read This Next
Fiction Writing Overview Basics of Writing Fantasy Fiction Structure of Your Novel: The Three Act Drama Use Dialogue, Internal Thoughts, and Exposition to Change the Novel’s Pace. Like sentence structure, there are other techniques writers can use to control the pace of the story. Short interchanges of dialogue between characters increase the speed at which a person will read the conversation. Long speeches by a certain character will slow it down.
Another technique involves the use of internal thoughts, also called internal monologue. By pulling the reader into the main character’s mind, authors slow the action. As an added bonus, this will also help the readers to feel connected to the main character.
With exposition, a writer brings the back story, or background information, into the text. There are a few ways to do this, including the use of writing tools like flashbacks or comparing a current event to a previous one. By nature, exposition slows the pace of the story.
When a writer feels like the story needs to pick up the pace, he or she can look for areas with too much dialogue, internal monologue, or exposition. Once a person identifies the problem, he or she should cut the elements killing the pace.
Utilize Writing Tools to Improve Novel Writing
By looking at elements like pace, writers craft a better novel, which means they are one step closer to their publishing goals. Every aspect of writing from hook to dialogue to internal monologue affects how a story reads, so authors want to make sure they pay attention to the craft of writing, as well as the creative process.
Marianne Morea
Writers must consider pacing when they learn how to write a novel. Pacing is a writing device used to control the speed at which a plot advances. Many people claim to have read a book they just couldn’t put down, which means they have read a book with great pacing. The pace of a novel features elements like knowing when to use description and when to add cliffhangers. It can encompass the style and structure of sentences. With pacing, writers need to make sure they don't go too fast or too slow. They need to find the right combination to keep the readers involved in the story.
Evaluate the Pace of the Novel
When it comes to writing a novel, a person can evaluate the pace of the story by reading it aloud and by asking questions. By paying attention while reading, he or she can identify areas that need an adjustment to the pace.
In some cases, people may feel like their eyes glazed over. Or they may suddenly find themselves thinking about what they need to buy at the grocery store? If so, they have most likely allowed the pace to slow down too much.
At other times, a writer may read a section and feel drained, tired, or out of breath? These types of feelings can indicate that the pace is too fast. Writers should expect to their readers to feel the same way they do about a certain section.
Control Pacing With Sentence Structure
The way a person writes sentences can play a role in the pace of his or her fiction writing. Long, flowing sentences slow down the action. By adding in descriptive sentences, an author allows the reader to take a break from action-packed moments. Short sentences build tension. They propel the reader forward.
Depending on the scene, authors can use sentence structure to improve the pace. If a paragraph seems to drag, a person can look at the sentences and consider whether he or she can cut some of them or reduce them to be quick-paced. When a writers feel like they are rushing through a scene, they can consider adding a descriptive element. This can be done by pulling in the details of the setting. What does the main character hear, see, smell, taste, know, or feel? By weaving these answers into the story, a writer can slow the action down.
Read This Next
Fiction Writing Overview Basics of Writing Fantasy Fiction Structure of Your Novel: The Three Act Drama Use Dialogue, Internal Thoughts, and Exposition to Change the Novel’s Pace. Like sentence structure, there are other techniques writers can use to control the pace of the story. Short interchanges of dialogue between characters increase the speed at which a person will read the conversation. Long speeches by a certain character will slow it down.
Another technique involves the use of internal thoughts, also called internal monologue. By pulling the reader into the main character’s mind, authors slow the action. As an added bonus, this will also help the readers to feel connected to the main character.
With exposition, a writer brings the back story, or background information, into the text. There are a few ways to do this, including the use of writing tools like flashbacks or comparing a current event to a previous one. By nature, exposition slows the pace of the story.
When a writer feels like the story needs to pick up the pace, he or she can look for areas with too much dialogue, internal monologue, or exposition. Once a person identifies the problem, he or she should cut the elements killing the pace.
Utilize Writing Tools to Improve Novel Writing
By looking at elements like pace, writers craft a better novel, which means they are one step closer to their publishing goals. Every aspect of writing from hook to dialogue to internal monologue affects how a story reads, so authors want to make sure they pay attention to the craft of writing, as well as the creative process.
Marianne Morea
Sunday, August 7, 2011
Why write?
Many times in interviews, the question is asked, "Why do you write?" or "What motivated you to start writing?" Even co-workers ask me, "How do you do it?"
My husband says I have a lot of patience. Well, I do, but writing is so much more. I enjoy writing, and gosh darn it, I'd love to write full time. After a long and stressful day at the office, I'm ecstatic to come home and spend a few hours writing. I have so many ideas for books. I want to get them out of my head and share them with others. I'm a very sharing person, in case you didn't know :o) Check out my blog for contests!
Back to the subject. Writing started as an interest of mine that I never fully pursued. When I was a kid in school, the teachers always made good comments about my essays and reports. I liked writing, even then. During my teen years, I wrote to pen-pals. Fast forward several years, and I wrote a short story. But all along, I had other priorities in life. Writing was a hobby.
Years pass by, I finish school, gain a degree, my kid grows up, and I find myself having a lot of free time. I started writing again. This time, I write and write and can't stop. Yes, I'm addicted to writing. Like with reading, my mind is in another world when I write. No stress. No worries. Whatever I want to conjure up, I can. We all have to have some way to escape reality. Right?
How do I do it? Answer- writing is a passion. I choose to spend my time writing or reading evenings and weekends instead of lounging on the sofa—not that relaxing in front of the telly is bad. I just spend my time differently. MY choice. I like to stay active, mentally not physically active. Never been a runner or into sports. I'm the geek, the reader, the curious one getting into trouble. Maybe writing has always been a piece of my soul that I couldn't or wouldn't release. And now that I have time, I spend every minute that I can writing. The nerdy beast is free. LOL. I write because I love it and it satisfies me. In a way, I do think it has been a part of me since birth. Can't explain it, but it feels right. Know what I mean?
Where do I plan to go with my writing? As far as possible. Hell, yeah! And if a publisher doesn't want the story, guess what? There's this great thing called "self publication" that is taking off like a wild fire. Freelance editors and cover artists are looking for work. Writers can now take control.
So, I say to those wanting to write or have not been published yet . . . write what you love and enjoy, and don't give up. Don't get discouraged by rejections. If you truly want to write, then do it. There are tools available, resources, to help you. Reading and writing helps improve your work. I firmly believe this. Pursue your dream. If you don't, you have yourself to blame.
BTW, my 4th Soul Catcher novel, Love Conquers All Evil, comes out 8/15/2011.
If you are interested in paranormal romance and/or urban fantasy, stop by my website or publisher's website for blurbs and more information. (http://www.nobleromance.com)
Have a good day!
Mary AbshireParanormal Romance/Urban Fantasy Author
For contests: http://www.maryabshire.wordpress.com
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