Thursday Thoughts!
I Need More Time!
I’ve said on numerous occasions, “If I only had more time.” Well we all have the same 24 hours, but we don’t all have the same energy level or focus. Some days I surpass my expectations, and some days I find myself struggling. I can’t concentrate on what my husband is saying, much less writing or editing my work.
So what’s the problem? Poor choices. In my attempt to increase my available time during the day, I sometimes skip things that I don’t consider important. I’m not the only one; we all try to manage the clock, and many times to our own detriment.
You ever skip a meal, because you don’t have time to eat? What makes you think you can run on empty? Did you know that skipping just one meal can cause your blood-sugar levels to nose dive, and if you decide to skip breakfast, you may never get out of the starting gate. This strategy will cost you time by decreasing your productivity and your ability to concentrate.
What about staying up a little later at night to complete your work? Everybody’s in bed, and it’s the best time to work, right? According to a study published in the New York times, getting 6 hours sleep a night can reduce our functioning to the level of someone legally drunk. Most adults need 7 to 10 hours of sleep each night to function at optimum capacity.
What about giving up your free time? Who needs weekends or evenings? There is a law of diminishing returns with your energy level. You can only push yourself so far before you start losing focus, attention, and performance. Do you ever wonder why you get the best ideas when you’re taking a shower? It’s because you’re relaxing. Relaxation drives creativity.
We think that by managing our time we can make more of it, but time is fixed. Energy levels are not. That’s why you can complete more in 30 hours than 50 tired hours.
If you want to do your best, you have to take care of yourself. Skipping meals, sleep, and working 70 hours a week, will not increase your productivity.
Managing energy is far more effective than managing time-Michael Hyatt.
Something to think about.
-Jan R
Thursday Thoughts
Something to think about!
-Jan R
Your Biggest Obstacle Is You!
I’ve stated in previous blogs, that there are a lot of reasons why your manuscript was passed over, and many have nothing to do with the manuscript itself, but I thought it would be nice to hear it from an agent.
You just submitted a query for an awesome piece of work. You’ve had several agents request full manuscripts and one even gave you a call, but just like that it was over. What happened?
You may have submitted an amazing piece of work, but the submission before yours hit the ball out of the park, and the one after yours did likewise. Those two works raised the bar and affected the impact you novel had on the agent.
Maybe you presented a very well written novel, but the market is saturated with the genre you are offering. Agents may have manuscripts for the particular genre you submitted on hold for the next few seasons.
You made it to the personal phone call. Where did you go wrong? Maybe you were missing the synopsis or logline for your next novel. Agents don’t want to just sell a book, they want to represent a career. Another guess would be that you were resistant to editorial thoughts presented by the agent.
The biggest obstacle one can have in getting a novel published is quitting. If you’re going to do a little bit right, have that little bit be the fact that you don’t quit. – Barbara Poelle, agent
Something to think about.
-Jan R
Thursday Thoughts
-Jan R
Don’t Leave Your Reader Behind!
I’ve written several blogs patting authors on the back and thanking them for the joy they provide to people like my mom.
She is elderly and can’t go to the places she would like to visit, but my mom loves books. They take her not only to places she would like to go but places she could only go to in her dreams.
Consider this! Your novel is a journey. You aren’t just walking through that journey. You are the tour guide, and you’re taking your reader with you.
When you write that novel, you are doing at least one of several things.
- Taking the reader somewhere they cannot personally go.
- Showing your reader new aspects of a place they are already familiar with.
- Suggesting a place your reader could not even imagine existed.
- Reflecting on places, people, and situations that your reader may be familiar with, but are unable to put into words with your particular expertise.
Enjoy the journey and be cognizant of those who are with you. Remember, they can’t read your mind. It’s your job to put the story in writing and make sure that your reader is following the intended path. You are the guide! You are their eyes and ears!
Something to think about.
-Jan R
Thursday Thoughts
Something to think about.
-Jan R
Thursday Thoughts
Something to think about.
-Jan R
Create Suspense! – Revisited
I’m trying a little experiment this morning. I wrote what I thought was a really good blog on suspense, and I got very few hits. I decided the issue was the title. So for those who read this blog under the ineffective title, I apologize. For those who are reading this blog for the first time, I hope it helps. The title does matter, but that discussion is for another day.
If you want your reader to continue reading, you have to give them a reason why. Draw them in and keep them guessing. The number one weapon in your arsenal to accomplish this feat is the use of suspense.
If you’ve done a good job of developing a character your reader cares about, they are going to hang on to make sure things work out in the end.
There are four main ways to create suspense.
- Put the outcome in doubt. Keep your reader guessing. It could end one way, but it could end another. This works best if your reader has a strong connection with the main character.
- Make them wait. Don’t show your hand up front. Don’t resolve issues right away. Present the conflict and then take your time presenting a resolution.
- Foreshadowing. Hint at what’s to come without sharing the details. Twilight used this technique by opening with the end minus all the details of how and why.
- Use a clock. The main character has a limited amount of time to accomplish a task. Will he/she find succeed or fail.
You can mix and match these techniques. You are not limited in your choice. An example would be opening with foreshadowing in the first paragraph and then adding the use of a clock at the end.
Something to think about.
-Jan R
Thursday Thoughts
Something to think about.
-Jan R
Writing your first novel-Things you should know 