Revisions

Critiques Are Good!

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

So I just realized it’s Thursday and I’m leaving for Ohio in two hours! Normally that wouldn’t be an issue, but  I haven’t written my blog for today. I am too busy. How do you forget something you’ve been doing every Tuesday and Thursday for the last five months?

So I’m continuing with the revision of my book, and if you follow me, you know I’m having it critiqued by other aspiring authors on Scribophile. I know I’ve already promoted the site, but let me say it one more time. If you have started a novel, or want to start a novel, sign up. It’s free. They do offer extras for a $65 dollar a year fee, but you don’t need to bother with that. At least not until you’ve check it out and know for sure it’s working for you.  You can post work and do critiques without the membership.

At any rate, I’ve developed somewhat of a friendship with one of the members, who far surpasses my writing skills, I might add, and we are critiquing each others work as it is posted.  I messaged her today to let her know that I posted a new segment and to apologize in advance.

It amazes me, how many errors I miss. Am I getting better? Truthfully yes, but my work still looks like a Christmas tree when she finishes marking it up. The bad part is, the mistakes are so obvious when she points them out.  I’m a pretty smart lady. Why am I not seeing them ?

The only thing I can come up with, is I’m too close to the story.  Are you too close to your story? I can’t emphasize enough the importance of having others review your work. I’m not talking about family and friends, I’m talking about people who will be honest and know what they are looking for.

I would like to invite you to join me on my journey, as I share my ups, downs, and  information that will hopefully help  you along the way.

-Jan

Critiques Are Good!

Cut? Or Not To Cut?

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

imagesSo I’ve been married to my novel for five years. I’ve made some changes along the way, but one thing that has been a constant, is my main character going to Fallujah Iraq.

Anybody that’s been around for a while, knows that Fallujah played a big role in the Iraq War. Camp Baharia was set up just outside the city. It was one of the nicer camps, and the playground of Sudam Husseins son’s, prior to their demise.

Well when I wrote, the framework of my novel five years ago, it was set at the end of the war .  Fallujah had been won by the allies, and our marines were still there, to maintain order, and ensure no further uprisings. Which was why my main character had been sent there.

Since that time, Fallujah has been taken over by Isis, and there is major fighting going on, as the Iraqi forces, along with the US and other allies, attempt to take it back.

With that being said, my husband encouraged me a year ago, to rethink Fallujah. He thought the current conflicts, and notoriety of the region, would cause serious doubts and credibility issues with my story.  Well I didn’t want to listen to him, Fallujah was in my story, it had been there all along and I didn’t want to change it.

Today I got a critique from a very skilled writer. Her main problem with the story, as you probably guessed already, was Fallujah, Iraq.

My husband loved that, and gave me the told you so look. I wish I could say he rose above it and didn’t say anything, but he quickly reminded me that he wasn’t a dummy. He knew what he was talking about:-)

One of the things I’ve heard time and time again from experienced writer, is sometimes you have to throw the baby out. That’s part of writing, but it doesn’t make it any easier.

So I’m throwing the baby out and looking for another Camp, maybe in Afghanistan.

If you’re on the fence, just do it. The sooner you let go, and move on, the sooner you’ll get that novel completed. You might miss your baby for a while, but I’m thinking you’ll get over it, especially when your story comes together the way it was supposed to.

I Would love for you to join me on this journey. Simply press the follow button at the bottom, right hand corner of this blog and enter your email address. You will receive a message whenever I write a new blog or update an existing one. If you have any comments, I would love to hear those as well.

-Jan

Cut? Or Not To Cut?

How Do You Use Commas In Sentences You May Ask

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

Commas are an albatross around my neck. Maybe that’s a bit dramatic but they are frequently my downfall in writing prose. Unfortunately, they are the most common punctuation mark within sentences, so you had better learn their proper use.

What’s the purpose of commas?

  1. Separate main clauses linked by a coordinating conjunction.

example: The house was built, but it had no tenants.

The meal was cooked, and the kitchen was cleaned.

2.  Set off most introductory elements.

example: Unfortunately, the rest of the house was a mess.

Of course, I would love to go.

3.  Set off nonessential elements (phrases that could be removed from the sentence and

not effect its meaning.

example: The injury, sustained from the fall, needed to be taken care of.

The injury needed to be taken care of-is the actual sentence. The words set

apart by the commas are informative but not necessary to convey the idea.

4.  Separate item in a series/list.

example:  She had eggs, grits, sausage, and bacon for breakfast.

5.  Separate coordinate adjectives.

example:  She was an independent, hardworking woman.

The warm, cozy comforter was all I needed.

6.  Separate quotations and signal phrases( she said, he wrote, said Elsie).

example: “Knowledge is power,” wrote Francis Bacon.

Lisa said, “Do not walk on the grass.”

     There are some exceptions to this rule.

example: “That part of my life was over,” she wrote. “His words had sealed it shut.”

“Claude!” Jamie called.

James Baldwin insists that “one must never, in ones life,

accept…injustices as commonplace.” (It’s integrated into the sentence so

a comma isn’t necessary.)

7. Separate parts of dates, addresses, place names, and long numbers.

example:  July 4, 1776, is independence day.  December 1941(doesn’t need a comma)

Raleigh, North Carolina, is the location of NC State University.

Do not use a comma between a state name and a zip code.

Use the comma to separate long numbers in groups of three. With numbers of 4 digits,                     the comma is optional.

Okay, now you know what I know. This exercise was as much for me as it was for you.         Hopefully I can retain the information and use it, during my next revision 🙂

 

How Do You Use Commas In Sentences You May Ask