by Joanne Wadsworth | Jul 30, 2012 | Author Blog
As writers we can become so caught up in telling our story, that we inadvertently slip into bad habits which can offend the reader’s intelligence. I’m talking about simple issues which we can become more mindful of. So here’s a list to aid you.
Adverb Overuse
“He grinned happily.” Here, the obvious is stated with the verb “grinned,” and the adverb “happily” isn’t needed for your reader to understand the context of what you’ve written. One should just say, “He grinned.”
“She screamed loudly.” Um, as opposed to screaming softly? I know I got the meaning from “she screamed.” What about you?
“She whispered quietly.” Because one can whisper loudly?
Yeah, I imagine my meaning is becoming clear on adverb overuse. As writers, we simply need to take care when using them. We need to consider what’s acceptable and what isn’t. Which brings me to the times when you will need to take your verb and add an essence which is more than what’s being implied. In those cases you will need to extend. Eg– “She whispered conspiratorially.” “She whispered hastily.” There’s a reason beyond, and here you’re taking the whisper and specifically quantifying it, and that’s all good.
Ellipses (…) Yes, Those Three Dots
Even though I understand why writers use ellipses, that they wish to make the scene more dramatic with a pause, I…still…cringe…because…I…want…to…read…faster. See, annoying isn’t it?
Although my moment of humor aside, I can’t deny ellipses do have their place so don’t get me wrong, but what I’m asking is that you take care with them, ensuring you only use them where absolutely necessary. Think sparingly–that’s best.
Unnecessary Point Proving
Here are some examples–
He stormed from the room in anger.
He scowled with condemnation.
She cried tears of frustration.
In the first example the character is “storming from the room in anger.” Say this has arisen from a heated argument between your characters, then your reader will understand he’s angry because you’ve portrayed it correctly. Readers don’t need things spelled out to them. You can just say, “He stormed from the room.” The second and third examples are the same. If the scene shows your hero’s condemnation and your heroine’s frustration arising from the same heated argument, then don’t go doubling up, by showing and telling your readers. They’ll get it. Keeping things simple never hurts, and adding qualifiers to prove our point can at times have the opposite effect to what we’re after.
Now in saying this, there will also be times when it’s perfectly acceptable to use qualifiers, but never forget, it’s strong dialogue and narrative which should carry a scene. Judge it for yourself, but if you’ve drawn a scene well, then your reader will be able to ascertain all that is needed without any overuse of words which state the obvious. Again, think sparingly–that’s all.
Well, I hope my blog post this week has been helpful, and if you haven’t joined me for your weekly dose of bite-sized writing tidbits and you’d like to, then simply check out the right-hand side panel, and enter your email address to “follow the blog.” If you want, also click “like” on my FB author page to the right. I love all the support.
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by Joanne Wadsworth | Jul 23, 2012 | Author Blog
As writers we all want to hear about the changes in publishing, and the good news is, that right now is the most amazing time to be a writer. That’s right–clappity, clappity.
There’s a revolution underway and opportunities are opening up for all of us. Along with traditional publishers, there are e-readers, e-books, indies, and POD publishing. The game is expanding, but most of all the digital age is upon us.
And this is where we as writers come in. We must evolve with the times. Sure our books are our babies, and the characters and stories feel like a part of us, but once we move on publishing our first novel, (and in any of the ways possible) we soon discover that writing is a business.
As authors we have to be social media savvy, and promote our own work, no matter which avenue of publishing we take. We have to be active in having a presence which aids in building our sales.
- So if you don’t have a website–get one. You’ll find some great free website providers, one’s whose home page doubles as a blog roll. This all-in-one package is a tidy option.
- Which brings me to having a blog. As a writer you should try it. You’ll be surprised what you can yak about, and it’s a great way of connecting with your followers.
- Facebook author page–a must, and months in advance of publishing. Have fun with it, leaving comments which can create conversation with those who’ve liked your page. Think personal–connect with people on the same level that you’d want to be connected with.
- Twitter account–heck yes. Absolutely. Essential–I’m not kidding you. Say you hate using twitter, but hey, you’ll get over it. LOL. I’ve met the best people on twitter, and formed friendships with like-minded people. I was petrified the first month I sent tweets out. I was so worried about saying the wrong thing, but before you know it, you’ll be speaking your mind, and having conversations with people and building your network platform. Whatever you do, do not underestimate the power of twitter. What I’ve discovered is it sets the stage for writers–that’s if you use it to its full potential.
- Goodreads–hey, now this is a valuable tool to reach readers and writers. Join groups within the genre you write, and search out your favorite publishers’ pages, ensuring you interact with their authors. Get a feel for the bigger picture, because arming yourself with information is essential.
- Building a rapport with Book Bloggers–of course. Support them on their blog in the weeks before you release your book, leaving constructive and valued comments. They’ll notice your repeated visits, and that’s setting your stage. You truly don’t want to ask a book blogger for a review, without being somewhere on their radar first. They’re busy people.
- Pinterest–okay this one I’ll say if you want to, because even I’m fumbling my way around it.
And obviously I could go on and on–but these sites are the most obvious for you to begin with.
And for those aspiring writers reading this post who are only just beginning, I imagine you might now be scrunching up your face. There’s so much to do, but just tackle one job at a time. Just don’t pass over these terrific opportunities. Publishing is changing, and as writers, we need to get our books in front of readers, and the social media sites I’ve listed above provide that opportunity on a global scale.
You have to remember that with the explosion of technology, this has become the Golden Age for publishing. It’s vital you brand your name, and then get your first book published by whatever means you can. Don’t ever look back, because as writers, each piece of subsequent work we write, gets better and better. Just dive in–your skin will thicken over time. 🙂
I hope you’re feeling uplifted, and not too overwhelmed. Leave a comment or ask a question if you wish–I’m happy to elaborate. And if you’ve enjoyed this week’s post, then tune in next week for some more bite-sized tidbits. Simply check out the right-hand side panel, and enter your email address to “follow the blog.” If you want, also click “like” on my FB author page to the right. I’d love you to join me. (See–that’s me being savvy.) 🙂
by Joanne Wadsworth | Jul 15, 2012 | Author Blog
There are times as writers when we can’t help but use a metaphor to describe an image, but if we can, we should always go back over the scene and see if there’s a better way to “show” our reader, without their use. Let me draw the following scene for you, where a metaphor is used in the first line, and then we’re going to zip-zap it away.
Ana, a young woman, is visiting her friend in the countryside. Ana has saddled up a horse from the stables, and is ready for a ride.
- Riding a horse was like riding a bike, Ana thought, lifting her face to the sun. Once in the saddle, she felt like it had been only a day instead of years since the last time. She knew she’d pay the price the next day, but she enjoyed the feeling of freedom she always felt when riding. The chestnut mare, Mandy, was gentle but spunky.
In this above scene, the paragraph’s meaning is quite clear because of the metaphor. Riding a horse is like riding a bike. And for Ana, it’s also been years since she felt that freedom. But as writers we need to extend these kinds of scenes, going past the obvious and bringing our reader along on the journey. Ana may be going for a ride, but there’s so much more we can say. I’m not sure about you, but there’s a definite picture forming in my mind of the scene, but the example above isn’t quite cementing it. See what you think of the rewrite in the following example, and if the picture now becomes more clear.
- Lifting her face to the sun, Ana breathed in the fresh country air as it blew across the rolling green fields. It had been years since she’d last been atop a horse, but no matter the length of time, the moment she’d set her booted foot in the silver stirrup and swung up, those years had melted away. Even the smooth leather reins in her hands, and the gentle tug as the chestnut mare whinnied for release, made her itch to move, to give into the freedom of the ride.
In the rewrite, the metaphor is gone, and the picture I visualized has been brought to life. I hope as you read the second example, that you too felt the metaphor wasn’t needed. So if you can, take the time to be inventive and to visualize what you want to write, and then deliver it. Search for those metaphors, and cut them out. I’m sure your readers will thank you for it.
Now, if you’ve enjoyed this week’s post, then tune in next week for some more bite-sized tidbits. Simply check out the right-hand side panel, and enter your email address to “follow the blog.” If you want, also click “like” on my FB author page to the right. I’d love you to join me.
by Joanne Wadsworth | Jul 8, 2012 | Author Blog
I’m a big fan of providing actual examples for writers, and today we’re going to tweak a paragraph of showing and to correct the visualization. You’ll see what I mean as you read, so let me draw the scene for you.
Luke is returning home to his father’s ranch after ten years away. Luke left on bad terms with his father, and his good friend, Susan, has convinced him to make amends. So Luke invites her along, and here they’ve just arrived.
- Shaking himself, Luke opened his door and gritted his teeth as he walked around to Susan’s side. She joined him as he walked stiffly down the short sidewalk to the porch and stopped at the front door. Taking a deep breath he peered inside a window, seeing no lights except the front room light. He sensed the tension radiating from the house, as if he’d never left it, but it was time to go inside.
Above, we’re given a step by step of Luke’s arrival at his father’s ranch, but there’s something missing. Obviously the passage is being drawn out to provide anticipation, but it could be better. So, let’s rewrite and “show” more precisely. Let’s use the ranch’s location to add some flavor to the scene, because as writers, we have to bring our reader along on the journey.
- Shaking his head, Luke gripped the truck’s door handle. With one push it clunked open and he set his booted feet on the gray gravel driveway. Gritting his teeth, he walked around to the passenger door where Susan stood, and he followed her gaze through the descending dark as she stared at the yellow weatherboard ranch house with its peeling paint and derelict porch. This was his childhood home, and it seemed nothing had changed, not even the deep breath he needed to take before setting off toward the front door. For within this house he’d felt only tension, and now it was time to go inside, and confront his father.
I hope you get my meaning. In the rewrite the reader is “shown” through the scene in a way that’s missing in the first example. More description is added and the writing extended. And the last line regarding tension has been corrected. For someone can’t actually sense tension radiating from an object like a house. We get the meaning in the first example, that the tension exists, but it needs to be tied to who felt it and who gave it. If you read the rewrite, you’ll see there’s a slight change to reword and correct in that last line.
Now, if you’ve enjoyed this week’s post, then tune in next week for some more bite-sized tidbits. Simply check out the right-hand side panel, and enter your email address to “follow the blog.” If you want, also click “like” on my FB author page to the right. I’d love you to join me.
by Joanne Wadsworth | Jul 1, 2012 | Author Blog
This is an interesting topic I’m going to delve into today, and one I’m driven to share, because the writing process is much the same for all of us, whether we’re on the road to publication or have already arrived there.
Let me give you some points to note, and I’ll do so in a bulleted running commentary for ease of reading. Because this is truly how the writing process works, and you’ll soon learn to trust in it.
- The task isn’t in the writing, but in the editing.
- Seriously, your first draft isn’t supposed to be that great. You’re supposed to just continue on right to the end without too much self-editing. (Now, isn’t that a relief.)
- Because as you write this first draft, your story will build, and you will come to know your characters’ personalities.
- The second draft will be better.
- The third better still.
- Now you see where I’m heading with this, because the more each chapter is rewritten, the better it’ll get.
- Which means most authors won’t even be able to tell you how many rewrites they did on a manuscript.
- Then you must learn how to self-edit your work, for this is a skill all writers need to master. Ensure you soak in all the advice that’s out there on the web, and there is a ton of it. There are great books, and writing forums, and of course other blog posts just like mine where editing tips are constantly shared. (Check out the other posts after this one, and you’ll see what I mean.)
- Because writing is a passion, and your enthusiasm will show in your written work.
- Happy rewriting everyone—and don’t forget to trust in the writing process.
As an aside—even now I am looking at the ten or so unpublished novels I’ve written over the last few years which are stacked on the shelves beside me. They are novels I wrote before I finally nailed by first publishing contract. Now all these earlier works are sitting there, waiting for me to begin the “writing process” on them all over again. Because I know I simply have to rewrite and rewrite and rewrite to get them to a publishable state. I’m sure all writers out there are the same, and let me know if you are for I enjoy reading your comments.
Now, if you liked this week’s post, then tune in next week for some more tidbits. Simply check out the right-hand side panel, and enter your email address to “follow the blog.” If you want, also click “like” on my FB author page to the right. I’d love you to join me.
* * * *
PROTECTOR–BUY THE BOOK: Amazon Kindle / B&N Nook / iTunes / Lyrical Press / Kobo.
As writers we can become so caught up in telling our story, that we inadvertently slip into bad habits which can offend the reader’s intelligence. I’m talking about simple issues which we can become more mindful of. So here’s a list to aid you.
