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The Contest Bandwagon – are you hoppin’ aboard?

By on February 15, 2010 in Writing

A few months ago, blog contests happened here and there.

The contest would be part of a debut book launch. I get that. It makes sense. And I understand that when selling a book, you want to get the word out. So, I didn’t mind the list of hurdles I’d have to jump, just to enter the contest. I understand new agents wanting to draw attention to themselves by offering critiques of queries or opening pages. 

Shelli at Market My Words, and Elana Johnson, are holding separate contests, but promoting them together. They are not promoting a debut book launch, but they are doing more than offering a free book. They are helping writers. There are some incredible prizes having to do with agents. So, go check it out.

Outside of these two contests, lately, there are contests every week! And they are not for book launches. Bloggers are giving away books, maybe arcs, maybe not, and little nick-nacks.  Somewhere along the line, word got out that in order to grow your blog , a contest was the winning lottery ticket.  

My conclusion: If you are holding a contest to promote your forthcoming book or a friend’s book, or to help fellow writers, I’ll enter the contest and jump through all the million hoops that comes with it.

But, if you are holding a contest, just to promote your blog, I probably won’t enter.

 And whether you enter contests or not, remember – it still comes down to one thing when selling your book or signing with an agent.

Your writing.

Comments { 17 }

Choosing your story format.

By on February 12, 2010 in Writing

American Idol was heartbreaking. But I’ve learned to expect that from Hollywood week. On the first round, they get one chance to sing a song, with or without an instrument. In the second round, they choose their own groups and have 12 hours to learn and choreograph the song – together. Talk about stressful.

First Round

Some talented singers chose the totally wrong song. They didn’t put in the prep work and forgot their lines – or they lost confidence and blanked. And they were out, just like that. Unfair? Maybe.

But maybe, even though they have talent, they weren’t ready. Maybe they didn’t know what genre of music was best for their voice. Maybe they didn’t know what kind of song would show off their skills in the twenty seconds they had to impress the agents   judges.

Second Round

My first reaction to the second round was to scream “unfair!” and shut the television off or mutter not-nice words about Simon. But the pressure of working with other singers drew out some good qualities and not-so-good qualities. Clearly, some would be easier to work with, than others.

Okay, so let’s be real. Pull up a chair. Do you think twice about your story format before you write the first draft. I never used to, but I do now.

What is story format?

To me, story format includes all the different methods used to tell a story. I would include on the list words like point of view, tone, and mood. And voice.

Point of view sticks out the most. If you want a personal intimate story than first person works well. If you want a storyteller feel to it, then 3rd person limited or ominscient might work.

And you have to look at your story, your character. Only you can decide how the story will best be told. The style that will accentuate your skills and make your characters come alive.

And the more you grow as a writer, the more you realize this before sitting down to a first draft. Even though it might change on a rewriting. And the more you read and write, the more your writer’s ear develops.

What do you think about before choosing a format for your story?

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Heart-on-your-sleeve writing.

By on February 5, 2010 in Writing

“People look to be moved.” – Kara D.

“I love that you wear your heart on your sleeve.”  Kara D.

I love how Danelle is honest. Yet, she’s not trying to manipulate the judges. You can see how bad she wants this and the hard road it took her to get to this spot.

The judges saw it too. She was real. And she had the singing talent to back it up.

Behind your writing, whether it’s your blog or your story, you need to be real. Honest. The readers will connect to that. A writer could have all the skills in the world but without real emotion in their story and in their words, the book will probably fall flat.

Um, yeah. So how do I do that? Here’s a list that helps me. I’m sure there are more ways.

1. Know your character. Know her goals, her motivation. Know her backstory. You need to know the core emotions and why she feels them. And then show this in your story without telling.

2. Use word choice to set the tone and mood. (I think an excellent example of this is Wintergirls by Laurie Halse Anderson, but also, on the humorous side, the Chet Gecko series by Bruce Hale.)

3. Use well-placed internal thoughts that reveal history, inner conflict, or sides to your character that no other character knows. Don’t just use thoughts to tell and summarize.

4. Use dialogue. Sentence length. Word choice (again).

5. Use body language.

6. Use description. How your character reacts to and views her setting (and other people) should reflect her emotional state.

7. Use well-placed backstory.

How do you build honest emotion in your writing without it coming across as contrived? Really. I want to know.

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“Reality check.”

By on January 29, 2010 in Writing

“Reality check.”  The words of Simon Cowell.

I felt really bad for this guy. It just made me appreciate my critique groups and partners.

“Just because the love is there does not mean it’s your destiny.”

“Passion does not always equal talent.”

Okay. Let’s get real. It’s not impossible for a writer to judge where they are on the road to publication. It might seem it, but the clues are there if you look for them.

1. Read published novels in your genre.

2. What are the rejection letters telling you? Are you getting form rejections? Are you getting requests for partials or fulls? It could be just a matter of revising your query, if there were no sample pages.

3. Get feedback from other writers. Find a critique partner, who is a better writer, who you can trust to read your work and give honest feedback. Honest doesn’t mean harsh. There is a gentle way to tell the truth. And we do want honesty, right? Because it’s the only way to grow. No matter how hard or discouraging it is to hear. 

I don’t want to get into the whole talent versus hardwork issue in this post. Maybe another day because I know there are some heated opinions on this subject. But I once heard an uplifting encouraging statement. (This is paraphrased.)

“There are the people who are truly gifted. They have high IQs. But that doesn’t mean they are always the most successful. A person who lands in the middle of the talent scale, can work really hard and find more success than the person born with the talent.”

So, don’t try to figure out how much talent you have in writing, or anything for that matter. It could be cross-stitching, baking stickie buns, or building structures out of popsicle sticks. Just keep working hard. Every day.

And even though it ain’t easy to see your work torn to shreds, find a critique group. With the right group, it can be the best thing you can do for your writing. It was and continues to be for me.

How has your critique group helped you? And if you don’t have one, why not?

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I’m turning into a crocodile. Really.

By on January 25, 2010 in Writing

I didn’t set out to become a crocodile. Honestly.

It just happened.

I mean, yeah, sure, they’ve got nice choppers. And it would be really nice to just open my mouth and have a bunch of birds clean my teeth instead of visiting the dentist. But as much as I hate going to the dentist, I never thought transmorgrifying into a crocodile was the best alternative.

After all, I’ve got kids.

So, one day, I caught my reflection in the computer screen. Scary.

 

 

I turned away in horror at my disfigurement. But then I got to thinking. Cover Girl or Maybelline might not ask me to advertise mascara for them, but a keen and crafty eye could come in quite handy. Typos, run-ons, and split infinitives would be a thing of the past. Extra verbiage, boring words, and weak verbs would be dead in the water. And best of all, I would never lose my keys, sunglasses, or chapstick again. And that would be cool.

I didn’t dare look at my reflection but I looked down, and my writer’s butt was gone.

 

I panicked. What would I wear to church? Why couldn’t it have been a mermaid’s tail so I could fulfill my life long dream of lying across a rock as the sun sets and waves crash as I slap my tail and toss my long hair. But I digress. A strong powerful tail might be nice. I could power through revisions. Unnecessary characters would flee. Distracting plot lines would shape up or ship out. And with one swipe, all my sentences and paragraphs would vary in structure, style, and length. And with a couple flips of my tail, the carpet would be cleared of all toys. More time for cleaning the attic writing.

I was beginning to warm up to my new look. So I peeked at my reflection again.

 

Wow. I could get used to this. No more worries about fine lines or wrinkles or sun spots. I could put all my saved money from creams and lotions into postage or workshops. The bumpy thick skin would probably be the new black. I’d be the envy of the town. And with such thick skin, tough critiques and rejections would be just a drop in the pond.

But then something caught my eye between the icons on my desktop.

 

I put sparkly vampire guy to shame. They’d probably ask me to star in the next Twilight movie. Sure my kids might not want too many kisses goodnight anymore. And my sister in law probably won’t ask me to babysit. But think of what I could do with teeth like that? I could bite into my manuscript, tear it up, revise, and rewrite in no time at all. And just one little grin would send my kids running to clean their room.

I took one last look. I couldn’t help myself.

 

I might not win the local beauty pangeant.  And I definitely shouldn’t volunteer in my son’s art class when they’re making their clay bowls.

But I can write. I can revise. And I can take rough critiques and tough rejections. And now I have the perfect excuse in the morning for being a little grumpy and slow-going before my cup of hot coffee – I need some time to warm up. You know, the whole cold blooded thing.

Have you turned into a croc yet? Really, it’s the new rage.

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