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Ramblings: 
Posted every Monday.


Lessons From Writing Short Stories

5/2/2018

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5 Things Short Stories Have Taught Me


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Recently, I have started writing short stories. It started as a side project with a group of friends, then I saw the #52weeks52stories hashtag challenge on Twitter.

Shifting focus from novel length pieces to shorter stories was a lot harder than I thought it would be and it has definitely taught me some things.

1. Walk before you run

For me, jumping straight into a novel was probably not the smartest move. The ideas, the world, the plot and the characters were all there wanting to be told. I had my spreadsheet of detailed plot points and chapter arcs. I plotted the character arcs and even detailed what the antagonist was up to. I was set... right?!

So, why was I having so much difficulty translating my brain rambles into the story I wanted? Turns out, I needed to go back and learn to walk. To refine the basics of my craft before delving into a bigger and more complex story.

Writing short stories has given me the ability, and motivation, to focus on one specific aspect of story writing and fine tune it. It turns out that when something is off in a short story, it is super noticeable. This means I can see when it is working, and more often when it is not.

For this year, I will be trying to focus on an aspect of story writing for each month. Last month it was setting, and this month it is showing the conflict between thought and action.

Other skills I will work on this year:
  • Pacing
  • Twists
  • Climax

I probably should do a month dedicated to commas and grammar *shudders*.

2. Get lost in the moments

This one was hard for me to learn. Plotting can kill the magic of the story.

Oh, it hurts even typing that.

Before you scroll down to the comments to hate on me, I want to clarify: OVER plotting can kill a story. I still have a sense of the overall story and the major plot points, but not plotting every aspect of each chapter allows me some freedom to explore the character, the setting and to find fresh aspects to incorporate. 

None of my short stories have had a spreadsheet, nor detailed outlines, barely a whisper of character charts, and despite my dubious outlook they turned out fine... sometimes better than fine. So, I guess short stories have taught me to let go, to relax. I don't need to plan everything, surprises are good, even for the writer.

3. Subtext is key

When you have so few words to tell a story you need to learn to use subtext fast. It's not an easy lesson to learn. Making each word count, forcing each description to weave into an overall idea or emotion - it's hard stuff.

During this month (as I said earlier) I am working on creating and showing a conflict between thoughts (and emotions) and actions. This has drastically improved my subtext game. I examine how each sentence can have unspoken qualities, how the actions they show tell the reader something about the character. 

Now that I have learned how important this lesson is, I now need to learn how to do it well. 
​
*laughs*
*cries*

4. Less is more

Much like number three, this one comes from a need to limit the word count. With a few exemptions, all of my short stories want to hulk through the short story word limit into something bigger. And it is hella frustrating. Finding the backbone of the story, the parts that must be told, and then telling them in the most concise way possible is challenging. But, if you can pull it off it feels so good.  

So, short story writing has taught me how to examine a plot, a scene and strip it back to bare bones - the essentials. This has definitely helped me see the dead weight in my novel WIPs (Work in Progress). And removing dead weight makes the story much more polished and better paced.

And as I stated before, pacing is something I need to work on.

5. Setting is a character

I found that a lot of the time my characters are on their own. I honesty have no idea why, but to avoided the dreaded navel gaze I had to learn to use my setting as a secondary character. This lesson goes hand in hand with subtext - the idea is that your setting should have its own purpose, maybe it's to test the protagonist, to provide them with obstacles, comfort, or memories. The setting should be doing something.

Short stories have made me more aware of the impact that a well chosen description has on the mood and tension of a scene. It also has forced me to think about what reoccurring images and symbols will work best to add depth to the story. What would my character actually notice? What emotion is my character feeling and how can my setting emphasize that? Can my descriptions of a tree add drama or tension? Should it?

These lessons have definitely improved my story telling.

Have you ventured into the exciting world of short stories?
Learned anything from your stories?

Let me know in the comments.

Until next time: have fun learning from your stories.
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Guest post: "Cartography for World-building" PART TWO

8/1/2018

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Author

Website: vorropohaiah.blogspot.com 
Twitter: @vorropohaiah
Facebook: nathansmaps
Patreon: elyden

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Big picture (continued)

Plate Tectonics

For an earth-like planet, you’re going to need tectonic plates which move respective to each other above the mantle. There are three generic types of plate movements, which are important to us:
  • Divergant (constructive): occurs when two plates move away from each other. These are most commonly seen in ocean ridges (Pacific and Atlantic Ridges), though can be seen on land, in which case they create rift valleys (the East African Rift, or the Red Sea). This force is most readily apparent when comparing the Eastern coast of South America with the Western coast of Africa - the two were once connected and have drifted away from each other over the course of millions of years.
  • Convergant (destructive): occurs when two plates move towards each other, resulting in upheaval as one plate is pushed beneath another - this is normally how mountains are formed. This leads to the creation of mountains, commonly along the point where the plates meet. This is why most mountain ranges are along coastlines (like the Andes) or where plates otherwise meet (the Himalayas, and Alps). Keep this in mind when creating your mountains.
  • Transform (Conservative): two plates sliding against each other. This often leads to strong earthquakes (California).

Earth has seven major plates (North American, Pacific, Australian, Eurasian, South American, African, antarctic), the movements of which have shaped our continents over millions of years. Try make a globe and come up with some plates and vague continent shapes on them and try move them around - come up with sketches of plate movements at 50-million year intervals to see where your present coastline came from and how it evolved.
Mountains
Mountains are generally created by convergent plate tectonics or more rarely though no-less spectacularly through volcanoes (the Pacific Rim). Through the above exercise in plate tectonics, you can determine where old mountains (worn down by the elements) and new mountains (higher, more jagged) can be found. The positioning of your mountains will directly inform where river basins will be.
River Basins
In its simplest term, a river basin is an area bordered by highlands and mountains, where all streams and rivers converge into a single river, which leads to the sea, a lake or another river. You can create vague river basins at this point to give you an idea where all rivers will eventually flow. This will give you a clear indication as to which is the largest river (the largest land area within an individual river basin), which might be important to a particular culture you plan on creating. 

Rarely, a river basin will not lead to open water. This is what we call an endorheic basin. Basically, all rivers will lead to a particular lake that is not connected to the sea. The lake may fluctuate in size as seasons change (it may expand in winter due to floodwaters or ice melt in spring/summer, or it may shrink in times of drought). Damming of major rivers or climate change may slowly kill such a lake (Aral Sea). Endorheic basins typically have water that is more salty that larger seas (Dead Sea).
​​
​Rivers
This brings me to the contentious subject of rivers, pitfall of many amateur cartographers. There are a few simple rules you need to follow when making rivers:
  1. Rivers start with rainfall and, less commonly, springs
  2. Rivers flow downhill, using the steepest descent.
  3. Rivers end in the sea or lakes, or rarely underground (where they will usually link to the sea anyway or dry up.
  4. Rivers cannot, no matter how much you want them to, cross continents, both starting and ending at the coast.
With these guidelines, you have the basics for creating realistic rivers. Below are some notes about rivers that might come in useful.


Some rivers have major silt deposition - they carry lots of silt along their course, which is deposited at the mouth of the river. This often creates large headlands which alter the coastline (Nile delta, Mississippi delta). Keep this in mind when designing your coastlines, particularly around large rivers. Larger deltas do not necessarily belong to the largest rivers. The Ganges river has the largest delta, is the 3rd largest river by discharge, though it is only the 34th largest river in the world. Generally, deltas are very fertile (Nile, Ganges).

A river that flows into another river is called a tributary and the ‘parent’ river is the distributary. The mouth of a river (where it flows into the sea) is the delta, and often protrudes from the coastline as sediment carried along the river is deposited there (look at satellite images of the Nile or the Yellow River). Deltas can be very fertile. Steep rivers flow faster than those with a shallower decline. Fast rivers tend to be straighter and narrower than slower ones, which are wider and more winding. Faster rivers erode the surrounding area quicker than slower rivers. Canyons are created by river erosion. Rivers rarely bifurcate, though bifurcations are common in flat deltas and wetlands.

Now our world is starting to look like a world (see part one). We can begin to position our biomes - forests, deserts, plains, etc. If you want you can also place resources at this time, as realistically, certain resources will be found in certain terrain types.  ​

Small picture


Biomes

There are many biomes, which are roughly linked with climates, and I have listed the most common below, alongside a vague description of what generic flora and fauna you’re likely to find in them. Do keep in mind that biomes transition gradually from one to another, and not all species of flora and fauna are contained to the same ‘boundaries’ as each other, so 1 species might be found in grasslands and shrublands, though another might share the shrublands with it but not range as far as the grasslands.  
  • Ocean: sea plants. Whales, sharks, octopus, dolphins, sea cucumbers, squids.
  • Coral: Algae and sea grasses. Jellyfish, crustaceans, sea turtles, sea snakes, sea stars.
  • Freshwater: Spike rush, bull rush, pickerel weed, cattail, and water lily, mangrove leaves.
  • Manatees, frogs, raccoon, mosquitoes.
  • Rainforest: Flowering plants, epiphytes. Hummingbirds, monkeys, snakes, frogs, three-toed sloths.
  • Riparian: otter, birds, fish
  • Wetland: seagrass, eelgrass, cypress, mangrove. Fish, amphibians, reptiles, small mammals, birds.
  • Deserts: succulents, sagebrush. sparse - insects, arachnids, reptiles and birds (often nocturnal)
  • Savannas: grasses (few or no trees). many mammals, birds, insects, arachnids, etc.
  • Mediterranean forests, woodlands, and scrub: shrubs, some woodland (like scrub oak). drought and fire-adapted animals
  • Grasslands: grasses, flowers, herbs (few or no trees). many mammals, birds, insects, arachnids, etc.
  • Shrublands: grasses (few or no trees). many mammals, birds, insects, arachnids, etc.
  • Broadleaf forests, Moist broadleaf forests, Dry broadleaf forests: oak, eucalyptus, pine, decidious oak. many mammals, birds, reptiles, insects, arachnids, etc.
  • Coniferous forests: many mammals, birds, reptiles, insects, arachnids, etc.
  • Mixed forests: many mammals, birds, reptiles, insects, arachnids, etc.
  • Montane grasslands: grasses (few or no trees). many mammals, birds, insects, arachnids, etc.
  • Taiga: coniferous forests, including pines, spruces and larches. many mammals, birds, insects, arachnids, etc.
  • Tundra: few trees due to low temperatures and short growing season. Vegetation is composed of dwarf shrubs, sedges, grasses, mosses, and lichens. Migrating animals​.

Flora and fauna

Many world-builders like to create their own flora and especially fauna. That’s all well and good but, thinking realistically, when doing so you need ask yourself some questions (particularly if you’re adding a fantastical species): is this species replacing something or being added into the biome?

If it’s the former you obviously need to find a creature that fulfils a similar role in the ecosystem and remove it. If it’s the latter, you need to ask yourself some questions: what’s its role in the ecosystem? What does it eat? What preys on it? Is it wild or domesticated? If it’s domesticated, what wild animal is it descended from?  

Keep in mind when creating biomes and populating them how wildlife is spread on earth - herds of bison and other mammals can sometimes number in the tens of thousands if not hundreds; some flocks of birds have been estimated to be in the millions; and schools of fish might even number in the tens of millions! Such large groups cannot survive in the same place for long. So remember the feeding habits of animals.

Humans exploit whatever they find, so their culture will be influenced by what plants and animals they find there. Distinctive species like elephants (ivory), lions, bananas, poppies (opium), even something as innocuous as sheep, can greatly influence an entire culture.  

Forests

A common staple of fantasy stories, forests are closely linked with myths and superstitions around the world and can similarly form a basis of a fantasy world.

There are three general types of forest (technically incorrect, though for the purposes of worldbuilding, we’ll stick to those). These are:
  • Boreal Forest: usually found between 50O and 70O latitudes,
  • Temperate Forest: generally divided into coniferous (commonly needle-leaves) or deciduous (loses leaves in autumn/winter) forests, these can be found between 30O and 60O latitudes
  • Rainforest: usually found between the equator and 20O latitudes, these are lush regions known for different ecosystems with different species living in the floor, understory and canopy.
Humans have a habit of cutting down forests. This isn’t a new thing, but stretches back to as long as civilisation. Forests are cut down for wood, or to make way for pasture for animals or fields for crops.

but are rather reshaped and altered by millennia of human (and sometimes animal) influence. It is thought that as little as 3% of forests in Europe are old growth forest (commonly called virgin forest), with the remainder having been reshaped by millennia or human interference.

Key things to remember:
  • Oceans = rain
  • Mountains block rain clouds from passing them (rain shadow)

References:
Atmospheric Circulation - https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Atmospheric_circulation
Climate - https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Climate
Endorheic Basin - https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Endorheic_basin
Genesis of common ores https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ore_genesis#Genesis_of_common_ores
Koppen Climate Classification - https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/K%C3%B6ppen_climate_classification
Plate Tectonics - https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Plate_tectonics
Rain Shadow - https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Rain_shadow
River Basin - https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Drainage_basin
River Delta - https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/River_delta
Trade Winds - https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Trade_winds
Trewartha Climate Classification - https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Trewartha_climate_classification

Atmosphere of Jupiter - https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Atmosphere_of_Jupiter
Hadley Cell venus - https://www.seas.harvard.edu/climate/eli/research/equable/hadley.html
Number of atmospheric cells per planet - http://earthscience.stackexchange.com/questions/992/what-factors-determine-the-number-of-hadley-cells-for-a-planet
One artmospheric cell postulation - http://worldbuilding.stackexchange.com/questions/21838/what-would-the-climate-be-like-on-an-earth-like-planet-with-only-one-convection

Part One: The Big Picture
Part Three: Civilizations (13th Nov)
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2017 Favorite Writerly Things

31/12/2017

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I have been watching SO many 2017 favorite videos on YouTube that I am beginning to question my life choices. But, it has given me the idea to do this post.

So, behold my favorite writerly things of 2017.

Storage system

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Google Drive

​Hands down, this is the champion of my 2017. And if you know me, you know about my stalker-ish obsession with this program.
Seriously, it's bad.

Things I love about Google Drive:

1. It's on the cloud, so no working about my computer dying and losing everything.

2. You can have downloaded copies of everything on your computer and/or tablet, so if you don't have the internet, no problems. It will update when you connect the device to the internet. (Even comments, as the lovely Dawn discovered)

3. This guy allows me to create, edit, and access all of my files on all of my devices. Yup, Apple to Windows. *dies of shock*
So, I am able to create content where ever I am, on which ever device I have access to. Which is super helpful with how much traveling I do, and the fact that my hubs and I share a laptop.

4. It also allows me to share my documents/folders with people. So my lovely writing tribe has unrestricted access to my writing. They can read, edit and comment on the documents (you can restrict access to just viewing if you want to, you can also revoke permissions).
If I update my MS, their's is updated too. They can also see each other's comments (well, that's the way I set it up).

If you haven't already, check this out as a system to store your writing.

Editing system

Slick Write is new to my editing rotation, but oh my, it has become a quick favorite.
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Honestly, it doesn't look like much. But, whoa does this do a lot. It will give you sentence length summaries. Show you what type of sentences you have written. Show you adverbs, adjectives, hidden verbs... the list is endless.

And the best part.... IT IS FREE!!!

I was toying with purchasing an editing program subscription, but when I stumbled across this I quickly put away my wallet. I have yet to play with it for a long period of time, but I have high hopes.

Other editing sites I use: 
  • Grammarly
  • Hemmingway
  • Sentence Checker
  • EditMinion
  • AutoCrit
  • ProWritingAid

Music

My writing music of choice is electronic, repetitive and not everyone's cup of tea.

I listen to a lot of live stream radios on YouTube. I find that they are a great way of finding music that I don't have and that suits my mood without having to create a playlist. Plus no advertising - bonus.
​
Below are some samples of live streams that I listen to.
EDM (Electronic Dance Music) tends to be more upbeat, with faster paced bass lines and is more likely to have traditional song vocals. 
Chillstep tracks are softer, and sometimes have weird snippets of conversations at the start (which are supposed to sound deep and meaningful I guess) but ignore those and its usually some pretty decent music. Think cafe/Sunday afternoon vibes.
Future house tends to have a lot of random sound clips blended over a bass line. Its is a fusion of EDM and Deep House. Often reminds me of old school games with the digital sounds. Generally has repetitious vocals.

Hashtags

My favorite sprint hashtag
  • #KTWritingSprintsEvent
    Runs every Wednesday (starting 3rd of Jan 2018) at 8pm EST

My favorite writing games (where you post every day using the hashtag)
  • #TweepWriter
  • #AuthorConfession
  • #WIP_Lash
  • #WritingBored

YouTubers

Jenna Moreci

  • Author
  • She is the cyborg queen
  • Her advice is sharp and straight to the point
  • Hillarious
  • Cusses like a sailor

​Book/s: Amazon
Website: jennamoreci.com
​Twitter: @jennamoreci
Chris Fox
​
  • Author
  • ​He offers a very pragmatic viewpoint of writing
  • Gives tips on how to improve your craft and marketing
  • Teaches you how to write faster and better

Book/s: Amazon
Website: chrisfoxwrites.com
​Twitter: @ScholarlyFox
Vivien Reis

  • Author
  • She is super sweet and bubbly.
  • Generally she posts about once a week
  • Offers videos on writing, editing, betas and a whole bunch more

Book/s: Amazon
Website: vivienreis.com 
Twitter: @vivienreis
Ellen Brock

  • ​Professional freelance editor
  • Gives advice on structuring your novel, editing, creating characters, and pretty much everything else
  • Insight into an editor's perspective
  • Quick advice that is also very detailed

Website: ellenbrock.com
Twitter: @ellenMBrock

So, that's it guys. I hope you enjoyed this - it was a little different to what I normally post.

Enjoy the last of your 2017 (if there is any) and I hope to see you all in 2018.

Until next time...
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Novel Mechanics: Editing - Finer Details

22/12/2017

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Ok. So, you've fixed all the big picture problems... right? If not, check out some tips on the big picture edits here.

Now that's sorted, we can look at the smaller details.

(Disclaimer: I am not an editor. These are simply pieces of editing advice I have found to be useful)

5. Scene by Scene

Common Glitches
​Potential Fixes
Early scenes only function to foreshadow or setup later events
Questions to ask:
  • What plot point is achieved, or worked toward, in this scene?
  • What changes does my character experience? (emotional, mental, physical, personality, goals, etc.)
  • If I took this scene out, would the story remain logical? (hint: this is bad)
Things to try:
  • Add in character or relationship development
  • Add in a question or character choice
  • Add in working towards the plot
  • Shifting the sequence of your scene so that the foreshadowing occurs at the end or middle of the scene (middle of a scene gives you a nice "Pope in the pool" opportunity)
  • Highlight all the foreshadowing or set up, see if you can delete some of it
Scenes impart information but do not link in a way the builds
  • Instead of planning: X happens, then Y happens, and then Z happens.
    ​Try: protagonist chooses X, because of X Y happens, Z comes as a result of the events of Y
  • Use an event, emotion, object, or place to link your scenes together
  • Pose a question in one scene to be answered in the next
The scene/s are flat
Ask yourself:
  • What is the source of the tension/conflict in this scene?
  • What does my protagonist want in this scene? How am I stopping them from getting it?
  • Is anyone actually doing anything? (physically)
Try this:
  • ​Pose a small question at the start of the scene (you don't need to answer it right away)
  • Add in action/conflict
  • Add in a character
  • Bring in one of your sub plots
There are clumps of fast-paced scenes and slow-paced scenes
Fast pace scenes add interest and tension, slow paced scenes allow the reader to process the faster scenes and makes the faster scenes feel more dramatic.
  • Ask a question in every scene - it pulls the reader through slower sections​
  • Rearrange scenes to improve ebb and flow of the story
  • Look at the clump of scenes, and select one/two that could be slowed down or sped up 
Scene/s have no consequences
Questions to ask:
  • ​What does your character stand to lose in this event or interaction?
  • What makes the outcome uncertain?
  • Why should the reader care about this scene?
  • Why does the protagonist care about this scene?
  • Can your protagonist fail this event/interaction?
  • If there are no consequences, what is the purpose of this scene?

6. Imagery and Metaphor

​Common Glitches
​Potential Fixes
Images piled on images so that there is no breathing room between them
Space between images allows reader to see the importance and evoke feeling.
  • Add action or character thoughts between images​
  • Move the imagery to a scene that is lacking depth
  • Choose the most appropriate one (the one that not only sounds pretty but adds mood to the scene) and remove the other/s
Similes, metaphors or images that contradict each other
Free as a bird, solid as a rock = a rock bird?? Birds are fragile, and is a rock free? Think carefully about the idea you are trying to get across.
  • ​What is the main quality or condition that you want to convey, can you change one of the comparative objects to match this?
  • Do you need both images, similes or metaphors?
  • If you are describing two separate things, can you space them out so that it is no longer a contradiction?
A symbol that seems important is never referred to again
A repeated symbol is a remembered symbol.
  • Repeat the symbol
  • Use variations of it in different settings/situations so it doesn't seem stale
  • Use it as a foreshadowing tool
  • Make the symbol important to the protagonist (a possession, something said to them, a person, etc.)
  • Have a minor character bring us or use the symbol
  • Connect the symbol to an event or emotion
Cliched imagery (sparkling eyes, quiet before the storm, gut wrenching pain, etc.)
The more vivid and original your imagery is, the more hooked your readers will be.
  • Compare internal with external and vice-versa
  • Describe scenery (places/weather) like they are alive
  • Give scenery a mood or motivation
  • Use imagery tone to help set the mood for the scene
  • Use comparative sources that are important or unique to your character/world/event

7. Prose

​Common Glitches
​Potential Fixes
Prose is too uniform in length and structure
Some things to keep an eye on:
  • Paragraph length - usually a paragraph longer than 1/3 of the page is too long for readers, especially when it is a common occurrence. Longer paragraphs slow the pace down, shorter ones speed it up.
  • Sentence length - sentences that are the same length or very close have a monotone feel about them. Add rhythm and cadence to your writing by intentionally lengthening and shortening some sentences.
  • Overusing sentence structures
  • Always starting with a participle or pronoun - step outside of your character and 
Cliches
Cliches are word shortcuts, they are very effective but not incredibly evocative. Places to look for cliches:
  • ​Tropes (genre specific cliches)
    (e.g. the chosen one, the orphan, love triangle, magical sword, destiny, etc.)
  • Characters
    (e.g. Plain Jane who is beautiful, Mary Sue, old wise mentor, brooding love interest, etc.)
  • World/setting
    (e.g. highly convenient mood weather, stock settings with no depth - could be anywhere)
  • Actual words and phrases
    (e.g. raining cats and dogs, a chip off the old block, blind as a bat, etc.)
How to fix any you find:
  • General: bring something unique and interesting to your descriptions
  • Tropes: add your own slant, combine two tropes or highlight the flaw of that trope
    (e.g. make the destined 'lone hero' need a strong network of friends and family to complete their goal)
  • Characters: give each character a goal, something distinctive about them, and avoid stereotypes
    (e.g. Plain Jane is actually plain. She is working towards being a famous musician has an amazing skill/personality that draws people to her)
  • World/setting: make each element work for you, if its not believable or purposeful cut/change it.
    (e.g. thunder and lightening storm = cloud passing over the sun dimming the light)
  • Words/phrases: be more exact and literal
    (e.g. raining cats and dogs = the rain slammed against the floor, heavy and fast)
Overused phrases
Resources:
  • Wordle is a great way to check your most commonly used words (the bigger the word, the more often you use it) and it's free!
  • Thesauruses will be your best friend.
    Thesaurus.com is a nice clear website version of the paper copy
    Reverse Dictionary allows you to put in an adverb/verb combo, phrase or sentence and it will try to give you the word you can't think of (great for finding powerful verbs and being more concise)
  • An proofreading website tool (see below)

8. Copy-editing and Proofreading

​Common Glitches
Potential Fixes
Continuity inconsistencies (character description, plot points, and setting)
Cheat sheets are your best friend, it is a resource that you can look back on as you write or as you edit to make sure that you don't confuse the reader. I like to make mine before I write and add to it as I write (this makes consistency and editing so much easier)
  • Create a character cheat sheet - details of what each character looks like and a few defining personality traits
  • Create a locations cheat sheet - details about what the place looks like, who can go there, where is it located, and anything else that is important about the location
  • Create a world cheat sheet - details about races, regions, religions, climates and all the other goodies that appear in your novel 
Incorrect spelling, grammar, punctuation, and syntax
Below are a few tools to help you find the errors, because it is almost impossible to find them all without some external help.
  • Hemmingway App (Free or $9.99 for desktop app - readability, passive voice and adverbs)
  • Grammarly (Basic is free or $29.95 /month - proofreader and grammar checker)
  • Autocrit ($29.97 / month - pacing and momentum, dialogue, strong writing, word choice and repetition, etc.)
  • After The Deadline (Free - grammar checker)
  • Pro Writing Aid (Basic is free or $40 / year - overused words, writing style, sentence length, grammar and repeated words and phrases, etc.)
  • Grab some friends who write, edit, proofread or just love words and unleash them on your manuscript.
Technical inconsistencies
Things to look for:
  • Hyphenation of words (email vs e-mail)
  • Numerals
  • Fonts
  • Capitalization
  • American vs British spelling (color vs colour)
  • Correct use of the hyphen, en dash and em dash.
    Hyphen (-) connects words, en dash (--) is a reverse comma splice, and em dash (---) denotes interruptions.
Incorrect facts
​Having incorrect information is a story killer for some people, so help them stay in the story by doing a little ground work.
  • If you aren't sure if it is true/factual - FIND OUT
  • Research (go to the library or Google it)
  • Ask an expert
  • Watch a documentary

I hope that you found this helpful, and please remember that this in no way replaces a professional editor.

Until next time: happy editing.
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Novel Mechanics: Editing - Big Picture

17/12/2017

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Editing got you down? Don't know where to start?

I hear you.

This post will be broken into two parts - big picture and the finer details. While I am a huge "edit as I go" kind of gal, I don't recommend this approach for everyone. It is a massive time suck. I do it because I like the learning process and enjoy refining my craft. However, the way I edit also opens you up to deleting paragraphs, scenes and chapters of words that you have painstakingly gone over.
So, if deleting all your hard work doesn't sound like something you would like to do (let's be honest it is as enjoyable to a rusty spoon to the eye) then perhaps take the more regularly recommended path of editing AFTER you've finished your draft.

Because, you know, logic.

Below are a few suggestions that I have used and found helpful. I am in no way an expert, and this in no way replaces a professional edit (I've said this a bunch of times before - GET A PROFESSIONAL EDIT).

Ideally, each step would require a read through and edit before going onto the next step. What can I say, editing isn't easy. But the more time you spend fixing your word baby, the less time (and money) your editor will need to spend on polishing your manuscript.

You only get out what you put in folks.

I have listed the common glitches for each section, as well as some questions or actions you can do to try to fix the problems.

Good luck 

1. Plot and Structure

Common Glitches
Potential Fixes
Backstory is overwhelming in the beginning
Be brutal in cutting or moving segements of backstory, ask yourself:
  • Is this piece of information vital to know now?
  • Would that piece of information have more impact if it is revealed later?
  • Would this piece of information work better as a mystery that the reader has to solve?
  • Can I foreshadow this instead of telling?
  • Can I show this instead of telling?
Too many events - narrative tension is dissipated
Not all events are important, or necessary, ask yourself:
  • Does this event drive forward the plot?
  • What purpose does this event serve?
  • Can I show/explain this purpose in a different way?
  • Is this sub-plot? Is it necessary?
  • Is my protagonist doing anything in this event?
  • Does this event build tension for the final conflict, or does it overshadow it?
If it serves no purpose for character development or plot - cut it.
Not enough events - plot is meandering
A slow plot can kill reader interest. Stuck inside your character's head? Ask yourself:
  • What pieces of information or character development are important to the plot? How can I show them through action or an event?
  • Has the antagonist been shown to be a worthy opponent, someone to be feared? How can I add more events that highlight this?
  • Can I add a sub-plot to add depth to my plot or protagonist?
  • How can I get my protagonist to discover information through events rather than dialogue?
Plot is driven by events rather than character driven
When a plot is happening to your character instead of the character overcoming the events, its hard to cheer for them. So, ask yourself: 
  • ​How does this event impact on my character/s?
  • Do my character/s become better or worse people from this event? Why?
  • How does this event change the way my character/s see the world?
  • How does this event change the way my character/s interact with the world?
  • Are my characters invested in the outcome of this event? What will they lose?
"Saggy Middle" syndrome - all action is at beginning and end
If your middle is so-so this might make your book a big ol' DNF, so ask yourself:
  • Do I have a major plot point in the middle? What does my character need to overcome at this point in the novel?
  • Can my character fail something important?
  • What event caused my character to stop reacting and begin acting? 
  • Can something new happen that is a 'call to action' for my character?
  • Has something turned my character on their head?
  • How can I show something new about my character through events?
  • What growth does my character need to gain in order to succeed? How can I show that through action?
  • Has my protagonist experienced a 'breaking point'? (events are too hard or too much for them to overcome - lowest point emotionally)
  • Has my antagonist done anything horrible in a while? 
Surprises - nothing is revealed in a way that is shocking to your reader
If you feel there aren't enough surprises, chances are readers will agree. Ask yourself:
  • ​Can I remove information from earlier in the novel and reveal it later?
  • Am I foreshadowing too much? (give away too many hints about important events and your reader will guess what's coming)
  • Have I pushed my character to the limit and caused them to act differently or view the world differently?
  • Can I learn something unexpected about the protagonist or antagonist?
  • Can I add a new source of conflict?
  • Can an earlier decision come back to haunt them?
  • Do I need to add a twist that is driven by a secondary character? (betrayal, death, love interest/rival/etc.)
No tension or conflict
You need to make life a living hell for your character
  • Are things getting better or worse for your character? (hint: it the answer you want is worse) 
  • Does solving problems make things worse for your character? 
  • How is the antagonist stopping your protagonist from reaching their goals?
  • Does your protagonist have something to lose? Is the outcome important to the protagonist?
End is too fast or slow
Too fast and your readers feel cheated, too slow and there is no tension. 
Too fast?
  • Increase details about the surrounding
  • Make fewer things happen during each scene
  • Allow more space for your protagonist to react and reflect
  • Shift the attention back to a sub-plot and resolve it before resolving your main plot
  • Write longer chapters and sentences
  • Give your protagonist an internal conflict to overcome before the final event
  • Add in longer conversations between characters, focus on character development rather than problem solving
  • Introduce a cliffhanger
Too slow?​
  • More action (simple ones)
  • Less details of the environment
  • Shorter and sharper dialogue
  • Less internal reactions from your protagonist
  • Resolve a sub plot earlier
  • Make more things happen in each scene
  • Shorter chapters/scenes/sentences

2. Character Development

​Common Glitches
Potential Fixes
Unclear whose story is being told
Your protagonist is the character that we are cheering for, that we care about, that we want to see win - if we don't know who that is, readers can feel a little lost and disconnected. 
  • ​Look at who has the most to lose/gain from the main conflict. Are they the protagonist?
  • Look at the different POVs, who has the most face time? If it's not your protagonist, you need to give them more scenes in their POV or change your protagonist.
  • Cut or merge some of the minor POVs. Sometimes a protagonist can be drowning in a sea of voices. Help them out. 
The passive character
Passive characters suck. They don't really do anything, and as such the plot would unfold much the same if they weren't in it or they were replaced with another character (or a cactus). Everyone else does the heavy lifting for a passive character (save me, plan for me, fight for me, help me, etc.). Want to get rid of your passive character, try this:
  • Is your character doing anything in this scene? Highlight moments of action and make sure that your character has moved from where they started (even when tied down you move), if not inject some verbs.
  • The pace has slowed down even in an exciting moment? Chances are this is a passive character scene. Make them interact with the scene/people/setting.
  • Everything happens to your character. Get them to make plans, to take chances, to fail. Steal some of the actions performed by minor characters and make your protagonist do them (even if it is poorly)
  • Look at who is driving your plot. Is it your character? The love interest? The best friend? The enemy? It should largely be your protagonist who is causing things to happen (especially after the halfway point through act two, or inciting moment)
  • Make your protagonist do stuff that they shouldn't, other characters tell them not to do, or aren't supposed to do. This is your character acting outside of the other characters.
Character's personality is summarised
I find that both showing and telling have their place in writing, but describing character traits is not one of them. Telling a reader that Jim is a nice guy is often met with suspicion. Whereas, if you show the reader being nice, it isn't questioned.
  • Search your document for personality words (nice, good, kind, playful, mean, etc.) and replace them with actions that show this.
  • Make sure to show the trait more than once and in different ways, or how that personality trait is circumstantial 
  • Show how events impact on the character, how the decisions they make change who they are
  • Have them reflect on their actions and if they like the person that they are
  • The reactions of others to the protagonists actions tell us about how the others perceive them
Characters don't speak like real people
This doesn't always apply, some genres and characters call for a different way of speaking that isn't always realistic (aliens, fantasy/medieval genres, crazy characters, etc.)
  • Use contractions
  • Don't say everything (use actions and reactions as subtext)
  • Don't include small talk (even though this is realistic it can be super boring)
  • Give your characters different voices (have phrases or words that only one character uses)
  • All dialogue needs to move on the plot or character development (ideally, both). If not, cut it.
Confusion about who is who
Who is Billy again? The magician? No, that was Bob. Let the back reading commence.
A confused reader is a frustrated reader. Let's try to make it easier on them.
  • Make sure all characters have names that start with a different letter and sound different. have varying lengths of names too.
  • Walk on characters (they don't appear again later) don't need a name. A name denotes importance, that we will see them again.
  • Make each character have a defining feature (something that no other character has)
  • Give them a memorable trait or action
  • If their importance is related to a job or other external detail, link that importance to something that they wear or how they act so that readers remember it. Or show them doing their job. 
The disappearing character
This guy is so lazy. He shows up, gets introduced and then leaves. Only to return when he is needed - at the end.
Make your characters work hard, or cut them.
  • Make them do something that pushes forward, more than once. Have them reappear to offer help, or trouble, and cause an impact on the protagonist
  • Even if your character can not be physically present, make other characters reference them, have them send something or someone to the protagonist 
  • Pay attention to your antagonist for this one. They are particularly bad at disappearing.
Character never develops
If your character is the same person at the start and the end, chances are they didn't grow at all. 
  • Look at the important events in the story - map out how each one would impact your protagonist (and minor characters) both positively and negatively. Apply liberally
  • Give your character a trait that they have to gain in order to have a successful ending
  • Have other characters react to changes in your character (this may lead to twists like betrayal, changing sides or love interests)
  • Map out how your character changes over the story - make notes of what events have the biggest impact on them and how this will be shown in the story
  • Remember: having a negative character arc is still an arc

3. Point of View

Common Glitches
Potential Fixes
1st Person: Character knows too much
When a character knows something they shouldn't it sets off all kinds of alarm bells. It removes any sense of authenticity that event might have had (if they know X, they might know Z)
  • Good old fact checking - look at an important revelation, does you character actually know this yet?
  • Make sure previous statements are held true (Mary didn't want to know the color of the car she was getting, she wanted it to be a surprise.
    Mary couldn't wait to see her red Honda tomorrow.)
  • Was you character actually present when the reader found out this piece of information?
  • Get some outside help. Unfortunately, readers who aren't you will notice when your characters know things too soon. Aren't betas and friends magical.
1st Person: Stuck in the character's head
Being too reflective comes across as passive and boring. You could be in the biggest, goriest battle the earth has ever seen but if your character is thinking instead of doing, this reduces the urgency (they have time to think) and the tension (your character is standing there - thinking)
  • Bring in another character
  • Break passages of thought with action from your character (even if it is just to stand up and get a glass of water, keep them moving and doing)
  • Highlight passages of though - note length and frequency
1st Person: Overuse of the word 'I'
Using 'I' can distance the reader, odd I know. ​
  • Describe the action in relation to the setting rather than the character
  • Sneak in other pronouns (me, myself, my)
1st Person: Too much exposition
Exposition is when your protagonist explains what is happening around them rather than experiencing it. Too keep it to a minimum try some of the following:
  • ​Dialogue and action are in real time (happening now)
  • No scenes
  • Identifiable passage of time (you actually know when one day ends and the other begins)
  • Show your character doing what they are known for doing (rather than telling what they used to do)
  • Add setting details that go beyond description (character interaction with the objects in the setting)
  • Immerse your reader into your character's mind (don't be a floating narrator)
  • Emphasize key events (how and why are they important)
  • Minimize the use of words such as: looking, watching, seeing, hearing, thinking, feeling, etc.)
1st Person: Character uses descriptions of themselves that are unrealistic
"I stretched my long, shapely legs as I leaned back on the couch."
Who describes themselves like this? I have a pretty positive relationship with my body and I do not think about myself in those terms.
  • Other characters mention the detail
  • Find a way to use props (not a mirror) or events (not looking in a mirror) to highlight the interesting physical appearance.
    ​(e.g. pants that are always too short, cat-calling, hitting your knees on the underside of the table when you sit down, etc.)  
3rd Person: POV changes for no reason
Unnecessary POV changes can feel like you are trying to pad the story. Readers tend to gloss over these scenes and don't connect with your character.
  • ​Make sure all POV changes have a purpose, if you can't identify what purpose the change in POV serves, drop it. 
  • Try not to change to a different POV to draw out the resolution of a problem, it annoys the readers. If no time needs to pass for the problem to be solved, stick with the current POV and solve the problem, then switch.
  • Look at whether you can hold off on that POV change until a more logical or dramatic moment.
  • Try to keep POV consistency (in MY opinion, the less POV changes per chapter, the better)
3rd Person: POV changes mid-paragraph
Lucy did this. Lucy did that. Mark did this. Lucy did this again.
Huh? Changing the POV mid paragraph is really confusing for your readers. It draws them out of the story as they try to figure out who is thinking what.
  • Limit yourself to one character per paragraph, aim to have as much consistency of POV throughout your chapter.
  • Use a dingbat/symbol (rather than just a blank line break) to denote a change in POV between paragraphs
  • Avoid using a action or detail common to both characters to carry the momentum from one paragraph/POV to the other.
  • Ask yourself: Why did I change the POV? What was added from this different POV? Would removing this POV change the story line at all? Can I add this POV detail later in their own POV section? 
3rd Person: Too many POVs
Who is that guy again? What was he doing? Why do I care? Not questions that you want your reader to ask. You need your readers to connect with your characters.
  • Make a list of how many characters you have, is this too many? Did you need to look some of their names up?
  • Which POVs are vital to the main plot?
  • Would the story be unchanged if this character's POV was removed?
  • How alike are my characters? (chop or merge characters that are too similar)
  • What letter do their names start with? (yes, this is a thing. Having similar sounding names or names that start with the same letter can be confusing when you have multiple characters)
3rd Person Omniscient: Sticking with one character too long
This is jarring for the reader when they return to a factual paragraph or the perspective of another character.
  • Highlight or change the text color of each character's perspective. make sure that no character is being favored over the others
  • In your planning or outline have a section where you mark the names of which characters you will follow closely in that scene or chapter. This will help you space out their perspectives

4. Tense

Common Glitches
Potential Fixes
Tense switching
A random tense switch can disorientate your reader, leaving them wondering how the new tense lines up with the old. To keep a consistent tense, try:
  • Search your document for the tense you don't want (e.g. 'is' or 'was')
  • Read your story out loud - you will definitely hear the switches
  • If your tense shifts are intentional, let your reader know (use a line break, a dingbat or start a new chapter)
Using the wrong tense
Each tense serves a function, look at what feeling you are trying to evoke in your story. What tone matches the events and important aspects of the story.
  • Present tense creates immediacy and urgency. It is, arguably, the most simple to write
  • Past tense shows growth and hindsight (e.g. coming-of-age stories)
Too many flashbacks
Too many flashbacks bog the reader down in what has happened and removes the tension of what is about to happen. It can cause them to lose interest or even forget what is going on.
  • Look at the flashback - does it need its own scene? Is there another way to express this event? Is it necessary for the plot of the novel?
  • Look at the spacing of your flashbacks - are they all grouped together? How can you space them more effectively? Would a flashback have more impact later or earlier in the novel?
  • Are non flashback moments reading like a flashback - only use 'had' in your flashback. After the flashback ends return to the normal past tense

Part Two: Editing - Finer Details

Until next time: Cut it like it's hot
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Author Spotlight: Emily Kazmierski

24/11/2017

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Emily Kazmierski

Website: emilykazmierski.blogspot.com
Twitter: EmilyKazmierski

Picture

1. For all those not aware of your awesomeness, what should we know about you?
Hmm, I live in Southern California with my beautiful family (hubby and two daughters). We have two dogs and six chickens. I love using the eggs to bake. Dessert is my kryptonite*, especially homemade ice cream. And cake. Basically I love to eat. 
2. Why do you write?
Honestly? I write because it's fun. I enjoy writing about people who are not me. I enjoy getting to know fictional characters and understanding how they think and talk, why they make the choices they make, and how those choices affect the people around them. I write to help myself understand people who are different from me. Writing forces a person to think about people from all different walks of life, and I value that.
3. What writers inspire you?
Anyone who can take an ordinary person and make you root for them and cry with them is inspiring to me. There are tons of writers out there who do this... Some authors I've read recently and been impressed by are Thomas Hardy, Wilke Collins, Patricia Wrede, Dan Gemeinhart, Trenton Lee Stewart, Paul Buchanan, Francine Rivers, and Ingrid Law. I could go on. And I can't forget to mention J.K. Rowling, simply because her world building and hint dropping skills in Harry Potter are legendary. She really did an extraordinary job with the details. It's something to aspire to, certainly.
4. What does a typical writing session look like?
I do most of my writing late at night once the rest of my family is in bed. I sit in our guest room at our industrial style desk with only a desk lamp for light, and I type away. I usually don't listen to music or anything. I do best without distractions. I'll sit for an hour and a half or two hours and write.  Sometimes I take a few minutes to research something and try not to get distracted by the Internet.
5. What are you currently working on?
The story I'm working on started as a modern day retelling of Shakespeare's Richard III, but at this point it doesn't have more than a passing resemblance to the play. Many of the characters share their names with Shakespeare's characters, and my main character, Dick, does horrible things to lots of people in order to get what he wants. Other than that, it's completely different. 
6. What do you love about this piece of writing?
I'm writing from three different characters' perspectives, and I'm enjoying working to make their voices distinct. It's a challenge. I have to pay specific attention to their personalities and the words and phrases they tend to use. It's my first work that doesn't follow just one person.
 7. Give us a little sneak peak, what insights can you share about the main character?
Well, as I mentioned, Dick is kind of an antihero. He's a 17 year old basketball player who is trying to leverage a nomination to the All American team so that he can go to college to become a pharmacist. And he's also trying to get the attention of his team captain's girlfriend, so he makes lots of bad decisions. Ha. He's fun to write.
8. What is the hardest thing about writing?
The hardest thing about writing is getting off the couch, sitting in my desk chair, and getting the words down. I love it, but often at the end of the day I'd rather be lazy and watch TV. It's tricky to find a balance, especially now that I'm a mom and most of my day is devoted to my girls.
9. Which famous person, living or dead would you like to meet and why?
As was hinted above, I love Superman. Dean Cain is my favorite and has been since I was eight. I would love to meet him in person someday. I once had a dream that I ran into him in a shopping mall, and he was thrilled to meet me until I told him how old I was when Lois & Clark: The New Adventures of Superman aired.  He was angry that I'd reminded him of how old he was, so he chased me through the mall with a crossbow. That was fun.
10. If you could go back in time, what advice would you give yourself as a new writer?
I have so much to say on this, but I'll try to keep it short.
  1. Finish your first book - Yes it's hard. Yes you're scared, but get it done. You will be SO GLAD you did.
  2. Get a critique partner before you publish your first book. Your grammar may be close to impeccable, but you aren't infallible. Swallow your pride and really think about the comments they make. 
  3. Study the top sellers in your genre and get a pro to design a cover for that book. This is absolutely essential. Your book could be a masterpiece and it still won't sell if it has a crappy cover. People absolutely do judge books by their covers, especially now that most people buy their books online rather than in a bookstore.
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Novel Mechanics: Voice

20/11/2017

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Ah, voice. The elusive goal of all newbie writers.

But what the heck is it? And how does one find their voice?

Voice is the ability to convey the unique way that you see the world to your readers. It is the style, the themes, the passion and personal observations that you bring to your writing. Voice is the overarching concept that encompasses the tone that you use and the messages you send.

Clear as mud, right?

Well hopefully the steps you can take it find or improve your voice are clearer. Remember that voice takes time, patience and practice to formulate. 

1. Write with purpose

This takes three forms: knowing yourself, your message, and knowing your tone.

Know yourself:
Finding something that you are passionate in can be really easy or leave you stroking your chin for hours.
How do you go about discovering what you are passionate about? Below is a few points that you can try to help you find what matters most to you:
  • Read - a lot (in different genres and people with different views to yours, you'll find that there are themes and ideas that draw you in more than others)
  • ​Ask yourself:
    • What do I value most? Why?
    • What type of people do I value most?
    • If I could change one thing about the world what would it be?
    • How do my beliefs shape who I am?
    • What do you spend most of your time thinking/talking/learning about?
    • What makes you angry for days on end?
    • What actions/views are truly unforgivable to me? Why?
  • Challenge your perceptions: Write from the perspective of someone who believes the opposite to you (and with good reason)

Know your message:
When you know what you are passionate about, you can begin to look at what message. What do I want to say about my passion? To make a message it needs to be more than just - oh look, here is something I feel strongly about - the message needs to provoke a question and challenge/reinforce your readers current ideas about that passion. Below are a few ideas about how you can craft a message:
  • How my passion conflicts with society
  • How my passion can overcome conflict
  • Why my passion is important
  • Why my passion is still relevant
  • What the world be like without my passion
  • What does it mean to have my passion
  • Who opposes to my passion
  • Who sacrifices to keep my passion

Your message becomes a theme when you embed it, discretely, in your novel. You can be show your theme through a number of different ways, here are a few: 
  • Character (make the protagonist's motivation line up with your theme, make their goal something that you feel strongly about, give them a backstory that shows the dangers of having/lacking your passion)
  • Conflict (have your antagonist employ/remove the thing you are passionate about in their reign of terror, make them be passionate about the opposite of what you believe, make your antagonist embody the negative aspects of your passion)
  • Symbols and motifs (show the significance of your passion through a seemingly unrelated symbol [e.g. images of birds taking flight and flying = freedom], have the world interact with the symbol [butterfly crushed by antagonist = loss of innocence], choose a symbol that is important to the character and have it relate to the passion)

Know your tone: 
When you have your message nailed down, you can look at what tone suits the how you express your theme. The tone that you choose can have a huge impact on how well your message is received, as well as how clear your voice appears in your novel. Here are some ways to show tone in your writing.
  • Go beyond the superficial with your character's actions ("I need this job." says much less than "I need this job, I have to get out of this town." The second adds a layer of depth to the action, adds mood to the action/scene)
  • Adjectives and verb choice are your friends ("He cut my finger with the knife" is very different to "He hacked my finger with the knife" and it sets the tone of the action, the motives and what you are trying to convey through the scene.)
  • Using nature and setting to convey mood (You can easily create a mood for the setting, getting your reader thinking about deeper meanings and motivations of what is happening in the scene. "The young girl skipped into the neglected house" and "The young girl skipped into the decrepit house" paints a very different picture - I know which girl I would be wary about trusting.)​

2. Improve your craft

I know, this one is no one's favorite. But as it is what we are hoping to be paid to do - we should at least try to be good at it. Plus, less editing = less money, I'm always a fan of saving money when I can.

And unfortunately, often a weak or poor voice comes from the inability to structure a sentence or create a clean paragraph (*raises hand* I am so guilty of this). 

Now I hate this stuff so I am going to link some websites that I found helpful:

Grammar
University of Bristol

Cliches
The Writing Center - UNC

Past vs Present
The Write Practice

Passive vs Active
American Journal Experts

This stuff IS important - often good writing will trump a clever or interesting voice. So practice and learn.

3. Develop your voice through editing

Ergh! What am I doing - another evil step. 

​Yep. Evil but necessary.

Editing allows you to discover what you do well and what you do poorly. It forces you to examine the way you write and to refine it and polish it until it sparkles. Taking the time (and it will be a lot) to edit your work makes you a better writer. It sounds contradictory but it forces you to apply the things you know about the craft of writing. It takes out the garbage and leaves behind the essence of your writing - your voice. And the more you apply the rules and standards of writing, the better you will get at it. Also, it makes you more likely to avoid the same mistakes in your first draft for any later books. 

I like to work from big picture to small picture. The idea is to look over the novel as a big picture, examine it for tension, plot holes and overall pace. Then work on the smaller elements that take up progressively less space in your novel. The last part is checking punctuation and spelling errors.

This is an overview of the editing steps I use:
  1. Plot and structure
  2. Characters and development 
  3. Point of view and tense
  4. Scene by scene
  5. Imagery
  6. Prose​
  7. Proofreading

I will be doing an in depth post about this subject on a later date.

DISCLAIMER: PLEASE DO NOT THINK THAT YOU CAN PUBLISH WITHOUT PROFESSIONAL EDITING - THIS STEP IS ABOUT LEARNING AND IMPROVING - YOU STILL NEED A PROFESSIONAL EDIT. SERIOUSLY, JUST HIRE SOMEONE.

4. Experiment with point of view

As writers we tend to get stuck in this idea of what we SHOULD be writing.

"YA/NA is first person" or "Fantasy is third person".

We have this idea, usually because of our reading preferences, of what our writing should look like and sound like. The thing is, if we only write in one POV we might be missing out on discovering the POV that works best for us. You would be hard pressed to find a reader that picks up a book and puts it down with a scowl, saying: "Yuck, first person."

A fun way to experiment with POV is creating pieces of writing from other characters perspectives; I wrote about some activities to try when you have writer's block (see here). In these smaller pieces you can experiment with what works for your style of writing.

Another key to voice is understanding what the pros and cons of each POV offer. This will help you choose one that suits the message you are trying to share.

First Person  (Me, I, my)
​This style plonks you in the character's head, the reader experiences the life of the character, walking in their shoes.
Pro
  • ​​The biggest advantage is that we get to see and feel everything that the character does; there is a sense of intimacy and a deeper emotional connection
  • The intimacy encourages readers to react the same way as the character - they are invested in the feelings of the character
  • In life we only see through one perspective, so this POV adds a sense of realism to your piece
  • It can feel more natural to write in this POV
  • The character's voice is more clear, distinct. We are experiencing everything through their filters, their thoughts
Con
  • ​Head hopping - jumping between character perspectives can be confusing and at times exhausting
  • Encourages too much introspection - invites the author to tell too often rather than show, throws out the balance of the two
  • Can limit the types of characters you write (can't be so normal that they are boring - can't be so crazy that the reader can't relate)
  • Describing your character can be tricky without resorting to the "looking in the mirror" scene that is so hated by readers and writers
  • Your reader only knows what your character does - you can't explain juicy details if your character doesn't know this information
  • Character's viewpoint of the world is incredibly subjective (can make them an unreliable narrator)
  • Assumption of survival when in first person
Explores the question of: Persona vs Identity
  • What of myself do I reveal to the world?
  • What do I conceal?

​Second Person (You, your, yours)
In this style the reader is a character in the novel. It is usually written in present tense. Common uses of this POV is in choose your own adventure novels.
Pro
  • The reader has control and ownership of the actions
  • Allows for creativity in endings (you can have multiple)
  • Personalized reading for each person - they choose what makes them happy
  • Creates tension as the reader is responsible for the outcome of their character.
  • Re-readability (many options means ability to re-read and get a different outcome
Con
  • ​Can limit your ability to traditionally publish
  • Can limit your market (Choose your own adventure is seen as a mostly child-centric genre)
  • Can be difficult to write
  • Depth may not be as easy to acchieve
  • Offers different options to the reader (can be difficult to plot and write)
Explores the question of: Identity vs Construction
  • How does you compare to I?

​Third Person (He, she, they)
This POV has the narrator describe the events as they unfold. Usually written in the past tense, this POV can be written in Limited (knowledge is limited to what the character knows/think/feels) or Omniscient (the narrator knows everything, even things the characters don't). 
Pro

  • This POV is the one that most readers are comfortable with. A lot stories are written this way. 
  • More objective and reliable narrator
  • Changing to a different character's thoughts or actions is less confusing and rarely feels like head hopping
  • ​Distance from the character can allow the narrator to show a broader scope of the story, you can show things without the protagonist being there
  • Showing is easier to do in this POV
  • You can share secrets and tid-bits with the reader that the protagonist doesn't know
  • Freedom to include characters that are not known by your protagonist - its less jarring in third person
  • Builds more tension - you don't know who will survive because the POV can jump to any character​
Con
  • Emotionally distances the reader from the character​ - feels more like watching the events rather than living them
  • Thoughts and emotions can be more difficult to convey because you aren't in the character's head.
  • Info dumps/exposition are far too tempting to write in this POV
  • If you include too many character POVs it can be confusing tot the reader and they may not connect with all the POV characters
  • Telling your readers too much that the protagonist doesn't know can weaken the tension - the reader knows they will fix the solution, or that there is a solution
  • Keeping your POV consistent throughout the scenes can be challenging when writing in limited third person - you may be tempted to include information that your character doesn't know, or can't see/hear
Explores the question of: Internal needs vs External needs
  • Is what I see the same as others? (Multiple third person)
  • How do internal needs and conflicts drive an external action? (Singular third person)
  • Is there an objective reality apart from our own interpretations? (Objective third person)
  • How do we interact and why? (Classic Omniscient third person)
  • How do the needs for freedom conflict for our need for society? (Contemporary Omniscient third person)

5. Befriend the inner critic

The most consistent way of squashing your voice is to doubt your writing - censor it. And the little voice in your head is most often the culprit. Jerk.

Unfortunately, this is one of the hardest steps. But instead of seeing this inner dialogue as a villain or something that needs to be stopped, we need to befriend it and acknowledge that it is trying to say something that will help us. It just doesn't know how it express itself properly. Resetting the way that your inner critic talks to you and how you respond is difficult and can take some time and work. It will feel like it's not working - don't give up, it is working, just give it time.

Below is some steps that might help calm the nasty critic:

1. Make the conversation more specific:
Change the way your inner critic talks about your writing. Too often it will tell us "Your writing sucks" or "You can't write". It gives us these blanket statements that kill our enthusiasm, that hurt rather than help. Often these comments come at a moment when - let's be honest - your writing might not be that great. And that's why it hurts so much. 
But instead of telling it to shut up, ask it "why?". Get it to be specific. Change "This sucks" to "This paragraph doesn't flow" or "The dialogue isn't natural". These changes in phrasing, move the critiques from defeating stabs to the heart into something that you can use, something that is actually helpful.
Next time your critic slams you with a blanket statement, force it to point out what the actual problem is.

2. Make a note of what it is saying and keep going:
Like all good relationships its give and take. Your critic is only going to be helpful if you listen to it. But usually you want to keep writing, you don't want to stop to make changes. So, compromise, make a note (jot it on a sticky note, make a highlighted comment on your document, or just scribble it down in a margin) and keep going. It will keep you writing and your inner critic will be happy. 

3. Work on what it is telling you:
Nobody likes to offer help that isn't listened to. Your critic will keep bashing you with horrible corrections until you fix it. And if your critic is anything like mine, it gets meaner the longer you put off fixing the problem. Take note of the commonalities of the critic's message. Then work on it. Research the problem, read books/blogs on how to improve your craft, and make an effort to improve whatever is causing the problem. When it is resolved your inner critic should shut up about it - although it will probably find something new to complain about. Like I said: jerk.

Once you befriend your inner critic you will be able to write how you want to; your voice will become stronger and clearer because its no longer being drowned out with fear and doubt.

I hope you enjoyed the post.

Let me know what you think.

Until next time: don't push fear away, embrace it, it's the part of yourself that has something to say.
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Author Spotlight: Abigail Carlson

17/11/2017

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Abigail Carlson

Twitter: @abigailvcarlson
Instagram: abigailvcarlson
Facebook: abigailvcarlson
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​1. For all those not aware of your awesomeness, what should we know about you?
I am southern girl, through and through. I love watching football on the weekends and I eat my weight in boiled peanuts every year.

2. Why do you write?

To get out of my small town. I want to go places, but I can't always go there physically. In my debut novel, A Crown of Ashes, I obviously can't walk down the streets of that world. But it doesn't mean I can't visit. Through writing, I not only am able to create new worlds, but I can say that I've traveled different worlds.

3. What writers inspire you?

Sabaa Tahir would be at the top of my list followed by Francine Rivers. Sabaa Tahir has written my favorite YA fantasy series called An Ember In The Ashes and if you haven't read it, you totally should. Francine Rivers wrote the vastly famous book Redeeming Love and I'm so obsessed with her prose. My goal is to one day meet these authors so I can thank them or what they have done for me and my writing.

4. What does a typical writing session look like?

I don't have a set time of the day that I write. I usually write in the afternoon and then I'll be done for the day. Life catches up so I have to put my WIP on the backburner. I try to finish a chapter per session. Just like reading, the end of a chapter is a good place to stop.

5. What are you currently working on?

My debut novel is called A Crown of Ashes. It's an epic fantasy story about a runaway princess, an illegitimate emperor and a ruthless gladiator, each with his and her own vendetta. That's all I'll say for now being that I'm still on the first draft! Stay tuned for more!

6. What do you love about this piece of writing?

It's my first WIP. I've never worked on another novel before this that I wanted to get published. It's been with me for six years and I can't give it up. I love the story and my characters despite how frustrating they can be sometimes. It might sound like I'm in love with my WIP and that's because I am. Be expecting RSVPs to our wedding soon. Haha.

7. Give us a little sneak peak, what insights can you share about the main character?

I actually have three main characters but I will talk about one. Her name is Kira and she is stronger than I hope I ever have to prove. She's a fighter and she will never let anyone get in the way of what she wants. She's also a bit of a brat.

8. What is the hardest thing about writing?

To keep going when you don't feel like it. Any writer will tell you there are days when you just don't feel like writing. You don't feel guilty when you have a genuine excuse for not writing. But sometimes your only excuse is that you don't feel like it. That's when it's hardest to push through and make magic happen. But I find that some of my best writing occurs when I just didn't feel like it.

9. Which famous person, living or dead would you like to meet and why?

Audrey Hepburn. She is someone I greatly look up to and someone I believe everyone should as well. She was beautiful, kind, brave and smart. She was everything a woman should aspire to be. I would love to sit down and talk to her about her life. She has such an inspiring story.

10. If you could go back in time, what advice would you give yourself as a new writer?

Don't give up on yourself. My WIP has taken six years because I kept walking away from it. I didn't like the story, it didn't really make sense so I pretended like it wasn't there. Writers need to write and create. It's part of our DNA. I feel like a part of me is missing when I'm not writing, whether on a keyboard or in my head. You're going to write some crap--I still do, in fact--but that's no excuse to stop. Keep going and one day, like me, you'll fall in love with your story and you won't be able to give it up.
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Author Spotlight: Lexine Higgins

13/11/2017

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Lexine Higgins

Blog: lexinehiggins.blogspot.co.uk 
Twitter: @LexineHiggins
Instagram: lexinehiggins

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1. For all those not aware of your awesomeness, what should we know about you?
I’m 22 years old, I come from Essex (No, I don’t know anyone from TOWIE – only those from the UK might get that now I think about it) and I live in South East England. I have a degree in Forensic Science from the University of Kent in Canterbury, and I’m also a black-belt in Karate (you wouldn’t think that when you see me, I know).
For you people out there that believe in astrological signs (like me), I’m a Gemini, and for the Potter-Heads out there, my Hogwarts house is Ravenclaw.
I mainly write fantasy, though I have tried my hand at contemporary romance. I have at least 3 WIP’s on the go, as I have trouble keeping my attention solely on one piece – I let my mind go where the inspiration takes me – and many other ideas that I will get round to fleshing out…eventually.
2. Why do you write?
I write because…the voices tell me to? (I’m kidding, please don’t lock me up in an asylum!)
I’ve always been an imaginative and creative person. I daydream a lot. My mind often wonders to magical words that I randomly create in my head. It’s like my mind doesn’t want to stay in the real world. It wants to live in fantasy worlds, and who am I to say no? I write to get those places out of my mind and onto paper so others may enjoy the worlds in my head too.
One other reason I write is because I’m an anxious person. Although it’s hard to admit, sometimes I write to get away from the real world because it can be scary, and I just need a familiar and comforting place to escape to.
3. What writers inspire you?
Darren Shan, a horror writer, is my writing idol. I’m obsessed with his books because his storytelling skills are amazing. Every book of his that I’ve read has left my jaw on the floor and my eyes bulging out of my head. He’s someone that has helped drive me to take my writing seriously and to have a punt at getting my stories published. 
J. R. R. Tolkein, Cassandra Clare, J. K. Rowling, Rick Riordan, and Jane Austen are a few other authors who also inspire me.
In addition to those above, I’ve been inspired by writers that I’ve met on Twitter whilst trying to build a writer platform/following. I’ve read a few extracts/chapters/synopsises/lines from other writers on Twitter, and I’ve been inspired by their work and their journeys to becoming published authors (whether it be through traditional means or self-publishing). 
My critique partner, children’s writer Nolan Dean (@nolandean27 on Twitter) is another inspiration. I’ve read some of his work and it has blown me away. He encourages and inspires me to improve my own stories, whether it’s through bouncing ideas off each other or by helping out with his writing.
4. What does a typical writing session look like?
I don’t have a desk (unfortunately) so I sit on my bed with my laptop on my lap, with pillows propped up behind my back for support (because I’m all too familiar with writing injuries/strains), headphones in my ears playing a YouTube playlist I’ve made specifically for the piece of writing that I’m working on, a snack (usually fruit because you know…I have to try and be healthy when I’m sitting on my bum for hours at a time), and a cup of hot chocolate in my favourite penguin mug – if it hasn’t been stolen by my sister (grr).
5. What are you currently working on?
At the moment I have quite a few WIP’s on the go. The main piece is a YA fantasy (the first of a trilogy) that I’m currently querying to agents in the hope of traditionally publishing it. It’s called The Element of Betrayal, and it’s set in an alternative future of Earth, where people can control the four elements: Water, Fire, Nature, and Air.
The other WIPs include (but aren’t limited to): a medieval fantasy (not sure on the age category yet – YA maybe?) which is my most complex work to date with 5 POV’s and over 200k words written, a contemporary romance, a YA dystopian fantasy, and a YA paranormal friendship…adventure…piece that I haven’t quite decided what genre it falls into.
6. What do you love about this piece of writing?
What I love about my main piece is that it’s the first piece of writing that I’ve taken seriously. I’ve written things before – mainly a failed, YA Apocalyptic Dystopian (yes, zombies) novel – but it was only in March of this year that I actually took the plunge and decided to try my hand at querying it. 
I love the characters, especially the secondary characters and the antagonist. I went on holiday a few months ago and had to leave my laptop behind so I couldn’t write…and I missed them like they were my friends. I’ve been writing this series for 4 years, and the characters are a part of my life as much as real people are.
Another reason is that I can relate to the main character, and I see a lot of myself in her. Whilst writing it, I had Toni Morrison’s quote in my mind: ‘If there is a book you want to read, but it hasn’t been written yet, you must be the one to write it.’ Originally, this novel was solely for me, so that I could write my own adventure and be a part of something that I felt was missing from the books that I’d read before. Essentially – although we differ in a few aspects – the main character is me, having my own adventure in a fantasy world that I created in my mind.
Finally, even if this story isn’t published, it’s the story that will stay with me the most, because it’s the story I learned so much from. I’ve revised it so many times that I’ve learned from my mistakes, and have applied this to other WIP’s.
7. Give us a little sneak peak, what insights can you share about the main character?
18-year-old Princess Genevieve starts off as rather shy and reserved, having lived an isolated life up until we meet her. Her father has had her cooped up in their castle for reasons unknown to her, and so she is naïve in terms of meeting new people, having friendships, or relationships. She can control the element Water, and so her appearance reflects this: blue hair and eyes.
Her journey is one of self-discovery. She learns how the world works. How people are not always what they seem. That she is stronger than she believes and is capable of great things if she puts her mind to it. 
8. What is the hardest thing about writing?
Self-doubt. It’s something I struggle with a lot. I’ve actually wrote a blog post on struggling with self-doubt (shameless plug), which you can check out on my blog (lexinehiggins.blogspot.co.uk). I haven’t been too active with blog posts over the past few months, but I’m planning to get it back on track when life stops getting in the way. 
My inner critic is like a tiny demon on my shoulder, whispering things in my ear that makes me doubt my ability as a writer. Are these characters interesting? Is this plot any good? Should I just give up and throw this piece out? 
You have to learn to ignore it, to grit your teeth and carry on. Most writers are doubtful of their work, but plenty of their readers will tell you otherwise.
9. Which famous person, living or dead, would you like to meet and why?
I’d like to meet my idol, Darren Shan, and thank him for his inspiring books. I’d also like to thank him for answering a letter that I wrote to him many years ago with a handwritten reply. The fact that he took the time to write back to me in such a fashion made me feel like he truly cares about his readers, and if I ever get to where he is today, I’ll follow his example and let my readers know that they’re appreciated.
He’s been such an inspiration to me (as I have said before) and I don’t think that without his books, I would have been courageous enough to try and have my own story traditionally published. 
10. If you could go back in time, what advice would you give yourself as a new writer?
READ MORE! My first drafts (from when I was around 17-years-old) are so cringey and awful to read. Although I’ve always been a book lover and have always enjoyed reading and writing my own stories, I’ve never read as frequently as I do now.
I read differently now too. Before, I was simply enjoying the story. Now I take note of the writing styles, different words and descriptions the author uses, and the plot points that perhaps I could use in my story with my own twists on them. I would go back and tell my younger writer-self to take note of the things I look out for now, to improve my writing and make it less cringey.
I’d also tell my younger writer-self to find people who are also writers and want to be published authors like I do. When I first started writing, I didn’t know anyone that had an interest in writing their own stories. Now, I’ve met so many friendly faces on Twitter over the past few months of being on the platform who have helped and encouraged me with my writing woes. I’d tell myself to go onto Twitter or another social platform (I’ve met a few people on Instagram too) and make a writer account ASAP so I can make some friends and go through the writing process with them, to make it a little less scary. 
Finally, I’d tell my younger writer-self not to listen to ALL writing advice. Some people say show rather than tell, whilst others say that telling is okay. Some say use “” instead of ‘’ when writing dialogue, others say the reverse. Some say you should avoid prologues, and others are for them. There are so many conflicting pieces of advice out there. Write how you want to. Find your own writing style that you’re comfortable with and work with it.
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Novel Mechanics: Setting

10/11/2017

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I can picture all the side eye I am getting from this post:
                   "Come on Mel, Setting?? Isn't that the same as World Building?? I see what you are doing..."

Well actually... World Building is creating the world in your mind, Setting is painting a picture of that world through the eyes of your character.

A great Setting enhances the story for your readers. It:
  • orients them
  • immerses them
  • creates and sustains mood
  • foreshadows
  • sheds light on relationships
​
It's pretty dang important. Without Setting your characters just float in the blank, nothingness of plot.

How do we create a great setting? Below are some things that help me:

Use your World Building:
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Not familiar with world building? Check out my mistakes (Part 1 and Part 2) before you start - trust me, you don't want to make my mistakes midway through writing your novel.

If you are a world building champion (I hate you), then you are all set to season your story with little bits of delicious setting. Examples: 
  • Talking: Language (idioms, accents, etc.), styles of communication (loud, informal, etc.), what is lost in translation (jokes that you don't get, information you don't know, etc.)
  • Culture: beliefs, customs, gender identities, gender roles, normative behavior, etc.
  • Society: the systems that maintain justice, government, order and daily life.
  • Conditions: level and frequency of poverty, homelessness, injustice, crime, etc.
  • Spirit: what meaning do the locals get out of the everyday, what common emotion is being felt?

Don't forget to include your character in these little gems, describe how they feel about these events and possibly use the senses to do so.
​

Engage the senses:

The senses are a powerful thing, they evoke reader memories and can highlight what is important in a setting.​ It makes the character seem more real and your setting more vivid.

Now, unless you are writing omniscient, stick to describing what your character can: see, taste, smell, hear, and feel at that given time. This helps ground the readers in the here and now of your story. You can use details that they have seen previously in to create a contrast of time or place, but I would sprinkle it in with a light hand. 
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But remember that the senses aren't limited to the big five, you can also add in:
  • time
  • agency
  • familiarity/recognition
  • hunger/thirst
  • needing to use the restroom
  • thermoception (feeling temperature and whether it is static or changing)
  • vestibular sense (body movement, direction, and acceleration; to keep you upright and balanced)
  • proprioception  (knowing where your limbs are, strength and effort required for movement)
  • nociception  (Pain. Response to certain harmful or potentially harmful stimuli.)
Weak, golden sun fluttered through the brick hugged windows. Motes of dust danced in the cold stillness. Empty tables stood to attention around the room's periphery; lonely chairs nestled beneath them. Settling like a blanket over the room, the air was devoid of any mustiness despite being shut up over the summer. As if the sounds and smells had fled the halls once the final bell rang. The clock ticked, perched above a pristine board, marching along even though no one watched it.
My finger ran across the pitted tops of the desks. Soon, incessant chatter and jeers of triumph would fill the room. Slamming of books and groans of frustration would bounce along graffitied desks. Posters filled with information that should already have been learned would be scattered across walls, adding cheer to the uniformity of the building. The smells of markers, new leather and fresh ink would swirl around the room
But not yet. The room would sit dormant, as if slumbering, until tomorrow when it was once again needed. 
I never once mentioned the word school or student, but (I am hoping) you gathered we were in a classroom just before school resumed. I used the sense of touch, sight, smell and hearing (taste would have been weird) in the writing above.

Sometimes writing an original setting is like a game of Taboo, you have to challenge yourself to describe a place without using the shortcut words. But not every setting needs a flowery description - which brings me to my next point.

Be specific and selective with what you include:

​Does your reader need a twenty page description of an office that she will visit once? No.

The point of this section is to choose your descriptions wisely. If you want to spend a paragraph describing exactly what that wing back armchair looks like, there had better be a good reason. Someone better make love on it or it better be demon possessed. Otherwise, why are you wasting my time?

Questions to ask yourself:
  • What does this scene gain from this description? (mood, character, theme)
  • Does it need to be this detailed? Can I make it shorter and more direct?
  • What is vitally important about this setting/object?
  • Would I stop the character from what they are doing to describe it?
  • Would my character even notice the things I am pointing out? **
  • Does the description harm the pace of this scene?

** If your character is running for their lives, please do not take the time to describe the pot plants beside the desk she is ducking behind. She wouldn't notice it - she'd be too focused on the killer. It pulls the reader out of the story - the reader is wondering why the plant is so important. And it often ruins the pace - if she can stop to notice the plants is she really in danger?

Giving too much information slows the pace of your story, it shifts the focus from the plot and characters to the setting. Sometimes this is good. This can be done beautifully to explore themes around place and landscape, or to capture a mood. Be purposeful with your long winded descriptions, make them mean something - make their lazy behinds work for every letter that you are bestowing upon them.

Below is an example of descriptions that could have conveyed the same idea with much less:
​The poulterers shops were still half-open, and the fruiterers were radiant in their glory. There were great, round pot-bellied baskets of chesnuts, shaped like the waistcoats of jolly old gentlemen, lolling at the doors, and tumbling out into the street in their apoplectic opulence. There were ruddy, brown- faced, broad-girthed Spanish Onions, shining in the fatness of their growth like Spanish Friars, and winking from their shelves in wanton slyness at the girls as they went by, and glanced demurely at the hung-up mistletoe. There were pears and apples, clustered high in blooming pyramids; there were bunches of grapes, made in the shop- keepers' benevolence to dangle from conspicuous hooks, that people's mouths might water gratis as they passed; there were piles of filberts, mossy and brown, recalling in their fragrance, ancient walks among the woods, and pleasant shufflings ankle deep through withered leaves; there were Norfolk Biffins, squab and swarthy, setting off the yellow of the oranges and lemons...

A Christmas Carol - Charles Dickens
Yes. I know.
​I will wait for the hate mail to roll in. 

How DARE I use Charles Dickens as an example of what not to do... the horror!!

But I mean, read it. (Yes. It is beautiful. Yes. It does set the scene - a minor one. Yes. It discusses the idea of Christmas Feasting as well as, creating a juxtaposition to the description of the same event earlier in the novel; which in turn highlights the growth of Scrooge's character. I get it.) When I was a teenager reading this I groaned so much at this scene. Why did I need to read a 40 word description of onions? I didn't. And to this day, I still don't. *shrugs*

And this is the point I am trying to make, did the onions propel the plot? Were they integral to the character's journey or solving a problem? No. So why waste words on things that might make readers skim read or even *gulp* put it in their DNF (Did Not Finish) pile? Today's market, especially if you are in YA, has no room for this overly purple prose. Your reader is being forced to read about something that has no importance, and thus, no place in your novel.

So save all your delicious descriptions for the places that are important or that your character will spend a lot of time in.

Use character interaction:

​This one is my favorite. It is like allowing your character to lead your reader through their world. What they notice and interact with says a lot about your character. Every person will react to an environment in a different way, and the same person may react differently to the environment on different days (E.g. revisiting a place from childhood and it seems smaller than they remember). So when your POV (Point of View) changes or even when your character changes, alter the way you describe the world. Focus on different objects, interactions. Describe them in a way that feels authentic to the character. 

Using quick, dynamic bits of setting concurrently with character action and dialogue adds depth to both your setting and your characters. YASS!

Say a character walks into a room, in the room their is a toy puppy. Characters can react in a variety of ways:
  • Crosses their arms, eyeing the toy with contempt.
  • Calls out to the owner of the building.
  • Squeals with glee, running into the room to play with the toy.
  • Walks back out of the room.
  • Steals the toy.
  • Notices the giant hole in the ceiling.
  • Circles the toy, stroking their chin, wondering why an empty room has a toy.
In each of these examples, the action or inaction of the character tell us about who they are. It hints age, biases and personality traits. 

Using the descriptions of what is in the setting also tells us about the owner of the space:
  • Doilies
  • Immaculate desk
  • Parched lawn
  • Reinforced door
  • Sparse furnishing
Each of the examples are simple but convey something about the person who owns them. For example, the reinforced door highlights that the person is very safety conscious, they want to protect what is theirs, or that maybe crime is impacting that area. The doilies usually indicate someone advanced in age. The items don't have to be described in great detail to give us information about the person in that space.

Set the mood and foreshadow:

Using the weather, the temperature, the landscape or objects within a setting can help instill a the same feeling in our reader that the character is feeling. Have fun with the way you describe the things your character sees - they are not a objective viewer. Your character will never walk into a a room and go: "Oh, a red chair". chances are that they are going to have an opinion of that object based on their preferences, how they are feeling, whether they like the person who owns it or any past experiences with a red chair. Use this to your advantage.

Adjectives and verbs are your best friend.​ The choices you make with verbs and adverbs changes a somber downpour to refreshing rainstorm, or a ravenous deluge to an unwelcome precipitation, with a few synonyms and an adjective change.

So when describing, add depth to the setting by using words that emphasize the overall feeling your character has.

A mood filled with dread can be evoked in setting by using descriptions like:
  1. Perilously dangling from the bed.
  2. Malevolent slash of darkness behind the door.
  3. The door collided with the cracked wall.
  4. The papers were scattered like teeth.

The alluding to death, darkness and uncertainty gives the reader feelings of unease, of worry. But, using describing the same setting with different adjectives changes the feeling completely:
  1. Perched on the edge of the bed.
  2. The gentle shadows from within.
  3. The door had been flung open so many times that the wall behind it was a record of their outings.
  4. The papers were strewn, left in disordered piles across the room.

Setting can also foreshadow what is to come. Just like choosing the right adjective or verb choosing the right location for the event, or shaping the mood of the location can help readers guess what might happen next - leaving them with feelings of dread or excitement (Ahem - keeping them reading).

Think of it this way, if your sweetheart called you because they wanted to meet up "to talk" which setting would you prefer?
  • A dimly lit, romantic restaurant
  • The edge of a cliff during a thunderstorm
  • The shadowy expanse of the attic
  • The front door of their ex's house

None of the settings would actually influence the outcome of the conversation, the person knows what they want to say, but the setting gives us an idea what the outcome might be. This is a fun literary device to play with, because we can lead a reader to a resolution that they feel is satisfying (they saw it coming) or you can punch them in the throat with an unexpected plot twist (E.g. the character on the cliff is proposed to, the character in the restaurant is dumped).

Be a little ambiguous:

​Lastly, leave a little to the imagination. Allow your reader to insert themselves in your world, allow them the space to imagine it how they like. The brain is a fickle little fellow, if it thinks that something looks one way and you tell it otherwise, every time that setting comes up it will protest. It jars against the reader - pulling them out of the setting/story briefly.

Ambiguity is not vague! Be as specific as you can with your word choice when you do describe something, but don't describe everything (E.g. Coffee cup - describe the color, if it is empty, the lipstick mark on it, but then leave out things like the exact location in the room of the table it is on, how much liquid it can hold, how it reminds you of the cup you had that broke - or vice versa). The idea is don't bog your readers down with describing EVERYTHING about the setting and object.

Again this is why choosing what to describe and how to describe it is so important. If in doubt - leave it out.

Thanks for reading this behemoth. 

Until next time: make your settings work hard for you.
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