by Joanne Wadsworth | Oct 28, 2012 | Author Blog
Before I jump into answering the header’s question, stay tuned, for at the end of this post, I’ll be announcing the winner of last week’s critique offer.
So, let’s jump into this week’s post. A fabulous blog follower posed this question to me–can one finish their novel without help? She’d tried groups, classes and other writers’ books. All great ideas, but was still unsure of her execution.
I considered her question for all of one-second, because my answer is a resounding “yes, you can.”
In fact this year I’ve met a dozen new authors whose debut novels are releasing with publishers, as well as an equal number whose debut novels are being self-published–and all due to their own hard work. Yes, no one else’s, but their own. At the moment, there’s nothing a writer can’t do. In fact, this is the most amazing time for us. There’s a revolution underway and the digital opportunities are opening up.
So, let’s delve deeper into that question–“can you finish your novel without help?”–and I’ll offer a touch of advice for what you need to do from the very beginning, because you’ll most likely be doing this, I imagine. Here are my answers in bulleted points for ease of reading.
- Read, read, read. Take note of punctuation, chapter formats and storyline structure. Even now, no matter how busy I am with my writing, I still set aside thirty minutes to an hour at the end of each day to read. A writer must read.
- Do your research by checking out websites belonging to publishers and agents who are open for submissions in your genre. See what they’re asking for.
- All I’m saying is, more than anything, do your research. Know what your targets are when you first start out.
Okay, so let’s move on and cover one’s execution of their work.
- Be unique and find your own writer’s voice. I heard this advice over and over–and I have to say, it took me two years to nail that. It’s not an easy task. To begin with my writing followed the voices of my favorite authors with my sentence structure. Then there was a sudden change. It came about when I allowed my writing to flow as if I spoke. Now, let’s not forget I’m from New Zealand, and since there’re only four million of us in my tiny country, I really should have been able to nail this uniqueness sooner.
- On the writing front though, remember to embrace the five senses: sight, smell, taste, feel, speak. Bring the reader into the written world you’ve created using all the senses available. When you’re doing your daily reading–make sure you’re researching. I never read a book without a pad and pen on hand. Seriously. Try it, if you’re not already.
- Utilize dialogue, action, emotion and thought, ensuring you give you a good blend of each within the pages you write.
- Always “show” instead of “tell.” (For further clarification on this, I have several posts with this “show, don’t tell” header.) It’s an important point to note, for publishers want authors to “show” within their written word and not to tell a reader what’s happening.
- Rewrite, rewrite, rewrite. There are so many drafts before a writer completes their book it isn’t funny. Truly it isn’t. Stop laughing. The number of rewrites shocked me to begin with, so much so that I lost count of how many I did. Luckily, this is something that becomes easier as time moves on, and most writers will say it takes around seven drafts to complete a book. Just be prepared for the long haul when you first start out.
- So don’t forget you can finish your novel without help, and be assured many do. Just remember the key word: RESEARCH.
Okay, now it’s time to get down to the serious business of the offer I made last week. For those who left a comment asking for a critique, they had their name put into a hat. What could they win? Yours truly will be their second set of eyes to go over the first four pages (or 1200 words thereabouts) of their novel. That’s the first four pages. Not four pages from the middle of the book, but the first four pages. Okay, so for this fabulous critique, the winner is:
*** Amy Kennedy ***
Hey, congratulations, Amy. Please email me the first four pages of your novel as a word document attachment so I can insert “review bubbles” for personalized editing advice. My email address is located under the “Contact tab” on my website, or of course it’s joannewadsworth007@gmail.com
I’ll be making this offer again in the near future as I had a great response–and I’m all for authors supporting authors. You guys rock with the way you support me on my website.
Also on my website, as I post each week’s blog, I update my current news. You’ll find “News this Week” at the top right of the main page–and if you wish to see what I’m up to at a glance, well it’s all recorded right there.
I’d also like to point out some blog hops I’m participating in early next year–and you’ll find those “hop buttons” pictured on the right-hand side of my blog page. If you find you’re also publishing early in the New Year as I am, then check out what I’m up to, as you might find you’d like to join me in my blog hopping adventures with your own book’s promotion. The more the merrier.
You all have the best week.
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PROTECTOR–BUY THE BOOK: Amazon Kindle / B&N Nook / iTunes / Lyrical Press / Kobo.
by Joanne Wadsworth | Oct 25, 2012 | Author Blog
Hey, everyone.
Me and my current WIP have been chummy this week. I’ve slogged through the final proofing of Warrior, a young adult/fantasy/romance, and it’s now complete. Phew. Yay, Woo-hoo.
My first baby book titled Protector has a follow-up, and that makes me sigh with delight.
So, I whipped up a synopsis and a blurb and now Warrior has been submitted to my publisher.
Now the wait. *fingers twiddling*
Will it get accepted? *fingers still twiddling*
I’ll be sure to keep you all posted. *twiddle your fingers with me*
In the meantime, I have a wonderful offer for you all. More than anything, I’ve learnt how important it is to have a second set of eyes go over those first few pages of one’s manuscript. For me, that’s my sister. She’s not a writer, but she’s an avid reader with a discerning eye.
As writers we read our work a thousand times and we know our story inside-out. Which means we occasionally miss something which becomes glaringly obvious once pointed out by another. Hate that, but also love and appreciate it. (Thanks, little sis.)
So, to my offer–everyone who leaves a comment asking for a critique will have their name put into a hat. What do you win? Yours truly shall be your second set of eyes to go over the first four pages (or 1200 words thereabouts) of your novel. That’s the first four pages. Not four pages from the middle of the book, but the first four pages. Okay, so if you’ve been catching my blogs, you’ll know my skills are in the editing department–which means it will be a fabulous critique. You’ll love it.
I’ll pick a winner and post the name next week on my blog, so keep your eye out for who that is. (Particularly the winner, because you’ll need to get in contact with me via email.)
Now, I’m off to hit the promotion trail for Protector which releases on 7th January 2013 with Lyrical Press, NY. PS: We writers truly are the busiest people in the world. *nod if you agree*
Also on my website, as I post each week’s blog, I update my current news. You’ll find “News this Week” at the top right of the main page–and if you wish to see what I’m up to at a glance, well it’s all recorded right there.
by Joanne Wadsworth | Oct 16, 2012 | Author Blog
Visually describing the characters within our books is so important. Some of my favorite books are more memorable because the author has taken the time to portray the images of their characters to the point where they become real and solid in my mind. Let me share what I see as the key points to note, for each time I bring in a new character description, this is visually what I do.
- Imagine yourself standing there, right where your character is.
- Note 2 to 4 key components of what they’re wearing–clothing wise.
- Do the same with 2 to 4 physical attributes–face, hair, eyes, skin, etc.
- Take in their stance, their physical reactions. Are they nervous–their hands twitching. Are they angry–their nose flaring, etc. (There would hundreds of bodily reactions to emotions, and these are just two examples.)
- Remember the five senses. Sight, smell, taste, feel and speak.
- Now take only what you need from this list and visually show your reader what you’re seeing. (Obviously you won’t use everything. This list you’ve just made is simply to expand your options of what you might use.)
- But the important thing to note is: use your imagination to take the description and make it a powerful image.
So, let’s jump to it and see an example, because I find it’s so important to add a showing to my posts. I’ve pulled this together for you.
Example: This is a battle scene and to set it, the heroine is standing in an arena as a fierce group of warriors enter. I’d like to portray what she sees, so I’ll be detailing three character descriptions.
In a single file she watched one man and two warrior women enter the arena. The man at the front of the pack was colossal in size with oily black hair hanging down over his shoulders, and wearing a vest of gray leather. Fire-breathing dragon tattoos curled over the other on his bared chest and arms. Sharp silver spikes were pressed into every inch of his leather belt which held a roughened metal mallet dangling from his side.
She glanced at the women. Scary. One had half her head shaved on either side, giving her a mohawk of bright red. A piece of coiled silver pierced one nostril and round silver hoops looped through both eyebrows. Tight leathers showed off a muscular body.
The second woman wore little less than a strip of black leather to contain her breasts, and black leather pants hugged her hips. The exposed skin from her waist up was painted in a dark camouflaging mud, a bloodied dagger held in one hand. The warrior woman nodded her head with one firm jab.
I know there is a lot of description here, but the reason is to fully draw what the heroine is seeing. I’d say she’s probably quite nervous after witnessing this. I know I would be.
I hope you get my point with character descriptions. You want to have your reader feel as if they’re there, seeing and feeling what you’re trying to portray. Did that come across for you?
I hope you enjoyed this “describing characters” blog post, and that it aided you in some way. 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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PROTECTOR–BUY THE BOOK: Amazon Kindle / B&N Nook / iTunes / Lyrical Press / Kobo.
by Joanne Wadsworth | Oct 9, 2012 | Author Blog
Coming home to New Zealand from Fiji, our family holiday ended today with a stop at The Hobbit movie’s filming location.
Middle-earth. Yes, that’s the name the world knows it as, but in fact The Lord of the Rings trilogy and the soon-to-be released The Hobbit, filmed the village scenes from the New Zealand town known as Matamata.
Ironically, I’m not new to this town. I was born in Matamata and lived there until the age of seventeen. Hmm, although I don’t recall seeing any Hobbits back then.
Now though, they’re in abundance. Hobbits are everywhere. You can even book the village location–which is still kept in the eye-catching condition as seen in the movies–for your wedding snaps.
So, after touring Hobbiton’s office, I snapped an image of the plaque outside. It’s a nostalgic-cute saying written by J.R.R. Tolkien.
After taking this image, I dashed across the main street with my ten-year-old, and he eagerly took a photograph of me with Gollum. Not the real Gollum, because sadly, who knows where he is.
It was a wonderful trip, and now that I’m home, it’s time to get back to the business of writing. Which for me is the second book in the Magio-Earth series. The first, titled “Protector” releases on 7th January. I can’t wait for that day. My debut novel. I still have to pinch myself that it’s being published. Thanks so much for checking out my blog and catching a little of my family holiday.
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PROTECTOR–BUY THE BOOK: Amazon Kindle / B&N Nook / iTunes / Lyrical Press / Kobo.
by Joanne Wadsworth | Oct 1, 2012 | Author Blog
I’m blogging this week from beautiful Fiji.
Yay. Hubby and I brought the four kiddies along with us to help celebrate our 20th wedding anniversary.
This is me. I collapsed on the beach the second I saw the view and my daughter took this picture. I have vowed to bring my laptop to this inspirational location tomorrow to write.
But for today, it was an island adventure. We kayaked and snorkeled all morning. This is the beach where we did.
It’s glorious, isn’t it? I have to keep pinching myself that I’m here
Not long after this, we all walked along the water’s edge. My eight-year-old son raced ahead and up onto the grass edging. I caught up to him as he clambered around a small rowing boat set aside from the others. Leaning over the hull of the one needing a touch of repair, he gasped. “Mum, come look at this. I found two frogs. You have to help them.”
I strolled over to take a look. There were two frogs, splashing around in a puddle of water in the base. “I don’t think they need help.” They looked happy to me, although how they got in there, I had no idea.
You should have seen the horrified look my answer received. “No, Mum.” Blatantly said. “You have to rescue them. Get in the boat. Get them out.”
I blinked several times–I had to rescue a couple of frogs? “Honey, frogs and I don’t get along.” We really didn’t.
My son came around behind me and pushed me into the rowing boat, which meant no, that answer didn’t fly. Oh boy, why do children believe Mum and Dad can do it all?
And where was Dad? Frogs and all things slimy were his specialty.
I gripped the side of the rowing boat. Hubby shouldn’t have been too far behind with the others. Yet as I peered down the beach, he was nowhere to be seen. Typical.
Twenty years and the rascal still knows how to get out of the dirty jobs.
So, I sucked in a deep breath, squished up my nose and got down to the serious business of being a mother. There was plenty of squealing as I launched into the rescue mission. The crafty frogs kept slipping out of my hands. They were determined to remain inside the boat playing in the water. They were having a wonderful time. I was not.
My son cheered me along, clapping from the sidelines when I finally caught them. “You did it,” he beamed.
Thank goodness for that. “Take the frogs.” I passed him the squirmy green critters and scrambled out. “Go deliver them home.”
Which he did to the nearby pond, rattling off the story to Dad when he finally made an appearance.
Interestingly, later that night, it was announced that frog racing would be held down at the rowing boats. Apparently two frogs were caught each morning and raced in the afternoon. Um…
Perhaps this wasn’t going to happen.
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PROTECTOR–BUY THE BOOK: Amazon Kindle / B&N Nook / iTunes / Lyrical Press / Kobo.
by Joanne Wadsworth | Sep 24, 2012 | Author Blog
Witch Way To Turn…
Can you give one guy your heart and another your soul?
The last thing eighteen-year-old Breena Cross needs in her life is more complications. It’s all she can do to balance studying, working, trying to keep her foster-sister safe and drooling over the new guy at work. But things go from complicated to crazy when a fit of rage ignites the dark magic inside her and she finds herself fending off the supernatural underworld.
Myles, Breena’s drool-worthy coworker and vampire convict, is carrying a load of secrets–one of which is that he’s fang-over-lip in love with Breena and in danger of violating the terms of his sentence.
Orin is a soul-hungry assassin sent to kill Breena. However, he takes one look into her eyes and sees his own lost humanity. For once thinking of someone other than himself, he chooses not to end her life, even though it means risking his own.
Despite a convict and an assassin fighting over her, all Breena wants is custody of her sister. But to do this, she will need help from both Myles and Orin. And if Breena doesn’t learn to control the darkness within, she could lose her sister…forever.
WARNING: Contains strong language and some graphic content.
Hey everyone. Please join me in welcoming Karen Y. Bynum, author of Witch Way To Turn to my blog.
Joanne: Welcome, Karen. First of all, congratulations on your debut release. Witch Way To Turn is a young adult, paranormal romance, with a magnetic cast. I was instantly enthralled by your heroine, Breena Cross, wishing she could sort out the supernatural underworld she’d been thrown into, save her sister and, oh, figure out what to do with the vamp, Myles, and the soul-hungry assassin, Orin. Such a fast-paced story, one I couldn’t stop turning the pages of.
So, let’s jump into this interview, because I’m incredibly curious to know how you came up with such a gripping cast?
Karen: Hi Joanne! It’s such a pleasure to be here. Wow, thank you so much for that wonderful introduction. I’m thrilled that you were caught up in the story. I’ll jump right in too. 🙂 My girl Breena was there from the beginning. She had—and still does have—so much to say! Once she started talking to me, I couldn’t stop listening. Nor did I want to. Her foster sister, Jenny, was Breena’s main concern as soon as I met her. The scene near the end of chapter one where Breena is protecting Jenny sparked the entire novel. Myles came next, followed by Orin. Suddenly Breena didn’t know which way to turn. (I’d actually typed that very line and by tweaking one word that’s how the title came about.) Myles had her heart, but Orin was her soul mate. The rest of the cast appeared as I was writing. It was a surprise to me when they showed up. Me: Why hello there…join the party, won’t you? 🙂
Joanne: How long have you been writing, and what drew you to the genre you’ve chosen?
Karen: I’ve been writing since I could hold a pencil. The first thing I remember writing was my name. From there I wrote short stories and a lot of poetry. I started writing with the goal of publication in mind back in 2009. I’d just watched the first Twilight movie. I was hooked. I bought all four books and read them in a couple of weeks. All of a sudden the voices in my head that I just hadn’t had time for would no longer allow me to ignore them. It was time to write. Now, granted, that very first book I wrote may never see the light of day, but it bound me to the written word. Yes, my characters own me.
Joanne: What’s your biggest tip in the submission process that helped you land your contract?
Karen: Excellent question, Joanne. When you finish writing your first manuscript…take a step back before sending your baby out into the world. When I wrote my very first novel, I had literally no idea what I was doing. I didn’t know anything about the submission process. Query letter…what’s that? At the time, I didn’t know what a beta reader was or how to write a synopsis or why a character needed a goal. I had to learn, and I’m still learning. Writing is ongoing and ever-changing…it’s like a living, breathing thing. The tip that helped—which I didn’t believe at first and still struggle with—is not to rush things. Once the book is written…do a happy dance for sure! Go out for ice cream. Celebrate. But the real work begins now. Find a beta reader, preferably before you type the end. Distance yourself from your masterpiece for a little while. And then polish, polish, polish before hitting the submit button. From my experience, it truly made all the difference.
Joanne: When you got your contract, and you realized your book had been accepted, what was your first thought?
Karen: My very first thought was: is this for real? I was absolutely in shock. I’d been querying for so long and had so many close calls that it just didn’t seem real. I immediately emailed the contract to my husband to look over. I needed someone to tell me I wasn’t imagining things. When he said the contract was legitimate, I ran around my house shouting for joy and jumping up and down… Fact. Breena was finally going to have her story heard. I was thrilled.
Joanne: With the contract for Witch Way To Turn in your hands, how long was it until your book was released?
Karen: I received the contract December 2011, began edits January of 2012 and Witch Way to Turn was released August of 2012. It has been a whirlwind of awesome. 🙂
Joanne: What’s your next book or books?
Karen: I finished the second book in the Witch Way series the first weekend in September and will begin revisions soon. My demon-slaying unicorn story titled Running From Shadows is being read by two agents and an editor. And my current work-in-progress is a yet-to-be-titled alien sci-fi novella.
Joanne: Okay, I’m going to have a fun rapid fire question round.
Tea or coffee? If I must choose, always—always—coffee. But I love hot tea before bed.
Have you ever traveled to New Zealand? No, but I would love to! Hm. I know who to visit when I do travel there. 🙂
Dog or cat? Dog.
Beach or skiing? I live at the beach, so I can do that anytime. I would love to go skiing! It’s on my bucket list.
Chocolate, or vanilla, or rocky road ice-cream? Chocolate.
Lemons or lemonade? Lemonade.
Do you write on holiday? Yes, I most certainly try.
Do you brainstorm during your sleep? I wish! That would be such a great use of my time. I do think about my WIP every night before falling asleep in hopes that I’ll dream about it. Hm, I’ve never shared that with anyone before. lol
Favorite food? I live to eat! So I can’t pick just one thing.
What three things would you take to a desert island? I’m gonna pretend this desert island has electrical outlets, wifi and a kitchen staff. *dreams* So I’d take my laptop, cellphone and Kindle. But in case it doesn’t have any of those things… I’d take notebooks, pencils and lip balm. I can deal with burnt skin, but not chapped lips. lol
Joanne– Where can readers find you, and your book?
Karen– I love to talk to readers and meet new people. Come visit me here: Twitter, Goodreads, Facebook, Pinterest, my blog or my website. The Witch Way to Turn book trailer can be viewed here.
Joanne— Thanks so much, Karen. It’s been wonderful having you here.
Also you can grab your copy of Witch Way To Turn at Lyrical Press/Amazon/Barnes&Noble
Excerpt — (Myles POV)
After grabbing a pair of tweezers from the bathroom, he made his way into the living room, sat on the edge of the coffee table and examined Breena’s hands. He could smell the blood on them still. He assumed it was from the shards on the floor at Norma’s.
Carefully cupping Breena’s palm in his hand, Myles picked out the tiny pieces of glass. Lust stirred inside him. He knew he shouldn’t. The smallest taste of Breena’s blood would take him to the brink of insanity, awaken a thirst he wasn’t sure he could control, even with his daily dose of humanity. On the other hand, it would give him an edge on protecting her. And if he gave her his, it would heal her cuts. He knew the consequences of what he was contemplating. But right here, in this moment, he had the opportunity to shield Breena from pain.
Screw the cost.
He stared at the semi-dried liquid on her hands. Slowly he raised her palm to his face. He closed his eyes and inhaled the rich scent before licking the temptation away.
Heat splayed him open. Her blood flowed with a magic he’d never tasted before. Ancient. His fangs slid out. Bending over her, he pressed his lips to her throat. Her pulse beat against his mouth. So close. The scent of her blood consumed his mind, his willpower, his love. The pressure of his canines on her skin increased. She moaned, just a little. A sigh in her sleep.
Oh God.
The sound sent shudders of desire rocketing through him, mocking his humanity. Her eyes flitted open, a drowsy violet. He didn’t move, didn’t breathe, his fangs still poised at her throat. She looked so small, so vulnerable, but when she saw him she smiled up at him with absolute trust. His fangs retracted and her eyes drifted shut.
Myles forced himself back to the coffee table. Thank the Lord above he hadn’t bitten her. Shaking, he draped a blanket over Breena and watched her sleep awhile.
After a few minutes, he had to admit he was putting off the inevitable. He knew what duty demanded he do next. He just didn’t want to call Lucinda and tell her what had happened. But what choice did he have? The president could make what was left of his life a living nightmare if she wanted to.
Karen Y. Bynum is an author of young adult paranormal fantasy. Her debut novel Witch Way to Turn is published through Lyrical Press. She grew up in Hickory, North Carolina where mountains and magic surrounded her. Even as a child, she wrote her own faery tales and prattled incessantly to her imaginary friends.
After graduating from UNC Charlotte with a Bachelor’s degree in Mass Media Communications, she went on to become certified in culinary arts from The Art Institute of Charlotte. But it wasn’t until her aerospace engineer husband accepted a job in Virginia and they relocated that she knew what she wanted to be when she grew up.
With the support of family and friends, Karen embarked on a journey with the voices in her head. They wouldn’t stop talking (yes, she does answer back) and their stories took shape.
Karen currently lives in coastal Virginia and enjoys reading, tweeting, writing and spending time with her husband and their spoiled rotten Vizsla named Rusty.
Before I jump into answering the header’s question, stay tuned, for at the end of this post, I’ll be announcing the winner of last week’s critique offer.
