tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-32280615463208905432024-03-12T21:38:41.740-04:00Writing Fiction Right from novelist Gail Gaymer MartinWelcome to Writing Fiction Right. Learning to write well is the task of anyone wanting to be published in fiction. Publishers are looking for dynamic plots, believable characters, realistic dialogue, deep emotion and stories that hook readers. If you want to write quality fiction, then hopefully this blog can provide you with some helpful information. www.gailmartin.comGail Gaymer Martinhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12299564615451895559noreply@blogger.comBlogger257125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3228061546320890543.post-67087889506046609812014-03-31T13:45:00.000-04:002014-03-31T13:45:06.149-04:00Inspiring Creativity In A Novel Series<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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Today's April 1 and I'm happy to say hello from Gail Gaymer Martin at www.gailgaymermartin.com <br />
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As I prepared this post it reminded me of a blog post to the ACFW blog on Inspiring Rejection. Weird topic but it was based on things I’d learned from my April Love Inspired release,<b> Rescuing The Firefighter</b>. As I wrote about the creative ways I dealt with changes I had to make in the final story, I also thought about the way research can also inspire a novelist.<br />
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Researching, I had learned so much about firefighting from both online research, phone calls and numerous other ways, but mainly, I learned the most important from two firefighter’s I met on Facebook. Yes, you heard me. I posted that I needed real life information, and I was contacted by two men willing to provide me with practical and real life details on their day to day encounters. One wrote and asked, if I would you like to know the psychological and emotional struggles of a firefighter. Writers will gasp here, since there’s nothing greater than that type of information. <br />
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Both men’s willingness to take time and share their experiences and feelings was truly a gift. So don’t<br />
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pass up the opportunity to seek help outside normal methods. The Internet is very helpful, telephone calls to the local fire station and even a tour of the building helps, but reality details is a gift. And the same men asked if I would like him to read the scenes that involved these incidents so that he could offer suggestions if they were needed. That was a moment that will always stand out in my mind. He was extremely helpful and made very few changes. <br />
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After my author copies for the first firefighter novel arrived,<b> The Firefighter’s New Family</b>, I sent each man a thank you note and an autographed copy of the novel that included their names in the acknowledgments. The same man wrote back and after expressing his thanks for the book and acknowledgment, this is what he said, “I thought you did a great job of including the technical aspects we talked about. Good details, proper terms, sequenced correctly-excellent work. But what really got to me was the story itself. When I first started reading the story, I was looking to see if the issues you and I talked about ended up being part of the book. Before I knew it, I found myself lost in the story. I was rooting for Devon and Ashley to become a couple. I loved the way you interjected wisdom into the story line. Devon and Ashley are really role models-from the way they respected each other, to the way Devon respected Ashley’s relationship with her first husband, the way Devon and Ashley related to his ex-wife, the way Ashley and Devon related to Joey and Kaylee, etc. You were able to show the struggles they faced had a solution, and that solution included following God's word. Really nice work. You now have another fan!”<br />
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The research was amazing. While writing the first book involving firefighters, I hadn’t noticed at the time how much I would set up characters for <b>Rescuing The Firefighter</b>. I had submitted a different storyline to my editor, but that idea was rejected and, I had to get creative. As I reviewed the second story, I realized I had already built my third novel hero and heroine into the second book. It had been done unintentionally, and it reminds me how the Lord works in His mysterious ways guiding us to into meaningful themes for our fiction.<br />
Research and rejection can result in unexpected gifts to authors by inspiring new novel ideas that are both creative and meaningful to readers.<br />
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<br />Gail Gaymer Martinhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12299564615451895559noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3228061546320890543.post-14551968361552793352013-03-05T17:47:00.000-05:002013-03-05T17:47:09.414-05:00This Blog has moved to www.gailgaymermaritn.comThis blog has been moved to <a href="http://www.gailgaymermartin.com/">www.gailgaymermartin.com</a> Please visit my Writing Fiction Blog there filled with the same comprehensive information and many more new posts. Thanks you. <br />
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Gail Gaymer Martinhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12299564615451895559noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3228061546320890543.post-89093590485488521642013-01-28T12:24:00.002-05:002013-01-28T12:25:31.206-05:00New Writing Fiction Site<br />
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If you're looking for my comprehensive Writing Fiction Blog, it has been moved to my new website at <a href="http://www.gailgaymermartin.com/category/writing-fiction/">http://www.gailgaymermartin.com/category/writing-fiction/</a><br />
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Thanks and hope you find everything you need. If not, please comment or ask questions. I've been blessed with fifty-two published novels and over 3-1/2 million books in print, and I teach writing at conferences across the US so this is my way of giving back. You can learn what I teach at no cost to you. You can also subscribe to the Writing Fiction blog so you see any new post that interests you.Gail Gaymer Martinhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12299564615451895559noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3228061546320890543.post-44121934483784257022012-12-20T17:18:00.000-05:002012-12-20T17:18:04.845-05:00New Website for Writing Fiction Blog from Gail Gail Gaymer Martin <h2>
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<span style="font-size: 12pt;">Award-winning novelist, Gail Gaymer Martin writes Christian fiction for Love Inspired with fifty-two contracted novels and three and a half million books in print. She is the author of Writers Digest’s Writing the Christian Romance and.a co-founder of ACFW. Gail is a keynote speaker at churches, libraries and civic organizations<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>and presents writing workshops across the US. She was named one of the four best novelists in the Detroit area by CBS local news.</span></div>
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Writing Fiction is a comprehensive blog covering all techniques and elements of writing ficiton for all genre. I have taught writing through writers' workshops and at writers' conferences across the United States.</h2>
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Please visit the new location of the Writing Fiction Blog at</h2>
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<a href="http://www.gailgaymermartin.com/category/writing-fiction/">http://www.gailgaymermartin.com/category/writing-fiction/</a></h2>
Gail Gaymer Martinhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12299564615451895559noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3228061546320890543.post-73254894863029196712012-11-16T11:12:00.002-05:002012-11-16T11:18:42.051-05:00New Writing Prompt for Speculative Fiction<br />
Jeff Gerke, Publisher of Lord Marcher Press for speculative fiction, shared a promote he had developed by another author friend, Randy Ingermanson, better know as the Snowflake Man. This prompt will stimulate story ideas for give your creativity a nudge for a novel you're presently writing.<br />
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Take a look at this interesting, prompt, and I know all of us who don't write speculative fiction would love to see this kind of prompt for other genres.<br />
<a href="http://www.wherethemapends.com/writerstools/writers_tools_pages/randomizer.htm">http://www.wherethemapends.com/writerstools/writers_tools_pages/randomizer.htm</a>Gail Gaymer Martinhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12299564615451895559noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3228061546320890543.post-79808788497314854222012-11-05T17:01:00.000-05:002012-11-05T17:01:32.912-05:00A Different Take on Vanity Press Vs. Traditional PublishingFor years, vanity presses---another name for paying to have a book published and another form of self-publishing---has been contrasted in a negative light to traditional publishing. Some of the arguments are legitimate, but with the rise of digital publishing, some authors have taken a new look at self-publishing.<br />
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Recently I read an article that pointed out the argument to going through the traditional process of honing your craft and submitting to an agent and/or editor, then using their knowledge in the rejection letter to continue to work at making your writing the best it can be. After years of honing, studying, critiquing and paying your dues, you finally hit pay dirt and a contract is issued. This contract means your book would be in print on paper and sold in bookstores across the country. This is the prize most authors long to have in their lives.<br />
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But the digital market has opened new doors and has changed the views regarding the benefits of digital publishing. Many well-established authors have hit a new kind of pay dirt as they watch money roll in from the books now sold online in the digital market.<br />
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Bernard Starr's blog article, printed in the Huffington Post, offers a thoughtful take on the arguments for and against the vanity press. It will open your eyes but also give you hope if you are still struggling to sell that first book. Here's the link: <a href="http://www.huffingtonpost.com/bernard-starr/the-new-vanity-publishing_b_1821945.html">http://www.huffingtonpost.com/bernard-starr/the-new-vanity-publishing_b_1821945.html</a><br />
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Gail Gaymer Martinhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12299564615451895559noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3228061546320890543.post-86528248219766491632012-10-19T15:23:00.000-04:002012-10-19T15:23:33.140-04:00Filter To Enhance Story<br />
Authors often set up perimeters for a storyline by weighing it with backstory or details when they provide readers with information to help them understand the motivation for the characters. As we’ve heard many times, backstory or details can bog down a novel when it’s piled into the beginning of a novel. Too much emphasis on story theme or message can do the same. Think about these alternatives.<br />
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The old saying action can speak louder than words is true. Use action to filter the character’s motivation or the theme of the story. Instead of telling the reader through narrative or dialogue, find visual ways to show a character’s longing or need.<br />
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<strong>Filter the backstory</strong><br />
I sometimes suggest using weather or nature to enhance the mood of a scene. Sunshine obviously reflects a sunny situation. Rain does the opposite. But be more subtle. Sun beams down on a woman reading a letter as she sits on the porch steps. Her expression darkens as a cloud sweeps over the sun and throws a shadow on her. This doesn’t need explanation. <br />
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Now we know the letter has something unpleasant. She could crumple the paper, tear it to shreds or drop it on the porch steps as she hurries inside. Let the reader wonder for a moment while she reacts. Details come later. Have a character look at a photograph and reflect an emotion. Wipe away a tear. Smile. The reader knows the character’s feelings through his reaction to the photograph. <br />
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<strong>Filter the Storyline or Premise</strong><br />
Don’t open a novel with the obvious. Draw interest by suggesting the premise or storyline before being blatant. Use a discarded newspaper headline to set up a situation. Serial Killer Strikes Third Victim. A young woman glances at the newspaper, frowns and peers over her shoulder. We get the point. <br />
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Perhaps a radio program or billboard announces an event—a rodeo, beauty contest, or state lottery offering millions. Nothing need be said, but it sets a question for the reader. Will this become a major event in the story? <br />
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Using the lottery idea, a young woman steps into a shop and purchases a lottery ticket with the comment, “Here goes another five dollars down the drain.” She smiles and leaves. We get the point. Something will happen. We’re curious. Will she be a winner? Will the winning ticket put her in danger? This sets the stage with a subtle hint of things to come. <br />
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<strong>Filter the Subplot</strong><br />
Subplots need to connect with the main characters, but subplot can help develop a theme, message or storyline by mirroring the same or similar problem in the life of a main character. Don’t let the main character realize this. Instead as the main character observes his friend’s problem give him the insight to eventually find the solution to her own struggle.<br />
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Readers are intelligent. They enjoy deciphering the hints and clues the author gives as to the problem and the reason. Don’t take away from their enjoyment by laying all the details in front of them. Use offhand comments, radio bulletins, newspaper articles, signs, overheard conversations, and even nature to provide a more subtle way to build the storyline and enhance it. Gail Gaymer Martinhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12299564615451895559noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3228061546320890543.post-45022935125316801672012-10-10T12:18:00.003-04:002012-10-10T12:18:49.018-04:00Techniques For A Series Part III <br />
A novel series takes planning. Occasionally when an author completes a novel, at the end or near the end, he/she realizes that the story offers an interesting character or two that would make a main character in another book. By then, planning is often too late, but not so. The author can go back and add a scene to heighten the characterization and to foreshadow a situation or problem that can be the takeoff point for another book.<br />
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Though this can happen, most novelists plan ahead to write a series. One reason is that editors like to offer a contract for more than one book, and planning a series enhances the opportunity to sell the first idea to the editor. When I send such a proposal, I have a more detailed synopsis of the first story with up to three chapters completed, but I provide only a short synopsis of the next two or three novels that will follow. This allows me to be creative as I write the first novel and set up ideas that will help me when tackling the next books.<br />
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If this is a first book with the publisher and the author doesn’t have numerous previous contracts, a completed manuscript for the first book is often required. This means you can be thinking series as you write the story and do the set up for the next book as you write, and there are questions you need to consider<br />
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When you write or plan the first book, here are five questions you will want to consider:<br />
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• Is the story strong enough to develop a readership for a series?<br />
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• Does the book have an arching thread that captures the readers’ interest?<br />
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• Will the stories by concurrent, sequential, portions overlapping from a new perspective, or separated by many years such as a family saga?<br />
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• Will you write the book in the same person: first or third. Usually a series stays consistent.<br />
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• When and how will you introduce one or more of the characters who will be the main character of their own novel?<br />
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Once you make the decision, a series is possible, here are techniques or methods of making writing the books easier.<br />
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• Take notes on all information you will need to remember in the forthcoming books: make of cars, characters occupations, ages, significant dates such as birthdays or weddings, name of relatives, cities and streets where the characters live, setting details, how the various characters are connected, major events and any foreshadowing or clues you set up in the previous stories.<br />
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• Keep details on secondary character sketches it they will be a major character in a later book, such as: appearances, personalities, mannerisms, important events that impacted them (deaths in the family, job loss, etc)<br />
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• Find a major thread that will run throughout all of the novels.<br />
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• Create one major goal with conflicts that will end each story so the reader is satisfied, but keep the unanswered thread that will be revealed in the last book in the series. <br />
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• Develop future events that will happen to characters from the first or second novel later in the series. Find ways to include those characters within the stories.<br />
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• Develop book titles that are connected in some way - seasons or time of day. For example: Morning in Venice, Afternoon in Rome, Evening on the Isle of Capri. Or The Summer of Joy, The Autumn of Experience, The Winter of Loss, The Spring of Awakening. These aren’t great, but you get the idea. One of my recent series used the phrase In Training in all three books. The most recent began with <strong>A Dad Of His Own</strong>, book two was <strong>A Family Of Their Own</strong>, and the final, <strong>A Dream Of His Own</strong>. This method shows a connection between books. <br />
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• Find short pieces of dialogue or memorable moments that can be referenced or repeated in another book to connect the stories. <br />
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• Keep the tone of the books the same. One should not be a tear-jerker while the other is a comedy. <br />
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• Make decisions about which secondary characters will be heard from again in other books in the series. Don’t give too much detail unless they will become a main character, but make sure if you give the person an idiosyncrasy, that you make note of it. <br />
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• Plan each story as strong as the first. The book must stand alone first, and then work within a series. Write an exciting well-paced novel with interesting characters, dynamic plot points and strong conflicts and then set the tone for a book to follow with the one loose thread. <br />
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If you follow the ideas revealed in Part I - III on Series, you will have a good start at creating a successful series. To help, also read a novel series and take notes. The information can be invaluable.Gail Gaymer Martinhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12299564615451895559noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3228061546320890543.post-72221535376561863332012-10-02T14:49:00.000-04:002012-10-02T14:51:33.859-04:00Setting Up A Novel Series - Part II<br />
Writing a novel series offers options. The first one is deciding the major connection between the three or four stories. Though some series run longer, from experience I’ve learned that too many books in a series can have negative results. Readers want the answer to the story question, secret or solution foreshadowed through each book. This element keeps the stories interesting and hen the reader waits through five or six novels, the wait can water down their anticipation. <br />
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Next, series demands an author decide the best way to keep good records of many details woven through the novels. This is important with a large cast of characters. I wrote a seven book series based on people who lived in a town. Some secondary characters became the focal characters in the next book. Seven is far too many. Trying to remember who worked where, who knew who, their careers, cars, and so many other details began to run amuck in my head. Things like birthdays and how old a child would be in book five when he was born in book two became a nightmare. Three or four in a series in complicated enough. Create a worksheet or spreadsheet that will help you store and easily find this information. <br />
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What connections are common in most series?<br />
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• a single character who is s major individual through all stories.<br />
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• a cast of characters with a realistic connection<br />
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• a location or setting<br />
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• the focal theme or message found in all the novels<br />
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<strong>Single Character</strong><br />
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Having a story revolve around a single character demands a strong or quirky personality. It should be someone who is interesting enough to keep the readers coming back. Provide enough information and a dramatic or comic opening scene that captures arouses readers interest. A detective works, because in each book he/she will introduce numerous characters and a different crime to resolve. In this case the cast could be secondary characters who work along side the detective or those involved in the crime or the victims.<br />
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A woman who runs a boarding house or bed and breakfast could be the link for a series where readers met those who stay in her residence. Stories could revolve around focal individuals who have problems or situations that the main characters helps through their difficulties. <br />
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Though many novels require the reader see growth and change in a main character, sometimes in novels such as a single main character needs to tread lightly. The readers have grown to love the individual, and they may be disappointed if the character changes too much. A very long series, such as Janet Evanovich’s Stephanie Plum, could show slow growth as the stories unfold. This character is featured in eighteen or more books. <br />
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<strong>Cast of Characters</strong><br />
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Many series novels, especially in romance, westerns, and some mysteries have a cast of characters. Usually in fiction, one of the characters becomes of the focal individual of a specific book and will be a secondary character in others. Save one of the most dynamic and unique characters for the last book in the series. This will help the series to hang onto readers. Family sagas also have multiple characters who appear and reappear in the various stories. A smart way to use a cast of characters is to make one of the primary characters significant in the book that proceeds it. This allows you to foreshadow events that will happen in the characters own story. Don’t give away too much information about this character though. Notice I said to foreshadow. If too much is said, you could ruin the surprises that will happen in the next book. <br />
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My last two series, Man’s Best Friend, characters were connected by being involved in a dog shelter, and the next series, Dreams Come True, connected three women who were part of an organization called Mothers of Special Kids. Each of the major characters had a child who suffered with a life-threatening illness and who were offered a trip or event from the local Dreams Come True organization, similar to Make A Wish Foundation.<br />
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<strong>Setting or Location</strong><br />
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An excellent way to connect stories is by the setting. This could be a boarding house, a village or town, an apartment building, a fantasy kingdom, a business, or a planet in outer space. The setting provides a link but also can create conflicts and tension. <br />
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Think of an island with survivors from a shipwreck or plane crash, ala TV’s Lost or Gilligan’s Island, a mountain with survivors from an avalanche or explorers on an unknown planet or in the north pole. Other option is a kingdom from the past or one in a paranormal setting, such as found in Lord of the Rings. A common setting can enhance a plot built around a cast of characters as you find in Frodo’s journey. Setting can be an western estate or ranch such as in the TV series, Dallas or the Ponderosa. A family saga can be set in the family estate that hosts a cast of characters. One of my series was called Michigan Islands, and the four books were each set on a different Michigan island which was the only connection. This is not strong though, and I would recommend also connecting the story with one or two characters and your story will be more powerful.<br />
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Whether the setting is a focal connection, or if the series is a cast of characters living in a specific setting, use it to enhance the drama and conflicts of within the plots.<br />
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<strong>Theme</strong><br />
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Though theme usually reflects the major message of the novel: forgiveness, finding love, or good vs. evil, it could also extend to an event or an object.<br />
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Many romances connect with characters but so does the theme as each character resolves issues and finds true happiness. An adventure might focus on a hidden treasure, and each story resolves a major story issue and also provides a new clue to lead the characters into another book. A theme can be an item—such as a painting or art piece with each story showing what happens in the life of the person who now owns the piece—something magical, wonderful or devastating. This item could be handed down by family or purchased in an antique or second-hand store. While each story can stand on its own, the theme (painting, diary, art piece, necklace, map) must be resolved in the final story of the series. This means destroying it if the item brings with it evil, using the map to find the answer to a question or secret, realizing the painting has something hidden in it that solves the problem, or discovering the necklace only makes the owner happy when it is sold and the money is used for good. This kind of connection opens doors to a variety of exciting plots. <br />
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<strong>Next: Techniques For A Series Part III</strong><br />
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<br />Gail Gaymer Martinhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12299564615451895559noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3228061546320890543.post-54048888223384416102012-09-27T19:24:00.000-04:002012-09-27T19:28:23.740-04:00Writing Fiction In A Series - Part I<br />
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When I first began to write, each book was a single story. Since I wrote category romance and romantic suspense, the books were focused on a hero and heroine and their journey to committed love. In the case of suspense, the stories were split with half focused on their romantic journey as they solved a crime. In this case, crime resolution happens first followed by the exhortations of love and commitment. <br />
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Following numerous unconnected novels, I learned that both readers and editors like the author to write series books. For the editor, a series means better sales since readers who love the first book will purchase the next two or three in the series. Readers enjoy them because they are vested in the characters who have become real, and they want their stories to go on.<br />
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If you are considering writing a series, here are some things to think about. Author can digress from these suggestions if it benefits the book, but most readers prefer the following.<br />
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• Each novel has an ending that feels complete where the present mystery is solved, the romance journey ends with a happy ever after, and the family resolves their issues.<br />
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• Though the story is complete, a single thread—a foreshadowed plot event, theme or question —that goes unanswered and will be the arc that remains in each book and only answered or resolved in the final book of the series.<br />
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• The series may be connected by one or two factors that capture the readers interest, such as: characters, settings, or story theme. <br />
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• Consider having a story goal that connects each story. This could be forgiveness, good wins over evil, finding happiness or another broad topic that links the stories.<br />
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Series come in all genres: Speculative -<strong> Lord of the Rings, Twilight, Harry Potter</strong>, Mystery and Suspense - Stephanie Plum stories beginning with <strong>One for the Money,</strong> Sherlock Holmes mysteries, the old detective stories like Sam Spade, and Mrs Marple or the TV show, Murder She Wrote, Family Sagas - Andrew MGreeley’s O’Malley saga beginning with <strong>A Midwinter Tale</strong>, Karen Kingsbury’s Baxter Family, and Alex Haley’s novel <strong>Roots </strong>as a TV show, and Romance: again Twilight, Laura Ingles Wilder’s March family series<strong> Little House on the Prairie</strong> and Louisa May Alcott’s series beginning with<strong> Little Women</strong>. My last two series in romance are: <em>Man’s Best Friend</em> beginning with <strong>Dad In Training</strong> and <em>Dreams Come True</em> beginning with <strong>A Dad Of His Own</strong>. Read the series only if you enjoy romance. <br />
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Find series books that capture your interest and as your read, take notes on techniques and methods of keeping the readers interested. This will help you in considering your own series.<br />
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Next: Setting Up A Novel Series Part II and Methods and Techniques For A Series Part III <br />
<br />Gail Gaymer Martinhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12299564615451895559noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3228061546320890543.post-60053381417130404652012-09-15T10:09:00.001-04:002012-09-15T10:09:09.401-04:00SEVEN WAYS TO BUILD A PLATFORM THROUGH BLOGGINGAgents represent author, which means they want to learn everything they can to assist their clients in promoting their books. So who better can provide ways to help authors build a platform that will interest readers and help build their readership? Agents, naturally. Amanda Luedeke is part of the MacGregor Literary Agency and I asked her if I could share her seven ideas with you. She gave me permission. Now you can benefit from her knowledge. <br />
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<strong>SEVEN WAYS TO BUILD A PLATFORM THROUGH BLOGGING</strong><br />
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By Amanda Luedeke<br />
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1. <strong>TITLE IT RIGHT</strong><br />
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Google is structured so that the title of your blog post helps determine its position within searches. The more searchable terms/keywords that a title has, the more likely it is to be pulled up in a search result. Confused?<br />
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Think of it like this: When people do a Google search, Google, in its infinite wisdom, pulls out what it deems to be the keywords of that search. You can throw an entire sentence at it, and it will pull out the proper nouns, nouns, and possibly verbs. It then moves across the Internet to find a match for those terms, and relies heavily on page titles to do so. This is why it’s key to avoid vague blog post titles, such as “Introducing my new book!” and “Happy to be home!”. These will get you nowhere because the words within them are overused. They aren’t specific enough. Still confused? Stay with me here...<br />
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Let’s say you do a blog post on your next book, which is about a cowboy winning the heart of a school teacher. You want to name the post “My next book!” but realize that would be Google suicide because the odds of your post coming up when someone searches for “book” are like a zillion to one.<br />
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So, you do a bit of research and figure out that search terms like “Modern Cowboy” and “Cowboy Bachelors” are all popular. Then you ask yourself, If I was interested in modern cowboys and romance, what would I type into Google?<br />
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You develop a blog post entitled “5 Ways to Attract a Modern Day Cowboy.” This will draw readers who are interested in cowboys, romance and potentially, your book. It’s also much more searchable than your original title idea because it’s packed of appropriately grouped search terms. Plus, numbers posts rock (5 ways to, 10 secrets of, 15 thoughts on…). These are hugely popular and will ensure that if people stumble across your post on Google, they’ll actually click through.<br />
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2. <strong>LINK TO OTHER SITES</strong><br />
Another way to increase SEO (search engine optimization) is to link to other sites within your post. It’s ideal when those sites then link back to you, but it’s not always feasible.<br />
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Also, avoid the tendency of anchoring the link on the word “Here.” For example, “Check out our agency website here.” This is bad, because the word “here” isn’t a good search term (I mean how often have you Googled the word ‘here’?). Instead, anchor the link to key search terms. The link will tell Google that this particular term has added information tied to it, so it will make your post move up on the overall searchability side. Here’s an example of a link done right: “Learn more abouthow to become a freelance writer.”<br />
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How many people do you expect search for “how to become a freelance writer”? Lots.<br />
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3. GOT OUT AND GET ‘EM!<br />
So many bloggers think that you can just slap up a post and then sit back and wait for the masses to come running your direction. But growing a blog is like getting a date for New Year’s . . . you don’t just put on a suit (or dress) and sit in your house, waiting for people to throw themselves at you. No, you make yourself available. You go to the coffee shop, the church function, eharmony.com and wherever else people go to find other singles these days. Then, you strike up conversation. You form a relationship. You get your name out there.<br />
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Blogging (and all of social media, really) is the same way. You have to get out there and find other blogs with readerships similar to your own. Then, you make friends. You post comments (always providing a link to your blog!). You do video responses. Whatever it takes to get those readers to notice you, click through to your blog, realize that they like being there, and ask you out on a date.<br />
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4. <strong>USE THE TOOLS YOU’VE BEEN GIVEN</strong><br />
If you have Twitter, Tweet a link to your latest post as soon as it’s up. If you have Facebook, share it in your status bar. If you StumbleUpon, then like your post and add it to the StumbleUpon queue. If you use Pinterest, Reddit, Digg and other less outdated sites, then use them to share your latest post. But YOU MUST BE CONSISTENT. I attracted a few readers to my blog through StumbleUpon, but they wouldn’t read unless I added my latest post to the queue. So keep this in mind: readers are lazy. If they get used to finding your blog through Twitter, they’re going to rely on you to share those links. You stop sharing; they forget your blog ever existed.<br />
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5. <strong>INCLUDE PICTURES AND VISUAL STIMULI</strong><br />
Okay, so you’re drawing readers to your blog, but how do you keep them there? Pictures help keep the reader reading. They offer a visual break and can make long posts seem shorter. Be sure to use these in all/most posts! Also, block paragraphs of no more than 2-4 sentences are best.<br />
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6. <strong>POST REGULARLY</strong><br />
There’s this mentality that more is better. While that’s true, there’s nothing more destructive than when bloggers abandon their active blogs for lengthy periods of time. My rule is to commit to something that is do-able. Start by posting once per week. Post on the same day and preferably the same time. This will develop a readership.<br />
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When you feel as though you can do more, expand to two posts per week. But never commit to something that you can’t live up to. As a reader of multiple blogs, it gets old really fast when bloggers commit to things and then never follow through.<br />
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Let’s use “Thursdays with Amanda” as an example. Every Thursday and Friday, we see traffic on this blog that is different than the traffic we see on other days. That’s because this “Platform Monster” series is drawing a specific crowd. They know that Thursdays mean a new post, and they come here expecting to hear from me.<br />
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7. <strong>REPLY TO COMMENTS</strong><br />
To encourage a healthy blog community, it’s best to reply to every comment . . . even if you just thank them for stopping by. This will keep readers coming back, because they will know that you’re active on your blog and that you want to interact with them/hear what they have to say.<br />
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(Do not use this article in any form without written permission from Amanda.)<br />
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<strong>Amanda Luedeke</strong> is a literary agent with MacGregor Literary. Formerly a social media marketer, every Thursday she posts about growing your author platform. You can follow her on Twitter @amandaluedeke or join her Facebook group to stay current with her wheelings and dealings as an agent.<br />
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Gail Gaymer Martinhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12299564615451895559noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3228061546320890543.post-70240960490009893182012-09-06T11:50:00.001-04:002012-09-06T11:50:35.712-04:00Writers And Wasting Your Money on Fads<br />
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All novelists want to get their books in front of reader, but they have the gift of good promotion, marketing and distribution from the publishing houses so they basically use social networks and book blogs to spread the word. As well, they have faithful readers who look for each new book. Those who are self-published or with small publishing houses have a greater need to reach readers since most have not had the opportunity to develop a faithful following. This article written by Dennis Hensley, author and director of professional writing at Taylor University, covers the dangers of following some of the latest fads without understanding their value or what problems are in store. Dr. Hensley permitted me one time use this article for this blog. <br />
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DON’T SQUANDER YOUR MONEY ON FADS<br />
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By Dennis E. Hensley<br />
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I speak at a lot of writers’ conferences, and constantly I am asked by beginning writers if they should spend money on “sure fire” programs that promise to make their books best-sellers. Let me give you my take on some of these promotional options, keeping in mind you will find other people who have very differing opinions.<br />
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<strong>Book Proposal Listing Services</strong><br />
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There are at least seven organizations that charge between $75 and $200 to list your book proposal on their web sites. They each claim that editors and publishers are constantly scanning these proposals, seeking new talent and undiscovered masterpieces. For six months while on the speaking circuit, I asked every editor and literary agent I worked with if they ever turned to these lists. The uniform answer was, “Are you kidding? I’m already so backlogged with unread manuscripts, why would I go looking for more work? No, I never look at those web sites.”<br />
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In theory, these web sites seem to be legitimate. They claim they will not list books that are not of “professional quality.” (Some of these organizations will offer to help bring the manuscript up to professional quality for an editing fee that is quite steep.) However, I have scanned some of the offerings. Indeed, some have well written proposals and sample chapters, but many others are downright pathetic and have no chance of ever getting published. This leads me to believe that if you’ll pay the access fee, you’ll be welcomed aboard. My judgment therefore is, avoid these marketing services.<br />
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<strong>Book Trailers</strong><br />
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For decades movie theaters have run “movie trailers” (previews of upcoming films) to create interest in new films. In 2007 some web page designers started doing the same thing for new books. Today, there are thousands of book trailers that can be seen on Twitter, Facebook, MySpace, YouTube, and personal blogs.<br />
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Originally, the idea was that book salespersons would carry a laptop into a bookstore, run a two minute book trailer for the store owner, and generate enough interest to secure a big order. <br />
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However, the cost of the book trailer was billed directly to the author, usually at $1,000 or more. That meant the author had to sell at least 2,000 copies of a $5.95 paperback book just to pay for the book trailer. Sometimes it worked, as when Chad Kultgen’s first novel The Average American Male sold 26,875 copies in hardbound after a million and a half people viewed his book trailer on YouTube. More often than not, book trailers have not been successful in selling books.<br />
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The problems with book trailers are numerous: there are far too many of them; many are done in very amateurish ways; and the professional ones cost big bucks. Where they have become effective is when writers also have another platform. For example, if an author is on the speaking circuit and always has a book table set up to sell his or her books, having a TV monitor that keeps repeating the book trailer will stimulate impulse purchases. Similarly, if an author can disburse one book trailer through many outlets, it will multiply the site visits. For example, the author could have the trailer available through her web site, through all the web sites of the writers’ conferences where she will be speaking in coming months, through her publisher, and also through the university where she teaches. My judgment therefore is, use book trailers only if they are high quality and only if you can be assured they will get high visibility.<br />
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<strong>Self-published Books</strong><br />
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Most writers love their manuscripts, even after they’ve been rejected by 25 publishers. That is why some will resort to paying to have their books published. In fact, in 2008 there were more self-published books in America than books published by traditional royalty publishers. <br />
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There are four things to remember about self-published books (formerly known as “vanity” publishing): <br />
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1. Most newspapers and magazines will not review self-published books.<br />
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2. Most libraries will not buy or put self-published books on their shelves.<br />
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3. Most bookstores will not carry self-published books.<br />
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4. Most TV and radio talk shows won’t interview authors of self-published books. <br />
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So, with no publicity and no distribution, the sole responsibility of selling books falls to the author. After selling 35 copies to friends and family, what does the author do with the hundreds of other books stacked in the garage? List them on Amazon.com, perhaps? Well, okay, but even if orders do come in, is the author going to package each book personally, address its label, and then drive it down to the post office and stand in line?<br />
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There are ways to make self-publishing work. <br />
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1. Writers can try to find a sponsor to share the costs. For example, if someone is writing the history of a company, that company should help pay for the printing of the book. <br />
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2. The writer needs to establish a distribution platform. If the author has a long list of speaking engagements where he knows he can sell his books to the audiences, then, in time, he will be able to go through a thousand copies. <br />
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3. Go with reliable companies that will give the names of people who have been customers of theirs. Potential customers should find out the quality of the product, the length of time until delivery, and the follow-up communication.<br />
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(I recommend ACW Press, but only if you have a solid marketing plan in place, such as an activie speaking ministry.)<br />
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My judgment therefore is, never pay for your book to be published unless you are absolutely sure you are getting a quality product and you have specific ways of getting the books sold.<br />
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When asked where I feel beginning writers can spend their money most wisely, I also have suggestions. Attending a writers’ conference connects new writers with editors, agents, and publishers, while also providing excellent teaching sessions. Subscribing to the leading writing periodicals provides marketing updates and writing lessons. Hiring a professional critique service, wherein a well-established writer proofreads and copyedits a manuscript, can reveal writing weaknesses and sharpen one’s skills. Paying dues to be part of a writers’ club consisting of serious writers will offer fellowship and new paths of learning.<br />
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In summary, money invested in oneself as a writer is never wasted. Money invested in so-called “shortcuts to success” has grave limitations. <br />
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Dennis E. Hensley directs the professional writing major at Taylor University in Indiana. He has been a “Distinguished Visiting Professor” at Oxford University, Regent University, and Moody Bible Institute. <br />
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© Copyright Dennis E. Hensley (<strong>Do not use this article in any form without written permission from Dr. Hensley</strong>.)Gail Gaymer Martinhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12299564615451895559noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3228061546320890543.post-799837691189635342012-08-30T19:37:00.001-04:002012-08-30T19:37:19.804-04:00Writers Beware<br />
Writers considering what as known as vanity or self-publishing need to beware of so many sites quoting unbelievable offers and recently two articles appeared that give excellent warning to writers. Sometimes to-good-to-be-true is. The promise of books in major bookstores across the country, contests that will take your novels to amazing heights. Editors And Preditors is a site I’ve mentioned before that provide pertinent information on publishers, agents and other writing related website that have bad reputations.<br />
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Susan Kaye Quinn on her blogs some good article on this very topic.(://www.susankayequinn.com/2012/07/author-beware.html) Please note that it’s partially an ad for her companies services, but still the information is good. She mentions another such site that provides similar information to Editors and Preditors (<a href="http://pred-ed.com/">http://pred-ed.com/</a> ). Writers Beware (<a href="http://www.sfwa.org/for-authors/writer-beware/vanity/">http://www.sfwa.org/for-authors/writer-beware/vanity/</a> ) distinguishes self-publishing from vanity publishers by saying that for self-publishers "all rights, and profits, remain with writer." This resource is another place writers can go to receive guidance in making wise choices. Always check these sites to find the complaints and law suits of resources promising things they do not honor. <br />
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Another article from Publishers Weekly, a respected weekly publication on the publishing industry and on book reviews, also provides a warning. When this magazine offers a warning to writers, it’s one that I take seriously. I have known this problem for a long time, but here is a take on it from someone who is a spokesman for the writing industry. This article is very pertinent to those who are considering self-publishing or POD publishing. <br />
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PublishAmerica Publishing has been considered a risk for a long time by the publishing industry and, now, by many eager writers who believed what they were told by PublishAmeria editors, but a study by Publishers Weekly documents the unorthodox and pitiful attempts PublishAmerica has used to confuse and present false promises to hopeful writers. Check out this article and read carefully. <br />
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<a href="http://blogs.publishersweekly.com/blogs/PWxyz/?p=6510&utm_source=Publishers+Weekly%27s+PW+Daily&utm_campaign=c7432cf3c8-UA-15906914-1&utm_medium=email">http://blogs.publishersweekly.com/blogs/PWxyz/?p=6510&utm_source=Publishers+Weekly%27s+PW+Daily&utm_campaign=c7432cf3c8-UA-15906914-1&utm_medium=email</a> <br />
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I hope you find these articles helpful and that you keep the links for Editors and Preditors as well as Writers Beware and use them to help you make wise decisions. <br />
<br />Gail Gaymer Martinhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12299564615451895559noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3228061546320890543.post-59547745350274334712012-08-24T14:52:00.006-04:002012-08-24T14:54:41.392-04:00Walk-On and Secondary Characters<br />
Numerous characters appear in your novels for realism and to provide a piece of action necessary to move the story forward or to broaden characterization of a main character. These walk-on characters might be referred to as the waiter, clerk, cab driver, mail carrier, baby sitter, maid, doorman, neighbor or a crowd or mob.<br />
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They have limited time in the story and so when using them remember to:<br />
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• Be specific only when necessary. If the person reappears for a key purpose use brief descriptions only, describe a feature that defines the character or the role he will play.<br />
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• Use an eccentricity only if the character needs to be remembered, perhaps as a witness to a crime.<br />
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• Use a name only when it points to a character’s ethnicity or physical characteristic: curly, Baldy, Bambi, Blimp, Shiny, Chan, Vito, or Gomez which will help the reader picture him.<br />
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Walk-ons serve a purpose to bring reality to the novel. A restaurant needs a waiter. A store needs a clerk, A taxi needs a driver. But these characters can also add an element of suspense when they seem nervous or edgy or they can bring comic relief to the novel. Think of the movie When Harry Met Sally and the restaurant scene when woman said to the waiter, “I’ll have what she’s having.” This line accentuated the humor of the scene.<br />
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Secondary characters are different from walk-ons. They have a greater role in the novel, such as a relative, neighbor, or co-worker, and provide contrast, new information, or conflict to the story. They will appear in occasional scenes and add reality as well. Most people have a confidant that they discuss personal issues in their lives or coworkers who join them for lunch. These characters have names—Grandma, Ethel, Uncle Joe, Bill. Some description and personality traits are provided to make these characters three-dimensional. Their traits often moves the story along—the wisdom provider, the commonsense giver, the time-user, the empathy shower, or the one who is the “life’s not perfect” reminder. <br />
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Secondary characters can:<br />
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• Serve as a contrast to the main character.<br />
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• Provide key information that helps move the story forward<br />
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• Provide backstory moments<br />
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• Assist the main character in brainstorming solutions to conflicts<br />
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• Create conflicts or undermine characters progress<br />
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• Serve as a red-herring in suspense or thriller<br />
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• Provide a backdrop for the main character to express concerns or choices<br />
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Both walk-ons and secondary characters are important to a novel just as various people enter our lives to provide a service, cause change or create an outlet for ideas and solutions. Use them wisely. Don’t give a walk-on importance or you will confuse the reader, and don’t neglect bringing the secondary character to life to the degree they are significant to the story.Gail Gaymer Martinhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12299564615451895559noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3228061546320890543.post-61920378965201522462012-08-12T09:35:00.004-04:002012-08-12T09:38:50.218-04:00Pet Peeves of a Professional Editor<br />
Sometimes as I read other writers' blogs or email comments, the topic triggers an interest, and I sense it would be a great topic for Writing Fiction Right, but who better to write the article than the person who caught my interest. Linda Yezak has a critique service for writers and reads many manuscripts. As she studies them, she has identified numerous errors that writers make that she has identified as "pet peeves." I've asked her to share those with you. So here is my second guest blogger with her take on weak writing that catches an editor's eye.<br />
<strong>Pet Peeves of a Professional Editor</strong><br />
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Because of the three editorial positions I hold–content editor for a small press, editorial assistant for a popular agent, and freelance editor in a budding independent business–I get to see quite a few manuscripts in various phases of perfection. And because I love to study the writing styles and techniques of published authors, I read quite a few books. I’m not sure how unique all this makes me, but it does put me in a position to see things that drive me nuts as an editor. <br />
<strong>Words and Cliche Phrases </strong><br />
Among these things are phrases–certain expressions–that didn’t appeal to me to begin with, but I’ve seen them so often they’re cliché. Sleep drool used to top the list of things that turned me off. I’ve seen it in several published and unpublished works, and I fail to see the charm. I understand the appeal of seeing your love sleepy-eyed and vulnerable in the morning, but drool fails as a turn-on point. <br />
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But as I said, drool used to top the list. I’ve also been seeing more references to “boogers,” “slipping in vomit,” and “throwing up in the mouth.” Ugh. Really? Granted, I’m old. I still don’t like reading about someone having to “pee,” much less “take a leak”–but vomit? Please. <br />
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There is one cliché that seems to make it into one out of every three works I read, including my own, I’m embarrassed to say: having a character speak with his or her mouth full. This doesn’t land as high as vomit on the “gross” spectrum, it’s just overused and illustrates bad manners. <br />
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I mentioned this to a writers’ group, and a lady responded that it’s okay as long as it’s part of the characterization. That’s like saying, “It was a dark and stormy night” is okay as long as it’s part of the setting description. The thing about a cliché is that, well, it’s cliché–it’s used too often, it loses it’s impact, it’s not fresh, and it’s a sign of laziness. Since I’ve used it myself, I can point the “you’re lazy” finger my way as well.<br />
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The “solitary tear” has lost its impact. “Bile rising” has too. So have physical reactions dealing with the heart and breath–not that these two are so bad, because sometimes it’s just difficult to get around them. But a wise author will do a search to see how often he or she uses these two words and try to cut about ninety percent of them out of the manuscript. <br />
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<strong>Punctuation</strong><br />
Words and phrases aren’t the only things that pop out at me as an editor, punctuation does too. I’m the world’s worst at remembering all the comma rules, which is why I keep the Chicago Manual of Style handy (which, unlike the AP manual, requires the serial comma. Keep that in mind). However, I am good at catching semicolons and colons. <br />
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The powers that be have deemed two little beasties to be too formal for fiction. I’m not entirely sure I agree, but I do agree their use should be rare. More often than not, a semicolon can be replaced with either a comma or a period, and only on rare occasion should colons be used as introduction to a dialogue line or in the prose. Neither should be used in the dialogue itself.<br />
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But it is the mark of many newbies to want to impress with loftiness. Lofty prose, lofty sentence structure, lofty punctuation. Jump from the loft, kids. It’s safe. Come on down.<br />
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Dashes and ellipses are popular these days too, but as with cliché phrases, these lose their impact with use. Ellipses illustrate trailing thoughts, an expression that dies because the author stopped speaking as if not knowing what else to say or losing his speech to his mental processes. Dashes serve two purposes, to illustrate the interruption of speech or to set off a parenthetical phrase. These tools shouldn’t be used too often, and when they are, they should be used correctly.<br />
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Once upon a time, I read about the apostrophe as used in the place of a missing letter in a word. She wrote, “Now that you know this, you’ll never forget it. You’ll see it every time, and it’ll drive you nuts too.” She was right. I don’t remember who she is or what I was reading, but I haven’t forgotten what she said, and I’ve noticed the phenomenon every time I see it. <br />
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What am I talking about? <br />
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The unreversed apostrophe. <br />
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Writers with word processing programs that use the curled apostrophes ( ‘ ’ ) need to be careful which way the apostrophe faces when the first letter of a word is missing. The mark is to point in the direction of the missing letter. For instance, leaving the “g” out in “wanting” to make “wantin’”–first hit of the apostrophe key has it facing the right direction, no problem. But what if you want to leave the “a” out of “about”? When you don’t pay attention, you get this: ‘bout. Oops. Apostrophe is facing the wrong direction. It should be: ’bout. Easiest way I know to make this work is to hit the key twice, and delete the first mark. <br />
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Once you start catchin’ on to the ’postrophes, you’ll see ’em every time too. You’ll be wantin’ to change ‘em to face the right direction. It’ll ‘bout drive ya nuts. Best to get ’em in the right direction to begin with. <br />
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Cliché expressions and misuse of punctuation are among the things I mark when I edit. These are the things for which I am responsible as a freelance editor, and the things I notice as an editor for the agent and publisher I work for. By the time a manuscript reaches the desk of these two individuals, and eventually my desk, it should be as fresh and error free as the author can possibly make it. My hope is that this post will help authors recognize a few more things to catch during their personal edit of their manuscript.<br />
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Bio:<br />
Linda Yezak lives with her husband and three cats in a forest in Texas, where tall tales abound and exaggeration is an art form. She is a two-time finalist in ACFW’s Genesis Contest (in 2008 for Give the Lady a Ride, and in 2010 for The Cat Lady’s Secret) and a finalist for the 2012 Carol Award (for Give the Lady a Ride). After serving five years as a freelance editor, getting jobs by word of mouth, she finally hung her shingle to make her business, Triple Edge Critique Service, public in 2012. Link: <a href="http://lindayezak.com/triple-edge-critique-service/">http://lindayezak.com/triple-edge-critique-service/</a> <br />
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Linda is a member of ACFW, the Christian PEN, and Women Writing the West (WWW).<br />
<br />Gail Gaymer Martinhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12299564615451895559noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3228061546320890543.post-76074178102554692772012-07-28T16:27:00.002-04:002012-07-28T16:40:40.408-04:00What Makes A Mystery Cozy?Before I became a novelist, I was a voracious reader and one of my favorite genre was the cozy mystery. I still love the “cozies” and have read many, such as Agatha Christie’s many novels. I also movies and TV shows such as <b>Murder She Wrote<i></i></b>. Since I do not write cozy mysteries, I don’t have the expertise of someone like inspirational novelist, Nancy Mehl, who has written many. The article below at my request is from Nancy Mehl who is my first guest blogger. I hope you enjoy learning more about cozy mysteries and notice that the cozy whether inspirational or secular basically follows the same rules. I may tackle one someday. <br />
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<b>What Makes A Mystery Cozy? <i></i></b>From Nancy Mehl The most fundamental elements in cozy mystery are fairly easy to define. For one, there will be a basically bloodless crime that may happen “offstage.” In other words, by the time our amateur detective arrives on the scene, the dirty deed has already been done. Now, our sleuth, who is usually female, must solve the mystery because of circumstances she cannot avoid. In other words, the crime involves her directly in some way. This is true with any mystery, but in a cozy, many times the reasons behind her involvement are much more personal. <br />
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Other signs that you’ve cracked open a cozy involve a small, confined setting; the lack of profanity and sexual content; a protagonist with an interesting hobby or job; and memorable, quirky characters. Also, many cozies are drawn with a touch of humor. Some go further, actually adding some giggles to the usual nasty business of murder and mayhem. Now let’s look a little more closely at each of these elements. <br />
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One very important trait of a cozy mystery revolves around “location, location, location!” Cozies take place in confined settings, thereby drawing upon a small cast of characters and suspects. In other words, the killer can’t be someone passing though town who simply decides to “off” a few of the town’s gentle citizens! The “investigation” needs to involve only the characters presented within this setting. You can use a small town, a ship, even an old hotel or isolated castle. This restricted location keeps the mystery contained – and the world out. <br />
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Since cozies are not police procedurals, many times the setting will actually cut down on official involvement. For example – a woman goes to visit an old friend who has turned an old Victorian-styled church into a bed and breakfast. Someone staying at the inn is murdered while a storm rages outside. The bridge to town is washed out, leaving our protagonist, the surrounding characters, and the murderer caught like rats in a trap. Of course, since our characters can’t get out, the police can’t get in. Now the fun begins! <br />
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One caveat: if you draw law enforcement into your story, you need to be as accurate as you can. Again, police in rural towns may not be as “by the book” as say, detectives in New York City, but don’t fudge the details past the limits of believability. For my “Ivy Towers Series,” I consulted an actual deputy sheriff who worked in rural areas of Kansas. This helped me to “keep it real” for my readers.<br />
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Addressing the overwhelming glut of mysteries on the market with language and sexual scenes that would have caused my grandmother to “swoon,” brings a mixed bag of opinions from mystery authors and readers alike. However, I believe cozies should be “gentle” mysteries. In keeping with this idea, no “harsh” profanity or lurid “boudoir” passages should be present. Usually, cozy mysteries are selected by readers who specifically want to avoid graphic words and images. Of course, in an inspirational cozy, this point is non-negotiable. No profanity allowed at all! In fact, various inspirational publishers have different standards. One publisher bans the use of “Holy cow!” while another has no problem with it.<br />
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In my book, “There Goes Santa Claus,” upon finding a dead Santa Claus that has fallen off his roof, Amos Tucker greets the sight with “J-Jumpin’ Jehosaphat, Ivy. I think we just killed Santa Claus!” Many of today’s contemporary mystery novels might have offered language a little more colorful!<br />
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Now, on to sex. Cozies should contain little or no sexual content. There can be romance, but sex only occurs between married couples—and it definitely happens offstage! Remember the old black and white movies where the couple kissed, the camera swung away from them, and in the night sky behind them fireworks exploded? You got the idea without the embarrassing details!<br />
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A current trend in cozies gives our amateur detective an interesting hobby or job that adds an element of interest. Of course, this isn’t always true. Although Agatha Christie’s Miss Marple was an interesting character, her creativity expressed itself most clearly in her mental acumen. However, today’s heroines can be hairdressers, interior designers, cooks, quilters or may be characterized by some other specific professional or personal involvement. And “county coroner” doesn’t work here. It’s difficult to make that funny. <br />
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In my “Curl Up and Dye” mystery series, my protagonist, Hilde Higgins, is a hairdresser – for funeral homes. That’s about as dark as you can get. One side note: I came up with this idea because I was joking with my agent one day about all the “hooks” being used by mystery authors. We agreed that the hairdressing sleuth had been done. My mention of someone who worked in a funeral home brought the revelation of another author who was already writing a similar series. As a joke, I mentioned a hairdresser who works for funeral homes. The concept got burned into my imagination and the “Curl Up and Dye” mysteries were born.<br />
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Another “cozy” element involves likeable, “quirky” characters drawn with humor, who appear to have something “mysterious” in their backgrounds. These characters can all be possible suspects. Be careful though, not to paint a picture of someone who seems completely innocent and then surprise your reader at the last minute by making him the murderer. Mystery fans, including cozy mystery fans, ask you to play fair. Hints must be dropped and clues must be scattered! And whatever you do, pick up all your clues by the end of your story and explain. Mystery buffs don’t like to be left hanging. Never forget a cozy mystery is still a mystery and as an author, you must play by the rules.<br />
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In conclusion, cozy mysteries are stories presented as gentle gifts to be unwrapped while the reader snuggles under their favorite quilt and sips hot tea or cappuccino. Inspirational cozies should not only warm the heart but should also touch the spirit. They will never shock the reader or cause them to upend their cappuccino. (A little laughter might cause a small spill – but in a cozy, this reaction is perfectly acceptable!)<br />
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Author Bio:<br />
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Nancy Mehl lives in Wichita, Kansas with her husband Norman and her very active puggle, Watson. She’s authored twelve books and is currently at work on her newest series for Bethany House Publishing. The first book, “Inescapable,” releases in July of 2012. All of Nancy’s books include a touch of “mystery.”<br />
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Her cozy mysteries include: (The Ivy Towers’s series) In the Dead of Winter, Bye, Bye Bertie, For Whom the Wedding Bell Tolls (which won the Carol Award for mystery in 2009), and There Goes Santa Claus. (The Curl Up and Dye Mysteries) Missing Mable and Bumping Off Binky. *All of these cozies are available as ebooks.Gail Gaymer Martinhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12299564615451895559noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3228061546320890543.post-18608649109893093782012-07-21T13:25:00.002-04:002012-07-22T15:11:31.433-04:00Using A Characterization WorksheetAn author must keep track of everything significant about the major characters, both for accuracy in the novel and also for the time comes to provide information for the cover art. I've found this worksheet to be invaluable, and I always include copies when I teach writing fiction around the country. It fills one sheet and leaves place for information to be collected. I prepare one a form for all major characters. The back of the sheet is used, if necessary, for other backstory ideas or more details. Along with the sheet, I add photographs found in magazines or clothing catalogues for each major character. Feel free to copy and paste the form into your own files for your use.<br />
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CHARACTER WORKSHEET<br />
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Character Name:<br />
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Age: Height: Weight: Eye Color: <br />
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Hair Color and Style: <br />
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Identifying physical characteristics, description:<br />
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Idiosyncrasies and mannerisms:<br />
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Greatest Strength:<br />
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Greatest Flaw:<br />
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Greatest need or want (long-range goal):<br />
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Short range goal:<br />
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Other character strengths:<br />
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Other character weaknesses:<br />
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Dark secret:<br />
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Greatest fear:<br />
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Biggest regret:<br />
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Most Powerful Dream:<br />
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Character’s conflicts with the love interest or other major characters<br />
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Danger or loss without reaching goal:<br />
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Darkest moment:<br />
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What about character renews the spirit of other character?<br />
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How does strength overcome greatest weakness for happy ending?<br />
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What does character learn by end?<br />
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Place of Employment and position:<br />
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Kind of Car:<br />
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Parents names:<br />
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Siblings names and data:<br />
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Significant friends or coworkers:<br />
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Faith upbringing/spiritual attitudes/issues or major Internal Conflict:<br />
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Reverse sheet for backstory - family relationships, dysfunctions, upbringing, discipline style, education, serious illness, family tragedies, talents, successes/failures, healthGail Gaymer Martinhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12299564615451895559noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3228061546320890543.post-85353411904396540532012-07-13T12:23:00.000-04:002012-07-13T12:23:05.227-04:00Four Personalitiy Types For CharacterizationThough I provided this information in March 2011, it's worth reviewing again, because it provides a major way to create dynamic, three-dimensionsal characters for your fiction. When you locate the various personality types in your story, you can build quality conflicts that catpures readers and hangs on. Though I'd studied the core personalities in my psychology classes in college, A couple years ago, Author Mark Mynheir presented a workshop on characterization and suggested the use of the Myers Briggs personality test to help create dynamic characters by using the basic core personalities and then wrapping a backstory history around him. Instead of using the eight personalitiy types in the Myers Briggs, focus on the four <br />
core personalities: : feeler, driver, analyzer, and elitist. <br />
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<strong>Feeler</strong>:<br />
The feller is a person who reacts and interacts through emotion and comes across as warm and friend. He avoids confrontation and always tries to put the most positive twist on every situation. He prefers intimate groups rather than a crowd and rarely initiates conversation, especially with strangers. When in a larger group, he becomes more reticent and only expresses opinions that are non-aggressive. His emotions are often on his sleeve. His body language can be emotive. Think Oprah.<br />
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<strong>Driver</strong>:<br />
The driver tends to be a Type A personality who is perceptive and therefore likes to control the situation. He is curious and enthusiastic while tending to pick up on the mood and style of the group he is in. He is verbal and quick-minded. His body action is animated. Some people might considered him overly-friendly, but he is naturally gregarious. He would be considered a nonconformist, willing to take changes if he sees the possibility of positive results. Think Bill O’Reilly <br />
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<strong>Analyzer</strong>: <br />
The analyzer is organized, logical, and stoic. He is careful in what he says, controlling himself mentally, physically and verbally. Though he is pleasant, he keeps his distance and appears to need no one besides himself. Emotions are not for the analyzer, but intellect is. He is very self-confident and is not at ease in lighthearted or frivolous situations. Think Barbara Walters and Martha Stewart. <br />
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<strong>Elitist</strong>: <br />
The elitist is aloof and feels superior. Although he appears friendly, he has a strong sense of his own importance. He observes his surroundings yet is detached from the situation. He can be charismatic and easily stands out in a crowd by his bearing and manner. Think Simon Cowell and Hannibal Lector.<br />
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Identify your main characters into one of the four categories, then build your backstory around these kinds of personality traits. Once you have this established, look at your major plot points and begin to build the conflicts that can result from these particular personality combinations. You will come up with quality conflicts if you do your homework.Gail Gaymer Martinhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12299564615451895559noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3228061546320890543.post-85938786803941350032012-07-09T14:57:00.001-04:002012-07-09T14:57:17.168-04:00Hook - How many are too many?During an online class I recently taught on plotting, one of the participants asked this question. <br />
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<strong>Participan</strong>t: I am working with two hooks in my beginning. Are there some guidelines about multi-hooks? They tag the two action lines running through the story -- one personal, one professional. I would love some insight into it working well and also bombing spectacularly!<br />
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<strong>Gail’s response</strong>: <br />
If you are talking about an external conflict hook and an internal conflict hook, both are needed. Remember the<strong> external conflict</strong> is a plot point of action as someone tries to obtain or rid himself of something in his life. (A piece of land, a person, control, freedom, a treasure, a career or job, etc.) <strong>Internal conflict</strong> is a struggle within the character to deal with a belief, flaw, value, moral or change that affects or restricts his life in some way. Both of these conflicts are important, because one moves the plot forward and the other alters the character by necessitating growth and change.<br />
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Which conflict hook is the best to stress at the beginning of your novel depends on which is most important to your story's plot? If you can answer that question, then stress that particular conflict. But do not disregard the other conflict. Save the unused hook to bring out a little later.<br />
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If you're talking about <em>two external hooks</em> or <em>two internal hooks</em>, use the less dramatic hook first and save the one to add deeper conflict as the story moves ahead. To many hooks too fast diminishes the value of their impact. Remember that readers care more about the characters once they get to know them and love them so piling too much on at the beginning loses the value of the hook. Hooks are needed throughout the novel, pieces of information that add depth or puts a spin on the characters or conflicts readers already know. Use hooks where they are needed, especially at the end of scenes or chapters to draw the reader foreward. <br />
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<strong>When is “a little later?</strong><br />
Perhaps it can be the "no turning back" conflict that you need at the end of Act I? Would it have more power then? Or a little later in the story, the readers will care more about the person with the issue. Will it mean more to readers later, because they can now relate to this character who was a stranger in the first chapter and now knowing the character, they have a stake in what happens to him or her? This means readers will have an investment in the needs, wants, flaws, and vulnerability that affects the life of this character, just as in real life, they care more about issues which affect their family and friends.<br />
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When you pose conflict hooks, weigh the value of providing the conflict at that time or the benefit of holding that issue back for a while to use when it will make a greater impact on the reader. That is what will hook them and pull them into the story wanting to know what will happen next. <br />
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<br />Gail Gaymer Martinhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12299564615451895559noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3228061546320890543.post-31398553864341149482012-06-30T18:46:00.002-04:002012-06-30T18:46:40.672-04:00STORY BASICS FROM AN EXPERT<br />
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Creating story that catches a reader’s interest is the struggle of every novelist. In creating story, you deal with what appeals to the audience and what appeals to you as a writer, using good writing techniques and finding characters that can carry your story along. <br />
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Pixar story artist Emma Coats has tweeted a series of “story basics” over the past month and shared guidelines she learned from her more senior colleagues on how to create appealing stories.<br />
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Here is her advice and in it, some worthwhile ideas you can take away and use as you create your stories. <br />
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1. You admire a character for trying more than for their successes. <br />
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2. You must keep in mind what’s interesting to you as an audience, not what’s fun to do as a writer. They can be v. different.<br />
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3. Trying for theme is important, but you won’t see what the story is actually about until you’re at the end of it. Now rewrite.<br />
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4. Once upon a time there was ___. Every day, ___. One day ___. Because of that, ___. Because of that, ___. Until finally ___.<br />
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5. Simplify. Focus. Combine characters. Hop over detours. You’ll feel like you’re losing valuable stuff but it sets you free.<br />
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6. What is your character good at, comfortable with? Throw the polar opposite at them. Challenge them. How do they deal?<br />
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7. Come up with your ending before you figure out your middle. Seriously. Endings are hard, get yours working up front.<br />
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8. Finish your story, let go even if it’s not perfect. In an ideal world you have both, but move on. Do better next time.<br />
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9. When you’re stuck, make a list of what wouldn't happen next. Lots of times the material to get you unstuck will show up.<br />
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10. Pull apart the stories you like. What you like in them is a part of you; you need to recognize it before you can use it.<br />
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11. Putting it on paper lets you start fixing it. If it stays in your head, a perfect idea, you’ll never share it with anyone.<br />
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12. Discount the first thing that comes to mind. And the second, third, fourth, and fifth – get the obvious out of the way. Surprise yourself.<br />
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13. Give your characters opinions. Passive/malleable might seem likable to you as you write, but it’s poison to the audience.<br />
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14. Why must you tell THIS story? What’s the belief burning within you that your story feeds off of? That’s the heart of it.<br />
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15. If you were your character, in this situation, how would you feel? Honesty lends credibility to unbelievable situations.<br />
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16. What are the stakes? Give us reason to root for the character. What happens if they don’t succeed? Stack the odds against.<br />
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17. No work is ever wasted. If it’s not working, let go and move on - it’ll come back around to be useful later.<br />
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18. You have to know yourself: the difference between doing your best & fussing. Story is testing, not refining.<br />
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19. Coincidences to get characters into trouble are great; coincidences to get them out of it are cheating.<br />
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20. Exercise: take the building blocks of a movie you dislike. How would you rearrange them into what you do like?<br />
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21. You must identify with your situation/characters, can’t just write ‘cool’. What would make you act that way?<br />
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22. What’s the essence of your story? Most economical telling of it? If you know that, you can build out from there.<br />
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To read her complete article, go <a href="http://io9.com/5916970/the-22-rules-of-storytelling-according-to-pixar">http://io9.com/5916970/the-22-rules-of-storytelling-according-to-pixar</a> <br />
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Follow Emma Coats on Twitter for more excellent advice: <a href="https://twitter.com/lawnrocket">https://twitter.com/lawnrocket</a>Gail Gaymer Martinhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12299564615451895559noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3228061546320890543.post-83269129688088498452012-06-25T09:26:00.004-04:002012-06-25T09:27:54.693-04:00FACING THE DREADED 'SECOND DRAFTI hate revisions and rewriting. I'm one of those novelists who edit as I go. After a scene or two, I re-read what I've written, listen to the chapters on Natural Reader and notate changes I want to make, then continue to edit and then move on. I continue to do this throughout the novel. At certain points, I print the novel to hardcopy and edit that way. By the time I've made it to the wonderful moment I type "THE END," the novel is nearly ready to submit. Though I still edit a couple more times and it is read by my proofreader to catch careless typos, awkward or unclear thoughts, and redundancy.<br />
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I'm not alone in writing this way, but I also don't have the perfect method. Some novelists, such as my friend Colleen Cobel, rejoices when her revisions and changes are sent back with her editors suggests, and she can dig in and rework the novel, making it deeper and stronger. This is her favorite part of creating her story. I always chuckle because I'm at the other end of the stick.<br />
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Recently writer and college instructor, Dennis Hensley, published a blog on FACING THE DREADED SECOND DRAFT. The title interested me and I read it and decided it would be an excellent post to share with you. We all face the rewrites no matter how we do them, and his thoughts on the subject are worth hearing. Since his work is copyrighted, I asked for permission to share his plost, and he granted it to me in writing. I hope you find his five points helpful. To find them, click "more" below.<br />
<a name='more'></a><strong>FACING THE DREADED 'SECOND DRAFT'</strong><br />
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By Dennis E. Hensley<br />
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Directing a college writing program and also traveling across the country instructing at writers’ conferences, I encounter a lot of people who have finished writing a novel but are not having any success at selling it to a publisher. After a dozen or more rejections, they’ll turn to a person like me, aka a “book doctor,” and ask, “So, what’s wrong with my book?” Often, the answer is simple. These people have not learned that “all writing is rewriting.” They’ve written a novel, but, as yet, they have not rewritten a novel.<br />
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If this is your situation, let me offer some guidance in how to turn back to your manuscript and give it the polish it needs to shine professionally.<br />
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<strong>1. GET OUTSIDE PERSPECTIVES</strong><br />
You know what the book is supposed to say, but in order to determine if it actually is saying it, you need outside readers. Find someone in your writers’ group to read it and give you specific feedback regarding narrative drive, character development, setting, dialogue, and theme. Likewise, consider hiring a high school or college English teacher to copyedit the pages, checking grammar, syntax, punctuation, format, spelling, and transitions. This will give you tangible aspects of the book than can be improved upon.<br />
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<strong>2. EVALUATE FROM MACRO TO MICRO ELEMENTS</strong><br />
Read your entire book but chart it as you go along. How quickly does the lead hook the reader? Does the subplot become evident no later than chapter three? Where are the arcs of conflict, the surprises, the clever plot twists? Is the ultimate climactic scene dramatic enough? Does the denouement tie up all loose ends, answer all questions, and imply what the next phase of the characters’ lives will be? By putting the whole book in your head (macro) while critiquing the individual elements (micro), you’ll be inserting correct pieces that will eventually reveal the finished puzzle.<br />
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<strong>3. EXAMINE THE PATTERN AND FLOW OF THE STORY</strong><br />
Just because something is perfect in regard to writing mechanics, it doesn’t mean it is interesting. Consider key structural elements. Is the novel well paced, motivating the reader to keep turning pages, or are there scenes that drag, passages of dialogue that are cluttered, and set-ups that have too much description and back story? Are the flashbacks just thrown in at random like narrative sludge, or do they seem a natural foundation for the overall story structure? Is there a consistency in the length of chapters or are they a hodgepodge of plotting whims?<br />
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These are all specific areas that publishers will judge harshly, so work to make them smooth. <br />
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<strong>4. SCRUTINIZE THE INDIVIDUAL WORDS</strong><br />
If you lean heavily on –ly adverbs to assist your verbs (talked quickly, sang merrily) remove them and insert stronger verbs that can stand alone (trilled, barked, rapped, prattled). Similarly, if you have a tendency to use too many –ing verbs (“She was hurrying to get to work”), replace them with stronger verbs (“She raced to her job”). Weed out dull, indistinct verbs, too. Instead of saying, “She was outside the principal’s office,” say, “She paraded . . . She paced . . . She strode . . . She stood . . . She fumed outside the principal’s office.” Add verbal energy.<br />
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<strong>5. SHOW, DON'T TELL!</strong><br />
It’s been drilled into you since childhood that actions speak louder than words. In fiction, this is especially true. For example, don’t have a high school girl tell her arch rival, “You’re not supposed to be smoking in the bathroom. If you light up, I’m going to tell the teachers.” Instead, write As Jennifer opened her purse and took out a cigarette and a lighter, Tina reached for the fire alarm. Their eyes locked.<br />
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Here, what could have been a cliché has now become a page-turning face-off confrontation. That’s what you want. Don’t lull the reader to sleep with a rehash of what happened, put him or her into the scene ready to witness the unfolding events.<br />
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I always compliment people who have shown the discipline it takes to sit down and actually write a novel. Most people have an idea for a story but not the professionalism to put it on paper. However, once that first draft has been purged from the mind, it becomes time to go back and fine tune it. There is no shame in not producing a masterpiece on the first go-through. The shame is in letting it lose the beauty contest because you wouldn’t give it the needed facelift. <br />
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Dennis is the co-author with Holly G. Miller of the Leslie Holden novels for Harvest House Publishers: The Legacy of Lillian Parker, The Compton Connection, and The Caribbean Conspiracy. He is a director of the department of professional writing at Taylor University in Upland, Indiana. <br />
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© Copyright Dennis E. Hensley (DO NOT use this article in any form without written permission from Dr. Hensley.)<br />
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Written permission granted from Dr. Hensley to Gail Gaymer Martin to use on Writing Fiction Right only.Gail Gaymer Martinhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12299564615451895559noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3228061546320890543.post-23334570789691180522012-06-14T14:25:00.000-04:002012-06-14T14:25:52.578-04:00Writing For The MarketWhen authors begin creating stories, they ponder if they should write the kinds of books they enjoy reading or write the kind of books that appear to be selling. The problem is the market is fickle. Fads in books change often. Chick lit so popular a couple years ago is difficult to sell now. Fantasy and paranormal were written only be a few with a small audience and now stories The Hunger Games, Twilight and Harry Potter has opened doors for hundreds of new novels to land on the bookstore shelves. <br />
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But here's the problem with writing for the market. It takes books over a year to be published by traditional publishers so they make it to bookstores across the country and even beyond. Concentrating on the market is not always the wisest choice. Some of the best advice says to write what you read, what you love. <br />
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Agent Steve Laube tackled the question in a blog post recently as he addressed another problem of writing for the market. Steve says: Here is when writing for the market is bad advice: When you’re made to feel you have to write a certain type of book just to break into the market, any market.<br />
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If you think, for instance, that any lame brain can write a romance novel, but hey, romance authors are millionaires, then the romance novel market is not where you need to be. You won’t respect your readers or give them your best. <br />
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So if writing to market means you’re slogging away writing a book you loathe in hopes of entertaining riches, then you’ve taken bad advice. <br />
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Then when is writing to market a good idea? It’s a good---even great---idea when you are: <br />
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<li>writing your best work, giving your readers your all. </li>
<li>creating a timeless story. </li>
<li>staying within your targeted publisher’s word count, as shown in the publisher’s guidelines or advised by your agent. </li>
<li>choosing a setting to which your intended audience can relate. </li>
<li>selecting a time period you are passionate about and can make come alive for your readers. </li>
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Stop by Steve Laube's Blog <a href="http://stevelaube.com/blog">http://stevelaube.com/blog</a> each day to see what new topic he's shared with authors and readers.Gail Gaymer Martinhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12299564615451895559noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3228061546320890543.post-68778113022579533072012-06-07T11:23:00.000-04:002012-06-07T11:25:42.036-04:0070 Common Writing Mistakes<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhTtPSaUX9r8EbmkeYLlThPrxrNHpY5BkZMCjhUw9WPxX6-Ig7dd3pYbFgWGc_aSKRjK3bMlrmTl3eUCTQYpqUUJ0RS0LOJfIE5jAI43loK4qx8TOmhyphenhyphenWlwWm44mUt5ul14vMkpghu2j-I/s1600/Z5001.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; cssfloat: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" fba="true" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhTtPSaUX9r8EbmkeYLlThPrxrNHpY5BkZMCjhUw9WPxX6-Ig7dd3pYbFgWGc_aSKRjK3bMlrmTl3eUCTQYpqUUJ0RS0LOJfIE5jAI43loK4qx8TOmhyphenhyphenWlwWm44mUt5ul14vMkpghu2j-I/s200/Z5001.jpg" width="142" /></a><br />
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I have always been a big fan of Writers Digest Books and Magazine long before I wrote the Writers Digest Book, <strong>Writing the Christian Romance</strong>. They offer excellent information on writing techniuqes and elements of all aspects of writing fiction as well as covering non-fiction too. I have many of their books on shelves in my office and return to them periodically to check on something I question.<br />
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As a thank you for my subscription to Writers Digest, they sent me this book which shares an excellent download that I want to share with you. <a href="http://media2.fwpublications.com/WDG/Z5001_70_Solutions.pdf?et_mid=560549&rid=233734901">http://media2.fwpublications.com/WDG/Z5001_70_Solutions.pdf?et_mid=560549&rid=233734901</a><br />
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It not only covers writing tehcniques but also protocol as a writer, emotional baggage we tend to carry, and many other elements of being an author and working to hone or craft so we can be the best writer we can be. I hope you enjoy this information. I thank Writers Digest for offering it to me.<br />
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If you don't have a subscription to Writers Digest magazine, it is something you will want to do. After having 50 contracted novels and writing hundreds of articles and short stories for magazines, I read the magazine cover to cover. The subscription is not expensive -- you get a deal subscribing for two years -- and you will not be sorry.Gail Gaymer Martinhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12299564615451895559noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3228061546320890543.post-73966364244754047822012-05-28T11:47:00.001-04:002012-05-28T11:49:00.333-04:00Writing Prompt with a SmileSometimes writers hit a wall with story plots or dry up with ideas for a new novel. It's not uncommon, but it's always disappointing and sometimes frightening. Authors think it's a sign to give up. This is a time when writing prompts come in handy. Prompts are varous activities that help stimulate authors' imaginations and drag out creative material that lay dormant in their minds.<br />
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We all have those days whether new writers or ones who have fifty published books as I do. The dry uncreative moments are not times to give up. They are times to step back and stimulate your minds. Physical exercise works for some. Reading a novel works for others. But quicker methods are varoius writing prompts that stimulate story ideas through creative activities. <br />
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This particular one is different -- funny, yet creative--but I caution you not to let it be a time waster. I found my mind grabbing one of these titles and thinking the kind of story it could be. Have fun but use it as a prompt and not a time waster. Here's the link for Dragonwriting Prompts.<br />
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<a href="http://dragonwritingprompts.blogspot.ca/2012/03/velveteen-rabbi.html">http://dragonwritingprompts.blogspot.ca/2012/03/velveteen-rabbi.html</a><br />
<br />Gail Gaymer Martinhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12299564615451895559noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3228061546320890543.post-39451360993652782792012-05-17T20:56:00.001-04:002012-05-17T20:57:54.379-04:00Suspense Fiction - Tips On Writing a Great NovelWhen I find a blog post that offers great advice, I like to share it. The post titled <em>Ten Rules for Suspense Fiction</em> by Brian Garfield interested me simce I enjoy writing romantic suspense, and I found the ten tips ones that would be meaningful to any of you who are writing suspense of any kind.<br />
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This article was published twice in Writers Digest and the footnote revealed this information. "In 1994, John Grisham revealed to Newsweek that he credited the following article by Brian Garfield with giving him the tools to create his ground-breaking thriller, The Firm, as well as subsequent books. Garfield himself is a noted bestselling novelist, as well as a screenwriter, producer, and nonfiction writer. He won the Edgar Award for Hopscotch, which was made into the prize-winning movie of the same name, starring Walter Matthau and Glenda Jackson."<br />
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If Grisham found it helpful, most authors can benefit. Here is the First Tip. <br />
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<strong>Start with action; explain it later.</strong><br />
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This is an extension of Raymond Chandler's famous dictum: When things slow down, bring in a man with a gun. To encourage the reader to turn to page 2, give him something on page 1--conflict, trouble, fear, violence.<br />
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I realize you've got a lot of background that needs to be established, leading up to the first moments of overt conflict, but you can establish all that in chapter 2. Flash back to it if you need to. But in Chapter 1, get the show on the road.<br />
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To read the full article go to <a href="http://www.thrillerwriters.org/2008/03/ten-rules-for-suspense-fiction-by-brian.html">http://www.thrillerwriters.org/2008/03/ten-rules-for-suspense-fiction-by-brian.html</a> I'm sure you won't be sorry. <br />
<br />Gail Gaymer Martinhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12299564615451895559noreply@blogger.com0