Author: Writing your first novel-Some things you should know

Cliché!

Writing your first novel-Some things you should know, , , 2 Comments

cliche-014As a writer, you know one of the  cardinal rules is to avoid clichés like the plague. Yes, I just used a cliché 🙂 See how easy it is. So what exactly is a cliché. It is a phrase or idea that is overused and portrays no original thought; a stereotype. There is nothing worse than being accused of lack of originality.

Cliché ideas are plots or subplots that pop up again and again. They are crutches for the writer to lean on. They move the story forward without much thought.

  • Having your character look in a mirror and describe themselves in great detail-This has been done to death. If you are writing in third person omniscient, it’s easy to drop a few major observations. First person is a bit harder but can be accomplished with a little thought. Put those creative juices to work.
  • The chosen one-Your hero isn’t just special. He/she has been chosen by some higher force. Characters can be special without being touched by the hand of fate.
  • Countdown clocks-Its a race against time. Will the hero prevail and save the day? Or will he fail, leaving death and destruction in his wake.
  • Veiling your story in a dream- You are devastated and can’t believe what just happened. How can the hero and heroine be killed!? Wait a minute, the heroine was just having a bad dream. Everyone is okay, you can relax.
  • Stalker love-The girl doesn’t love someone who loves her and he stalks her repeatedly. She finally realizes he loves her and falls head over heals.
  • Rush to the airport-You can’t let the love of your life get on that plane and fly off  never to be seen again. It wouldn’t make sense to catch a later flight and reunite with them later.
  • Guy and girl hate each other for some reason, but then fall in love- One of them does something stupid and they break up only to realize the mistake and meet later at a romantic place to make up.
  • Hero starts as shepherd/servant/farmboy-His family is killed and he moves on to become the all powerful prophesized hero.
  • An immortal falls in love with a mortal-He is willing to give up his immortality for true love.
  • Being stranded on a deserted island….

If you are going with an idea that is considered cliché, you had better come up with a way to make it stand out and read original. Get your creative juices flowing and make it your own.

clicheCommon phrases that you may not have realized were clichés are as follows:

  • accident waiting to happen
  • axe to grind
  • humble abode
  • take it like a man
  • naked truth
  • wreak havoc
  • spitting image
  • put all your eggs in one basket
  • matter of life and death
  • make or break
  • spill the beans
  • rock the boat
  • push someone’s buttons
  • one in a million
  • literally
  • life goes on
  • at the end of the day
  • in cold blood

There’s no way I could include every cliché in this blog, but I hope these get you thinking. Something else to look for when you start the editing process.

Online tools like autocrit, will locate and highlight clichés in your manuscript.

-Jan R

 

 

 

Cliché!

Writing A Novel-What Is Your Hook?

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

untitledHave you noticed some of the books you pick up, you can’t put down. I have stayed up until 3:00-4:00 in the morning finishing a book, because I had to know how it ended. I’ve  changed my plans for the day, because I couldn’t stop reading. That’s the kind of book I want to write.

There’s a writer I’ve followed on scribophile, who is way beyond most of the other aspiring authors on the site. My biggest frustration with her, is she doesn’t post her work fast enough, and I have to wait to see what happens next. She is great at building suspense and ending a chapter right before the climax. You have to read the next chapter to find out what happened. Or, she will dangle a little carrot in front of you and lead you by the nose. Pair this with charming characters, and you have a winner.

So, what tools are available to a writer trying to hold their reader hostage?

  • Surprise-Curiosity kills the cat and your reader. What on your first page is the reader not expecting to see? What is your hook?
  • Mystery-The thing about curiosity is that the reader doesn’t know what’s going on; what’s going to happen next. That’s why they have to keep reading.
  • Conflict-Your reader isn’t looking for a perfect world filled with love, joy, and peace. That may be your ultimate goal and resolution, but it had better be a little rocky along the way. What on your first page sets up conflict?
  • Charm-Your reader has to like your characters and be drawn into their world. Those characters are like family, and it matters what happens to them.
  • Resonance-The reader has to be able to relate to what’s going on. Your writing should evoke or suggest images, memories, and emotions.

When you read that next great novel, think about why you can’t put it down. What is the author doing to keep you hooked. Are they using conflict, mystery, or maybe throwing in a couple surprises to pique your interest?

Hope this got you thinking. Make your novel inescapable.

-Jan R

 

Writing A Novel-What Is Your Hook?

‘ING’ Words-Good or Bad?

Writing your first novel-Some things you should know, , , , 32 Comments

gerund_onlyToday as I revised my novel, I noticed something that should have leaped off the page during past reviews, but didn’t. I am having a love affair with ‘ing’. These ‘ing’ words are all over the place.

I stopped the revision process and did some research on ‘ing’. I remembered reading somewhere, that the overuse of ‘ing’ words was not a good thing.

Opportunities to overuse the ‘ing’ word are boundless. There are nouns, adjectives, verbs, and even verbs masquerading as nouns called gerunds, all ending in ‘ing’.

So what’s the big deal? What’s wrong with ‘ing’ words?

The overuse of ‘ing’ words mark you as an amateur – Don’t be alarmed if you see more than a handful on one page. Do take a closer look if you see more than a handful in a single paragraph.

While wrapping a soothing sling around the fledgling’s broken wing, Diana was humming, dreaming of her prince charming. Yet troubling thoughts about his depressing friend Starling kept intruding, interrupting her very entertaining daydreams. There was something intriguing and alarming about him.

‘ing’ verbs weaken your writing and make it clumsy and hard to read .                                                                                                                                                                    Abigail was walking along the bike trail. There was a boy riding his bike. He was smiling up at her as she passed. She started wondering what the boy was so happy about.

Abigail walked along the bike trail. A boy smiled at her as he rode passed. She wondered what he was so happy about.

Starting a sentence with an ‘ing’ word is the weakest way to begin a sentence.

Hitting the thug in the face with her purse, Josie reached for her phone.

Josie hit the thug in the face with her purse and reached for her phone.

To identify overuse of ‘ing’ words in your writing, try this:

  1. Use the “search” or “find” function in your word processing app(usually under editing).
  2. Use ‘ing’ as your search term.
  3. Examine each ‘ing’ word you find.
  4. Ask whether the ‘ing’ word is essential to meaning.
  5. Determine whether a simple past or other tense might work better.
  6. Decide if a stronger word choice might be the way to go.

Once you identify ‘ing’ words, replace weak or common ones with specific, stronger word choices. Your writing will become more concise, clear, and engaging.

Remember, not all ‘ing’ words are bad. The issue is whether or not you have made the best word choice.

So much info on the internet. You get the cliff notes. Hope they help, or at least get you thinking  🙂

-Jan R

 

 

‘ING’ Words-Good or Bad?

Looking For A Literary Agent?

Writing your first novel-Some things you should know, 6 Comments

imageslx3suvh1When you are ready to submit your work, who are you going to send it to? Have you done your research? Do you know which literary agents are accepting manuscripts? Do you know which agents work within your genre? How long have they been agents? Who are their clients? Are there any outstanding complaints about them? Are they legitimate, or are they scammers that reel you in and try to take your money?

Do your homework. Find out as much as you can about the agents you are soliciting for business. Just like any other occupation, some are great at what they do and others are not.

New literary agents shouldn’t be written off for lack of experience. Remember they all started somewhere, and just because they are new, doesn’t mean they can’t get you that big advance with the iron-clad contract.

Resources to help you in this endeavor are as follows:

QueryTracker-A searchable database of literary agents and publishers, including tools for tracking query letters and viewing statistics about agent’s response time, preferences, and history. This is a free site! You can pay $25 for more advanced tools, but that’s up to you, and even without upgrading, you are going to find so much valuable information.

Association of Authors’ Representatives-A not-for-profit organization of independent literary and dramatic agents. The AAR or literary agents guild has some of the worlds most famous literary agents as members. It is a free resource and provides information to help you find that agent that would be the perfect fit for you.(This addition to the list actually came from a fellow blogger-Sheryl- who read my blog and offered this site as another great resource to include in the hunt.)

Literary Agency Websites/Agent Websites-You already have a couple agents in mind. Then go to their sites and the agency website they work for. Learn as much about them as you can. Are they new? Who do they represent? What types of work are they seeking? Don’t waste your time or theirs by sending in an inspirational romance, when they are looking for fantasy.

Predators & Editors-has been a great resource in the past. The site highlighted troubled agencies and agents to avoid. It is currently down for updating. Not sure if it will be revived or not.

Writer’s Digest’s New Agency Alerts-WD highlights a new literary agent every week.

Publisher’s Weekly-Is another great free resource that shares all of the latest news in the publishing world.

Jeff Herman’s Guide to Publishers, Editors and Literary Agents-At one time, this gigantic book was the best way to find an agent. It is still available and updated annually.  You can purchase your own copy for around $25.00. Of course, all of the information it provides is now online for free. But still, there may be people out there who prefer a hard copy with all the information pulled together. I actually own this book 🙂

Remember choosing an agent will be one of the most important things you do to further your career. Get it right!

-Jan R

 

Looking For A Literary Agent?

Writing Dialogue Is More Than Just Words/Why Can’t I Get The Punctuation Right?

Writing your first novel-Some things you should know, , , , 4 Comments

images8qwh4j5gWhat’s the deal with direct quotes? Why can’t I get the punctuation right? You would think after five years, I would know what I was doing.

The novel I’m revising has a lot of dialogue, which results in the use of quotation marks and commas following tags(I think).

I’m sure this is elementary to many of my readers, but I base most of my writing on concepts that I’m struggling with. I like to think that I’m not the only person who hesitates and second guesses when it comes to something as simple as writing dialogue.

During my research on this subject, something jumped out at me that I never really thought about before. The lights came on.

What was my biggest problem with quotes and the use of punctuation? I was treating quotes with tags and quotes without tags the same. I also wasn’t sure what to do when a quote ended with punctuation other than a comma.

When a quote ends in a comma and is followed by a dialogue tag, you use a comma.

“I can’t go with you,” she said, wishing he would just leave.

“I can’t go with you,” she said, “but I want to.” **The second part of the quote did not begin with capitalization because it follows a comma and is a continuation of the first quote.

When a quote ends with an exclamation point or question mark, the dialogue tag that follows ends with a period.

“I can’t go with you!” she said. She wished he would just leave.

“Who are you kidding?” he asked. “You can’t run.”

If the quote ends in an action/verbal phrase, it is not a dialogue tag and should not be treated as such. This was a concept I failed to grasp, and I would struggle trying to figure out were to put the comma.

“I can’t go with you.” She pushed past him and headed toward the door.

You have to focus when writing dialogue. You not only have to concentrate on the wording, to ensure it is moving your story forward, you also have to get the punctuation right. Slow down and take your time. Dialogue is complicated and can’t be rushed.

-Jan R

 

 

 

 

 

Writing Dialogue Is More Than Just Words/Why Can’t I Get The Punctuation Right?

How Do I Get An Agent’s Attention?

Writing your first novel-Some things you should know, , , 5 Comments

1426616739108I’m almost finished with revising my manuscript and plan to get a few well qualified friends to give it a final read through. Their job will be to make sure it is believable, there are no plot holes, and of course, it’s an interesting-grab you by the seat of your pants-type of book.

So like many of you, I’ve been surfing the web looking for information on how to get an agent’s attention. With all of the queries they receive, what can I do to make my manuscript stand out?

Remember it’s not personal:

  • Agents know there is a lot of emotions tied to the time and effort you put into finishing your manuscript. You have to be able to separate the emotion when submitting your work and see it for what it is-a business transaction.
  • Don’t be funny or try to do something cute-like writing from your main characters POV. Remember this is business. Let your great writing blow them away.
  • A query letter is a business letter. Think of it as a cover letter when applying for a job.

Have a unique story:

There are no new stories, just different ways to tell them. What have you done to change your story and make it stand out?

  • You need a book that’s more than just well-written. You could string perfect sentences with zero grammatical errors, which is a good start, but it had better have a unique twist.
  • No one wants to read a book they have read before. You may have changed the names and locations, but unless you added that unique twist and shook some things up, an agent won’t be interested in your work.
  • Find a unique take on a formula that works.

The hook, The book, and the cook:

Barbara Poelle uses this line to describe the ingredients of a great query letter.  The hook is one sentence that describes what your story is about. Yes, you did read that right. I said one sentence. You can check out Publishers Lunch for examples of great loglines. The book is four or five sentences that provide more detail about your story. The cook is you. Just as in any job interview, the agent wants to know about the person they are considering as a potential client.

It has to be love:

Would you want to marry someone who is kind of in love with you, or who is head over heels crazy about you? I thought this was a great analogy for literary agents and your book.

  • If a literary agent is going to represent your work to a publisher, then they have to love it.
  • Don’t be discouraged with a rejection, remember agents are people too, and their likes and dislikes may be different from yours. They are doing you a favor by rejecting you. It’s hard to give 100% to something you aren’t fully sold on.
  • Query literary agents who represent the authors of the books you love to read. Chances are, they will love your style of writing as well.

Remember to be professional, and don’t be discouraged if you receive a rejection. Remind yourself you are waiting for someone who loves your work as much as you do.

There is so much information on query letters and finding an agent. I plan to continue this discussion in my next blog.

I would love to hear from you. If you have any suggestions, or better yet, something that has worked for you in the past, please share.

-Jan R

 

 

 

 

How Do I Get An Agent’s Attention?

Grammar! It’s Important!

Writing your first novel-Some things you should know, , 2 Comments

The Adventures of Grammar ManI was reading a book on ‘How to Write Best-Selling Fiction’ this past week when a chapter jumped out at me, and I couldn’t help but smile. It was totally me. I’m ashamed to admit my naivety, but it was like I was reading my story.

Dean Koontz, the author, tells a story about an unpublished author. He had agreed to look at the man’s manuscript and got a little more than he bargained for. For the purpose of his story, he decided to call the man Bubba.

Bubba was very excited about his work, and said writing was the easiest thing he had ever done. All he had to do was sit down and type. The story just flowed off the top of his head. He wondered why everyone wasn’t doing it.

Well Bubba did give him a manuscript, but it was nowhere near publishable. In fact, according to Koontz, “In the first chapter of that novel, Bubba commits virtually every grammatical error known to English-speaking people.”

Like Bubba, I finished my first novel and was eager to put it out there. It was a great story. I knew I had a best seller. I sent it out to literary agents and waited for my offer. One never got back with me. Three said it wasn’t what they were looking for. One very gracious agent took the time to review at least a portion of my work, and provided me with a list of reasons why my novel wasn’t ready.

Grammatical and Structural errors were at the top of the list. Dean Koontz calls these the unforgivable sins. New writers may need pointers on pacing, transitions, POV, backstory… but if you’re calling yourself a writer, you should know and follow the basic rules of grammar.

There you go. I’m a sinner, but I have worked hard to redeem myself 🙂

One of the myths that I fell into, was that it didn’t matter if my grammar was perfect or even approaching perfect. The publishers had editors that would go through and correct all of my mistakes. Right?

I could have given up, the novel obviously wasn’t publishable. I had spent a year writing it. I spent countless hours revising and making sure everything was flowing, and the story made sense. I couldn’t believe it was being rejected because of grammatical and structural errors.

Of course there were other issues, but that was the one that stopped the agent in her tracks. She was kind and did praise the actual premise itself.

She encouraged me to go back and learn how to write, apply what I learned to the novel I was writing, and resubmit.

I took her advice after some time off to lick my wounds. The novel I am currently preparing for submission is a much improved version of the original manuscript.

DON’T GIVE UP! DO YOUR HOMEWORK! LEARN YOUR CRAFT! WRITE! WRITE! WRITE!

-Jan R

 

 

 

Grammar! It’s Important!

Fact Or Fiction?

Writing your first novel-Some things you should knowLeave a comment

_shannon-wheeler-stop-fact-checking-my-story-new-yorker-cartoon-2If your hero is drinking sake in Tokyo you better know which hand he should use to hold the cup; and when he is sunning on the beach at Cape Cod, remember that there won’t be any palm trees-Dean R. Koontz

You can’t get away with faking background information. If you fabricate a lot of facts on a wide variety of subjects, your readers will catch on.  I know it’s your story, and it’s fiction, but unless you are writing science fiction that involves creating your own world, you better stick to the facts when it comes to background.

Every time a reader knows that you are faking a bit of background information, your credibility slips a notch. When your credibility slips two, three, or four notches, you will lose that reader.

No one is saying that you have to limit your story to places/things that you know, but if you are going to step into unfamiliar territory, you had better do your homework.

There is so much information available, that there is no reason why you can’t write about any country you never visited, canoe making, basket weaving, the inner workings of an assault rifle, the floor pan for Biltmore house-I think you get the gist of where I’m going with this, but keep in mind that very few reference books are perfect. If you do have to research certain topics, cross-check every piece of information, using two and preferably three sources.

Firsthand knowledge of background information is always more desirable than second hand. There is no better way to learn the sound, texture, smell, and look of  a place or thing than when you experience it firsthand, but if you are diligent in your research, you can make your background come alive.

-Jan R

 

Fact Or Fiction?

Editing…How Do You Know When You’re Done?

Writing your first novel-Some things you should know, , , 16 Comments

the-doorman

As many of you know, I’m in the editing phase of my novel and hope to have it ready to present to literary agents by the summer. A goal I feel to be very realistic.

Like many of you I struggle with knowing when I’m done. When will all the necessary revisions be made? I mean, how is it that we can rewrite the same sentence five times, let it sit for a few days—or weeks—and find five more ways to write it? It can be total madness.

I went to an article written by one of my favorite bloggers to see what he had to say on the subject. Jerry Jenkins has been around for a long time, and I trust his judgement completely. According to him, there are two ways of knowing when you’re done:

Trust your gut– Knowing what sounds right, what reads best, is what being a writer means. You should be writing for yourself and believing there are many others out there just like you. When it reads the way that feels right to you, stop. You’re there.

Read it aloud-When you hear it, everything becomes clear—whether you’re reading it to yourself or someone else. Any phrasing that causes a hesitation or a hitch in your delivery is a clue.  You need to relook at what you wrote and tweak it.

Ask yourself, am I making it read better, clearer, more concise, or changing it altogether? If you are changing the original intent, you need to stop.

-Jan R

Editing…How Do You Know When You’re Done?

Are My Words Qualified?

Writing your first novel-Some things you should know, , , , 6 Comments

untitledThis past weekend I picked up a copy of “The Elements Of Style” at a library book sale for a dollar. If you’ve never heard of the book, I would highly recommend it. It’s one of those books that every writer should own.

It is filled with tips on how to write and make every word count, or every word tell, as the authors like to put it.

One of the tips offered, that I am guilty of, is avoiding the addition of qualifiers to your words. Qualifiers are words like rather, very, pretty, big, and little. My favorite one to use, or misuse I should say,  is very 🙂 These words are described as leeches that take hold and suck the blood out of your words.

Because ‘very’ is my nemesis, I thought I would share a picture that I found on Google Images. As you can see, it provides alternatives to using ‘very’ and gets you to thinking about what you are really trying to say.  I love it, and it has been very helpful (invaluable) to me. I hope it helps you as well.

180cfb2d106dba23a34473f7df75495b

-Jan R

 

Are My Words Qualified?