Taming Those *#@!& Words: Some Useful Links

The job of every writer is to pile up the words, good, bad, delicious or indifferent. But, what do you do when the words don't come?

One of the sneaky ways I boost my word count is with dialog. For some reason I write dialog faster than most other stuff. Once the dialog is down, I then revise for setting, emotions, reactions, descriptions, and all that other stuff.

We won't go into the quality of my dialog, but Mayra Calvani gave some interesting tips on writing good dialog on a guest blog: Eight Tips to Writing Great Dialog. I found it at S. J. Clarke's website.

Yeah, it's one of the articles that gave me some useful insights into what I'm trying to do. I printed it off ... in hopes I'll be able to find it again ... if and when I ever get around to doing a major revision of something already in my confuser. Why? I think her main points make a good check list when you're retooling your story line.

What else do I double check when I revise? Commas.

Every once in a while, I get knocked for using commas. [Seems I follow the Oxford or some other grammatical rule or other.] A lot of people think I use too many of them. But, I'll keep using them since they help me understand what I'm reading.

I also use a lot of "ing" words -- without caring whether they are gerunds or past participles. I think of "ing" words as indicating on going action. I was happy to see that Kira McFadden over at Novel Publicity & Co. tried to put me straight in her blog on "ing" word use.  She tried, but she may have better luck with you.

Of course, once you finish revising ... The Passive Guy gives you some things to consider about self-publishing.  Do you know why you want to self-publish? If you want to be a best-seller, I think you should listen to what he says. Yeah, I know I've self-published ... and plan to self-publish my pig story. But, I'm building a platform which is a different kind of thing from than hoping to sell for fun and profit.

Of course, you're going to have to insert bunches of words into your computer if you're going to revise. So, last but not least, I want to share with you a writing plan that made me tired just looking at it. Kristan Koster wrote about her writing plan for this summer on her blog Impulsive Hearts. How does your summer schedule compare?

I'm keeping my same old, same old. Some days, I even get something new written.

What Makes American Fae Tick: Review Rosemary & Rue?

Picked up a new series, the October Daye novels of Seanan McGuire. Read the first one, Rosemary and Rue. McGuire blew me away. She hooked me with her Prologue, in which Daye chases a couple of villains until she gets turned into a koi in the Japanese Tea Garden in Golden Gate Park. Then, she almost lost me in the the "first" chapter, set fourteen years later, when the interesting villains disappeared. At the end, McGuire ended up gluing me to my chair until 2:30 AM for the last half of the book. Does that rate four or five stars?

One thing that bothered me: the voice changed. I kept telling myself: you'd change too if you lost fourteen years of my life as well as your marriage and daughter. By the third chapter, I was hooked again after the death of Daye's Fae frenemy and the terrible geas she faced if she didn't solve the murder. How hooked? I finished off the last part of the book by reading until 2:30 AM. Doesn't that describe hooked?

Now the question is: why? McGuire offers yet another take on Faerie, where she transports a group of them to the Bay area after the Fae royalty disappeared or got lost somewhere in the Old Country. McGuire conveys the change in reference to one of the secondary characters, a Fae named Evening. As McGuire writes:

"Most purebloods Evening's age live full-time in the Summerlands rather than dealing with the daily stresses of mortal living. ... Evening was stubborn She saw San Francisco built around her, watching it grow from a little dock town into a thriving city. Somewhere along the way, it became her home, and after that, she simply refused to leave.

"I asked her about it once. 'I prefer San Francisco,' she said. 'The lies are different here. When you've lived as long as I have, you start appreciating new approaches to dishonesty.'"

Yeah, Rosemary and Rue is written in first person from the point of view of a half-fae. What I liked best is how McGuire set up the motivations for all her characters, especially Evening's murder and the logical way Daye managed to solve the mystery.

Why bother thinking about how a book was put together?

Ruth Harris did a to-the-point blog

on writing best sellers.

Yeah, another commentary on how you should be writing ... even if you're a mid-list published author. Thanks to the Passive Guy for reposting this. I need to study it. Unfortunately, Harris thinks writers should have style which makes me wonder if I'd be wasting my time. I'm definitely not couture.

What Do Writers and Agents Have in Common?

Writers and agents both have to be good salespeople to make money.  

Joanne Tomarkos blogged about What Good Salespeople Know That Writers Should, a guest blog at Jane Friedman's blog, Being Human at Electric Speed. #1? Believe in your product. That means you as a writer.

Want to set up something you can sell? The Passive Guy reposted a blog Dean Wesley Smith wrote about getting insulted by an editor. Smith gives some interesting insights on marketing and maybe a marketing plan if someone writes fast enough. [Not me.] The comment that snagged my interest? Two years is an "age ago" in publishing.

Of course, if all that marketing [aka selling] is stressing you out, Pat Stoltey at the Chiseled Rock blog has a list of de-stressers. They even don't cost an arm and a leg. Just get them moving.

Then:

What websites help you the most with your writing?

Angela Ackerman at The Bookshelf Muse gives you the link to nominate sites for the Writer's Digest best website listings.

So. What do Agents Feels About Queries?

Several blogs back, I mentioned Janet Reid's formula for a good query ... ie. one that might give her a positive attitude when she reads your sample ... provided your query lures her on. A query that's low on description and high on action.

I was trying to use her formula for my new query for "Dark Solstice", using Linden as the focus rather than Mariah. So, I had been thinking about queries a lot before NaNoWriMo, trying to get away from describing feelings to show action. Still, I've talked to several people who think writing queries is a waste of time, too hard, or ????? Since self-publishing is so easy, they say, I should just go that route.

Jessica Faust gives an agents viewpoint on why a query is important in her Bookends Blog: The Archaic Query. She considers it just another craft skill which writers have to master. The upside? It allows agents, and probably publishers, to work through their submissions faster.

While we're thinking about queries, agent Rachelle Gardner wrote a blog on interpreting "agent euphenisms": Decoding Query Rejections. What I found interesting: she linked to Janet Reid's Query Shark as a place where writer's can get a specific reaction to their query -- if their query is lucky enough to be chosen. Though I should warn you Janet Reid isn't as nice as Rachelle Gardner.

Then, there's the other end of the process, getting some publicity for your book -- whether traditionally or self-published. The Passive Guy gives some good tips on using Good Reads to reach a targeted market of readers. He makes such a good argument that I may have to go back and visit the site regularly in addition to Facebook and Twitter. After NaNoWriMo, of course.

How am I doing with NaNoWritMo?

I'm behind, of course, but not by much. Sunday threw me off my count when I went to Denver, and I was short yesterday too. Still, I've discovered a completely undreamed of character who is central to the mid-story conflict that launches my main character into deep doo-doo, only I don't know what she's going to do to get out of the mess her contentious attitude gets her into.

PS: Got a good laugh when I discovered all my typos after I published an except of "Combine Mythos" yesterday.  Oh, I'm also thinking of calling the story "Combine Blues".

Why Indie Writers Should Read Best Sellers

Reviewing another urban fantasy by a best-selling author: Jeaniene Frost's One Grave at a Time. Really loved the villains in this episode of her Cat Crawford vampire fantasies. One's the ultimate manipulating bureaucrat with a hidden agenda and the other is the malevolent ghost, Heinrich Kramer of Malleus Maleficarum infamy, who comes back every Halloween to torture and burn three women. Having two villains really adds tension to the story line.

Of course, Cat is out to save the three women Kramer has picked to sacrifice since in his opinion all women are witches. The way Kramer oozes through the simple attempts to contain him proves he isn't just any wimpy evil spirit. He's out to gather enough power by killing "witches" so he can materialize any time of year.  One of the twists in the book, one of the ghosts helping Cat catch Kramer was a witch killed by Kramer, who then killed Kramer by materializing and spooking his horse. 

The bureaucrat villain performs his role by complicating the attempts to contain Kramer while holding out promises of creating even greater complications in later books. Complications are the keystone in this book. All the secondary characters seem to add both negative and positive contributions to the plot. Not knowing when something will backfire is part of the fun of the read. In short, an evil spirit chaser's job is never done ... as proven by the latest book in the series is hitting the best seller lists. 

Frost's book is pretty straight forward urban fantasy. Okay, what do you expect with two vampires as the VP characters. I still prefer mixed genres, maybe because I tend to mix things up in my own writing.

Do you confine yourself to one genre? I've always thought of my Half-Elven as a basic high fantasy with, maybe, a touch of science in the form of genetic drift in a mixed population, but I recently got told I really don't know what I write. Marsha A. Moore at Fantasy Faction has a blog on fantasy sub-genres. Granted it's a matter of opinion, but what they say makes a lot of sense. Will I change my mind? Don't think so. After all, I'm the person who thinks that most mysteries are fantasies. 

Hey I found a rationale

for picking the books I review:

Don't know if you noticed, but a lot of the books I review end up on the "best seller lists". Part of this is because I pick up a lot of the books I read at the supermarket ... surprisingly from their best seller section. Hate to admit it, but I follow a bunch of writers who have thousands of other fans. But, there's another factor, the independent bookstore I frequent most is making it by selling more and more used books. Such is the nature of the book business at the moment. 

Yeah, I've got stuff loaded in my Kindle ... by I haven't read any of the books yet. *blush* [I least I think I know how to blush even if I don't do it much.]

To the point, The Passive Guy wrote another blog that should have sitting up with their eyes perked:  What You Can Learn from Best Seller Lists.  His parting comment: Write a spectacular book. 

For the Fun of It

In Case You Missed It:

The Passive Guy has been resurrecting Dorothy Parker. Latest quote: "This is not a novel to be tossed aside lightly. It should be thrown with great force."  

Even Passive's Guy's readers are getting into the act. The link is to a search I did on his site for "Dorothy Parker".

Quest 7, Fantasy in Bad Haiku

More of Quest, in Bad Haiku:

[Taking a break from serious writing.]

Failed Plot

7

False king frets as spies

Relay worrisome rumors

Of a wise rival.

With threat to his rule

Lurking beyond his grasp, king

Launches assassins.

Tales of youth’s prowess

Stop the killers’ blades, convert

Enemies to friends.

Kay's Comments
(Since my "book reviews" aren't serious enough 
to be a review of a book's worth.)

Actually, it's Monday, and I don't have a review per se.  But, I am still thinking about a blog by the Passive Guy on reading ... and how J. K. Rowling managed to get people to open pages across the generations.  I know I was an early reader of the books ... by the second volume when this cheapskate had to buy the hardbacks.

Passive Guy said it succinctly:  "How Harry Potter Saved Reading."

I prefer like to think "How Reading Saves People".  Is there nothing so pathetic as a bored salesclerk looking like they wanted to suck their thumb while they waited? The blank faces on subways are worse, like the time of the living zombies. Scary that they can turn off their brains. Books have saved me from such perils ... often. 

Came across several bored store clerks in the past week.  If they opened a book, they could have saved themselves from boredom. The time-clock probably condemns them to boredom, though. Wonder if you could make a case for "cruel and unusual punishment".  Corporations wouldn't understand even though the Supreme Court says the things are "persons".

Grumbling about My Lessons:

Promotions.  Promotions.  Someone shared the Indie Book Collective with me, and I'm learning a lot there. You might to ... even if you don't self-publish. 

But I have even something better to share if you are "indie" published, thanks to them.  The $0.99 Network will help you, perhaps, publicize your book if you have an ebook costing $0.99 or $2.99. Don't have an e-reader yet, but it seems to me that this place will help you save money.

I've done a submit for Taking Vengeance [published by WolfSinger Pubs].  Now I'm waiting to see if the site masters agree with my definition of "indie" to include small independent publishers. Don't think it's up, though.  I can't find it yet.

No matter really.  I'll still be able to use them starting in August when I start charging for Cavern Between Worlds.  Whatever, I think we're seeing networking in action -- provided I can figure out out to format the story.

Trivia:

The city road department is trying to turn me into a smarter mouse.  Road construction around out town has metastasized.  At least, they are creating jobs along with the inconvenience.

 

Dealing with Writer Envy

Writerly Fantasy Book Review:

Got Kevin Hearne's  Hexed read.  First, I want to say, I hate Hearne -- in the teenaged angst sort of way.  He only wrote for 19 years before he sold his trilogy.  --  [He deserves the success -- and makes my use of some of the same motifs look pedestrian.]

A second volume of a trilogy usually sags.  Hexed breaks that rule.  The plot arc flows as the gods, demons, witches, and dangling problems from the first book complicate things in the second volume.  The story?  Atticus O'Sullivan, the last remaining druid, survived an attack by gods and demons in Hounded, but one demon managed to escape and plot revenge.  Atticus must defend his southwestern US turf with the suspect help of the local Polish witch coven and the interference of religious fanatics seeking to destroy all magic workers.  The writing is fast and funny and totally deserving of envy.

I'm looking forward to Hammered, the third volume.  Del Rey Books has turned the trilogy into a series which should be a fun ride.  Hearne mix and matches a variety of the world's belief systems into one delightfully funny romp.

Social Networking and Other Web Stuff:

I don't know how Victoria Strauss of Writer Beware does it, but an awful lot of her blogs hit problems I'm facing on the nail head.  A recent blog on how to get out of contracts when a publisher goes belly up or some other reason is worth saving.  Guess I'm a disgustingly median writer.  

[Yeah, I got a contract dangling ...  but I've also got a book derived from it almost ready to submit.  Book trumps short story ... so guess which one I'm putting into play.  The short story can fester for the time being.  I also have another contract promised when the small publisher finishes their current project.  Have the draft for that one waiting for another revision.  So, I'm interested in contracts as well as marketing.]

Have just survived the cover wars with a cover I like [Cavern Between Worlds] so I found N. R. Williams blog at The Blood Red Pencil last week a relief.  Basically, she runs through the items your book cover should contain, a pertinent point now that so many writers are self-publishing.  As she puts it:  What Your Cover Should Not Do.  Even if you have a royalty publisher, the article will give you some arguing points.

[Now, excuse me while I dream of some famous author writing a cover blurb for my novel.  Of course, first I have to find a major publisher.]

Speaking of major publishers.  It's becoming more and more important to go over your contracts with a magnifying glass ... or is that a microscope?  The Passive Guy commented on Kristen Nelson's blog on Random Houses change to blanket e-royalties.  Seems to me the publisher changed the e-royalties without notifying anyone.  Also, I think I read something about one publisher reducing the royalty payout by contracting out to one of its subsidiaries.  --  Anyone taking bets on whether the authors on the messy end of the stick will sue?

For all you thinking of self-publishing, the Passive Guy also links to a self-publishing flow chart by the Self-Publishing coach.  If you don't know what good the old-style publisher does for an author, your eyes will open.  --  No wonder I don't have any time except for marketing.  When you self-publish you become the whole smeil.

My Writing Lessons:

My head's still spinning over my Half-Elven bible.  When Dark Solstice got rejected, yet again, I went back and looked at the mess of files I have on the world -- some seven crammed folders.  *rude noise*.  -- So, much for thinking I'll be writing something new.  Actually, I am -- another Half-Elven story set just after Taking Vengeance.  Something called book reviews.


Oh, the trailer is doing well, according to Big Burrito Media ... but I haven't seen any results in the sales figures for Taking Vengeance.

No.  That was not a criticism of the trailer.  The results won't be in for at least six months.   Mostly the lack of sales is my responsibility.  So far, I haven't lined up any reviewers for Taking Vengeance.

Trivia:
The couple generic friends' deaths didn't disrupt things much as my good friend's,
which is sad in its own way.