A while ago, I decided to read over my first NaNoWriMo success. I like to read the rough drafts on occasion to remember how it went and see how I feel about the overall results. It's not
fantasy but it's the first novel attempt of mine that made it to 50k.
Have to admit, it's rough. Since written during NaNoWriMo, that is expected but
it's also from 2008. I have written so many words since then, it's crazy (such as the 180k novel first draft). However, I
happened to notice something in the novel that I have been asked about
in the past on a writing web site and that deals with having more than one character POV in a single scene.
I did not do it well in that first draft partly because I wasn't trying to change point of view on a conscious level. Instead, I had random bits of information that were not from the main POV character's perspective simply because I was new at writing and trying to get the story down on paper/word.
Which is fine in a first draft but later requires finding ways
rewrite and edit the thing so that those don't exist anymore because
it's a one POV novel. Ah the fun of rewrites and edits.
While I'm going to edit out my little slips, it is possible to do
novels with more than one point of view and in fact, I have a few that are two or more. So, let's talk about those. In the past, the
omniscient point of view was popular and came in handy because it meant
the reader could see the thoughts of different characters without sticking
to one for too long even though one may have been the main focus a good part
of the time. However, the popularity has decrease and far more common
now is limited point of view approaches. But to the actual question:
Can you use different POV in one scene?
Possible, but there are variables to consider. And note, all recommendations will be general and on there are times when someone will be able to do something I say not to and that's just fine. If you can make the difficult work then go right ahead and do you.
1. Are you writing first person POV?
If this is the case, it is not recommended to have different pov in one
scene or even one chapter. If doing a short story with multiple first
person pov, know it will be hard work and some readers won't like how
much you'll have to jump around to get all of the views involved. And if going that route, at least try to have some way to indicate when the POV changes (even if not short story or first person narration).
There needs to be enough space, asterisks, or something to give the
reader a heads up that there is a change occurring, especially in first
person because it is difficult to tell the different voices apart when
every POV is "I". For novels, separate chapters works better though
one I read had a boy and a girl POV and the boy sounded like a girl part
of the time, so know it's not easy even if separating by chapters. But that's more for a topic on voice and such, not just point of view.
2. Are you writing third person POV?
Then it might be a little easier for you to do more than one point of
view, dependent on how deep you go in the pov as this can get closer to the omniscient level a little. This is easier in part because people will get less confused even
when there is a change in pov because it's more obvious when it's a
different character. There are names involved and don't have the whole
"I did this" type of situation. However, I still don't recommend just
jumping between characters when it comes to a scene. It's possible to do and some people will do it very well, but many readers also complain about those stories because the jumps start to feel accidental and amateur like when done with less indication for the reader. Part of the success will come in the writing and in having ways to show the change so that it doesn't have that random, not on purpose feeling. Other parts will just be in taking the risk and having it be needed for the story.
When a scene has jumps in POV with no space or warning, it's easy for
the reader to get confused. They might struggle to keep up and if the characters are in different situations/locations, the fast change will cause a sort of reading stumble, like a foot hitting a curb the person didn't notice was there. That's why having the space or separating
helps, because it lets the reader know there is a change. And it's worse if the jump is short term and goes through a
couple of characters all within the same scene. That, in particular, is where it looks more accidental even when we know stories are edited and such.
Plus, what we might think important to convey may not be as needed after
all. I read one story where the two main character pov were fine and
often split by chapters though even when it changed during a chapter it
wasn't too hard to tell. However, the very beginning of the novel had a couple random moments where it slipped into the best
friend's pov and I did not care for that at all. Sure, I could
see the author was trying to show us something about the main female
character by adding in the thoughts of the friend, but it really wasn't
needed and just pushed it into head hopping territory instead of helping
set the situation up for what was going to happen.
Which brings us to the end and my main point if you made it past my
rambling. While doing different viewpoints can come in handy, we also
have to consider who might read it (including ourselves cause I read my
own and don't like the head hopping I did back then). Jump around too
much and you'll get the "head hopping" situation, which is often frowned
upon because the confusion it causes and the fact it jumps without much
warning. Fantasy is great for having more than one viewpoint in a story
but even the big name authors will limit in the beginning and will
write in a way that shows a change is about to occur when they do
switch. So, don't be afraid to do different points of view, but also
remember to give the readers something to indicate the change. That way
you can have the best of both worlds.
So what are your thoughts and experiences with varying points of views in stories?
Do you write more than one point of view in a scene?
What are some good examples of times where it worked for you (reading or writing)?
Showing posts with label writing. Show all posts
Showing posts with label writing. Show all posts
Tuesday, January 12, 2016
Thursday, October 8, 2015
It Approaches... aka NaNoWriMo
That is right. After a long silence I'm going to talk about the first thing that comes to mind and right now, with it being already October 8th, the thing I'm focused on is getting ready for NaNoWriMo.
Yep, I'm doing it again this year. Last year was one of my not successful years but I don't have any qualms or regrets about taking part in it or any of the camp ones where I didn't write much. Even not making it to 50k (or in camp whatever goal was chosen) is still an accomplishment if something gets written.
Whether to prepare ahead of time or not is going to be a personal decision. It did help me the first year that I succeeded in getting 50,000 words. However, since then I have both prepped novels and written ones with no prep. Either way can go well and the end result tends to vary on the novel. Some are easier to write than others. I'm prepping this year but not as ahead of schedule as I've been in the past but still making progress. Although I'm finding I don't know much about this story yet. We'll see if that's the case when writing time comes too. Either way, I'll be writing.
One thing I need to work on as we get closer to November is going to be a schedule. I have a lot going on in general, plus will be gone for 6 whole days as my stepsister is getting married and I'm driving out to attend the wedding plus spending a day with family in a different state. I won't have much writing time at all from the 3rd through the 6th. So, I won't be trying to get 50k in 10 days or less this year. In fact, my normal beginning push and end of month slow down will need to be reversed. I will have work at least 5 days a week and the hours will either be closing or middle of day shifts, but not sure at this time. Plus, I have the gym though I will be running a little less by then since after the 10k the goal is just to maintain until spring, when I start training for the half marathon. The last few months, I have struggled to keep up with things, like blogging, and am slowly working on regaining my ground. Hope to keep it forward so that by 2016, things run smoother.
I do have some suggestions, however, when it comes to November's writing and the results of the excursion. I could talk a lot about tips for during and before NaNoWriMo but we'll keep it to a few things for now.
A couple of things I don't recommend during and after NaNoWriMo:
1. Sending out to publishers or agents right after November ends, or with that novel a few months later. While it's exciting to have a novel written, there is much left to be done and the first is to take a little time away from the story. Plus, many agents and editors are closed to submission over the holidays.
2. Publishing right after November or a mere few months later. I'm not against self publishing and if that's what you want to do then great. However, I do recommend taking a little time between drafts and doing more than one draft of the story before putting it out for the waiting audience. Unless that is your already established protocol of doing very fast drafts and putting it out there where you have a readership that supports such, I just don't recommend it.
3. Fretting over word count often. I have seen a few spend almost more time worrying about how behind they've gotten than actually writing. Don't put too much into panic or talking about how you should be writing. Or posting too much in forums when you have 10,000 words to catch up on. Plus, even if you only write 5,000 for the whole month (I might have made close to that my very first attempt), it's still more than you had October 31. Whether you take a month or three years to finish a novel, doesn't matter. Just write.
4. Ignoring everything for the sake of the novel. Perspective and balance are still good to have during November. Sure, the house can be a little messier and meals take less labor, but it's also not good to completely ignore everyone or skip out on responsibilities just for the sake of getting to 50,000 words. Write, yes, but don't ignore the rest of your life entirely.
Those are just some general pointers. I know not everyone is a fan of the national novel writing month with the quick writing and rough draft results. For me, it works and helps me focus on a single story for exactly one month. Now I'm going to get back to preparing for it and write a few scenes/stories on the side because I multi-task and over commit.
Yep, I'm doing it again this year. Last year was one of my not successful years but I don't have any qualms or regrets about taking part in it or any of the camp ones where I didn't write much. Even not making it to 50k (or in camp whatever goal was chosen) is still an accomplishment if something gets written.
Whether to prepare ahead of time or not is going to be a personal decision. It did help me the first year that I succeeded in getting 50,000 words. However, since then I have both prepped novels and written ones with no prep. Either way can go well and the end result tends to vary on the novel. Some are easier to write than others. I'm prepping this year but not as ahead of schedule as I've been in the past but still making progress. Although I'm finding I don't know much about this story yet. We'll see if that's the case when writing time comes too. Either way, I'll be writing.
One thing I need to work on as we get closer to November is going to be a schedule. I have a lot going on in general, plus will be gone for 6 whole days as my stepsister is getting married and I'm driving out to attend the wedding plus spending a day with family in a different state. I won't have much writing time at all from the 3rd through the 6th. So, I won't be trying to get 50k in 10 days or less this year. In fact, my normal beginning push and end of month slow down will need to be reversed. I will have work at least 5 days a week and the hours will either be closing or middle of day shifts, but not sure at this time. Plus, I have the gym though I will be running a little less by then since after the 10k the goal is just to maintain until spring, when I start training for the half marathon. The last few months, I have struggled to keep up with things, like blogging, and am slowly working on regaining my ground. Hope to keep it forward so that by 2016, things run smoother.
I do have some suggestions, however, when it comes to November's writing and the results of the excursion. I could talk a lot about tips for during and before NaNoWriMo but we'll keep it to a few things for now.
A couple of things I don't recommend during and after NaNoWriMo:
1. Sending out to publishers or agents right after November ends, or with that novel a few months later. While it's exciting to have a novel written, there is much left to be done and the first is to take a little time away from the story. Plus, many agents and editors are closed to submission over the holidays.
2. Publishing right after November or a mere few months later. I'm not against self publishing and if that's what you want to do then great. However, I do recommend taking a little time between drafts and doing more than one draft of the story before putting it out for the waiting audience. Unless that is your already established protocol of doing very fast drafts and putting it out there where you have a readership that supports such, I just don't recommend it.
3. Fretting over word count often. I have seen a few spend almost more time worrying about how behind they've gotten than actually writing. Don't put too much into panic or talking about how you should be writing. Or posting too much in forums when you have 10,000 words to catch up on. Plus, even if you only write 5,000 for the whole month (I might have made close to that my very first attempt), it's still more than you had October 31. Whether you take a month or three years to finish a novel, doesn't matter. Just write.
4. Ignoring everything for the sake of the novel. Perspective and balance are still good to have during November. Sure, the house can be a little messier and meals take less labor, but it's also not good to completely ignore everyone or skip out on responsibilities just for the sake of getting to 50,000 words. Write, yes, but don't ignore the rest of your life entirely.
Those are just some general pointers. I know not everyone is a fan of the national novel writing month with the quick writing and rough draft results. For me, it works and helps me focus on a single story for exactly one month. Now I'm going to get back to preparing for it and write a few scenes/stories on the side because I multi-task and over commit.
Thursday, April 23, 2015
T is for the Terrible Trouble
I may have made that up. Maybe. Remember to check out other blogs in the A to Z challenge.
What do I mean by terrible trouble? First, both start with T and I couldn't decide which one to use, but also because it's a terrible mindset that can cause trouble during edits. It's the "everything is terrible" problem causing thoughts that surface when trying to make that final draft shine.
At some time or another, elements of the story will seem terrible. It happens to us all. One has to be able to tell the difference between something really needed deleted or fixed versus being in a bad mindset where one might make a poor judgement call. It's also why you shouldn't edit the same copy of the novel. Make sure to have previous drafts as their own copy saved some where, just in case a mistake occurs and you delete whole chapters under the misguiding of "it's all terrible." Don't let a trouble hour lead to days of repairs and make sure to give yourself some space before going into an edit to begin with because there are times when we are too close to a story. It can go either in the "it's perfect" or "it's all terrible" way of thinking and neither will give you that polished draft.
Also, as troubling as it might be, there will be a time when you can't fix everything. Even years after a book is published most say they had things they would change. At some point you have to let go.
I had a painting professor who would often say "a painting is never finished, it is only abandoned" because there is always something that can be changed. The same goes for novels.
Do you struggle with "terrible trouble" and how do you push the negative mindset away in order to get to a point where you can abandon the edits?
What do I mean by terrible trouble? First, both start with T and I couldn't decide which one to use, but also because it's a terrible mindset that can cause trouble during edits. It's the "everything is terrible" problem causing thoughts that surface when trying to make that final draft shine.
At some time or another, elements of the story will seem terrible. It happens to us all. One has to be able to tell the difference between something really needed deleted or fixed versus being in a bad mindset where one might make a poor judgement call. It's also why you shouldn't edit the same copy of the novel. Make sure to have previous drafts as their own copy saved some where, just in case a mistake occurs and you delete whole chapters under the misguiding of "it's all terrible." Don't let a trouble hour lead to days of repairs and make sure to give yourself some space before going into an edit to begin with because there are times when we are too close to a story. It can go either in the "it's perfect" or "it's all terrible" way of thinking and neither will give you that polished draft.
Also, as troubling as it might be, there will be a time when you can't fix everything. Even years after a book is published most say they had things they would change. At some point you have to let go.
I had a painting professor who would often say "a painting is never finished, it is only abandoned" because there is always something that can be changed. The same goes for novels.
Do you struggle with "terrible trouble" and how do you push the negative mindset away in order to get to a point where you can abandon the edits?
Saturday, April 18, 2015
P is for Progress
That thing we strive for with edits: progress. Also there is blog progress as me and all of the others still going along with the A to Z Challenge have made it to the letter P. Getting closer to the end and some tough letters are yet to come.
On N day, just a few days ago, I made my topic as No Excuses because yesterday I was going to do some editing no matter what. Did I accomplish that plan and finally make some progress?
Yes, I did.
I'm still not very far but I worked on the edits in the first section (aka first five chapters) focusing on making sure I have some use of the senses, looking at description and tying up a slightly questionable loose end. The trouble with final edits, for this one, is that there are the very small errors to fix just geared towards making it the best I can before submission, but there are a still bigger term issues that involve writing more. And since my typing is stall with this weird little keyboard I have to use, it them means also checking over every sentence for random extra spaces. So, it has elements of previous edits, new elements and yet marks an important line in the terms of progress.
It feels good to make progress but it also brings up a couple other things that need done in order to reach my goal of submission. I need to rewrite and edit my q... Oh yeah, that is monday's topic. See you then. ;-)
How is your progress? Did you edit?
On N day, just a few days ago, I made my topic as No Excuses because yesterday I was going to do some editing no matter what. Did I accomplish that plan and finally make some progress?
Yes, I did.
I'm still not very far but I worked on the edits in the first section (aka first five chapters) focusing on making sure I have some use of the senses, looking at description and tying up a slightly questionable loose end. The trouble with final edits, for this one, is that there are the very small errors to fix just geared towards making it the best I can before submission, but there are a still bigger term issues that involve writing more. And since my typing is stall with this weird little keyboard I have to use, it them means also checking over every sentence for random extra spaces. So, it has elements of previous edits, new elements and yet marks an important line in the terms of progress.
It feels good to make progress but it also brings up a couple other things that need done in order to reach my goal of submission. I need to rewrite and edit my q... Oh yeah, that is monday's topic. See you then. ;-)
How is your progress? Did you edit?
Tuesday, April 14, 2015
L is for Learning Curve
Another letter of the alphabet brought to us by the A to Z challenge.
I struggled to pick the write L word as a couple ideas came to mind when pondering this blog. Editing is a tricky topic for some letters but much easier for others. I could have even gone with letters, for example, but that's a little too minutiae for me. I decided on "learning curve" in the end because overall, editing does have a bit of a learning curve involved, especially for one's first novel.
There is a learning curve to edits. Sure we want things to go right the first time, or by the 5th draft at the very least, but with each novel, we are learning. Even later, if an agent and editor takes interest, there will be more edits and things to change.
We learn what to fix, over time can start to spot our own weaknesses and develop ways of fixing the story the best we can. We also learn when it's time to let go.
There is much to learn when it comes to editing novels, so it's a good thing there is a learning curve involved. And there are probably certain aspects of the first novel that are going to be different than the 5th novel, but that's just a guess.
How much of a learning curve do you think exists for a first novel?
I struggled to pick the write L word as a couple ideas came to mind when pondering this blog. Editing is a tricky topic for some letters but much easier for others. I could have even gone with letters, for example, but that's a little too minutiae for me. I decided on "learning curve" in the end because overall, editing does have a bit of a learning curve involved, especially for one's first novel.
There is a learning curve to edits. Sure we want things to go right the first time, or by the 5th draft at the very least, but with each novel, we are learning. Even later, if an agent and editor takes interest, there will be more edits and things to change.
We learn what to fix, over time can start to spot our own weaknesses and develop ways of fixing the story the best we can. We also learn when it's time to let go.
There is much to learn when it comes to editing novels, so it's a good thing there is a learning curve involved. And there are probably certain aspects of the first novel that are going to be different than the 5th novel, but that's just a guess.
How much of a learning curve do you think exists for a first novel?
Monday, April 13, 2015
K is for Kill Your Darling
This topic works well with editing because first draft is not the time to try and let go of a darling, no matter what form it takes. Even second draft is a bit too early. But nearing the end in rewrites and edits, that is a great time to kill the darlings and thus my topic for day K in the A to Z blog challenge.
Kill Your Darlings
What does it mean?
It is a reference to certain parts of a manuscript that the writer (creator) has grown attached to for varying reasons but it ends up not being a necessary part. The part can be a character, phrase, joke, description, setting or other forms within a draft. While it may be a great piece of writing, the love felt by the writer is not as experienced by the reader who will find the bit superfluous and unnecessary. Think about those long paragraphs of description that you skipped in that book you had to read years ago. It's something like that. While it was good at the time, in that edit phase, sometimes the good sounding needs to go if it doesn't do enough for the story as a whole.
I haven't had too much experience with the full kill your darling concept just yet. While I like many aspects of the stories, there aren't many particular paragraphs, descriptions (pfft, still need to add those), or even characters that need cut that would cause me pain in doing so. I may kill a character some day in a series, my apologies to readers in advance for that, but so far, haven't had to kill many darlings in edits. But this is my first major edit. Never know what the other novels will need.
Links to peruse:
http://writeroutine.blogspot.com/2012/02/how-to-kill-your-darlings.html
http://www.slate.com/blogs/browbeat/2013/10/18/_kill_your_darlings_writing_advice_what_writer_really_said_to_murder_your.html
http://www.urbandictionary.com/define.php?term=Kill+your+darlings
http://www.writers-village.org/writing-award-blog/how-and-when-to-kill-your-darlings
Have you had to kill your darling? What kind of darlings do you find the most in editing?
Kill Your Darlings
What does it mean?
It is a reference to certain parts of a manuscript that the writer (creator) has grown attached to for varying reasons but it ends up not being a necessary part. The part can be a character, phrase, joke, description, setting or other forms within a draft. While it may be a great piece of writing, the love felt by the writer is not as experienced by the reader who will find the bit superfluous and unnecessary. Think about those long paragraphs of description that you skipped in that book you had to read years ago. It's something like that. While it was good at the time, in that edit phase, sometimes the good sounding needs to go if it doesn't do enough for the story as a whole.
I haven't had too much experience with the full kill your darling concept just yet. While I like many aspects of the stories, there aren't many particular paragraphs, descriptions (pfft, still need to add those), or even characters that need cut that would cause me pain in doing so. I may kill a character some day in a series, my apologies to readers in advance for that, but so far, haven't had to kill many darlings in edits. But this is my first major edit. Never know what the other novels will need.
Links to peruse:
http://writeroutine.blogspot.com/2012/02/how-to-kill-your-darlings.html
http://www.slate.com/blogs/browbeat/2013/10/18/_kill_your_darlings_writing_advice_what_writer_really_said_to_murder_your.html
http://www.urbandictionary.com/define.php?term=Kill+your+darlings
http://www.writers-village.org/writing-award-blog/how-and-when-to-kill-your-darlings
Have you had to kill your darling? What kind of darlings do you find the most in editing?
Saturday, April 11, 2015
J is for Just
As in the word I use way too much. I am not sure why, but during first drafts and the occasional second or third, one of the words I use too often is "just" even though I'm well aware of the overuse. The characters just do a lot of things. Like you should just check out the other blogs in the A to Z challenge.
Just
Definition: (adverb) exactly. or... in the immediate past. Very recently.
(adjective) Based on or behaving according to what is morally right or fair.
As you can probably guess, more often than not, the word just is used as an adverb. He just wanted a little ice cream. She just happened to have what they needed. So forth and so on. While I am pretty good about cutting down the obvious -ly adverbs, for some reason, my typing draft mind is drawn to the word just and I use it all of the time.
In at least two of the edits where I'm fixing sentences and cutting out excess, I take out "just" in almost every chapter. It's something I not only need to be aware about but accept as a factor involved in every edit.
It's just something I do and often have to fix.
Do you use the word just too much? What is your overused word?
Friday, April 10, 2015
I is for Importance
Yes, a blog on what is important. This should be an important topic. That and it was hard to come up with an I topic for the A to Z Blog Challenge. Check out the link to see what other bloggers decided to post for today.
By importance I mean more than just it's important to edit. What I really mean and will write about briefly is in determining what information and actions are important to the story. This can be a challenge for some writers and why it's something one must focus on in particular during rewrites and edits because the first draft is no place to worry bout such a detail.
Is the scene important? Is that character important?
There should be varying levels of yes or no, however. It's not completely straightforward and just because something doesn't have a huge, pressing, plot changing level of importance, that doesn't mean it needs to be cut.
It can be hard to tell if something is important because having written the whole story, you might think of course it is important. Everything can seem important. This is why it's often recommended to take a break between drafts in order to gain some judgment distance. Getting a little distance will make it easier to both see some of the excess but also to not hate it if the rush of the draft ended with tiring of the story.
Overall, finding the important bits of story, fixing the minor errors and such, that is all part of editing. Important editing...
How do you determine what is important in your story?
By importance I mean more than just it's important to edit. What I really mean and will write about briefly is in determining what information and actions are important to the story. This can be a challenge for some writers and why it's something one must focus on in particular during rewrites and edits because the first draft is no place to worry bout such a detail.
Is the scene important? Is that character important?
There should be varying levels of yes or no, however. It's not completely straightforward and just because something doesn't have a huge, pressing, plot changing level of importance, that doesn't mean it needs to be cut.
It can be hard to tell if something is important because having written the whole story, you might think of course it is important. Everything can seem important. This is why it's often recommended to take a break between drafts in order to gain some judgment distance. Getting a little distance will make it easier to both see some of the excess but also to not hate it if the rush of the draft ended with tiring of the story.
Overall, finding the important bits of story, fixing the minor errors and such, that is all part of editing. Important editing...
How do you determine what is important in your story?
Thursday, April 9, 2015
H is for Habit
As in getting into the habit of editing on a regular basis. Something I still need to work on since I haven't done any of the edit in the last week though trying to keep up with this challenge is proving a tad difficult. Check out the others making it through the alphabet over here at A to Z.
Today will be short as there is only so much one can say about creating a habit in editing or writing. It's helpful because you then get things done on a regular basis instead of random bits and pieces. Once used to doing something, having created the habit, it also seems easier each time expected to sit down and get stuff done. The last edit didn't feel so bad once I got into the rhythm because the small term habit was then created. This new edit, the type I hadn't done before, that is hard once again because I don't have that steady form to work on it on a regular basis, yet.
How to form a habit?
Schedule -This is kind of a make it happen approach, also known as the fake it until you make it. Pick a specific time and specific days in order to work on the edit. Make it a priority and write it down. Then keep to your schedule. After a while, it should be a habit.
Just Do It- Even when you don't want to, just work on the edit. While you may not be happy at first, you will feel better later and may find you get even more done then you expected. Plus, if you keep just doing it then soon it will become something you do without having to put as much effort.
Google: https://www.google.com/#q=how+to+form+a+habit
Do you have a habit of editing? How do you make writing or editing a habit?
Today will be short as there is only so much one can say about creating a habit in editing or writing. It's helpful because you then get things done on a regular basis instead of random bits and pieces. Once used to doing something, having created the habit, it also seems easier each time expected to sit down and get stuff done. The last edit didn't feel so bad once I got into the rhythm because the small term habit was then created. This new edit, the type I hadn't done before, that is hard once again because I don't have that steady form to work on it on a regular basis, yet.
How to form a habit?
Schedule -This is kind of a make it happen approach, also known as the fake it until you make it. Pick a specific time and specific days in order to work on the edit. Make it a priority and write it down. Then keep to your schedule. After a while, it should be a habit.
Just Do It- Even when you don't want to, just work on the edit. While you may not be happy at first, you will feel better later and may find you get even more done then you expected. Plus, if you keep just doing it then soon it will become something you do without having to put as much effort.
Google: https://www.google.com/#q=how+to+form+a+habit
Do you have a habit of editing? How do you make writing or editing a habit?
Wednesday, April 8, 2015
G is for Gerund
Which is something I probably use far too often. Like: You should be checking out the other blog in the A to Z Challenge. Hehehe, but really, I do use -ing words far too much in attempt at avoiding overuse of was(to be) so the topic does come up during editing.
The Gerund
What is it?
A gerund is a noun made from a verb by adding "-ing." The gerund form of the verb "read" is "reading." You can use a gerund as the subject, the complement, or the object of a sentence.
The trick is these aren't always the easiest to spot because the -ing can also be a present participle, or it may act much like a verb. According to Grammar Girl there are nouny gerunds, verby gerunds and gerunds in compound nouns. But most of the sources say that they always end in -ing.
And that reaches the extent of my knowledge on gerunds... I haven't done an edit with a full focus on searching for them in particular. I tend to focus on things I have used too often and try to figure out then how to rewrite the sentence to make it better. Some of that involves finding a way to cut down on -ing, which I hope is eliminating a few gerunds when they aren't needed, but hard to say for sure.
There are others who know way more than me about gerunds. Here are a few links to ponder:
http://www.chompchomp.com/terms/gerund.htm
http://grammar.ccc.commnet.edu/grammar/gerunds.htm
http://www.quickanddirtytips.com/education/grammar/what-is-a-gerund
How do you gerund? Do you need to edit some out now?
The Gerund
What is it?
A gerund is a noun made from a verb by adding "-ing." The gerund form of the verb "read" is "reading." You can use a gerund as the subject, the complement, or the object of a sentence.
The trick is these aren't always the easiest to spot because the -ing can also be a present participle, or it may act much like a verb. According to Grammar Girl there are nouny gerunds, verby gerunds and gerunds in compound nouns. But most of the sources say that they always end in -ing.
And that reaches the extent of my knowledge on gerunds... I haven't done an edit with a full focus on searching for them in particular. I tend to focus on things I have used too often and try to figure out then how to rewrite the sentence to make it better. Some of that involves finding a way to cut down on -ing, which I hope is eliminating a few gerunds when they aren't needed, but hard to say for sure.
There are others who know way more than me about gerunds. Here are a few links to ponder:
http://www.chompchomp.com/terms/gerund.htm
http://grammar.ccc.commnet.edu/grammar/gerunds.htm
http://www.quickanddirtytips.com/education/grammar/what-is-a-gerund
How do you gerund? Do you need to edit some out now?
Monday, April 6, 2015
E is for Ending
Not for the blog but on editing that end of the novel as you can do that any time. I like to write in order but for editing, I just hop around the story depending what catches my attention for the day. So, for the E topic, we're going to look at editing the end of the story and maybe chapter endings too. Check out A to Z blogs to see other blog posts for the challenge.
The End
It's an important part of the novel. After many many words, you finally reached the point in the story where things need to stop and the pages can no longer be turned. In the first draft, it can be a great moment or one full of anguish depending on how you got there. But when you do, it feels good, especially that very first time because it's done. (Unless, of course, you write the end first or in the middle, as not everyone does the very last pages or chapters last when writing.) There is success in finishing that first draft and a sense of completion. Then you remember you have to one day rewrite and edit.
Rewrites are fine and will vary depending on how much needs changed. Then there are the edits and our topic. Much like the first page and chapter of the novel, that ending needs to be spot on because you want the person who reads it to finish with a lasting impression from those final pages. There will be time spend and maybe a little anguish, trying to get the words just right.
Many things to consider. The end needs to feel like the end, all the loose strings should be somewhat tied and if there are books to come after, some sense of more to come can be helpful. There is a lot to take in and consider for this part of the novel. Even if there are sequels, the end of the book has to feel complete enough or readers will be unhappy. Yet one can only edit it so much before they just need to stop. There will always be something you can change and at a certain point, time may come to let go.
There are other endings involved in editing too. There are chapter endings, scene endings and even sentence endings. What has a start often has an end. Each chapter ending, for example, has to accomplish a few things. It marks a small end but at the same time, often the goal will be to give the reader interest to keep reading. Some are okay with giving obvious stopping points, but many want their reader to have that urge to keep going, to stay up all night if need be in order to know what happens next. Editing helps create those chapter endings.
I'm not at the end of anything in editing (chapter/section/novel) but I look forward to reaching that point because I still work linear, so it will be close to the anticipated end of editing. A nervous and exciting ending as well.
How are your endings?
The End
It's an important part of the novel. After many many words, you finally reached the point in the story where things need to stop and the pages can no longer be turned. In the first draft, it can be a great moment or one full of anguish depending on how you got there. But when you do, it feels good, especially that very first time because it's done. (Unless, of course, you write the end first or in the middle, as not everyone does the very last pages or chapters last when writing.) There is success in finishing that first draft and a sense of completion. Then you remember you have to one day rewrite and edit.
Rewrites are fine and will vary depending on how much needs changed. Then there are the edits and our topic. Much like the first page and chapter of the novel, that ending needs to be spot on because you want the person who reads it to finish with a lasting impression from those final pages. There will be time spend and maybe a little anguish, trying to get the words just right.
Many things to consider. The end needs to feel like the end, all the loose strings should be somewhat tied and if there are books to come after, some sense of more to come can be helpful. There is a lot to take in and consider for this part of the novel. Even if there are sequels, the end of the book has to feel complete enough or readers will be unhappy. Yet one can only edit it so much before they just need to stop. There will always be something you can change and at a certain point, time may come to let go.
There are other endings involved in editing too. There are chapter endings, scene endings and even sentence endings. What has a start often has an end. Each chapter ending, for example, has to accomplish a few things. It marks a small end but at the same time, often the goal will be to give the reader interest to keep reading. Some are okay with giving obvious stopping points, but many want their reader to have that urge to keep going, to stay up all night if need be in order to know what happens next. Editing helps create those chapter endings.
I'm not at the end of anything in editing (chapter/section/novel) but I look forward to reaching that point because I still work linear, so it will be close to the anticipated end of editing. A nervous and exciting ending as well.
How are your endings?
Saturday, April 4, 2015
D is for Description
Now we are getting somewhere if we want to reference things I'm not good at and need to work on in rewrites and edits. Check out the other blogs at A to Z Blog Challenge to see what other people come up with for D and beyond. Now, time for my topic and it was an easy pick.
Description
I do not write much in the way of description. I managed to write 165k in NaNoWriMo one year and the first draft ended at about 180k but there is very little description in the fantasy story. Yeah... Not sure what it is but I'm definitely more comfortable with things like dialogue and I can even throw in some action more than I can write a descriptive scene. Even with the novel I'm editing where I have done rewrites where I more than doubled the word count, I still need to add description in this final edits.
One issue, for me, is the use of the senses. I can admit that it's a weakness of mine, or at least some of the sentences in particular. Some are easier to add in a story, like visuals and depending certain situations a sound or touch. However, there are some that I struggle to add without it seeming forced. Taste is a tough one for me because unless the character is eating or there is a specific reason for them to suddenly think about what they are tasting in a moment, it's not something I just write in a scene. Same goes for smell at times. I know you don't need them all, all of the time, but I do know it's something that I need to work on still. I am trying in this edit to make sure that some of the senses are used on a regular basis to really bring the story more to life for the reader.
Giving specific details is a challenge at times. There is a thick line between too much detail and not enough and we want to try of the time to be on that line. Some detail helps create the world and show things to the reader. Too much description and details, however, will take the reader out of the story or just plain bore them. Some readers skip parts more than others but if anyone is going to skip a section of story it is often said they skip the overly descriptive parts because they seem boring and not as vital to the story overall.
So, I'm going to work on description in my edits and in future rewrite/edits of other novels.
Here are some links to check out on descriptive writing:
How are you at description? Do you need to cut or add description in rewrites or edits?
Thursday, April 2, 2015
B is for Background Checks
Day 2 and it took me a moment to figure my B topic when considering editing and technical focus but I found something and that deals with keeping background information available to double check in edits. There are many things to check when doing edits, like character details but today we will focus on just background.
Make sure to check out the other blogs at www.a-to-zchallenge.com/p/a-to-z-challenge-sign-uplist-2015.html
Background Checks
There are many factors that one could need to check to make sure everything in the background is kept in check between different novel drafts.
Setting - this is an obvious aspect of background. It makes sense because setting is often refered to as background, which makes it something one would often check during a background check in edits. There are different aspects to check from desired levels of detail, consistencies and keeping from falling into white room syndrome (another topic previously posted about on this blog). Edits are where we see what needs cropped or embellished, depending on your writing style.
Character information - not every detail is necessary but it does help to keep the background information on the characters in check. While we don't need to show every aspect of every character in the story, there are details that exist within the background of the story that needs to be checked during edits in order to maintain consistency.
One minor character note I have had to keep track in my edits of the current novel had to do with the math teacher. It took a couple drafts for me to notice that halfway through the story, the math teacher switches from male to female. Ooops. Have to check the limited scenes throughout the story in relation to all teachers to make sure they don't have minor things changing at random.
Pre-edit checking - one thing I did before this final set of edits was to take a series of notes, chapter by chapter, in preparation for the task at hand. That way I knew the background information available, what my be lacking and having that check beforehand did help me prepare for the daunting edit tasks that I am still wading through this month.
What parts of the background do you check during edits? What do you consider the background of your story?
Wednesday, April 1, 2015
A is for Adverbs
Welcome to my blog and this year's attempt at the wonderful A to Z blog challenge. I've taken part in the challenge for several years, though not always with this blog, but I'm happy to be back to the writing topics this year (though I do need to pick up my book reading pace once again). On this blog, as I have 2 in the challenge, I am going to be posting on the technical side of writing as I'm also in the process of doing a final edit before I take the leap into the unknown land of submitting to agents.
Check out other blogs in the challenge here: http://www.a-to-zchallenge.com/p/a-to-z-challenge-sign-uplist-2015.html
A is for Adverbs
I went with a rather obvious first post of the month and A topic. It's something I come across quite often as a reader on a writing site I help moderate and it's a part of writing that I'm well aware of during edits. I don't write a ton of the -ly adverbs myself from years of having them on the back of my mind as something to avoid overusing, but I do find even then, since I do fast first drafts like NaNoWriMo, there are some that need cut out for every edit.
First: What is an adverb?
- a word or phrase that modifies or qualifies an adjective, verb, or other adverb or a word group, expressing a relation of place, time, circumstance, manner, cause, degree, etc.
Now, to be clear, I always mention when I comment on someone's adverb usage that it's not a case of never. I know that adverbs have their place in writing and one doesn't need to cut them all out in order to have a good draft/story. However, I find in the unpublished, less edited short fiction that I read often times does tend to use them to a large degree. For me, a short story (under 10,000 words) and in particular flash fiction (under 1,000 words) shouldn't have as many or more adverbs than several novel chapters. If the story is 700 words, there is a limit to where the amount of -ly and such can become glaring and drags down the writing instead of doing the job of modifying the way the writer is wanting. I'm talking 20-40 of them withing the parameter of a flash fiction. That's just too many (yes, just is one of my weak points in writing but I'll get there probably on W or J day). So, I'm an advocate of caution, limiting adverb usage and knowing how the words are helping or hindering a story.
Why limit adverbs?
Here are a few of the main reasons I've seen over the years while doing research and writing:
1. Weakens writing
2. Amateur
3. Show versus Tell
Let's start with number 2. Often times, a large abundence of adverbs in a story will imply to the reader that the person doing the writing is an amateur, someone who is still a beginner to the process. This is in part due to the other factors, having less experience to know whether or not the many ones used weakened the writing or if they had a strong enough purpose to provide to the story. And, based on my experience, the newer writer does tend to rely on the -ly a little more, though some people will still cling to their adverbs after many years of writing if they don't want to work on that aspect of their skills.
Number 1 and 3 are close together. I've heard the weak word explanation the most but the show versus tell can be tricky at times for some writers, so it's not surprising that is a factor too. From what I've noticed, often times the writer is trying to create a certain mood or show something in particular about the character or action by the use of the -ly. However, the result on the other side, as the reader is that it does part way do what the writer intended but not in the best way possible. I also have found that the non-ly adverbs are often words associated as "weak words" and are ones I have to work on in edits (words like just, sometimes, very, etc.) while others get us to number 3 more. The -ly action at times, like trying to show how a character is reacting, can either be great or actually make the sentence more of a tell instead of a show.
Either way, it's a matter of finding balance and knowing when to cut down. Some adverbs are great and the modification to the sentence can be handy. Other times, they will become overdone and bring the story down instead of offering the proper nail in the support beam. Learning when to use one and when to cut, that takes time and practice.
Other sources:
http://www.momswhothink.com/reading/list-of-adverbs.html
http://thewritelife.com/edit-your-copy/
http://people.umass.edu/curtis/academics/editingtoolbox/cuttinglard.html
http://womensmemoirs.com/writing-alchemy/damn-the-ly-words-in-your-writing-show-dont-tell/
http://thewritingcafe.tumblr.com/post/59307399037/cutting-adverbs-usestrongwords
What are your thoughts on adverbs? Do you cut some out in edits?
Check out other blogs in the challenge here: http://www.a-to-zchallenge.com/p/a-to-z-challenge-sign-uplist-2015.html
A is for Adverbs
I went with a rather obvious first post of the month and A topic. It's something I come across quite often as a reader on a writing site I help moderate and it's a part of writing that I'm well aware of during edits. I don't write a ton of the -ly adverbs myself from years of having them on the back of my mind as something to avoid overusing, but I do find even then, since I do fast first drafts like NaNoWriMo, there are some that need cut out for every edit.
First: What is an adverb?
- a word or phrase that modifies or qualifies an adjective, verb, or other adverb or a word group, expressing a relation of place, time, circumstance, manner, cause, degree, etc.
Now, to be clear, I always mention when I comment on someone's adverb usage that it's not a case of never. I know that adverbs have their place in writing and one doesn't need to cut them all out in order to have a good draft/story. However, I find in the unpublished, less edited short fiction that I read often times does tend to use them to a large degree. For me, a short story (under 10,000 words) and in particular flash fiction (under 1,000 words) shouldn't have as many or more adverbs than several novel chapters. If the story is 700 words, there is a limit to where the amount of -ly and such can become glaring and drags down the writing instead of doing the job of modifying the way the writer is wanting. I'm talking 20-40 of them withing the parameter of a flash fiction. That's just too many (yes, just is one of my weak points in writing but I'll get there probably on W or J day). So, I'm an advocate of caution, limiting adverb usage and knowing how the words are helping or hindering a story.
Why limit adverbs?
Here are a few of the main reasons I've seen over the years while doing research and writing:
1. Weakens writing
2. Amateur
3. Show versus Tell
Let's start with number 2. Often times, a large abundence of adverbs in a story will imply to the reader that the person doing the writing is an amateur, someone who is still a beginner to the process. This is in part due to the other factors, having less experience to know whether or not the many ones used weakened the writing or if they had a strong enough purpose to provide to the story. And, based on my experience, the newer writer does tend to rely on the -ly a little more, though some people will still cling to their adverbs after many years of writing if they don't want to work on that aspect of their skills.
Number 1 and 3 are close together. I've heard the weak word explanation the most but the show versus tell can be tricky at times for some writers, so it's not surprising that is a factor too. From what I've noticed, often times the writer is trying to create a certain mood or show something in particular about the character or action by the use of the -ly. However, the result on the other side, as the reader is that it does part way do what the writer intended but not in the best way possible. I also have found that the non-ly adverbs are often words associated as "weak words" and are ones I have to work on in edits (words like just, sometimes, very, etc.) while others get us to number 3 more. The -ly action at times, like trying to show how a character is reacting, can either be great or actually make the sentence more of a tell instead of a show.
Either way, it's a matter of finding balance and knowing when to cut down. Some adverbs are great and the modification to the sentence can be handy. Other times, they will become overdone and bring the story down instead of offering the proper nail in the support beam. Learning when to use one and when to cut, that takes time and practice.
Other sources:
http://www.momswhothink.com/reading/list-of-adverbs.html
http://thewritelife.com/edit-your-copy/
http://people.umass.edu/curtis/academics/editingtoolbox/cuttinglard.html
http://womensmemoirs.com/writing-alchemy/damn-the-ly-words-in-your-writing-show-dont-tell/
http://thewritingcafe.tumblr.com/post/59307399037/cutting-adverbs-usestrongwords
What are your thoughts on adverbs? Do you cut some out in edits?
Tuesday, March 24, 2015
A to Z Topic for 2015
Yep, it's time to announce the topic of the month for this year's exciting A to Z blog challenge.
It was a difficult decision.
While my first instinct was to go with something fun, like character or maybe even worldbuilding since I started working on my epic fantasy before nanowrimo and didn't get very far. I'm notorious for wanting to worldbuild but never actually doing much of it as I instead just write the first draft. However, after much consideration, I decided the topic I needed to cover on this blog is:
Edits and Other Technical Aspects of Fiction Writing
Yep, I'm buckling down with my edits right now and this blog gets to be a part of that because I'm still very new to this whole final edit before submission process. I stalled since I was uncertain which steps to take and need to push myself in order to get things done. So, that's the topic for A to Z challenge. It will include grammar, point of view, description (and my insane lack thereof even after multiple rewrites) and many other similar topics related to the editing process.
Come back on April 1 to see which topic got picked for A.
It was a difficult decision.
While my first instinct was to go with something fun, like character or maybe even worldbuilding since I started working on my epic fantasy before nanowrimo and didn't get very far. I'm notorious for wanting to worldbuild but never actually doing much of it as I instead just write the first draft. However, after much consideration, I decided the topic I needed to cover on this blog is:
Edits and Other Technical Aspects of Fiction Writing
Yep, I'm buckling down with my edits right now and this blog gets to be a part of that because I'm still very new to this whole final edit before submission process. I stalled since I was uncertain which steps to take and need to push myself in order to get things done. So, that's the topic for A to Z challenge. It will include grammar, point of view, description (and my insane lack thereof even after multiple rewrites) and many other similar topics related to the editing process.
Come back on April 1 to see which topic got picked for A.
Wednesday, March 11, 2015
Coming Soon: April Blog Challenge
That is right. It is time once again for the A theatrical Z blog challenge.
This year I am going between three different topics and plan to pick one in the next two weeks. It's not easy to pick what to spend an entire month talking about so I'm going to give it a little time even though I have a slight preference at this point.
Top choice right now is a month focused on character. Each letter would focus on an aspect of characters that can range from meta to miniscule. I do like characters so any chance to talk about the many different aspects involved in minor and main characters will nab at my attention. I have done some character posts in the past, so will need to make sure don't repeat myself too much in this one and really any topic chosen.
Another option is a whole month on world building. I would probably need to specify on that option as have done some in the past even though I don't world build much. There are so many topics available with building a world that one could probably use the topic per month for a number of years with the A to Z challenge and not run out of material.
Finally, I'm considering talking about the technical side of writing since I'm trying to learn how to get edits done. I've managed to find my groove with first draft writing and even rewriting, but this final edit has been on a major stall. I need to get that done so I can finally reach the submission process. Writing about different editing points and such for a month could be a good reminder of what I should be working on myself.
So the three topics: Character, World Building or Technical.
Tough pick.
What will you work on in April?
Hope to see many bloggers out and about during the month and I can't wait for the challenge.
Friday, January 23, 2015
Abundance of Dialogue in Short Fiction
"Dialogue"
When it comes to this writing element in short and long fiction, in general: I'm a fan. Ever since practicing for specific dialogue only contest on a writing site, I've often put a fair amount of talking in my stories, in particular in first drafts and during NaNoWriMo cause it's now the easiest for me to do quick with little worry of end result. I struggle to get much description and at times with action, but boy can my characters talk.
There can be benefits to the chatter, however. Dialogue has definite uses and many stories would not be complete without some (though it is possible to write a short story without dialogue, for sure). It can allow characters to provide information to each other and the reader without coming off as too much of a tell from the writer. There are times when the right bit of dialogue in a moment, the right phrase or saying can help set the tone, pacing or even conflict. The way the speech is done and word choice can also be useful in showing character.
It can also be used to help setup a scene/story. All one has to say is: "We need to talk" and a moment is created with much potential. There is the anticipation and internal thoughts that occur when the character is preparing for the talk, no matter which pov is being used at the time. Much potential exists when it comes to dialogue.
However, it can reach a certain point, where the talking might become too much. At times, in particular with short fiction, if much is taking place in dialogue only, there might be other things missed. Pacing is affected along with distraction and uncertainty as the reader tries to see the whole story. Depending on the story, this could mean that too much dialogue was used.
Yep. I said it. Too much dialogue.
Is that even possible? Honestly, even as a fan of characters who talk, there are times when there is too much dialogue in a story. It is possible.
Most of the time this experience is with unpublished work as I spend a fair amount of time on a writing web site. However, it's possible to see this in published work as well because opinions will vary. There are times when I'll read a story on here and while it has potential, I will struggle because much of the story will be done in dialogue. I'm not saying that can't work, however, it can also work against the story in some cases. While at times, characters talking can help with the show versus tell aspect, when taken too far it becomes the characters telling, and it's easy enough to notice. The reader might end up distracted by all the chatter or feel as if they missed something important because other aspects of story telling are lacking. And in short fiction, word count does limit what can be shown to the reader in the given time frame.
Balance is a difficult task to achieve because it will vary with every single story but it's something we should all work on as writers. Plus, the dramatic dialogue reveal can be made stronger by also having other aspects such as emotion and enough description to put the reader in the moment even more. Something to consider at least. One story will require more dialogue than another, but trying to determine what is needed is all part of the craft and challenge of writing.
This will be more noticeable in short fiction than novels because there is less space and words used to tell the entire story. All dialogue stories can be successful, but it will depend on the writing and the story being told. On the other hand, a story with half dialogue can feel like the talking takes over the story. Variables. Let the character's talk but in editing the task will be working on reigning things in with the hopes of making the story the best it can become.
What do you think? Can there be too much dialogue?
When it comes to this writing element in short and long fiction, in general: I'm a fan. Ever since practicing for specific dialogue only contest on a writing site, I've often put a fair amount of talking in my stories, in particular in first drafts and during NaNoWriMo cause it's now the easiest for me to do quick with little worry of end result. I struggle to get much description and at times with action, but boy can my characters talk.
There can be benefits to the chatter, however. Dialogue has definite uses and many stories would not be complete without some (though it is possible to write a short story without dialogue, for sure). It can allow characters to provide information to each other and the reader without coming off as too much of a tell from the writer. There are times when the right bit of dialogue in a moment, the right phrase or saying can help set the tone, pacing or even conflict. The way the speech is done and word choice can also be useful in showing character.
It can also be used to help setup a scene/story. All one has to say is: "We need to talk" and a moment is created with much potential. There is the anticipation and internal thoughts that occur when the character is preparing for the talk, no matter which pov is being used at the time. Much potential exists when it comes to dialogue.
However, it can reach a certain point, where the talking might become too much. At times, in particular with short fiction, if much is taking place in dialogue only, there might be other things missed. Pacing is affected along with distraction and uncertainty as the reader tries to see the whole story. Depending on the story, this could mean that too much dialogue was used.
Yep. I said it. Too much dialogue.
Is that even possible? Honestly, even as a fan of characters who talk, there are times when there is too much dialogue in a story. It is possible.
Most of the time this experience is with unpublished work as I spend a fair amount of time on a writing web site. However, it's possible to see this in published work as well because opinions will vary. There are times when I'll read a story on here and while it has potential, I will struggle because much of the story will be done in dialogue. I'm not saying that can't work, however, it can also work against the story in some cases. While at times, characters talking can help with the show versus tell aspect, when taken too far it becomes the characters telling, and it's easy enough to notice. The reader might end up distracted by all the chatter or feel as if they missed something important because other aspects of story telling are lacking. And in short fiction, word count does limit what can be shown to the reader in the given time frame.
Balance is a difficult task to achieve because it will vary with every single story but it's something we should all work on as writers. Plus, the dramatic dialogue reveal can be made stronger by also having other aspects such as emotion and enough description to put the reader in the moment even more. Something to consider at least. One story will require more dialogue than another, but trying to determine what is needed is all part of the craft and challenge of writing.
This will be more noticeable in short fiction than novels because there is less space and words used to tell the entire story. All dialogue stories can be successful, but it will depend on the writing and the story being told. On the other hand, a story with half dialogue can feel like the talking takes over the story. Variables. Let the character's talk but in editing the task will be working on reigning things in with the hopes of making the story the best it can become.
What do you think? Can there be too much dialogue?
Wednesday, September 3, 2014
Forming Habits
While this is often a topic that pops up more in January, I thought it would be a good time to discuss forming habits (both writing and others). Part of my goals for right now are to form healthier habits along with trying to write, edit and read on a regular basis. I posted about some of it a couple of months ago: http://dawnembers.blogspot.com/2014/05/the-balance-act.html and I'm still trying to find the right balance (which will go out the window for November but other than that, balance is helpful).
Often times, the hardest part of habit forming is to keep going. It's like New Year's resolutions because the first couple of weeks there is the excitement, but eventually it wears off and one then must find other forces to help persevere until it becomes second nature. Most habits take time to change, whether it's quitting bad ones or starting new ones, it's a challenge. And not everyone is the same. Some can quit cold turkey and others need more gradual, assisted approaches for quitting. Others need lots of encouragement to start up and keep going while some can switch at a faster pace while still feeling in tune despite changes made. Like writing methods, habit forming will vary too.
Here is an interesting article on the time it takes to form a new habit:
http://www.huffingtonpost.com/james-clear/forming-new-habits_b_5104807.html
One thing I've found that helps make habit forming fun is a gaming orientated web site called HabitRPG. Check it out at https://www.habitrpg.com and see if it's something that might work for you. It's kind of fun with the different levels, the little animals and other incentive/punishments to keep one on track.
I have 2 daily goals right now. Read and write. The rest of my habits and goals are divided between the habits option and to-do checklists. My habits vary from submitting stories and posting blog entries to eating veggies and drinking water. My to-do lists have things like read a book, write chapter 23, submit 5 short stories and research. Soon they will have world building ones too in order to get ready for NaNoWriMo.
It's fun for me, so far. I like getting points and such for doing things like having a glass of water. And the to-do lists gets you lots of points and such if you took a while to do it, there is a checklist and such. I'm also in a group so we can fight little monsters and win prizes. Seems like a really fun way to get things done.
Are there any habits you are trying to form?
What habits do you have right now?
Check out habitrpg and let me know what you think if you do. :-)
Often times, the hardest part of habit forming is to keep going. It's like New Year's resolutions because the first couple of weeks there is the excitement, but eventually it wears off and one then must find other forces to help persevere until it becomes second nature. Most habits take time to change, whether it's quitting bad ones or starting new ones, it's a challenge. And not everyone is the same. Some can quit cold turkey and others need more gradual, assisted approaches for quitting. Others need lots of encouragement to start up and keep going while some can switch at a faster pace while still feeling in tune despite changes made. Like writing methods, habit forming will vary too.
Here is an interesting article on the time it takes to form a new habit:
http://www.huffingtonpost.com/james-clear/forming-new-habits_b_5104807.html
One thing I've found that helps make habit forming fun is a gaming orientated web site called HabitRPG. Check it out at https://www.habitrpg.com and see if it's something that might work for you. It's kind of fun with the different levels, the little animals and other incentive/punishments to keep one on track.
I have 2 daily goals right now. Read and write. The rest of my habits and goals are divided between the habits option and to-do checklists. My habits vary from submitting stories and posting blog entries to eating veggies and drinking water. My to-do lists have things like read a book, write chapter 23, submit 5 short stories and research. Soon they will have world building ones too in order to get ready for NaNoWriMo.
It's fun for me, so far. I like getting points and such for doing things like having a glass of water. And the to-do lists gets you lots of points and such if you took a while to do it, there is a checklist and such. I'm also in a group so we can fight little monsters and win prizes. Seems like a really fun way to get things done.
Are there any habits you are trying to form?
What habits do you have right now?
Check out habitrpg and let me know what you think if you do. :-)
Thursday, July 17, 2014
Social Networks and Platforms
While I have been working on my writing for several years, one thing I’ve also had to consider in that time is developing a platform as a writer, even though I don’t have anything published at this time. There are a few options available nowadays and more pop up every now and then. I have tried a few of them but not all because it’s good to not stretch beyond what one is capable of updating on a regular basis.
One of my blogging buddies, sparked this topic when she posted on her blog about how some were leaving the long blog sites behind for other web sites with shorter content requirements. However, most of the ones who responded to the blog about the topic were all people who still loved and continued to keep up their blogs. Social media does represent its own challenges and while having a presence online is useful, in the end it’s up to you which method maintainable over years in order to truly put a platform building use to the technology.
There are different options to consider, and these are just a few of them:
Blogging (Blogger, Wordpress, Tumblr, etc)
Facebook
Twitter
Pinterest
There are a few others and some more may come up in the near future, but let's focus on these four. I put several in one category because blogging itself is a big option, one that many have picked up in the last two years or so. What used to be "you must get your own web site as an author" has in part switched to some people just recommending a blog because it can work much like a personal site. They can either be free, which means they still have the website name attached like blogspot or wordpress before the dot com, or for a small fee, it can just be the blog name you pick out and dot com (among other options).
Most of the sites also allow page creations, which can be whatever you want. I have a couple of blogs and each have an about me type section, the book review one in particular to discuss reading preferences since it's more than just me blogging, and I even have on my writing ones a page that shows my current works in progress and word count widgets. I started blogging several years ago and continue though I am sporadic at times with my posting. My advice for any blog is not to get too ambitious. It's okay to on occasion do special times where you post every day, but realistically that is a very hard schedule to follow. Like writing, you can get burned out and struggle to post then guilt sets in. Consider a schedule and topic that works best for you, then be a little flexible. Also, take part in blogfests and blog hops because they are fun and help gain an audience. Remember not to expect comments if you never post on anyone else's blog. Networking, no matter the system, takes time and effort.
Facebook is another well known site for networking. There are different writing groups, ways to create author pages and personal uses. It is far more of a social site and allows different types of posting that can range from how your day is going (like twitter) to random images that are shared over the Internet. It can be good for updating though you will want to be aware of who you have added on the page and what you write because almost anyone can have a facebook page and they can be monitored by employers and such. Honestly, I do have a page but I only use it for family and old high school/college acquaintances. If I want to know what my grandma is up to, then I check facebook (cause yes, my grandmother uses facebook and way more than I do). However, I keep it private from my other internet networking options because for me, it's a personal option and one I don't want intermixed, but that is a personal choice. Though I do have my posts from this site show up on my facebook feed.
Twitter is a bit different because it's basically a lot of people writing random updates at a limited character count. I have used twitter for several years, but nowadays I almost never post. While their are a lot of jokes about posting daily life things that no one cares about on the site, there are some good uses for social networking as a writer on Twitter. It's good to keep up with certain industry companies and members. Many agents and editors have an account on the site, along with some publishers. Some will even host twitter chats where they will answer questions on a certain hashtag conversation, like #askagent is a good example of one. It is also a good place to on occasion advertise or do an update so people are aware how things are moving along, like if you made it through an edit or what not. That or you can talk about cats, always good topic on one of these sites.
Finally, there are places like pinterest. Now, this isn't necessarily a writing focused one but it's a good source to consider. However, pinterest is also one that is good at connecting to different networks. Most of the ones I have pinned so far are craft, cleaning or cooking ideas and often the image won't have the information but it will link to a blog entry that explains the item in question. The image sites can be useful in that way, plus they can serve as a way to find inspiration for stories because of the visual creations available.
Each one has merits and down sides. And many of them have ways to interconnect. Facebook can post an automatic update when you have a blog post go up on your personal blog. Pinterest can link to a blog page or site. There are a number of options available. However, it's easy to go overboard, then become so overwhelmed that it's hard to keep them going. You don't need them all, so check them out and find the ones that are going to work best for your needs and what you want to accomplish. Don't be afraid to set schedules and know that posts don't have to be several times a week all the time. Keeping up a social page does take time, but it doesn't have to take up all the time because while we want to have an available presence online, we also can't forget to save time for the actual writing.
One of my blogging buddies, sparked this topic when she posted on her blog about how some were leaving the long blog sites behind for other web sites with shorter content requirements. However, most of the ones who responded to the blog about the topic were all people who still loved and continued to keep up their blogs. Social media does represent its own challenges and while having a presence online is useful, in the end it’s up to you which method maintainable over years in order to truly put a platform building use to the technology.
There are different options to consider, and these are just a few of them:
Blogging (Blogger, Wordpress, Tumblr, etc)
There are a few others and some more may come up in the near future, but let's focus on these four. I put several in one category because blogging itself is a big option, one that many have picked up in the last two years or so. What used to be "you must get your own web site as an author" has in part switched to some people just recommending a blog because it can work much like a personal site. They can either be free, which means they still have the website name attached like blogspot or wordpress before the dot com, or for a small fee, it can just be the blog name you pick out and dot com (among other options).
Most of the sites also allow page creations, which can be whatever you want. I have a couple of blogs and each have an about me type section, the book review one in particular to discuss reading preferences since it's more than just me blogging, and I even have on my writing ones a page that shows my current works in progress and word count widgets. I started blogging several years ago and continue though I am sporadic at times with my posting. My advice for any blog is not to get too ambitious. It's okay to on occasion do special times where you post every day, but realistically that is a very hard schedule to follow. Like writing, you can get burned out and struggle to post then guilt sets in. Consider a schedule and topic that works best for you, then be a little flexible. Also, take part in blogfests and blog hops because they are fun and help gain an audience. Remember not to expect comments if you never post on anyone else's blog. Networking, no matter the system, takes time and effort.
Facebook is another well known site for networking. There are different writing groups, ways to create author pages and personal uses. It is far more of a social site and allows different types of posting that can range from how your day is going (like twitter) to random images that are shared over the Internet. It can be good for updating though you will want to be aware of who you have added on the page and what you write because almost anyone can have a facebook page and they can be monitored by employers and such. Honestly, I do have a page but I only use it for family and old high school/college acquaintances. If I want to know what my grandma is up to, then I check facebook (cause yes, my grandmother uses facebook and way more than I do). However, I keep it private from my other internet networking options because for me, it's a personal option and one I don't want intermixed, but that is a personal choice. Though I do have my posts from this site show up on my facebook feed.
Twitter is a bit different because it's basically a lot of people writing random updates at a limited character count. I have used twitter for several years, but nowadays I almost never post. While their are a lot of jokes about posting daily life things that no one cares about on the site, there are some good uses for social networking as a writer on Twitter. It's good to keep up with certain industry companies and members. Many agents and editors have an account on the site, along with some publishers. Some will even host twitter chats where they will answer questions on a certain hashtag conversation, like #askagent is a good example of one. It is also a good place to on occasion advertise or do an update so people are aware how things are moving along, like if you made it through an edit or what not. That or you can talk about cats, always good topic on one of these sites.
Finally, there are places like pinterest. Now, this isn't necessarily a writing focused one but it's a good source to consider. However, pinterest is also one that is good at connecting to different networks. Most of the ones I have pinned so far are craft, cleaning or cooking ideas and often the image won't have the information but it will link to a blog entry that explains the item in question. The image sites can be useful in that way, plus they can serve as a way to find inspiration for stories because of the visual creations available.
Each one has merits and down sides. And many of them have ways to interconnect. Facebook can post an automatic update when you have a blog post go up on your personal blog. Pinterest can link to a blog page or site. There are a number of options available. However, it's easy to go overboard, then become so overwhelmed that it's hard to keep them going. You don't need them all, so check them out and find the ones that are going to work best for your needs and what you want to accomplish. Don't be afraid to set schedules and know that posts don't have to be several times a week all the time. Keeping up a social page does take time, but it doesn't have to take up all the time because while we want to have an available presence online, we also can't forget to save time for the actual writing.
Friday, June 20, 2014
How Many Edits
How many edits does it take to get to the chewy center… oh wait, that’s candy. Really though, when you start editing and rewriting, a similar question is going to come up. How many drafts does it take to get a send-able product? And like many aspects of writing, the answer will be: it varies. For each writer and even each project, the number will vary. It’s your job to find out the combination that works best for you and for the individual story.
I’m still figuring out mine. I’ve got 10 chapters left for the minor edit I’ve been doing. I call it a minor edit because even though I’m doing it from the very end of the novel towards the beginning to look at it sentence by sentence (tedious work indeed), the changes are all minor. I’m catching the typing errors, tense slip ups and such. I have another edit planned for after the nit-picky one, which sounds weird to a degree since I would have thought the fix the minor errors would be the last stage. Not this time. I have to go through and fix the description, senses and emotion that ended up lacking after I took out a bunch of telling bits (like my overuse of the words “felt” and “feels”). I wasn’t sure how to go about it, so I did the minor edit first. However, I think that will be the last edit and I’ll have something I can submit to agents.
But enough about me, back to the discussion on draft numbers, which is more just about my writing… so yeah. Since I started this novel, it might seem like I’ve done tons of drafts for it. That is not quite the case since it took me 2 years to finish the first draft, and I didn’t work on it for most of those 2 years. The second draft also took about 2 years due to distractions and working on other novel projects.
The other question to consider in talking about draft numbers is what to qualify as a draft. First draft is easy cause you go from a blank piece of paper, or that white screen in whatever writing program of your choice, to a whole and very rough novel. Beyond that it gets tricky. Sure, the rewrite from first person to third person, where it gained over 25,000 words, that was a more obvious other draft. However, do I consider the minor edit a whole new draft? Not much has changed, just little rewordings here and there. In fact, I didn’t even make a new folder in Scrivener for this edit. Before the minor, I did an edit where I worked on fixing issues like passive voice, telling and switched things to past tense. That was one I could easily consider a new draft (also increased word count by almost 15,000 with that edit). The minor edit, however, I just fixed up the already existing draft section. According to scrivener, I have 3 drafts and a whole file of edit notes which involved highlighting every chapter with things to fix before draft 3 was created. Three sounds short, yet it feels like so much more.
If I count the minor edits and such, the draft total will end up at 5 (so far). Granted, if picked up for publication there will be more drafts. Not picked up could mean later, if continuing with the novel & series, then another draft or two would be needed. Even with self-publishing, which I have no intention to do at this given time, would require another edit/draft. So 5 is the midpoint for this particular project. Not all will be the same. I have one NaNoWriMo project that I know needs a complete rewrite. However, I have another novel that is at 90k right now and I will be skipping the major rewrite stage for that one and editing instead. So, for me, like most, the answer so far to the question of how many drafts it takes to get a send-able story is: it varies.
Roughly how many drafts do you do before submitting?
What do you consider a draft?
About Me
- Dawn Embers
- I am a writer still trying to find the right path. A multi-tasker, distracted writer with many different novels and still have hopes of someday becoming published. I have a blog on writing in general, a blog on my own writing and fitness, and a book review blog.
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