Month: October 2025

Are You Saying What You Think You’re Saying?

Writing your first novel-Some things you should know, , , 1 Comment

If you find yourself reading a sentence more than once, or adding information for clarification, that’s a red flag.

Your reader has less information than you. If you are confused by your work, you can only imagine what your reader is going through. I love a great mystery, but my writing shouldn’t be one.

It’s not the reader’s job to interpret your work. You should be clear and concise.  If your writing causes a pause something isn’t working.

I have to admit I love dangling modifiers though. They are some of my favorite mess-ups. I even wrote a blog entitled ‘just for laughs’. They are funny, but not in the middle of a serious scene. You don’t have to try to hard to imagine how quickly they can pull your reader out of their suspension of disbelief.

Dangling modifiers occur when the modifier has no clear referent and twist the meaning of your sentence in an unintended fashion.

  • I saw a tree walking down the street. Who knew a tree could walk? 🙂
  • I fed the children sandwiches in Ziplock bags. How did those children get in the bags?:-)

Misplaced modifiers are similar but not nearly as fun to read. As with dangling modifiers, there is no clear referent, which can lead to a clumsy and confusing sentence.

  • Lucy carefully studied the situation.                                                                                                   Lucy studied the situation carefully.

Another mistake new writers make that isn’t always as obvious but makes for a clumsy sentence that will cause a pause is comma splicing.

Comma splicing is when two sentences are linked by a comma, but they don’t really work because they’re two separate ideas.

  • John saw the rabid fox and ran to the house to get his gun, and he forgot to eat lunch and his tummy rumbled.

What about ambiguous sentences? The sentence is grammatically and structurally sound, but the reader has no idea what you are talking about.

  • My older students know I’m extremely careful with my language. Is the teacher referring to age or length of time the students have been in his/her class?

Be clear and concise! Say What You Mean!

Something else to think about.

-Jan R

Are You Saying What You Think You’re Saying?

Books – What’s the Draw!

Writing your first novel-Some things you should know, , , Leave a comment

Why do you choose one book over another? What’s the determining factor? They’re both romances, and historical novels at that, but you can only afford one. Which novel will you purchase?

Most likely the first thing that catches your attention is the cover. At least that’s the first thing I notice. I do look at the title and the author, but they’re not the main determining factors. They cause me to take a second look, but the front cover photo and back-cover blurb are what seal the deal.

I remember standing in a discount store looking at books when I first started this journey. An employee put the price tag over the face of the heroine on the book that I was interested in purchasing. I couldn’t believe it. I wanted so bad to yank that tag off.

The cover matters, and yes, that tag could have been a deal breaker. I saw enough of the cover to know that it was an inspirational romance set in the civil war era. That was a plus and enough to encourage me to read the back cover to determine the premise of the story.

I know some people read the first couple of pages, but that is not something I do when determining my selection. Maybe I’m shallow. I have no doubt I have missed out on a lot of great books because the cover failed to get my attention.

I can tell you this, the process of determination I use to choose a book appears to be the norm based on my observations of others in bookstores. The author’s name may catch a customer’s attention, but when they pull that book off the shelf, they look at the cover photo and then read the summary on the back before deciding to purchase.

What’s important to you? What compels you to choose one book over another?

Just something else to think about as you prepare to publish your work.

-Jan R

Books – What’s the Draw!

Contest Are A Definite Yes!!!!!

Writing your first novel-Some things you should know, , 1 Comment

I entered the ACFW Genesis contest last year. I thought about entering contests in the past but pushed them to the side. They were not my thing. Well, if they’re not your thing, maybe you should reconsider. It was $35 dollars well spent. I got invaluable information, and a chance to get my work in front of professionals in the field.

I’m posting the tally sheet with the middle score and judge who offered the most commentary. Two of the judges really seemed to like my work, and one did not. But I’m leaving that for a future blog post 🙂

The judges looked at the first fifteen pages of the novel and a 100 word summary. Along with the scorecard, they provided commentary on those pages, pointing out the reason I received the scores that I did and ways to improve my writing.

The judges were editors and published authors. They were people with experience. If you’re like me, you’ve had friends and family review your work. While they can tell you if it’s a good story or not, they probably don’t have a clear understanding of the mechanics or expectations a book requires to be published.

The takeaway from their reviews is that it is a great story but needs some polish 🙂

An added bonus is I connected with a Developmental Editor that could help me get the book ready for publication.

Entry: Ariel’s Revenge

Judge #: GHRJ298 | File Name: 000069014.docx

QuestionScoreComment
Does the entry hold your interest to the end?5.00Yes, I found the summary very interesting! Love that it’s a complex adventure with mystery.
Is the point of view consistent? Are POV changes smooth and logical?5.00Yes, each is well-placed.
Do sensory details (sight, sound, touch, smell, taste) enhance the scenes?4.00It is mostly smell and feel.
Is there a sense of time and place?4.00I can tell by the way they speak and transportation that it’s like the 1700s, but I’m not sure when exactly.
Do the scenes move the story forward?3.00Yes, but Ariel reflects and comments too much and repeats those that they slow down the story and tension. I have pointed this out in the Word doc.
Is there an opening line that immediately hooks the reader into the story?5.00Yes, I like that it starts with Ariel speaking and it gives mystery to why she’s doing what she’s doing that I want to keep reading to find out.
Is the writing fresh and original?4.00Mostly, it just gets weighed down by all the commentary and repetition. I’d like to see some beautifully written lines. But the POVs do have personality.
Does the writer utilize showing and telling?4.00Mostly so.
Is the author’s voice distinct?4.00Mostly because of the strong personalities of POVs.
Do you get a strong sense of what the story will be about?5.00Yes, and not just because of the summary. I can tell her plans won’t work out the way she’d like, that Blake will butt heads with her but they will fall in love, and that her step-uncle will be hot on her trial and catch up to her and reveal who her father really was and how he was murdered.
Does the author have a command of the elements of grammar, punctuation, and spelling?5.00Yes. There were only like 3 places that needed fixing.
Does the manuscript reflect Christian worldview? Are the story and plot elements compatible with the genre category?5.00Yes, although, so far, it is only Ariel who prays and exudes Christian-like attributes.
Is the dialogue between characters strong, revealing plot and emotion in a way that creates tension? Does it help move the story forward?4.00Yes, but I’d like for Ariel to have someone like her handmaid help her escape just so she has some real dialogue and someone to talk to. I get that she’s on her own, but her scenes feel very isolated.
Are the characters’ voices distinct and appropriate for the setting (time period or scenario?)4.00Mostly so. They each speak in a way and use terms for that time period. There were only a few lines that didn’t seem to fit the way they are worded.
Is the narrative necessary and well-placed with the dialogue?5.00Yes, each POV comes across as well-placed with strong motives and something to add to the story.
Are character motivations powerful enough to create sufficient conflict?4.00Yes, however, I know the most about the antagonist, her step-uncle, in what he wants and why and how he’s going to get it and what stands in his way. I only know that Ariel doesn’t want to marry him but not really what she thinks about marriage or what she wants for herself or even how she plans to clear her father’s name. I know that Blake wants to avenge his fallen comrades and get to what really happened that night, but so far I do not get the sense from what I know from the summary that he’s a rake. I’m not sure what he wants exactly or why he’s a spy.
Is the tension and conflict discernable enough to tell what the story will be about?4.00Yes, although if Ariel, Blake, and Charles’s motives were clearer, we’d have more specific conflicts.
Is the goal and purpose of the main character identifiable? Do you get a sense of what he/she wants?4.00Mostly, see my explanation above about their motives.
Do secondary characters contribute to the story?4.00Yes, they add important dialogue and tension.
Do characters’ emotions seem believable by providing understandable motive?5.00Yes, I get a sense of urgency from Ariel, sadness from Blake, and anger from Charles.
Total Score:87.00 

Hope this helps someone.

-Jan R

Contest Are A Definite Yes!!!!!

Writing-You Can’t Do This Alone

Writing your first novel-Some things you should know, 1 Comment

I remember my middle sister as a child. She would often be found sitting in the corner with her nose in a book. She didn’t play well with others. Well to be honest, she didn’t want to play with anyone at all.  Her friends were imaginary. I always thought that she was a little strange, and she probably was, but she is also one of the most talented writers I know.

You haven’t heard of her or read any of her work. Why? Because she writes in a vacuum. I have encouraged her for years to reach out and join the writing community.

She is an introvert, like most of us who seem to enjoy the keyboard much more than being around a group of people. I would be okay with that if she belonged to writing groups or had people she related to that could help motivate her to move forward with her craft.

You don’t have to interact with others face to face, at least not at first. If that’s not your cup of tea, go online. Join writing groups and form relationships with other author want-to-bes. There are some great ones out there that cater to just what you’re looking for.

Critique groups:

  • Scribophile.com
  • AbsoluteWrite.com
  • CritiqueCircle.com

I am a member of Scribophile. It’s a great site to seek critiques and suggestions from fellow writers. Members on this site operate at different levels of expertise. I have gotten some great feedback, but I have also received feedback that was not up to par. I was pleasantly surprised at the community in the group and the willingness of total strangers to help me with my work.

Genre-Specific groups:

  • Romance Writers of America  rwa.org
  • Mystery Writers of America    mysterywriters.org
  • Science Fiction and Fantasy Writers of America   sfwa.org
  • American Christian fiction Writers acfw.com

I think you’re getting the picture. I was a member of Romance Writers of America and need to renew. I am also a member of American Christian Fiction Writers. You can get excellent information and discounts from these sites. They will keep you informed on contests, conferences, writing groups/forums, what’s selling, agents looking for new works, and information on how to improve your craft.

Remember, you can’t do this alone!

Something to think about.

-Jan R

Writing-You Can’t Do This Alone