by Joanne Wadsworth | Mar 4, 2013 | Author Blog
LOL. Yeah, that’s one very creative knitter. 🙂
Hey everyone,
I can’t think of anything better than the following three quick tips which I’m never without as I write. At times it’s about heading back to the basics, and making sure the foundation of our work is steady and good. So, get ready. Here are three precious little gems to instantly improve your writing.
Oh yeah. When writing we can get so carried away with getting our words out, that our sentence length drags. My favorite thing, is to read my sentences out loud, particularly when a paragraph doesn’t look quite right. Try it. If you do, you’ll soon find yourself chopping long sentences right down.
There are so many benefits to this. Did you realize shorter sentences ensure the pace of your book picks up?  Were you aware your reader becomes more heavily engaged when that occurs? It makes total sense, right? Shorter sentences allow for a quicker pace, and as a writer that’s one of our goals, to ensure our reader keeps turning those pages.
- TELLING AS COMPARED TO SHOWING
This can be an issue, and one we’re not even aware of. What to learn is, don’t tell your reader what your character is thinking, but show them with physical reactions. Even add more dialogue if necessary to accomplish this.
Here’s a short but sweet example of moving a sentence from telling to showing. To set the scene, the hero has lost consciousness after a hit to the head. He now awakens.
- TELLING:
- “I’ve been out for twenty minutes?” Confusion took him.
- SHOWING:
- “I’ve been out for twenty minutes?” He scrubbed a hand over his head, wincing as he struck a lump. “Did someone hit me?”
Switching to showing is about finding those words of emotion, and as you see above with the word “confusion,” nipping it out and showing with something else.
- OVERUSE OF ADVERBS AND ADJECTIVES
Never forget you want your reader to be immersed in your story. You don’t want them thinking too hard by the “overuse” of adverbs and adjectives. What do I mean by this? Here’s another sweet little example.
-  OVERUSE. Can you spot the “unnecessary” adverb or adjective in the following sentence?
- Jack stepped away, quietly propping his back against the wide trunk of the tree.
- If you got the word “quietly,” you’re so right. It should read–
- Jack stepped away, propping his back against the wide trunk of the tree.
Keep an eye out for any “overuse” of adverbs. In the example I’ve used, Jack is quietly propping his back against the tree. How else does one prop themselves against a tree except quietly? “Propping” is a casual, restful motion, so in this case the adverb “quietly” is clearly not needed when “propping” explains it all. Don’t get me wrong though, adverbs definitely have a place where it’s necessary. Just remove those ones you don’t need so your sentences can free up and flow smoother.
Now for a bonus. I’m going to share with you a new excerpt from PROTECTOR, my young adult/fantasy/romance. Check out the scene below. It’s all about showing and not telling. To set the scene, my hero is in the heroine’s bedroom, and her best friend comes charging in. All completely innocent of course. 🙂
The door flew open and slammed against the wall. Yeah, that was Silvie, all right.
“Ten minutes is enough you two. Now break it up,” she admonished as she stormed toward the bed, red-gold curls flying about her face. “Let’s remember we still have a villain to unearth and apprehend.” She turned, giving Davio a fierce glower. “What do you think you’re doing on my best friend’s bed? Get off. Off. Off. Off.”
“Yes.” He pushed himself to his feet and pulled me up to stand beside him. “Except, in the future, Silvie Carver, you will remember not to storm into the room the way you just did and disturb us. Correct protocol is that you knock and wait before addressing a prince.”
Silvie didn’t seem to care as she reached past him and gripped my wrist. She scowled at him and tugged me toward her like a mother bear protecting her cub. “Well, lucky for me, Davio Thy-prince Loveria, I do not have to observe your correct protocol. We are on Earth, you see, not Peacio.”
Hmm, and all this from the girl who’d told me just days ago that I needed to get laid.
I almost smiled.
.
I hope you enjoyed that peekaboo excerpt, and if you still want more, then just below are the links to grab your copy of Protector. 🙂 So, what did you think of these three quick tips? Leave me a comment and let me know. I love hearing from you.
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PROTECTOR–BUY THE BOOK: Amazon Kindle / B&N Nook / iTunes / Lyrical Press / Kobo.
by Joanne Wadsworth | Feb 25, 2013 | Author Blog
LOL. Ahh, yes, so true. 🙂
The writing process is an interesting topic and one I’m driven to share, because this process is much the same for all of us, whether we’re on the road to publication or have already arrived there. The journey never stops.
Let me give you some points to note about the fabulous writing process. Sit back. Relax. Because this is truly how the writing process works, and as writers we quickly learn to trust in it.
STEP ONE:
- The task isn’t in the writing, but in the rewriting.
- 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. Phew. *wipes brow*
- Why? Because as you write this first draft, your story will build, and you will come to know your characters’ personalities.
- Which means the second draft will be better. Oh yeah.
- The third better still. *smiling*
- Now I know you see where I’m heading with this, because the more each chapter is rewritten, the better it’ll get.
- So, how many rewrites are there? Most authors will tell you around seven.
- Yes, we edit and edit far more than we ever spent time in originally writing the book.
- How come? Because we trust in the writing process, and it’s simply how it’s done.
STEP TWO:
So, back to that all important first draft, and the writing process for this. Do we plot? Or do we fly by the seat of our pants and make it up as we go along? Often referred to as being a pantser.
- That’s entirely up to you. As writers we have very creative minds, and our characters do as well.
- Plotting is great, and I’m completely on board for this.
- But at heart I’m a pantser. I love to let my characters take over. They drive the story, often throwing me into the backseat and taking the wheel. It’s all about strapping on a seatbelt and enjoying the ride.
- For me, my first three contracted books were 20% plotted and 80% flying by the seat of my pants. Two of these three books are part of an eight-book young adult series. So for the third book in the series which I’m currently writing, I’ve swapped to 80% plotted. Why the change to plotting for someone who’s a pantser at heart? Because it’s part of the writing process. As writers we have to adapt, and for me, here’s my reason why.
- I was requested during the submission stage of my second book in the series, to provide a synopsis for the third book. Now, this is a book I hadn’t yet written, although from the moment I was asked, I was actually beyond excited. The pantser within me of course had a few doubts, but I set her worries aside and instead spent an entire day plotting and plotting, and by the end of it I’d written a fabulous synopsis for my third young adult book. At the moment I’m close to finishing that first draft, and during the writing process I’ve actually managed to stay on track, all while allowing the creative pantser within me a little of her crazy streak.
- What I can happily report is that plotting definitely pays off. My current book’s first draft has been written quicker and smarter due to having a plotted synopsis on hand. And whenever I veer too far off track, one look at my synopsis brings me back. My characters still burst with personality, and they still tell me to take a backseat at times, but I’ve found an even sweeter balance with the switch to a greater plotting level. Step by step, I’m still learning.
- So, if you’re right now a pantser and considering plotting your next book, I can say it works. I’ve already plotted the storyline and written the synopsis for the next book which I’ll begin in a couple of months. I’m all ready to go, and it’s a wonderful feeling. I’m ready for both my front- and backseat rides.
So, are you a plotter or a pantser? Or like me, have you discovered you can actually work at being both? What’s your percentage? Maybe it’s half and half. Leave me a comment and let me know. I love hearing from you.
Thanks for dropping by to see me this week, and if you’d like to pick up your fabulous “fly by the seat of your pants” copy of Protector or to gift it to someone special, the links are just below. 🙂 Have a fabulous week.
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PROTECTOR–BUY THE BOOK: Amazon Kindle / B&N Nook / iTunes / Lyrical Press / Kobo.
by Joanne Wadsworth | Feb 18, 2013 | Author Blog
Random Picture Alert. You’ve been warned.
Yeah. 🙂 I saw. 🙂
Hey, has anyone heard of the eighth wonder of the world? Well, there may be a few eighth wonders out there, but as a Kiwi, it’s my job to make sure you get the truth, because in fact it’s New Zealand’s Pink and White Terraces which take that honor.
Let me begin this sad yet exciting tale of enlightenment. Why sad and exciting? Because Kiwis always find the good within the bad. Yes, we do.
The bad. The pink and white terraces aren’t here anymore, because they were completely destroyed in 1886.
The good. They’ve been rediscovered. *clapping furiously*
Confused? Stay with me now.
And I’ll start from the beginning. The pink and white silica terraces were located in New Zealand on a hillside in the thermal region of Rotorua, and cascaded down from two geysers and to the edge of a lake. They were formed as water containing silica flowed from the boiling geysers. The water cooled and crystallized into the terraces, forming a giant staircase as such.
Here are two wonderful paintings by Blomfield capturing the beauty of the two separate terraces in 1884. The first is The White Terraces, the second The Pink Terraces.
White Terraces (1884)
Pink Terraces (1884)
The terraces were each around seven acres in size, and descended with around 50 layers to the lake’s edge some 40 meters below.
They were so impressive, but sadly in 1886 were destroyed when an eruption occurred on nearby Mt Tarawera. During the eruption, a deep crater formed at the site of the terraces. It caused the lake to expand and cover them as well as nearby villages, including the famous Buried Village of Te Wairoa where 150 were buried alive.
But here’s the good news–
All was thought lost until just recently when scientists mapping the lake floor discovered part of the Pink Terraces 200 feet deep in February 2011. A search was then mounted for the White Terraces, and part of them was located in June a few months on. And now it’s thought the rest of the terraces may be buried in sediment under the lake’s surface, and not destroyed at all.
Ahh, I love that. See, got you smiling too, didn’t I?
So, that’s a little about New Zealand’s eighth wonder of the world. And would you believe they’re located only thirty minutes drive from where I live. Have you heard of these amazing terraces? Perhaps you’ve heard of a different eight wonder? Leave me a comment and let me know. I love hearing from you. Catch ya later. *waving from New Zealand*
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PROTECTOR–BUY THE BOOK: Amazon Kindle / B&N Nook / iTunes / Lyrical Press / Kobo.
by Joanne Wadsworth | Feb 14, 2013 | Author Blog, Protector
For that romantic heart of yours, I’m bringing you a special excerpt from my new release PROTECTOR, and one I’ve never brought out before.
It’s all about the first kiss. These are a tender and exciting moment in a romance novel, whether they range from sweet to off-the-charts hot. Two weeks ago the Young Adult Bookworm Blogger reviewed Protector and gave the first kiss between my young heroine and hero a “Swoon Award.” In light of that honor, how could I not share this young couple’s very first delicious kiss with you on this most special of days.
Here it is…
“So, now what do we do?” I snuggled, discovering my need of him intensifying just as his obviously was. I watched the play of sunlight dancing through the window, crossing his face and highlighting his strong jaw and his mouth.
“Someone harmed you. Zac, Viv and Belle are just three members of the team I keep quite close to me. No one else will ever get through all of us to you again. But there will be rules. To ensure your safety I want you to–”
“Hold on.” I cut off his words by pressing a finger to his lips. Ooo, so soft. And what was with my fascination with his mouth?
His brows drew down, his forehead furrowing deeply. “Are you still not feeling well?”
“Oh, I’m more than well.” Then I slowly grinned and leaned in. “It seems I want more than your protection. I want you to kiss me.” That was the complete and honest truth.
That comment stopped him dead cold.
Then he inhaled, slowly, the sound so sweet as his breath stuttered a little. “Kiss you?” he murmured, his eyes now turning a melting hue of delicious brown.
“If you want?” I somehow managed to shrug my shoulders like it didn’t matter.
“I want to.” Then he closed that last little gap and there was nothing but his warm lips against mine. Every sound around me vanished as my world centered and became only him.
He had come to me at the first sign I was in trouble–no man had done that in my life.
My soul lifted and my heart soared.
Desire flared, and he pushed me against the soft comforter. He surrounded me, my mind captivated as we shared breath and a moment like no other.
My first kiss.
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I hope you enjoyed, and if you want to pick up your copy of Protector for a special read, or to give as a gift, the links are just below. 🙂
PROTECTOR–BUY THE BOOK: Amazon Kindle / B&N Nook / iTunes / Lyrical Press / Kobo.
by Joanne Wadsworth | Feb 12, 2013 | Author Blog, Protector
I’ll never forget my first attempt at writing a query letter. I even showed it to a writer friend, who had just scored an agent, and I couldn’t wait to hear her opinion. Only it didn’t quite go as I’d hoped, the tale more or less like this.
“Joanne, what on earth are you thinking?” She waved the four crisp pages of my query letter in front of me.
“Um… That I’ve written a fabulous query letter. Why?”
“It’s too long. Way too long.”
Okay, I could deal with that. I could shorten it. “What length should it be?”
She leaned it. “I have a book on how to write query letters, and I’ll give it to you. Your query letter is your sales pitch to the screener of the slush pile. That means, it’s one page in length.”
“One page?” She had to be kidding, only I saw by the frankness of her expression she wasn’t. “But I’ll only get three paragraphs in.”
“Exactly. Imagine you’re in an elevator, and you hand your query letter to the editor who happens to be going up one floor. That’s about the length of time you have to engage their attention and tempt them into reading your synopsis next.”
“Seriously?” So unfair. “So they might not even read my synopsis if I can’t capture their interest with the query letter?”
“Yes, my friend.” She handed me back my wad of papers. “Welcome to the wonderful world of trying to find an agent or a publisher.”
So, I set to work and read the book she gave me from cover to cover. First, I was in shock that writers actually sell books on how to write query letters, but it’s totally true. And second, the next time I presented my friend with my new query letter, she sighed with delight. It was perfect, and her happiness had me delirious.
So, what makes a great query letter? Let me detail what I’ve learnt.
- Keep it to one page. 🙂 (Yep, that’s me being ever so helpful.)
- Ensure you address your query letter personally to the agent or editor listed on the submissions page. A must.
- Then your first paragraph goes something like this:
I am seeking representation for my “Genre_of_your_Novel and Book_Title,” complete at “Word_Count.” I am enclosing a synopsis and a sample chapter as per your submission guidelines. (In one or two brief sentences list your credentials, but make sure you touch only on the most impressive.) (In one or two brief sentences describe your desire to write so that the agent/editor understands this is your passion, and refer to any published works if you have them.)
NOTE: The line of what you’re enclosing needs to reflect what the agent’s or publisher’s submission guidelines request.
- Next, you detail your blurb or pitch of the book, so keep it short. For this, just imagine you’re standing in a book shop and you’re checking out the books on the shelves. You see one you might like, and you flip it over and read the back cover. As you read this, you’re going to either find it engaging, or not. It’s the back cover which will decide whether or not you buy the book. Now, this is your pitch for your query letter, and this blurb needs to entice the agent or editor into looking at your synopsis next.
- Lastly, thank them for their generous time in a nice single sentence.
- Also ensure you include your name, address, phone number, and email address on the letter.
That’s it. Nothing else, unless they specifically ask for it within their submission guidelines. The query letter is often referred to as the bait, and your synopsis the hook. Then the sample of your manuscript needs to reel them right in. I love that analogy, and it’s so very true. If you’re after some more tips on how to write a synopsis next, you’ll find that on a post I did right HERE.
Okay, it’s time to announce the winner of my blog hop’s draw. For those who left a comment WITH THEIR EMAIL ADDRESS, I used random.org to draw a name for a chance to win an ebook copy of PROTECTOR. That winner is:
** Meghan Stith **
Congratulations, Meghan. I have your email, so I’ll be making contact with you today to send you your prize. Of course the Grand Prize winners will be posted later today on Carrie Ann Ryan’s Blog Hop Page HERE, and they’ll be notified via email of their win.
Don’t forget, if you want to leave a comment, you know I love them. Perhaps you have another tip to add in writing a great query letter? Let me know, and thanks for dropping by to see me this week. If you want to pick up your copy of Protector, the links are just below. 🙂
PROTECTOR–BUY THE BOOK: Amazon Kindle / B&N Nook / iTunes / Lyrical Press / Kobo.
