Okay, so I took a little vacation last week. I've been around on Facebook and Twitter, but not much. I did buy a new car, and I've been slammed with WriteOnCon things. You do know about WOC, right? Because if you don't, you should get in on the fun! Go over to the WOC site to find out more.
Additionally, I'm working on a novel--hopefully the final polish! I've written, edited, and polished enough manuscripts now to name this stage "the domino effect."
This is the round where you're doing targeted fixes in character and plot. Seeding emotional ties you've missed before. Planting clues or details so you can earn the big payoff at the end. Ensuring the motivation is correct and strong. Those sorts of things.
It's not like adding a new scene or eliminating a chapter that isn't working and replacing it with one that does.
No, this requires a fine toothed comb, a careful eye, to find the exact location to insert maybe 15 words that will make your manuscript shine. You don't want to put in too many hints, or make them so few and far between that readers forget.
This round of polishing is really like playing dominoes. The details must be evenly spaced and perfectly aligned. The transitions must be strong so as not to give away where you've inserted said details.
For me, this is the toughest and most rewarding round of edits. The toughest, because one false move and the whole thing doesn't feel right. The most rewarding, because when you get it right... Ahhh.
Don't you think writing is like playing dominoes?
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Showing posts with label editing. Show all posts
Showing posts with label editing. Show all posts
Monday, August 5, 2013
Monday, May 6, 2013
My Dirty Little Secret
Okay, so I've been on the writing scene for a few years now. About six, to be exact. I've attended a number of conferences. Been critiqued and edited until I want to gouge out my eyes and invest heavily in Rogaine. I've read countless blogs on craft, and books on improving pacing, tension, self-editing. The list goes on and on.
One thing I've heard -- and even advocated! -- is reading your book out loud.
But... confession time. I've never done it. I hate (like loathe with the passion of a thousand suns) reading my own work out loud. I refuse to do it at signings and events, because it just sounds so lame in my own voice.
I won't do it.
Thus, I've never read one of my manuscripts out loud.
Until this past revision I was working on. And I didn't read it, but my Mac version of Word has a option that lets you select text and send it to iTunes as a spoken track.
I did that. I had Alex read my book to me. Here's what I learned:
1. It is so painfully slow, you'll still need to invest in Rogaine. But that's kind of the whole point. When you read, your brain fixes things. You skim over things. Forcing yourself to read out loud -- or to listen -- is hard. So slow. I think it took something like 12 hours to read the whole book (yes it is really long too). (And now you know why I've been absent for a while...)
2. Using iTunes is awesome, because I can sync it with my iPod and put it in my car. So wherever I go -- and I basically drive everyone everywhere -- I can be working.
3. I found things I would have never discovered. I was sitting at my computer, following along one day, reading ahead of Alex. Next thing I know, he says "staking down her face." I was like, "Wait. What? Staking? That can't be right, I just read that..."
And you know what? Alex was right. I had switched the T and the K, and I didn't even notice. Like I said, our tricksy brains fix things like that.
So overall, I think the experience was very valuable. I had whole sections of the book that were redone, so they were basically a first draft. Listening to them helped me find the too-long sentences, the repeated words, the typos.
So there you have it. I can proudly say that after six years, I have finally read a book out loud as an editing tool!
Have you done this? Either read your work out loud as you're editing, or had the computer read it to you? What was your experience like?
One thing I've heard -- and even advocated! -- is reading your book out loud.
But... confession time. I've never done it. I hate (like loathe with the passion of a thousand suns) reading my own work out loud. I refuse to do it at signings and events, because it just sounds so lame in my own voice.
I won't do it.
Thus, I've never read one of my manuscripts out loud.
Until this past revision I was working on. And I didn't read it, but my Mac version of Word has a option that lets you select text and send it to iTunes as a spoken track.
I did that. I had Alex read my book to me. Here's what I learned:
1. It is so painfully slow, you'll still need to invest in Rogaine. But that's kind of the whole point. When you read, your brain fixes things. You skim over things. Forcing yourself to read out loud -- or to listen -- is hard. So slow. I think it took something like 12 hours to read the whole book (yes it is really long too). (And now you know why I've been absent for a while...)
2. Using iTunes is awesome, because I can sync it with my iPod and put it in my car. So wherever I go -- and I basically drive everyone everywhere -- I can be working.
3. I found things I would have never discovered. I was sitting at my computer, following along one day, reading ahead of Alex. Next thing I know, he says "staking down her face." I was like, "Wait. What? Staking? That can't be right, I just read that..."
And you know what? Alex was right. I had switched the T and the K, and I didn't even notice. Like I said, our tricksy brains fix things like that.
So overall, I think the experience was very valuable. I had whole sections of the book that were redone, so they were basically a first draft. Listening to them helped me find the too-long sentences, the repeated words, the typos.
So there you have it. I can proudly say that after six years, I have finally read a book out loud as an editing tool!
Have you done this? Either read your work out loud as you're editing, or had the computer read it to you? What was your experience like?
Tuesday, April 2, 2013
Make Your Scenes Work Harder
Don's here today to talk about making your scenes work harder, so let's let him take it away!
--------
Years ago, while my wife and I were dining with her parents, her father said something that changed my whole approach to writing.
Bill Hadley was an award-winning school superintendent, known throughout the teaching profession for his staff's high quality. On this occasion we were discussing education in general, and I asked him how he achieved that sterling quality.
He smiled. "Well, it's how I select my teachers. Most employers select a new staff member to fill a single job. Me? I make sure they have at least two talents I can use. The one I'm actually hiring them for, and at least one other I can use as a bonus."
I pressed him for details, and he gave the example of hiring an English teacher. Several applicants may be qualified to teach English, but one or more may have additional skills. So he hires the one who also likes to direct school plays, or oversee a school newspaper or yearbook.
Multiply hiring for this one position by the number of teaching slots on his staff, and one can easily see that the parts definitely add up to more than the whole.
I thought about that conversation many times since that evening, and realized his hiring technique could be used in many fields. It seemed to be a Universal Truth. One day, while I was writing a scene for a new novel, the power of his technique hit me. Why, scenes were just like those teachers! If writers made every scene do at least two things instead of one, they would have a more powerful manuscript. I applied that thinking to my writing, and saw it take on a new life.
Use Two Talents
I think using the technique will make you a better writer, too. All your scenes should provide the reader information. That's the first talent. The second talent should be to move the story along.
Readers need certain information so they can follow the story. Some fiction writers provide it, in part, by having two people discuss the information in an early scene. Often this takes place in the heroine's apartment (or its equivalent). Nothing else happens in the scene.
This approach is deadly. Readers sometimes feel they're forced to sit on a couch in this cramped apartment and listen as the heroine and her sidekick discuss these pertinent must-have facts, perhaps glancing at the readers occasionally to see if they are picking up what the author is putting down. A much better way to pass that information is to do it as something else is happening.
A good example is a first chapter I read not long ago about a Manhattan girl going to a Texas dude ranch. One option the author had was to sit me down on that apartment couch and feed me a scripted message about why she is going to that ranch. This author, however, found a better way. She took me with her to the airport.
The chapter opened with the three of us—myself, the heroine, and her sister—arriving at LaGuardia. We looked around, and I began enjoying the outing. I watched people hurry by, heard the throaty announcements of departing flights, felt air gush from the air conditioners as we walked under them—the author presented all that information in a way that let me experience the trip. At the scene's end I boarded that plane with the main character and we searched for our seats.
It occurred to me, while I was anticipating my free peanuts and staring out the window at the tarmac activity, that the author had tricked me. While I was enjoying myself in the terminal the main character and her sister discussed the reasons for the trip. Sitting there in that airplane waiting to take off, I knew all those reasons. But I hadn't been forced to sit in a smoky apartment to learn them. I swear I absorbed them by some form of osmosis while accompanying my two new friends.
You can—and should—take this same approach to your scene writing. Advance the story as you provide that information, and you'll take your reader on that fictional trip with you.
Hey, this is heady stuff!
--------
Wow, right? I mean, it makes sense, but actually putting it in action is a whole other matter. So let's raise a glass to making our scenes work harder, yeah? Who's with me??
Oh, and be sure to get your copy of EDITOR-PROOF YOUR WRITING. You won't regret it.
Friday, February 3, 2012
How To Write Better
Okay, so I've been edited extensively before. My agent is highly editorial, number one, and nothing goes past her eagle eye to my publishing house without me bleeding all over it.
Literally. I will admit that I cried once. Then I opened the cracking document and fixed whatever she wanted me to fix.
Anyway, so this time around, I sent her a book. I hadn't had one other person read it. Not one. I didn't have time for beta reads or anything. So basically it had my sucktacular attempts to get it right and I sent it to my agent.
She emails to say she thinks I need to do another pass before we submit (no surprise there--did I mention NO ONE else had read it?), and she'll have notes for me soon. I want to eat half my body weight in sour patch kids, because until that doc lands in my email, I'm a nervous wreck. Will I cry again? Did I ruin the story? How bad does this book that NO ONE else read stink?
And soon? What the heck? Soon can't be soon enough. (I've also learned that "soon" could mean "later today" or "next week.")
So I work on other stuff and try to maintain my diet so that when the email comes, I'm ready.
So it comes. I purposefully don't open it until I've eaten and have my pajamas on. (Because everything is better in pj's, right?)
So I open the document...
And surely she's jesting. This is nothing! Some line edits. LINE EDITS. Maybe 3 comments, and the things she's suggesting in said comments are easy to fix.
That's it!
It can't be true. I finish the line edits in a single night. I go to bed thinking that I'll get the real email with the real document in the morning.
It doesn't come.
Can it be? Maybe I don't suck as much as I thought. Or hey, maybe I've learned how to write better.
Maybe. Both of those are doubtful, but I did want to share one tip today that I learned from doing these line edits.
You can convey something in a more powerful manner with less words. Some examples from the book I turned in.
What I had: "It seemed to fit well enough, and when she gave it a gentle squeeze, I couldn’t even remember my own name."
Edited to: "It fit just right, and when she gave it a gentle squeeze, I couldn’t even remember my own name."
What I had: "The emotions coming from him couldn’t settle into one specific thing. Love, anger, desperation, more anger, confusion."
Edited to: "His emotions couldn’t settle into any one thing."
What I had: "And she obviously hadn’t slept much over the last few weeks."
Edited to: "And she obviously hadn’t been sleeping much." (I know this seems little, but the "over the last few weeks" is totally unnecessary. It's the little things that make your writing better, you know?)
Things I use a lot that aren't necessary:
Some words are unnecessary. Good writers use only the words they need, and nothing more. I highly suggest you razor those words out of your MS on one of your revision passes.
What do you think? What are some of your unnecessary catch phrases? Can you use less words and achieve more power?
Literally. I will admit that I cried once. Then I opened the cracking document and fixed whatever she wanted me to fix.
Anyway, so this time around, I sent her a book. I hadn't had one other person read it. Not one. I didn't have time for beta reads or anything. So basically it had my sucktacular attempts to get it right and I sent it to my agent.
She emails to say she thinks I need to do another pass before we submit (no surprise there--did I mention NO ONE else had read it?), and she'll have notes for me soon. I want to eat half my body weight in sour patch kids, because until that doc lands in my email, I'm a nervous wreck. Will I cry again? Did I ruin the story? How bad does this book that NO ONE else read stink?
And soon? What the heck? Soon can't be soon enough. (I've also learned that "soon" could mean "later today" or "next week.")
So I work on other stuff and try to maintain my diet so that when the email comes, I'm ready.
So it comes. I purposefully don't open it until I've eaten and have my pajamas on. (Because everything is better in pj's, right?)
So I open the document...
And surely she's jesting. This is nothing! Some line edits. LINE EDITS. Maybe 3 comments, and the things she's suggesting in said comments are easy to fix.
That's it!
It can't be true. I finish the line edits in a single night. I go to bed thinking that I'll get the real email with the real document in the morning.
It doesn't come.
Can it be? Maybe I don't suck as much as I thought. Or hey, maybe I've learned how to write better.
Maybe. Both of those are doubtful, but I did want to share one tip today that I learned from doing these line edits.
You can convey something in a more powerful manner with less words. Some examples from the book I turned in.
What I had: "It seemed to fit well enough, and when she gave it a gentle squeeze, I couldn’t even remember my own name."
Edited to: "It fit just right, and when she gave it a gentle squeeze, I couldn’t even remember my own name."
What I had: "The emotions coming from him couldn’t settle into one specific thing. Love, anger, desperation, more anger, confusion."
Edited to: "His emotions couldn’t settle into any one thing."
What I had: "And she obviously hadn’t slept much over the last few weeks."
Edited to: "And she obviously hadn’t been sleeping much." (I know this seems little, but the "over the last few weeks" is totally unnecessary. It's the little things that make your writing better, you know?)
Things I use a lot that aren't necessary:
- Then
- for a moment
- many times before
- or something (hey, I'm a conversational writer, what can I say?)
- I didn't answer. (No duh. If there's no dialog, he didn't speak. I do this ALL THE TIME in some form. "without another word" "I waited, silent." Or something. Ha! But dude, it doesn't need to be expressly said that the MC isn't talking, because if they were there'd be dialog!)
- totally (don't judge me)
Some words are unnecessary. Good writers use only the words they need, and nothing more. I highly suggest you razor those words out of your MS on one of your revision passes.
What do you think? What are some of your unnecessary catch phrases? Can you use less words and achieve more power?
Friday, October 14, 2011
You Want To Be Edited? Get Ready For Some Heavy Advice...
Okay, so you want to be edited? All right, but don't say I didn't warn you... Because it's not pretty all the time.
Last week, I gave you some tips to avoid indulgences, find your voice, and to flesh out those relationships.
This week, I'm going to give you the ugly. You know, the parts where you cringe because you got caught trying to put a band-aid on a flesh wound that clearly needs stitches. And you left it so now it's all infected and there might be gangrene in there.
Don't even pretend like you don't know what I'm talking about.
Here's the best tip I have for you today: DELETE.
When your editor (or your CP, or whoever is now editing your stuff--sometimes just you!), points out something that is not working, delete it.
Don't try to make it work. Don't slap on another band-aid. Don't get caught up in your clever or your word count or the fact that you have to have that particular scene.
You don't.
You can write another scene to fill the hole. One that actually works.
Then you have to go into the MS and push out all the antibiotics to kill all the infestation that that one little scene created.
I know you've heard of this. The domino affect. Change something on page 52, everything after that has to be brought into consistency.
True fact. And one of the horrors of deleting and rewriting.
But trust me. Those of us who edit, delete. We delete a lot. We rewrite what doesn't work into something that does.
And, for me personally, I find that working with blank pages is the best way to remove the offending parts. Otherwise, I might not get it all. Because your goal as an author is to become the best storyteller you can, using only the best words to do that.
If you're afraid of deleting your words, you're just a writer. You want to become a master storyteller that readers feel comfortable spending hours with, because they know you can weave a story around them using only words.
In order to do/become that, you have to be willing to delete. Is it painful? Sure. That's what copy + paste are for.
Have you overcome your fear of the delete key? You should really get on that.
Last week, I gave you some tips to avoid indulgences, find your voice, and to flesh out those relationships.
This week, I'm going to give you the ugly. You know, the parts where you cringe because you got caught trying to put a band-aid on a flesh wound that clearly needs stitches. And you left it so now it's all infected and there might be gangrene in there.
Don't even pretend like you don't know what I'm talking about.
Here's the best tip I have for you today: DELETE.
When your editor (or your CP, or whoever is now editing your stuff--sometimes just you!), points out something that is not working, delete it.
Don't try to make it work. Don't slap on another band-aid. Don't get caught up in your clever or your word count or the fact that you have to have that particular scene.
You don't.
You can write another scene to fill the hole. One that actually works.
Then you have to go into the MS and push out all the antibiotics to kill all the infestation that that one little scene created.
I know you've heard of this. The domino affect. Change something on page 52, everything after that has to be brought into consistency.
True fact. And one of the horrors of deleting and rewriting.
But trust me. Those of us who edit, delete. We delete a lot. We rewrite what doesn't work into something that does.
And, for me personally, I find that working with blank pages is the best way to remove the offending parts. Otherwise, I might not get it all. Because your goal as an author is to become the best storyteller you can, using only the best words to do that.
If you're afraid of deleting your words, you're just a writer. You want to become a master storyteller that readers feel comfortable spending hours with, because they know you can weave a story around them using only words.
In order to do/become that, you have to be willing to delete. Is it painful? Sure. That's what copy + paste are for.
Have you overcome your fear of the delete key? You should really get on that.
Friday, October 7, 2011
Editing Your MS in 30 Days or Less
Okay, so sue me. This is a re-post from my days on the QueryTracker blog. It's about 2 years old, but I still think it's frawesome.
So, uh, take it away Past-Self!
Okay, so imagine you've finished the fifth draft of your amazing NYT bestseller. You've let some time go by. And now you're ready to edit the manuscript. Again. (*Note: for the purposes of this post, editing and revising are synonymous.)
You sit down, open the document, and...proceed to stare into the great black abyss like somehow your MS will edit itself. Oh, sure, maybe you're like me and you immediately click on gmail when something earth-shattering doesn't hit you about your novel. Or Twitter. Or Facebook. Or a writing forum. Heck, maybe when you get really desperate, well, let's not go there.
I know (trust me, I KNOW) the thought of editing an entire manuscript is overwhelming. Daunting. Like climbing the mountain--again.
So today, I'm going to give you some pointers that have helped me tackle my 320-page manuscript, edit it, polish it, get it to betas and then out the door in less than 30 days. Strap yourselves in.
1. Set goals. Not only a "finish-by" goal date, but goals for what you want to accomplish in the edit. Does character A need more depth? Do you need to introduce the antag earlier so readers know who/what the MC is up against? Do you need stronger world-building? Faster pacing? A sub-plot that needs fleshing out? What are you trying to accomplish with the edit?
Know what these are. Don't freak out that there's SO MUCH that needs to be done. Just make a list.
2. Chunk your MS. It's much easier to wrap your mind around 100 pages rather than 350. So chunk your MS into manageable sections. I split mine into three distinct pieces and worked on them individually.
Okay, so you really haven't opened the document and started yet. This is all the "behind-the-scenes" stuff that you can do in a notebook or in your head. It usually takes me 2-3 days to make my list and chunk my MS. Take some time to do this. It helps things settle in your head before you actually start.
3. Read. That's right. Hopefully, it's been a while since you've read or worked on your MS. You'll be able to see things with fresh eyes this way. I printed the first chunk and sat down to read. Yes, I had a pen (it was black, not red) in my hand. During this reading phase, I was doing three things:
4. Transfer from paper to computer. Remember, this is only for the first chunk. For me, it was about 115 pages, and it took me about 3 days to read, line edit and make notes for the section. Then I finally opened my Word document and started with page one. I entered the line edits, written changes and deletions. When I got to spots where I had a note for new material, I wrote it. Everything is done with the "Track Changes" feature on, so I can see what I've done. Actually transferring the changes is easy. And since you have something tangible to do, you don't waste any time staring at the screen, wondering what to do and where to do it. Transferring only takes 1 day. Maybe longer if you have large sections to add/rewrite.
5. Rinse and repeat. After section one is transferred into the computer, print section two. Read, pen in hand, post-it's nearby, computer off. Transfer to manuscript. Print section three. Read, transfer. Since I only had three sections, I edited my entire novel in about 12 days. With the goal-making, I finished a round of (major) edits in two weeks.
(*Note #2: Some of you might stop here. If this is say, the second draft, and you're not ready to send to readers yet, you're done! In only 2 weeks. Leave the MS for a while, write something else maybe. Then come back and start with #1 with new goals for another edit.)
6. Send to readers. Now, this could be an entire post by itself. But I don't have time for that, so I'll just say to choose people who you A) trust and B) love and C) will read FAST. I mean, you only have 16 more days. I recommend recruiting a few (meaning: 2 or 3) readers who will critique as you finish chunks. So really, you could have stuff out with Beta readers after you transfer the first chunk. When they finish, send them the second, and so on. This way, you're not stalled at this point in the process, waiting for reads. You've been getting them back on shorter sections. Which is how you want to work anyway.
7. Go over crits, make changes. Add stuff, delete stuff, etc. This is just a polish. You've already done the major reconstruction. Now you're just smoothing over the edges, based on what your readers have said. If you have fast readers, you can probably get this done in a week or so. I think I had my chunks back and crits incorporated in about 8 days.
8. Leave it alone. Which means, leave it alone. Don't open it. Don't read it. You can think about it if you want. I didn't. 2 days. I actually did this immediately following the final transfer (step 5), while waiting for reads to come back on chunks. It doesn't matter when you do it, but it's vital. Seriously, leave it alone.
9. Send entire, repolished MS to trusted readers. These are NOT the same people who read the chunks. Different people. I had 4. I sent them the "final" MS as well as a list of my goals so they knew what I was trying to accomplish with the edit. (*Note, I did this because with one exception, my readers had already read my book, so I wanted them to know specifically what I was trying to do this time around.) Again, they need to be A) trusted B) loved and C) fast.
10. Final edits based on final reads.
11. Done!
This system worked for me. I managed to edit my 83,000-word novel, get reads, and polish it up in under 30 days. Hopefully, you've seen something in this list that can help you focus your energy into accomplishing an edit (no matter if it's your third draft or your, um, eighth) of your manuscript without falling into the great black abyss.
What do you do that helps you get the editing done?
So, uh, take it away Past-Self!
Okay, so imagine you've finished the fifth draft of your amazing NYT bestseller. You've let some time go by. And now you're ready to edit the manuscript. Again. (*Note: for the purposes of this post, editing and revising are synonymous.)
You sit down, open the document, and...proceed to stare into the great black abyss like somehow your MS will edit itself. Oh, sure, maybe you're like me and you immediately click on gmail when something earth-shattering doesn't hit you about your novel. Or Twitter. Or Facebook. Or a writing forum. Heck, maybe when you get really desperate, well, let's not go there.
I know (trust me, I KNOW) the thought of editing an entire manuscript is overwhelming. Daunting. Like climbing the mountain--again.
So today, I'm going to give you some pointers that have helped me tackle my 320-page manuscript, edit it, polish it, get it to betas and then out the door in less than 30 days. Strap yourselves in.
1. Set goals. Not only a "finish-by" goal date, but goals for what you want to accomplish in the edit. Does character A need more depth? Do you need to introduce the antag earlier so readers know who/what the MC is up against? Do you need stronger world-building? Faster pacing? A sub-plot that needs fleshing out? What are you trying to accomplish with the edit?
Know what these are. Don't freak out that there's SO MUCH that needs to be done. Just make a list.
2. Chunk your MS. It's much easier to wrap your mind around 100 pages rather than 350. So chunk your MS into manageable sections. I split mine into three distinct pieces and worked on them individually.
Okay, so you really haven't opened the document and started yet. This is all the "behind-the-scenes" stuff that you can do in a notebook or in your head. It usually takes me 2-3 days to make my list and chunk my MS. Take some time to do this. It helps things settle in your head before you actually start.
3. Read. That's right. Hopefully, it's been a while since you've read or worked on your MS. You'll be able to see things with fresh eyes this way. I printed the first chunk and sat down to read. Yes, I had a pen (it was black, not red) in my hand. During this reading phase, I was doing three things:
- Line-edits (for awkward phrasing, repeated words, word choice, paragraphing, funky formatting, etc. Everything looks new and different on paper. I strongly encourage printing the chunk and editing on paper.)
- Outlining (I don't outline before I write. So I create my outline as I edit a finished draft. I have a pad of small (2-inch by 2-inch) post-it notes next to me. After I finish reading a chapter, I write the main focus of that chapter on a post-it and place it neatly in my manila folder. Can't sum it up? Maybe you don't need that chapter. Every chapter must advance the plot. Even if you write from an outline, you can do this to see if you've really used every chapter, every scene to advance your plot. And hey, maybe your outline has changed.)
- Making Notes (I know my goals for the edit, so as I'm reading, I draw a star and make myself a note. Like, "Insert a memory about character B here." Or "This would be a great place to reflect on plot point G." Or "Introduce antag here by way of video." Or "More world-building/setting here." I don't actually write the insertions. I simply make notes of places where they could go.)
4. Transfer from paper to computer. Remember, this is only for the first chunk. For me, it was about 115 pages, and it took me about 3 days to read, line edit and make notes for the section. Then I finally opened my Word document and started with page one. I entered the line edits, written changes and deletions. When I got to spots where I had a note for new material, I wrote it. Everything is done with the "Track Changes" feature on, so I can see what I've done. Actually transferring the changes is easy. And since you have something tangible to do, you don't waste any time staring at the screen, wondering what to do and where to do it. Transferring only takes 1 day. Maybe longer if you have large sections to add/rewrite.
5. Rinse and repeat. After section one is transferred into the computer, print section two. Read, pen in hand, post-it's nearby, computer off. Transfer to manuscript. Print section three. Read, transfer. Since I only had three sections, I edited my entire novel in about 12 days. With the goal-making, I finished a round of (major) edits in two weeks.
(*Note #2: Some of you might stop here. If this is say, the second draft, and you're not ready to send to readers yet, you're done! In only 2 weeks. Leave the MS for a while, write something else maybe. Then come back and start with #1 with new goals for another edit.)
6. Send to readers. Now, this could be an entire post by itself. But I don't have time for that, so I'll just say to choose people who you A) trust and B) love and C) will read FAST. I mean, you only have 16 more days. I recommend recruiting a few (meaning: 2 or 3) readers who will critique as you finish chunks. So really, you could have stuff out with Beta readers after you transfer the first chunk. When they finish, send them the second, and so on. This way, you're not stalled at this point in the process, waiting for reads. You've been getting them back on shorter sections. Which is how you want to work anyway.
7. Go over crits, make changes. Add stuff, delete stuff, etc. This is just a polish. You've already done the major reconstruction. Now you're just smoothing over the edges, based on what your readers have said. If you have fast readers, you can probably get this done in a week or so. I think I had my chunks back and crits incorporated in about 8 days.
8. Leave it alone. Which means, leave it alone. Don't open it. Don't read it. You can think about it if you want. I didn't. 2 days. I actually did this immediately following the final transfer (step 5), while waiting for reads to come back on chunks. It doesn't matter when you do it, but it's vital. Seriously, leave it alone.
9. Send entire, repolished MS to trusted readers. These are NOT the same people who read the chunks. Different people. I had 4. I sent them the "final" MS as well as a list of my goals so they knew what I was trying to accomplish with the edit. (*Note, I did this because with one exception, my readers had already read my book, so I wanted them to know specifically what I was trying to do this time around.) Again, they need to be A) trusted B) loved and C) fast.
10. Final edits based on final reads.
11. Done!
This system worked for me. I managed to edit my 83,000-word novel, get reads, and polish it up in under 30 days. Hopefully, you've seen something in this list that can help you focus your energy into accomplishing an edit (no matter if it's your third draft or your, um, eighth) of your manuscript without falling into the great black abyss.
What do you do that helps you get the editing done?
Monday, October 3, 2011
Tips From the Edited
Okay, so I'm not professing to be a professional editor. I worked my freaking tail off to find one of those for my books, so I could suck. (LOL! Not really. I mean, I still work hard to make my books the best they can be.)
But nothing compares to having an objective, professional, extra set of eyes. As someone who's now been through two books, both of which required some pretty heavy edits in spots, I'm going to give you the low-down of what I've learned.
Now, both you and I would be delusional to think this is a comprehensive list. In fact, I might do a blog series on this or something.
But let's start with the top 3 things I've come to realize about my writing and how to make my books better BEFORE I send them to my agent/editor.
1. Don't be indulgent. You know those scenes you write just so the main characters can kiss? Yeah, you do. I do too, because I've written them in the past.
Take those out. Kissing scenes are fantastic--don't get me wrong--but they have to be carefully placed, and very rarely do we need a whole blow-by-blow of such actions. (Consider your genre, please.)
You know those scenes you write where you think you're being all clever? Yeah, you do. I do too, because I put them in my books too.
Take those out--or at least consider them very carefully. EVERYTHING in the story should be there for the sake of the story--NOT so the author can feel clever. I've learned to put my indulgences in my pet project.
The books I'm writing for publication (or submission) are indulgent-free. Every word I write in them goes toward establishing 4 things: plot, character, world, or emotion. If it doesn't, it doesn't belong.
Trust me, when I get my edit letters, those are the first things my editor calls me on.
2. Relationships can drive plot. I'm a lover of fast-paced books. It's a struggle for me to insert setting and world-building. I like "things to happen" and all the time.
I'm also very angsty. I like to pour that into my characters, and use it to drive my plot forward. This may sound basic, but it's hard to do.
Sometimes, we read books where there's only relationship things going on. And then the next chapter is plot things. Then relationship. Then plot.
I think it's better to layer the relationship INTO the plot, so they must co-exist. My editor thinks so too, as she's always calling me on the half-baked relationships I put in my books. One of my heaviest edits is always in the relationship realm.
I'm really trying to think about the relationships in my new books in advance, and USE THOSE RELATIONSHIPS to BUILD THE STORY.
3. Take the time to find your character's voice. I find my voices overlapping, and it's a problem for my editor (and me), trust me. She doesn't want a book that has language exactly like my previous book.
So do some writing exercises to find your character's voice. You won't be sorry, and neither will the agent/editor you're submitting your work to. (I have a post about this here. Might be worth a read.)
So there. Sorry this is such a long post. Maybe I should've split it up today. But now that I'm drafting like crazy again, these are the top 3 things I'm trying to do BEFORE my editor calls me on them.
What are your top 3 editing tips?
But nothing compares to having an objective, professional, extra set of eyes. As someone who's now been through two books, both of which required some pretty heavy edits in spots, I'm going to give you the low-down of what I've learned.
Now, both you and I would be delusional to think this is a comprehensive list. In fact, I might do a blog series on this or something.
But let's start with the top 3 things I've come to realize about my writing and how to make my books better BEFORE I send them to my agent/editor.
1. Don't be indulgent. You know those scenes you write just so the main characters can kiss? Yeah, you do. I do too, because I've written them in the past.
Take those out. Kissing scenes are fantastic--don't get me wrong--but they have to be carefully placed, and very rarely do we need a whole blow-by-blow of such actions. (Consider your genre, please.)
You know those scenes you write where you think you're being all clever? Yeah, you do. I do too, because I put them in my books too.
Take those out--or at least consider them very carefully. EVERYTHING in the story should be there for the sake of the story--NOT so the author can feel clever. I've learned to put my indulgences in my pet project.
The books I'm writing for publication (or submission) are indulgent-free. Every word I write in them goes toward establishing 4 things: plot, character, world, or emotion. If it doesn't, it doesn't belong.
Trust me, when I get my edit letters, those are the first things my editor calls me on.
2. Relationships can drive plot. I'm a lover of fast-paced books. It's a struggle for me to insert setting and world-building. I like "things to happen" and all the time.
I'm also very angsty. I like to pour that into my characters, and use it to drive my plot forward. This may sound basic, but it's hard to do.
Sometimes, we read books where there's only relationship things going on. And then the next chapter is plot things. Then relationship. Then plot.
I think it's better to layer the relationship INTO the plot, so they must co-exist. My editor thinks so too, as she's always calling me on the half-baked relationships I put in my books. One of my heaviest edits is always in the relationship realm.
I'm really trying to think about the relationships in my new books in advance, and USE THOSE RELATIONSHIPS to BUILD THE STORY.
3. Take the time to find your character's voice. I find my voices overlapping, and it's a problem for my editor (and me), trust me. She doesn't want a book that has language exactly like my previous book.
So do some writing exercises to find your character's voice. You won't be sorry, and neither will the agent/editor you're submitting your work to. (I have a post about this here. Might be worth a read.)
So there. Sorry this is such a long post. Maybe I should've split it up today. But now that I'm drafting like crazy again, these are the top 3 things I'm trying to do BEFORE my editor calls me on them.
What are your top 3 editing tips?
Wednesday, August 10, 2011
Adding More World To Your Novel
Okay, so on Monday I talked about strengthening and using relationships in writing. It's something I'm learning and working on while I edit my second novel, Surrender.
The next phase that I've been considering and stretching and growing in is thus: world building.
See, I'm not what you'd call a super-deep person. When I read a book, I don't really care about the society or the world or how it came to be or anything like that. So as a writer, I don't really think to include those things.
I write the kind of books I like to read, and they're light on the world building. Heck, most of the time, they're light on the actual setting! I just find that I like a very fast, emotional read, and setting is neither fast nor emotional to me.
Well.
Apparently, I need to amp up the setting and world building in Surrender. This has been difficult for me on many levels, but I think I've managed to learn a thing or two along the way.
So today, I give you a few tips I've learned about adding more world to your novel.
Tip #1: One sentence is sometimes enough. This sounds simple, and it is! I seriously thought I'd need to drone on and on (and on!) in order to give the background of my society. But it turns out that a well-placed, well-crafted sentence is sometimes enough.
This pleases me greatly, because then I don't have to slow down my action in order to convey information.
Tip #2: Edit on paper first. I'm a huge fan of editing on paper, because for me, it's like note-taking. I'm not really writing new scenes or anything like that. I'm simply reading my MS, taking in all the notes my editor has written in the margin, and finding places for that one sentence explanation.
I mark these places on the hard copy of my book. I write all over my MS, and this allows me to really see what's going on in my book. I'm very visual/tactile in that way.
While I'm editing on paper, I also keep notes in a journal. I'll jot down on which pages items about the world are already mentioned, and on which pages I'm planning to add more explanation and what that explanation is about. This helps me keep the sequence of revealed information in the right order.
Tip #3: Spread the building out. When I first got my edit letter, I sort of had a tiny panic attack at all the additional explanations that were needed. I seriously thought they all needed to be addressed in the first chapter. But they don't.
As I read my novel and found the spots that would house further explanation well, I realized that not everything has to be explained in chapter one. Or two. Or even ten. (I feel rather silly about this now, but yeah. Edit letters are scary. Awesome, but scary.)
Tip #4: It is, in reality, okay to establish the setting. I'm sure you're going, "Duh, Elana!" but for me, setting is a huge weakness of mine. As I said, I just don't care what a house looks like. I can't imagine why anyone would care, and so setting is not something I consider too heavily. But as I've been editing, I can see the value in establishing the setting in my futuristic society. Some people probably want to see it better than I've written it.
But I'll tell you, this is one I'm repeating to myself all the time. "It's okay to establish setting. It's okay to establish setting."
So editing in more setting and world building is...going. Are these things you gravitate toward doing naturally? How do you weave in setting and world building without slowing the action?
The next phase that I've been considering and stretching and growing in is thus: world building.
See, I'm not what you'd call a super-deep person. When I read a book, I don't really care about the society or the world or how it came to be or anything like that. So as a writer, I don't really think to include those things.
I write the kind of books I like to read, and they're light on the world building. Heck, most of the time, they're light on the actual setting! I just find that I like a very fast, emotional read, and setting is neither fast nor emotional to me.
Well.
Apparently, I need to amp up the setting and world building in Surrender. This has been difficult for me on many levels, but I think I've managed to learn a thing or two along the way.
So today, I give you a few tips I've learned about adding more world to your novel.
Tip #1: One sentence is sometimes enough. This sounds simple, and it is! I seriously thought I'd need to drone on and on (and on!) in order to give the background of my society. But it turns out that a well-placed, well-crafted sentence is sometimes enough.
This pleases me greatly, because then I don't have to slow down my action in order to convey information.
Tip #2: Edit on paper first. I'm a huge fan of editing on paper, because for me, it's like note-taking. I'm not really writing new scenes or anything like that. I'm simply reading my MS, taking in all the notes my editor has written in the margin, and finding places for that one sentence explanation.
I mark these places on the hard copy of my book. I write all over my MS, and this allows me to really see what's going on in my book. I'm very visual/tactile in that way.
While I'm editing on paper, I also keep notes in a journal. I'll jot down on which pages items about the world are already mentioned, and on which pages I'm planning to add more explanation and what that explanation is about. This helps me keep the sequence of revealed information in the right order.
Tip #3: Spread the building out. When I first got my edit letter, I sort of had a tiny panic attack at all the additional explanations that were needed. I seriously thought they all needed to be addressed in the first chapter. But they don't.
As I read my novel and found the spots that would house further explanation well, I realized that not everything has to be explained in chapter one. Or two. Or even ten. (I feel rather silly about this now, but yeah. Edit letters are scary. Awesome, but scary.)
Tip #4: It is, in reality, okay to establish the setting. I'm sure you're going, "Duh, Elana!" but for me, setting is a huge weakness of mine. As I said, I just don't care what a house looks like. I can't imagine why anyone would care, and so setting is not something I consider too heavily. But as I've been editing, I can see the value in establishing the setting in my futuristic society. Some people probably want to see it better than I've written it.
But I'll tell you, this is one I'm repeating to myself all the time. "It's okay to establish setting. It's okay to establish setting."
So editing in more setting and world building is...going. Are these things you gravitate toward doing naturally? How do you weave in setting and world building without slowing the action?
Monday, August 8, 2011
Using Relationships To Shape Your Novel
Okay, so I've been working on edits for SURRENDER (a Possession novel, coming next summer. Did you like that seamless plug? Ha!), and I've been learning more about writing in the process.
First, let me just say that every book has it's own process for drafting, revising, and editing. I didn't draft Surrender the same way I drafted Possession. I didn't revise it the same, and I'm learning that I'm not editing it the same either.
This whole writing thing is an interesting beast.
Second, I've learned some things about editing (and my process) during this round of work on Surrender that I thought I'd share. There are three areas, and because I'm a huge fan of the short blog post, I'm going to break this up into three posts.
Up today: the relationships in your manuscript.
Relationships between teenagers can be volatile, fiercely loyal, and very intense. I seem to be able to do this with people who like each other but aren't supposed to. Everything else, uhhhh, needs some work.
So during this round of edits, I'm really exploring the relationships between my characters. Are they friends? Good friends? Best friends? Do they like each other at all? Why or why not?
I've realized that the relationship between people shapes and dictates everything in the novel. The thoughts the MC has. The conversations people have with each other. Another's perspective of a relationship.
It's been eye-opening. Maybe you already know this. I think, way down deep in the recesses of my head, I knew it. But it hadn't translated onto the pages of my manuscript.
So I'm working on strengthening and further defining the relationships in my novel, and then using them to guide the dialogue and action.
It's a lot of work, as anyone who's revised a novel knows. If I changed one aspect of the relationship on page 6, everything beyond that changes. How the MC feels, what they might say, what they might think/not think, etc.
But I shall prevail! And my book will be better for it.
Have you realized how important the relationships are in your novels? Do they shape everything else?
First, let me just say that every book has it's own process for drafting, revising, and editing. I didn't draft Surrender the same way I drafted Possession. I didn't revise it the same, and I'm learning that I'm not editing it the same either.
This whole writing thing is an interesting beast.
Second, I've learned some things about editing (and my process) during this round of work on Surrender that I thought I'd share. There are three areas, and because I'm a huge fan of the short blog post, I'm going to break this up into three posts.
Up today: the relationships in your manuscript.
So during this round of edits, I'm really exploring the relationships between my characters. Are they friends? Good friends? Best friends? Do they like each other at all? Why or why not?
I've realized that the relationship between people shapes and dictates everything in the novel. The thoughts the MC has. The conversations people have with each other. Another's perspective of a relationship.
It's been eye-opening. Maybe you already know this. I think, way down deep in the recesses of my head, I knew it. But it hadn't translated onto the pages of my manuscript.
So I'm working on strengthening and further defining the relationships in my novel, and then using them to guide the dialogue and action.
It's a lot of work, as anyone who's revised a novel knows. If I changed one aspect of the relationship on page 6, everything beyond that changes. How the MC feels, what they might say, what they might think/not think, etc.
But I shall prevail! And my book will be better for it.
Have you realized how important the relationships are in your novels? Do they shape everything else?
Monday, November 29, 2010
How Do You Know?
Okay, so I am singing the song "How Does She Know?" from Enchanted as I type this blog post. I hope it infects you for the rest of the day, just cuz I'm cruel like that. *mwa ha ha!*
Anyway, being deep in the trenches of editing/revising my next novel, I'm sort of wondering: How do I know when this bad boy is done? How will I know when I should send it to my betas?
I mean, I know they're going to send it back to me without a single mark, praising my every word! *snarf* Riiiight.
So when do *I* stop??
For me, this has always been a gut thing. Plus, if I'm reading my own book (where, supposedly, I know everything and why that one sentence is there and how it's setting up that freakishly cool thing on page 323), and I have to make notes of what's wrong, then, newsflash, it's not ready.
#Dangitall.
My book still isn't ready.
Now, if you're simply going around and around in circles between the words "slid" and "slithered" then you probably need to put down the red pen and step away. Just sayin'.
So how do you know when you've done all you can do? Gut feeling? Set round of edits? Lay it on me. I'm on round 6, I think.
And the pen is red this time.
Anyway, being deep in the trenches of editing/revising my next novel, I'm sort of wondering: How do I know when this bad boy is done? How will I know when I should send it to my betas?
I mean, I know they're going to send it back to me without a single mark, praising my every word! *snarf* Riiiight.
So when do *I* stop??
For me, this has always been a gut thing. Plus, if I'm reading my own book (where, supposedly, I know everything and why that one sentence is there and how it's setting up that freakishly cool thing on page 323), and I have to make notes of what's wrong, then, newsflash, it's not ready.
#Dangitall.
My book still isn't ready.
Now, if you're simply going around and around in circles between the words "slid" and "slithered" then you probably need to put down the red pen and step away. Just sayin'.
So how do you know when you've done all you can do? Gut feeling? Set round of edits? Lay it on me. I'm on round 6, I think.
And the pen is red this time.
Friday, July 2, 2010
Sucked Dry
Okay, so I saw Eclipse at 12:03 AM on Wednesday morning. Have you seen Two Weeks Notice? When Hugh Grant is playing chess with his driver and they're talking about women and the driver says, "You taIk about your feelings until your breath is sucked out your body."
That's how the conversations were in Eclipse. And that's how I feel in general. The breath's been sucked out of my body.
But in a good way.
WriteOnCon opened up for registration yesterday. We had over 360 people register yesterday. It's awesome to feel their enthusiasm.
I've been editing this week. It's the best part of the process (for me), but holy brain cell drainage, Batman.
So I'm sucked dry. And this is the blog post you get because of it. I did buy myself some orange sherbet to aid in the recovery process, and that's what I'm going to spend the holiday weekend doing. What about you? When you're sucked dry, how do you rejuvenate?
And isn't Two Weeks Notice the best movie ever??
That's how the conversations were in Eclipse. And that's how I feel in general. The breath's been sucked out of my body.
But in a good way.
WriteOnCon opened up for registration yesterday. We had over 360 people register yesterday. It's awesome to feel their enthusiasm.
I've been editing this week. It's the best part of the process (for me), but holy brain cell drainage, Batman.
So I'm sucked dry. And this is the blog post you get because of it. I did buy myself some orange sherbet to aid in the recovery process, and that's what I'm going to spend the holiday weekend doing. What about you? When you're sucked dry, how do you rejuvenate?
And isn't Two Weeks Notice the best movie ever??
Wednesday, July 29, 2009
WiP Wednesday - Stats
This week, I give you stats.
# of hours I spent playing tennis - 5
# of hours I spent cleaning my garage - 10
# of loads of laundry - 5
# of times I squished myself into a swimming suit - 3
# of times I went to lunch - 2 (and it's only Wed! I l-o-v-e going to lunch. I already have a lunch date for Friday. Woot!)
# of homegrown tomatoes I ate - 15
# of times I got in my burning hot car yesterday to either pick my kids up or take them to something - 12 (srsly)
# of words written in the past 8 days - 7,152
# of pages edited in the same time - 22
# of pages done for crit group - 51
# of queries sent - 1
# of times "# of" appears in this post - 13
What have you been up to?
# of hours I spent playing tennis - 5# of hours I spent cleaning my garage - 10
# of loads of laundry - 5
# of times I squished myself into a swimming suit - 3
# of times I went to lunch - 2 (and it's only Wed! I l-o-v-e going to lunch. I already have a lunch date for Friday. Woot!)
# of homegrown tomatoes I ate - 15
# of times I got in my burning hot car yesterday to either pick my kids up or take them to something - 12 (srsly)
# of words written in the past 8 days - 7,152
# of pages edited in the same time - 22
# of pages done for crit group - 51
# of queries sent - 1
# of times "# of" appears in this post - 13
What have you been up to?
Tuesday, June 9, 2009
My New Plan
Yeah, yeah. I can hear the snarfing nationwide. World-wide, actually. But I really do have a plan to achieve balance this time. A real plan. A well-thought-out plan. Really.
It's called the "one hour plan."
Don't you want to know how it's going to work? You do, I know you do.
Here's the dealio. I waste a lot of time. I'm actually better with my time when I'm working because there's only so much time to get so much done and some of that time is used in a way I don't like (um, working). So yeah. I'm a bit more focused during my "free" time when I'm working.
Now that summer is here...not so much. So I developed the "one hour plan." It's simple, it's effective, even your dog could do it. Srsly.
Here it is. I have three projects I'm working on. I blogged about this last week, but since I can't even remember what I ate for dinner a couple of hours ago, I know some of you might have a slight problem remembering *my* goals.
Control Issues - read books
The Mirror - edit/revise/rewrite
Dying to Live - write
Remember now? Good, moving on. Here's the one hour plan.
I read for one hour.
I edit/revise/rewrite for one hour.
I write new wordage for one hour.
And, you knew it was coming.... I get one hour of online time. Yes. Only one hour. You may have noticed my blog comments declining and my forum participation on the decrease. Yeah, there's only so much I can do in an hour. I can't go totally dark like BJ and Lady Glam and some others, but I can reduce to one hour.
So, mathematicians out there, that's four hours of my day. What else do I do? Yardwork. Clean. Cook. Push the kids on the swings or go to the pool. Beta read. You know, real life stuff. It's working. I feel productive in my writing life. I feel like a real human. It's a win/win for everyone.
It's the one hour plan. It's patented people. *wink* The Elana Johnson One Hour Writing Plan! New and only available--just kidding.
So, I'm interested. Have you ever timed how long you spend on things? How long do you really write every day? Edit? Read? Spend time online in blogs, forums, email, etc? Being a real person? Is it too much in one area? Not enough in another? How do you keep the balance between computer time and face-to-face time?
It's called the "one hour plan."
Don't you want to know how it's going to work? You do, I know you do.
Here's the dealio. I waste a lot of time. I'm actually better with my time when I'm working because there's only so much time to get so much done and some of that time is used in a way I don't like (um, working). So yeah. I'm a bit more focused during my "free" time when I'm working.Now that summer is here...not so much. So I developed the "one hour plan." It's simple, it's effective, even your dog could do it. Srsly.
Here it is. I have three projects I'm working on. I blogged about this last week, but since I can't even remember what I ate for dinner a couple of hours ago, I know some of you might have a slight problem remembering *my* goals.
Control Issues - read books
The Mirror - edit/revise/rewrite
Dying to Live - write
Remember now? Good, moving on. Here's the one hour plan.
I read for one hour.
I edit/revise/rewrite for one hour.
I write new wordage for one hour.
And, you knew it was coming.... I get one hour of online time. Yes. Only one hour. You may have noticed my blog comments declining and my forum participation on the decrease. Yeah, there's only so much I can do in an hour. I can't go totally dark like BJ and Lady Glam and some others, but I can reduce to one hour.
So, mathematicians out there, that's four hours of my day. What else do I do? Yardwork. Clean. Cook. Push the kids on the swings or go to the pool. Beta read. You know, real life stuff. It's working. I feel productive in my writing life. I feel like a real human. It's a win/win for everyone.
It's the one hour plan. It's patented people. *wink* The Elana Johnson One Hour Writing Plan! New and only available--just kidding.
So, I'm interested. Have you ever timed how long you spend on things? How long do you really write every day? Edit? Read? Spend time online in blogs, forums, email, etc? Being a real person? Is it too much in one area? Not enough in another? How do you keep the balance between computer time and face-to-face time?
Thursday, May 7, 2009
Getting Information Across, Part One: Dialog
Okay, I'm going to do a three-part series (but let's face it, my three-parters tend to turn into four or five or six-parters. Don't say you haven't been warned) on how you get information across in a piece of writing. I'm starting with these in mind. You can tell me what else I need to stew on if you want. I'm nothing if not open to suggestions.
1. Dialog
2. Narration
3. Internal thoughts
So today, I'm starting with dialog. Having your characters SAY important information is a great way to get the story out.
Warning: Don't engage your characters in a conversation where both parties already know all the information but the reader does not. That's wicked lame.
It's got to be an authentic conversation between people. It can reveal who the characters are by the way they talk, how you choose to have them react, and what words you put in their mouths.
And dialog can also get out crucial background information or other facts you need a character (and thus, the reader) to learn. For example, take this snippet of dialog from my now-curing WiP, Elemental Hunger. It's mostly dialog where Gabby (the narrator) is learning some stuff she didn't know.
---------
---------
This is mostly dialog. And I really need Gabby to know that Alex is a woman. Smart readers will catch Adam's "slip" in the second paragraph. I want the reader to see that, wonder about it, and then get the information right away. I also want/need the information about all the schools being demolished in there. And that little bit about how far Tarpulin is. And Felix....
So you see, dialog can really get a lot of crucial information out in the open in a relatively short amount of time.
It's also one of the hardest things to write, I think. It's important to make sure it sounds natural. Don't let your characters say things they wouldn't say. Don't let them say contrived or overdone things just because you want them to/you need them to/or you think it's the way to go.
Just let them be...themselves. Let them talk, carefully inserting the words you need them to say to get across the information you need. But don't rob them of who they are or the voice they use. It's a delicate balance, one you probably need a crit group, therapy and a large platter of bacon to find. Wait. That might just be me. Never mind.
But seriously, you want your dialog to be authentic. As if you really were eavesdropping on these people, learning the vital information you need to keep the reader invested in their story. And that can be done by good use of dialog. So get them talking!
How will you know when/if your dialog is authentic/awesome?
My tip: Read your dialog out loud. Does it flow like a conversation? Does it sound stilted and awkward? Natural? Too old for the character? Too young? Is it "trying too hard"? You'll know if you read it out loud.
And I like to hear you talk. Does this dialog (in my snippet) work for you? What age would you say these characters are? How can you tell? What do you learn about them? Who's older? Wiser? More in control? Do you consciously think of these things when you're writing dialog? (I'm not saying I do, cuz I don't. But I definitely think about them during the editing stage.)
Finally, do you like writing dialog? I totally love it. It's one of my favorite things to write. And so, so powerful if done right.
So...talk to me! What say you about dialog?
1. Dialog
2. Narration
3. Internal thoughts
So today, I'm starting with dialog. Having your characters SAY important information is a great way to get the story out.Warning: Don't engage your characters in a conversation where both parties already know all the information but the reader does not. That's wicked lame.
It's got to be an authentic conversation between people. It can reveal who the characters are by the way they talk, how you choose to have them react, and what words you put in their mouths.
And dialog can also get out crucial background information or other facts you need a character (and thus, the reader) to learn. For example, take this snippet of dialog from my now-curing WiP, Elemental Hunger. It's mostly dialog where Gabby (the narrator) is learning some stuff she didn't know.
---------
The silence stretched on as I struggled to make sense of what he’d said. “Mentor? As in…you were training to be a sentry? Why? There’s an Elemental school in Tarpulin.”
“Not anymore,” Adam said, his voice flat. “Alex buried the school under a mountain a year ago. That’s why I left. All the schools in the Northern Territories have been destroyed. I’m only alive because she doesn’t know I’m Elemental. I’d been on the sentry track for twelve years.”
“All the schools?”
“Yup. I’ve been hopping from school to school, managing to escape before the flood or the earthquake. Crylon was the last—and now it’s burned.”
“I didn’t do it,” I said automatically.
“I know. Felix did. Do you think he could’ve gotten here so fast? All the way from Tarpulin?”
I knew Tarpulin was far away, but I didn't know how far. “But he’s not Elemental.”
“No, but he can strike a match.”
“Why? Why would Alex send her sentries to destroy the Elemental schools?”
He glanced at me out of the corner of his eye. “You don’t know much about Alex, do you?”
Anger burned through my veins. “I didn’t get to attend Firemaker lessons. In case you haven’t figured it out, no one knew I was Elemental either. I know who Alex is. I know everyone is afraid of him—including me. He’s ruthless and cruel.”
“And a girl,” Adam said, eyeing me again.
“Wh—What?”
“Alex is a woman. And she possesses all four Elements.”
I stared at him as he peeled the blackened skin off of the chicken. “No way.”
“Way, man. Uh, I mean....”
“How is that possible?”
---------
This is mostly dialog. And I really need Gabby to know that Alex is a woman. Smart readers will catch Adam's "slip" in the second paragraph. I want the reader to see that, wonder about it, and then get the information right away. I also want/need the information about all the schools being demolished in there. And that little bit about how far Tarpulin is. And Felix....
So you see, dialog can really get a lot of crucial information out in the open in a relatively short amount of time.
It's also one of the hardest things to write, I think. It's important to make sure it sounds natural. Don't let your characters say things they wouldn't say. Don't let them say contrived or overdone things just because you want them to/you need them to/or you think it's the way to go.
Just let them be...themselves. Let them talk, carefully inserting the words you need them to say to get across the information you need. But don't rob them of who they are or the voice they use. It's a delicate balance, one you probably need a crit group, therapy and a large platter of bacon to find. Wait. That might just be me. Never mind.
But seriously, you want your dialog to be authentic. As if you really were eavesdropping on these people, learning the vital information you need to keep the reader invested in their story. And that can be done by good use of dialog. So get them talking!
How will you know when/if your dialog is authentic/awesome?
My tip: Read your dialog out loud. Does it flow like a conversation? Does it sound stilted and awkward? Natural? Too old for the character? Too young? Is it "trying too hard"? You'll know if you read it out loud.
And I like to hear you talk. Does this dialog (in my snippet) work for you? What age would you say these characters are? How can you tell? What do you learn about them? Who's older? Wiser? More in control? Do you consciously think of these things when you're writing dialog? (I'm not saying I do, cuz I don't. But I definitely think about them during the editing stage.)
Finally, do you like writing dialog? I totally love it. It's one of my favorite things to write. And so, so powerful if done right.
So...talk to me! What say you about dialog?
Tuesday, February 3, 2009
Why I Listen to my Novel - Out Loud
Okay, so I was reading through my manuscript after running the spell checker. I wear headphones and listen to the computer read in that horrible robot-jerky voice as I follow along. This is why I do this, even though it takes a lot of time. And I want to cut off my ears like Van Gogh did. Those computer voices just aren't conducive for listening to 85,000 words. Seriously.
"A five-year-old Tyson and a three-year-old me played in the water, dipping our feet and slashing each other."
LOL! That should be "...sPlashing each other."
"Thy blood stained the cobbled stones."
Um, that should be "ThE blood..." Not only did it slip into first person, but all of a sudden I was speaking in this formal voice. "Thy mother has spokeneth. Go cleaneth your roometh."
"As the feeling came back into my legs and feet, I torched a long coat hanging in the corner of the closet."
Man, this girl has some serious anger issues. Hee, hee. That should be "...I toUched a long coat..."
So you see, the spell checker can't find everything. And that robotic voice is good for something. Maybe.
"A five-year-old Tyson and a three-year-old me played in the water, dipping our feet and slashing each other."
LOL! That should be "...sPlashing each other."
"Thy blood stained the cobbled stones."
Um, that should be "ThE blood..." Not only did it slip into first person, but all of a sudden I was speaking in this formal voice. "Thy mother has spokeneth. Go cleaneth your roometh."
"As the feeling came back into my legs and feet, I torched a long coat hanging in the corner of the closet."
Man, this girl has some serious anger issues. Hee, hee. That should be "...I toUched a long coat..."
So you see, the spell checker can't find everything. And that robotic voice is good for something. Maybe.
Tuesday, August 19, 2008
Back to Real Life
Status of my Life: I finished another edit of SHADOWS. And I finally wrote something new yesterday. Going back to work threw me all out of wack, and I didn't have anyone talking because I had so many other things clouding my mind. But yesterday (my day off) I finally heard them again and I was able to write 1800 words in a new novel I started a while ago and am now changing up a little bit. After about a week, that's relief.
So yeah. School's starting again. It's usually only bad until October. By then I have the little darlings all trained up and things run smoothly. But the next six weeks...yikes.
And that means that I'm going to have to be more scheduled with my time. I've set a bedtime of 11 PM and I'm going to try to focus on writing from 9-11 every night. I'm sure I'll get sucked into the black abyss of my writing forums, but I'm really going to try not to get too...sucky. We'll see how that goes.
My son is back in school, and scouts, and piano and that means time running him around to his thousands of activities. Time to get the notebook back in the purse so while I'm waiting for him, I can write.
Real life isn't sooo bad, it's just getting back into it.
Reading: THE DARK IS RISING by Susan Cooper
So yeah. School's starting again. It's usually only bad until October. By then I have the little darlings all trained up and things run smoothly. But the next six weeks...yikes.
And that means that I'm going to have to be more scheduled with my time. I've set a bedtime of 11 PM and I'm going to try to focus on writing from 9-11 every night. I'm sure I'll get sucked into the black abyss of my writing forums, but I'm really going to try not to get too...sucky. We'll see how that goes.
My son is back in school, and scouts, and piano and that means time running him around to his thousands of activities. Time to get the notebook back in the purse so while I'm waiting for him, I can write.
Real life isn't sooo bad, it's just getting back into it.
Reading: THE DARK IS RISING by Susan Cooper
Monday, June 30, 2008
I Wish I Had A Cool Job
Status of my Life: Editing and revising and I started a sequel yesterday! Exciting!
One of my friends just dropped by. She said, "I'm going up to the cemetery for a photo shoot." Isn't that the coolest job description? I laughed and laughed. Just so you know, she's a graphic designer for a craft magazine and they're working on the October issue and need some "spooky" shots. She's on her way to the grocery store for some dry ice right now. I thought it was hilarious.
This may reveal some stuff about me, but other cool jobs I wish I had:
Pilot - who wouldn't want to fly around? Sounds awesome, besides my fear of heights of course.
Cameraman - like for the show Heroes. How cool would that be? I love Hiro and Isaac.
Conductor - of like a symphony, not a train. To have that power and the wave of a hand. Phenomenal.
Professional gardener - I love flowers, it's just the bees and sunburns I don't like...
Editor - I love reading new books and offering my advice/suggestions. I guess that's why I love my critique groups so much. :)
Reading: OUTCASTS OF 19 SCHULER PLACE by E.L. Koningsburg
One of my friends just dropped by. She said, "I'm going up to the cemetery for a photo shoot." Isn't that the coolest job description? I laughed and laughed. Just so you know, she's a graphic designer for a craft magazine and they're working on the October issue and need some "spooky" shots. She's on her way to the grocery store for some dry ice right now. I thought it was hilarious.
This may reveal some stuff about me, but other cool jobs I wish I had:
Pilot - who wouldn't want to fly around? Sounds awesome, besides my fear of heights of course.
Cameraman - like for the show Heroes. How cool would that be? I love Hiro and Isaac.
Conductor - of like a symphony, not a train. To have that power and the wave of a hand. Phenomenal.
Professional gardener - I love flowers, it's just the bees and sunburns I don't like...
Editor - I love reading new books and offering my advice/suggestions. I guess that's why I love my critique groups so much. :)
Reading: OUTCASTS OF 19 SCHULER PLACE by E.L. Koningsburg
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