These days technology allows us to conduct business from anywhere. We can live in different countries and communicate with each other for business purposes. For example, one of my publishers often holds virtual meetings I can attend in the comfort of my lounge.
On the news the other night, there was an item about a new thing called a coffice. The words comes from a combination of coffee plus office. Coffice.
It seems many business owners are running their businesses from coffee shops, conducting appointments and meeting with clients in their favorite coffee shop rather than at the traditional office.
There are loads of advantages to a coffice.
1. It’s cheaper than renting an office.
2. The coffee is good and always hot.
3. The milk doesn’t usually run out.
4. You never have to do the dishes or clean up after everyone else.
5. Many cafes offer free wi-fi these days for people to keep up with their email or surf the Internet.
I’ve written in coffee shops for years, and I have my favorite coffee shops in various towns. There’s even a pub where I sometimes spend a few hours writing. It’s perfect in winter because they have a huge open fire. I find it easy to concentrate on my writing even with the background noise and find I finish my target number of words in a much shorter time than if I stay at home.
Who knew I was ahead of the times? I’d actually mentioned to my husband not long ago that there were always heaps of business meetings at my favorite McDonald’s McCafe. I’ve eavesdropped on interviews and listened to a man organizing temp workers. Some of the local charities also hold their meetings there.
Recently someone told me the hero in my story wasn’t heroic and didn’t behave like a hero. He was unsympathetic. Instead of panicking or becoming defensive, I took another look at my hero and, to my horror, found the criticism was justified. While I still liked my character, I definitely needed to do something to make him more likeable to readers.
Most of us want to read about characters that have the qualities we see in our friends and family—the same qualities we like to think we possess. We want to connect with characters and be able to relate to them.
So how do we do this?
In his book, Writing the Breakout Novel, Donald Maass says we should start showing the reader that our character has heroic qualities right from the first page of our book. Even if our character is an average person, in an ordinary job, we need to demonstrate a special quality in them. At the start of a book, it will most likely be something small. They might help an elderly woman cross the road or rescue the next-door neighbor’s cat from a tree, but it will make us, the reader, sit up and pay attention. This is a character we would like as a friend, and we want to follow them through the course of the book, during the ups and downs, to the happy ending.
In my case, I looked at my character’s interactions with other characters. My hero snapped and snarled quite a bit, so I softened his language and the way he interacted with the other characters. I added some extra scenes, which I hope show my hero in a favorable light. I also looked at the inner conflict and checked I’d done everything I needed to in this area.
Fixing unsympathetic characters isn’t easy, and I hope I’ve managed to get the job done. I’m awaiting the verdict at present.
Do you have any hints for changing unsympathetic characters to ones that readers will love? And do you agree with Donald Maass—that we should see the hero/heroine doing something heroic almost as soon as we meet them in the story?
Writer’s block happens when a writer can’t write. The ideas won’t come and nothing seems to work when the writer tries to get rid of the block. They just can’t seem to write. Writer’s block can go on for days, months or years.
Procrastination is where the writer puts off writing and does everything in their power to escape adding words to their story. Even the housework looks attractive compared to the idea of sitting their butt on a chair and putting hand to keyboard. The reasons can be many and varied, but the end result is the same—the writing doesn’t happen.
Personally, I don’t believe in writer’s block. I might come to a stop in my writing and not be sure what to write next, but that’s because I’m a pantser. Usually all this means is I need to deepen my character conflict, or I need to go for a walk and think about my plot.
I think it’s important to look at the reasons behind the lack of writing. Is it because you’re physically or mentally tired and need to take a break? Have you made a wrong turn in your writing and your instincts are shouting at you to take another direction, but you’re ignoring them? Be honest with yourself about the lack of writing progress because only then will you be able to move forward.
Procrastination, now that’s another story. Today I needed to work on some edits. I’m dragging my feet a little on these edits. Every half an hour or so, I checked my email. I decided I needed a cup of tea, and the puppy needed a cuddle. Oh, and then it was time for lunch. And so my day continued.
It’s obvious I needed some strategies to get writing again. Here are some you can use.
1. Do timed writing sessions.
Set your oven timer or egg timer for half an hour. Sit down and write until the timer goes off. Repeat throughout the day until your target number of words is completed.
2. Do timed writing sessions with other writers.
Call a friend and do a time writing session at the same time as them. If you belong to a group like Savvy Authors or Romance Divas pop into their chat rooms and do some sprint writing with other writers.
3. Give yourself a deadline/target.
Then sit down and write. Kick your deadline’s butt. I try to write 2000 words most days. If I’m having a tough time keeping my butt in my seat, I’ll break down my target words into 500 word blocks.
4. Earn a treat.
Make a deal with yourself. If you sit down and write the required number of words within a specified time, you’ll receive a treat. The treat can be something like watching a movie or taking time out to read a book.
5. Try working on a new scene that comes later in the book.
Sometimes we need a change of pace to get the words flowing.
6. Just do it.
Sometimes, we need to grit it out and force ourselves to write. The output mightn’t be the greatest, but remember that at least we’re putting words to paper. We can always fix them later during the polishing stage.
Do you believe in writer’s block? Are you guilty of procrastinating when it comes to your writing? How do you get past the procrastination to actually write?
There’s the initial spark of an idea and the fanning of this idea into a book. This is the stage where the writer thinks “what if” and the characters, setting and plot start to gel. For some writers plotting out a story is the next step or, if you’re like me, you might firm up your conflicts and take a figurative leap into your story. Yes, I’m one of those pantsers or fly-into-the-mist type of writers. Research also slots into the process during this stage.
Next comes the hard part. The writer spends hour upon hour, sitting in front of the computer writing. This stage can take weeks or months, sometimes years. It’s also the stage where writers procrastinate and some fall by the wayside. No one ever said writing is easy.
Once the first draft is complete, it’s best if a writer can let the manuscript sit for a while. Let it season while the writer gains a bit of distance. The next stage is polishing. We edit for content and clarity, check for typos and those nasty little words that creep in where they shouldn’t. We add stronger verbs and nouns and delete some of the adverbs and adjectives. This stage might take a while. The writer might decide to rewrite sections, add or delete. Often the writer will reread and rewrite their manuscript several times. They might send their work out to critique partners and repeat the process of rewriting yet again.
The product of all this polishing and rewriting is a manuscript ready to submit to either agents or publishers. We write a synopsis (some writers have a synopsis at a much earlier stage), a query letter and start the submission process.
Let’s assume we’ve done a good job and our chosen publisher loves our manuscript. We receive a contract offer. Let’s also assume the contract is agreeable. We negotiate contract points and sign on the dotted line.
We receive edits and, once again, go through the process of sifting through our work for grammar, punctuation, content and clarity. We edit to house style and sometimes we mutter about our editors—in the nicest possible way, of course! We receive copy edits, which usually relate to the nuts and bolts stuff. Next come blurbs and cover sheets. We get to see our cover.
During this entire process, we should have been thinking about promo. Yes, it’s time to wind up the promo machine into top gear and put all our plans to help readers notice/buy our books into motion. Our release day arrives and, hopefully, everyone involved in the process has done a good job. Our book sells well.
Back to the beginning, and the process starts over again.
Like any job, there are parts of the process we enjoy and parts that aren’t as much fun but are a necessary evil.
For me, the best part of the process is the actual writing. I love the freedom of sitting down and letting my imagination and my characters free rein. As I mentioned above, I’m not a plotter. I sit down knowing a little about my characters, setting and conflict, and I learn the rest as I go. Somehow, everything works out in the end because I’ve learned to trust my instincts.
I also enjoy the polishing stage. This is where I get to delete words and check for continuity and clarity. I add layers of color and setting plus beef up the emotion in my characters.
Promo is a little harder for me and I confess that I’m happier sitting down to write rather than spreading the word about my new book.
What is your favorite part of the writing process? Least favorite part? Have I missed any steps that you consider necessary? And for those of you who are readers rather than writers—what books have you read recently that you’d recommend to other readers? (I always love to add to my reading list!)
Kat Duncan is my special guest today. Kat likes to write and teach. She also likes to write about teaching and teach about writing. Today she’s giving us a few hints about finding foster homes for orphan sentences.
Have you ever tried the writing technique called layering? It works like this: you draft out your basic scene with “he said” and “she said” or “he did” then “she did”. After you’ve got that bare bones framework you go back and add details such as where they are, what they look like, the weather, the room they are in, how they feel, etc.
The trouble with this technique is that it often results in disjointed scenes. Just when the dialogue gets going, the author throws in a scenery detail or stops to have the character focus on something other than the person she’s talking to. The worst blooper of this kind happens when one character asks a question and the other character goes off into a paragraph of thinking before answering.
So what’s the solution? You don’t want to skimp on these important details, so you really need to keep them. But you have to give these poor orphans a home. Make them feel part of the family. You will want to learn how to blend dialogue, action and scenery for best effect. One easy way to do this is to give your character a reason for observing the scenery, or for moving about in the scene. Linking the scene to the character’s emotions is the most direct way of doing this.
Let’s take an example and see the progression. Here’s a snippet of conversation:
“Say what you mean, Anna.”
“Okay, I will. You can’t just barge back into my life after so long and expect to pick up where you left off.”
“It hasn’t been that long.”
“It’s not about how long. It’s about assuming that you leaving had no effect on me.”
“So, you missed me?”
“I missed you, yes. And then I got over you.”
Now that I’ve got the basic dialogue, I want to add some dialogue tags and maybe some emotions, scenery and action. I’ll layer it on all at once:
“Say what you mean, Anna,” he said.
“Okay, I will. You can’t just barge back into my life after so long and expect to pick up where you left off.” She glanced out the window at a pigeon pecking crumbs on the windowsill.
“It hasn’t been that long.”
“It’s not about how long,” she said, lifting her head to stare into his dark eyes. “It’s about assuming that you leaving had no effect on me.”
“So, you missed me?” His voice dropped to that familiar seductiveness and he reached for her.
She stepped away from his outstretched hand. “I missed you. Yes. And then I got over you.”
Can you pick out the orphan sentence? It’s the one with the pigeon. I tried to give a sense of where they were while they were talking. Mentioning “out the window” tells you they are indoors. The pigeon on the windowsill tells you they are probably in an urban setting, perhaps a few stories above ground.
But…
It doesn’t fit the scene. It’s an orphan because it doesn’t connect properly with what came before it or after it. I also tried to give a sense of discomfort for Anna. Suddenly looking away at something ordinary during a conversation indicates unease and uncertainty. But the sentence isn’t working the way I intended. Let’s see if I can make this orphan sentence part of the scene’s family:
“Say what you mean, Anna,” he said.
“Okay, I will.” She edged away from him and faced the window. “You can’t just barge back into my life after so long and expect to pick up where you left off.”
“It hasn’t been that long.”
“It’s not about how long,” she said, waving a hand to shoo the pigeon pecking on the windowsill. “It’s about assuming that you leaving had no effect on me.”
“So, you missed me?” His voice dropped to that familiar seductiveness and he reached for her.
She folded her arms against her body and stared out at the cold cityscape. “I missed you. Yes. And then I got over you.”
Better, don’t you think?
Layering can work well. Just watch for those orphan sentences when you’re re-reading and be sure to give them a good home. For more examples of how to blend action, scenery and emotional details, check out my year-long novel writing course at Savvy Authors beginning in May, 2011. You can also find me on the web at http://www.katduncan.net
The months are passing so quickly. We’ll be off on holiday again very soon. This time we’re going on a cruise of another part of the Pacific. We’re visiting Norfolk Island, Vanuatu and Noumea. I’m looking forward to the short ten-day break.
Mr. Munro visited a school or play center recently for his work. They had a worm farm and Mr. Munro arrived home with everything he needed to create his own worm farm. We already recycled all our kitchen waste into the compost bin, but these days I have to separate out the onion and garlic skins and any citrus scraps. I keep forgetting and that means a telling off. I think I’ve got it straight now, although I haven’t worked up the courage to peer inside the farm to see if I can spot the worms.
The garden has also received a bit of a makeover with some lime chips and some solar lights. It’s made a big difference and the garden is looking very pretty. The lime chips should also stop the weeds coming through. Yesterday, Mr. Munro planted some spring bulbs (rununculars and freesias) because he knows how much I like them along with some garden greens and coriander. I get the job of watering.
Bella has been a little horror since I last posted about her training. I’ve been calling her a devil dog and she’s lived up to the name. She will insist on biting when she gets over excited. I know it’s a puppy thing but I wish she’d get over it. At other times she’s so cute I just want to squeeze her. Ah, the trials of owning a puppy!
In writing, I’m currently working on a short hot historical and I’m also adding a few words to the follow up story to The Bottom Line. The follow up story belongs to Julia. It’s given me real fits. I don’t think I’ve ever started a story so many times before. The current version has me excited and I’m cautiously optimistic that Julia’s story is on its way.
This month I’ve been writing up a storm. Since I write romance, I seem to be writing a lot of love scenes. Here’s a selection of words you might find in one of my love scenes.
Thirteen Words You Might Find In a Love Scene
1. Whimper
2. Rasp
3. Sensitive
4. Ache
5. Explode
6. Throb
7. Voluptuous
8. Decadent
9. Hunger
10. Ecstasy
11. Contraceptive
12. Kiss
13. Perfect
Since I write a lot of erotic romance I use a few naughtier words as well. I’ve given you a clean selection today.
What are some of your favorite words to write or read in a love scene?
I was cruising the Internet the other day—as one does—and came across a review for one of my books.
One star, it said. I wish I could get the time back that I wasted reading this book. Ouch!
Now this post isn’t a complaint about the review or the reviewer. I know not everyone will like my books or get me as an author. Let’s face it. We’d have a boring world if we all agreed and thought the same way about everything.
No, this post is about time and time wastage. These days we all have lots of commitments and ways to spend our time. I don’t know about you, but I waste a lot of time on the Internet. Some of the time I spend on the net is for research or for promo but sometimes I wander aimlessly among websites and the time just passes.
I made myself a promise the other day. I was going to change. I’ve been limiting my time on the web and focusing on writing and exercise. Oh, and there’s a little housework chucked in there too, although Mr. Husband sometimes disputes this.
My writing has been going well, and recently I’ve starting working on two projects at once. I do 2000 words on my main project in the morning and, in the afternoon, I work on a secondary project, writing as many words I can fit in before my husband arrives home. I’ve started walking in the mornings and the jolt of fresh air actually seems to get me in the mood for writing. Limiting my time on the Internet has freed up time for reading and I’ve been attacking my to-read pile. I’ve also been listening to more music and do a little plotting while I’m exercising.
Sometimes, I’ll go to one of my favorite cafes and write there. The change of scenery always works and my work count is usually double what I normally do.
It’s true that I’m not doing as much promo. Instead I’ve picked a few things I enjoy doing such as blogging and Facebook. I don’t visit loops and forums as much as I used to. Whether this will impact my sales, I don’t know. Time will tell. All I know is that I was getting stressed trying to do all the things “people” say an author should do to promote their books.
That’s what I’ve been doing to change things up in my world. What about you? Do you sometimes wish you could get time back? What are your worst time wasters? How do you budget your time?
I spent the weekend doing edits for A Discreet Affair, and today I got a glimpse of the cover. It’s absolutely beautiful. Watch this space!
Meantime, here’s the blurb:
Summer, 1940. Britain is at war, and her brave fighter pilots attempt to keep the enemy at bay.
The last thing Pamela Allison wants is another man, especially one like her brutal, now deceased husband. Her managing mother wants her to live with her in London, but Pamela accepts a job from her aunt, working in the family store in the village near Biggin Hill.
Enter Michael Stedman, a Spitfire pilot based at the Biggin Hill airbase. Depressed and a little drunk after the death of his friend, he doesn’t expect to meet a beautiful woman during a night out at the local pub. He’s not looking for anything permanent since a pilot’s life is fraught with danger. All he wants is a little feminine company to take his mind off the war.
London is under siege by the enemy. Bombs drop every night and the danger increases for everyone. Michael and Pamela’s relationship changes and they become lovers. They are happy with their secret liaison until gossip and the past intrude and threaten to destroy everything, including her good reputation.
Today, I’ve been busy working on my current WIP. It’s a contemporary menage a trois and a followup to Fancy Free. I’ve also received some great news from one of my editors. It’s a little early to make an announcement – I like to tease.
I did an interview and totally forgot to mention it here on my blog. Here’s the link to the interview with Rhonda Print.
Tomorrow I’m starting an online course on writing alternative histories/steampunk with Savvy Authors. I can’t recommend this group enough. They have lots of excellent online classes and that’s just the start of their resources. You can join as a basic member to get a taste of what’s on offer or pay to become a premium member. Full details here.
How was your weekend? If you’re a writer, what are you working on at present?
I’ll often pick up a writing craft book at the library. Recently I picked up a copy of Bullies, Bastards And Bitches: How To Write The Bad Guys Of Fiction by Jessica Page Morrell. I’ve found it fascinating and definitely helpful in writing villains. The author has included a list of characteristics of villains, which is very appropriate for this time of the year. Villains abound at Halloween, right?
Thirteen Characteristics of Villains
1. Villains are consistently bad. Their behavior isn’t random or a one-off act of nastiness.
2. They have a defining event in their background that set them on their path of bad behavior.
3. They often have secrets they’re desperate to hide from others.
4. They’re not usually afraid of confrontation.
5. Villains are complicated and multi-dimensional.
6. They’re unpredictable.
7. Viallains sacrifice victims to achieve their own ends.
8. Villains often have an aspect of narcissism in their personality makeup.
9. They like to take extreme risks.
10. They’re usually alpha males or females and have underlings who defer to them.
11. Villains like to obsess about details and their plan of attack.
12. A villain controls others by using guilt and loyalty.
13. A villain plays head games and is very good at playing them.
As you can see, a hero might possess some of the above characteristics. The villain and the hero are often two parts of the same coin.
, Donald Maass says we should start showing the reader that our character has heroic qualities right from the first page of our book. Even if our character is an average person, in an ordinary job, we need to demonstrate a special quality in them. At the start of a book, it will most likely be something small. They might help an elderly woman cross the road or rescue the next-door neighbor’s cat from a tree, but it will make us, the reader, sit up and pay attention. This is a character we would like as a friend, and we want to follow them through the course of the book, during the ups and downs, to the happy ending.
by Jessica Page Morrell. I’ve found it fascinating and definitely helpful in writing villains. The author has included a list of characteristics of villains, which is very appropriate for this time of the year. Villains abound at Halloween, right?
