tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-34306026975787376162024-03-05T07:04:14.465-08:00The Whoosh BlogAdventures in Imagination ... Supporting Authors Since 2008Hayley Shermanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04207183495704284788noreply@blogger.comBlogger16125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3430602697578737616.post-42428468744059446832021-09-09T06:56:00.004-07:002021-09-10T01:29:11.923-07:00Want Vs. Need in Character Motivation<p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiD6Xh8_tfVAm7cHSZZecQVMdg2ZXN0ez05-UFS_5hNmqzEiIlJUxrK7fMi09Sd2NrX1A8UcC7UIGr16B7xY8ADTMhpa-VMKhADcZIQb4AoHLtKYLHKXzEm9oSg6cto2zZ1YMRa4sG78RY/s750/mirror.jpg" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="500" data-original-width="750" height="140" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiD6Xh8_tfVAm7cHSZZecQVMdg2ZXN0ez05-UFS_5hNmqzEiIlJUxrK7fMi09Sd2NrX1A8UcC7UIGr16B7xY8ADTMhpa-VMKhADcZIQb4AoHLtKYLHKXzEm9oSg6cto2zZ1YMRa4sG78RY/w210-h140/mirror.jpg" width="210" /></a></div>The most
important questions that I ask authors about their characters are … What is driving
them? What is their quest? What do they want? <div><br /></div><div>Hopefully, these questions aren’t too
difficult to answer. <b>They want to make a million, climb Everest, fall in love,
defeat the monster, escape the zombies, bring down the system, solve the
murder, etc. etc.</b> </div><div><br /></div><div>They need a goal, and it needs to be specific and measurable
so that readers can join them on their journey and dance around the room or cry into
their pillow when they succeed or fail.<p></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0cm;"><o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0cm;">Perhaps more
difficult to answer is … What does your character need? But it is every bit as
important, if not more, than their surface motivations, and it is going to give
them depth and multiple dimensions.</p><p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0cm;"><o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0cm;">Often,
characters – in common with real people – have no idea what they need, and <b>it
is the conscious quest to fulfil their desires (what they think they need) that
leads to personal revelations, growth and healing (what they actually need).</b>
This could take the form of learning to forgive, trust or love again,
processing grief, building confidence, independence, faith … anything
connecting to emotional development.</p><p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0cm;"><o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0cm;">Characters’
needs often appear naturally and are obvious from the novel’s conception, maybe
even forming the focus of your book. Sometimes, however, especially if you are
a plot-driven writer, they require a bit more thought.</p><p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0cm;"><o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0cm;"><i></i></p><table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: right;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgT4WVdIAFfScud8QGjzI30RH3TVq8z-0ol-FzjwB50Z-FcucXa0nJnH4q40BzOzQ9ambEIf4RJ1iVJLc81mBPYbKm3jq3Cl7yPvmQyMHAGF3f_Hy5W1TYuoirwAe9jWnZol_f6CpwkFA8/s922/join-us-2.png" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="882" data-original-width="922" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgT4WVdIAFfScud8QGjzI30RH3TVq8z-0ol-FzjwB50Z-FcucXa0nJnH4q40BzOzQ9ambEIf4RJ1iVJLc81mBPYbKm3jq3Cl7yPvmQyMHAGF3f_Hy5W1TYuoirwAe9jWnZol_f6CpwkFA8/w209-h200/join-us-2.png" width="209" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://www.whoosh-editing.com/mailing-list/">Join the Whoosh! community <br />of writers</a></td></tr></tbody></table><i>Save the Cat!
</i>(Brody, 2018) explores the distinction between want and need in depth,
referring to them as the A and B Story and outlining a specific plan to
structure the former while the latter develops under the surface. This is an
incredibly useful resource, but we have to look no further than our own lives
for inspiration.<p></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0cm;"><o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0cm;">For example, I
trained for a half marathon a few years ago. It was something that I had always
wanted to do and I relished the challenge. The journey from couch potato to
finish line is a worthy and interesting one. </p><p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0cm;">Underneath the surface, however, running
was giving me the space to deal with a loss that I had suffered, and I needed
to prove to myself that I was still strong, that I wasn’t completely broken. I
also needed to learn to run joyfully rather than painfully, to enjoy life again
rather than suffer.</p><p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0cm;"><o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0cm;">In literature,
we need look no further than classic characters for further examples: Austen’s
Emma’s driving force was to matchmake, oblivious to her own need for love; Verne’s
Phileas Fogg was desperate to prove that he could speed his way
around the world, but he needed to learn to stop and appreciate the beauty of
the moment; Steinbeck’s George and Lennie were chasing the American dream, but their
ill-fated brotherhood was the real treasure; <b>Sherlock Holmes wanted to solve
the crime but needed the puzzle</b>; Bridget Jones was desperate to change herself
to find a man, but she needed to accept herself just the way she was; Harry Potter
wanted to become a great wizard, defeat Voldemort and avenge his parents’
murder; what he needed more was simply a place to belong.</p><p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0cm;"><o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0cm;">Every character
has both a want and a need and the two converge at the journey’s end when they
solve the crime, having faced their personal demons; escape the prison, finally
finding the strength to forgive themselves for the crime; find romantic love, along with the self-care that they never knew they needed, etc. etc. The wheel doesn’t need
to be reinvented here because human emotions are universal. As long as there is
depth to discover, your readers will be happy.</p><p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0cm;"><i>Hayley Sherman has spent more than a decade supporting authors on their novel-writing journeys. Would you like her to <a href="https://thewhooshblog.blogspot.com/p/manuscript-assessments.html">assess your manuscript</a>?</i></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0cm;"><i><a href="https://twitter.com/WhooshEditing">@whooshediting</a></i></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0cm;"><span face="-apple-system, BlinkMacSystemFont, "San Francisco", "Helvetica Neue", Helvetica, Ubuntu, Roboto, Noto, "Segoe UI", Arial, sans-serif" style="background-color: whitesmoke; color: #111111; font-size: 13px; white-space: nowrap;">Photo by </span><a href="https://unsplash.com/@laurlenz?utm_source=unsplash&utm_medium=referral&utm_content=creditCopyText" style="background-color: whitesmoke; box-sizing: border-box; color: #767676; font-family: -apple-system, BlinkMacSystemFont, "San Francisco", "Helvetica Neue", Helvetica, Ubuntu, Roboto, Noto, "Segoe UI", Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px; text-decoration-skip-ink: auto; transition: color 0.1s ease-in-out 0s, opacity 0.1s ease-in-out 0s; white-space: nowrap;">Laurenz Kleinheider</a><span face="-apple-system, BlinkMacSystemFont, "San Francisco", "Helvetica Neue", Helvetica, Ubuntu, Roboto, Noto, "Segoe UI", Arial, sans-serif" style="background-color: whitesmoke; color: #111111; font-size: 13px; white-space: nowrap;"> on </span><a href="https://unsplash.com/s/photos/mirror?utm_source=unsplash&utm_medium=referral&utm_content=creditCopyText" style="background-color: whitesmoke; box-sizing: border-box; color: #767676; font-family: -apple-system, BlinkMacSystemFont, "San Francisco", "Helvetica Neue", Helvetica, Ubuntu, Roboto, Noto, "Segoe UI", Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px; text-decoration-skip-ink: auto; transition: color 0.1s ease-in-out 0s, opacity 0.1s ease-in-out 0s; white-space: nowrap;">Unsplash</a></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0cm;"> </p><p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0cm;"><o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0cm;"><o:p> </o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0cm;"><o:p> </o:p></p></div>Hayley Shermanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04207183495704284788noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3430602697578737616.post-78593091602638134682019-08-24T04:44:00.000-07:002019-08-24T05:06:14.781-07:00Taking Over the World One Photo at a Time: Skating to Antarctica by Jenny Diski<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj0IqRk641FNuLjdmmdtbO2yr0bO9ptiFiF4jCBTwaZ4WFsIhs4N6QHp8eZBHZr9tA378tkhIxwhUnrkK_1TQFRs5BsQroLm4JR5mIyQI_WE1U3qGIqj-NhtlPksRFSHl_rSirP_IM_ztk/s1600/skate.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="499" data-original-width="317" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj0IqRk641FNuLjdmmdtbO2yr0bO9ptiFiF4jCBTwaZ4WFsIhs4N6QHp8eZBHZr9tA378tkhIxwhUnrkK_1TQFRs5BsQroLm4JR5mIyQI_WE1U3qGIqj-NhtlPksRFSHl_rSirP_IM_ztk/s320/skate.jpg" width="203" /></a></div>
<span style="mso-bookmark: _Hlk17542392;">I am always exciting when I
find author rants that reinforce my frustration with our crazy obsession for
capturing every meal, every haircut, every sunset, every sneezing cat, new pair
of shoes and Tuesday morning on camera. More so, I am thrilled when a great
writer gives voice to my fear that if you’re wielding a flat slab of technology
at a gig or the Grand Canyon or your Aunt Dorothy’s wedding, and watching it
through the little screen instead of connecting with the moment, you might just
be missing something. </span><br />
<br />
<div style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<br /></div>
<br />
<div style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="mso-bookmark: _Hlk17542392;">And I think there are probably
enough photos in the world now, don’t you? Scientifically speaking, if photos were
still being printed, I’m guessing that the whole world could be papered over more
than three times with the pictures snapped in a single day. Even then, rather
than freaking out about the world being papered over with photos, people would
take yet more photos of this strange new occurrence and send them to each other.
And then we’d take even more photos of the people taking photos of the world
papered over with photos … and on and on it goes.</span></div>
<br />
<div style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<br /></div>
<br />
<div style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="mso-bookmark: _Hlk17542392;">But I’m digressing. In <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">Skating to Antarctica</i>, Jenny Diski
travels to Antarctica, while her daughter attempts to track down Diski’s
estranged mother, a woman who should remain condemned to the past. It is an
engrossing human account and one that features Diski’s frustration with the
prevalence of travellers at Antarctica who crack off endless rounds of film,
already mentally fast-forwarding home to show the snaps to their eager family
and friends, rather than savouring the beautiful moment themselves.<i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;"> </i>And this is in the pre-digital
nineties. I wonder what she thought about the late 2010s</span></div>
<br />
<div style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<br /></div>
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEisVP2cQPOQHbeNdJD9ZEPI8Mko1TvpcH5Ag2jx-U-WshnAlpq45lIhor725hKvdxalUG6jv0eqOBrP_IA5jdKchJ2lN3IoxjJsVadq2MUZx5IhlYFZJvGLtv_HcdnPaGG0XgPMP_9xu4g/s1600/photos.png" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="181" data-original-width="278" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEisVP2cQPOQHbeNdJD9ZEPI8Mko1TvpcH5Ag2jx-U-WshnAlpq45lIhor725hKvdxalUG6jv0eqOBrP_IA5jdKchJ2lN3IoxjJsVadq2MUZx5IhlYFZJvGLtv_HcdnPaGG0XgPMP_9xu4g/s1600/photos.png" /></a></div>
<div style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="mso-bookmark: _Hlk17542392;">The description that really got
my motor running was that <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">‘photography is
a modern, miniature form of colonization.’</i> What an amazing idea! <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">‘It … captures a slice of the world, makes
it private territory, deprives others the right of access.’ </i>The beautiful
invention that originally enabled us to see the world from our armchairs has
backfired, now depriving us if we do ever decide to get up off those armchairs
and go out into the world? It has all already been colonised. There is nothing
left to see.</span></div>
<br />
<div style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<br /></div>
<br />
<div style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="mso-bookmark: _Hlk17542392;">My mind instantly turned this idea
of colonization into a literal image – of access denied. A teenager takes a
snapshot of a sunset and literally leaves a black, rectangular hole with curved
corners in the sky where the image has been, then slips the stolen sunset into
her pocket. </span></div>
<br />
<div style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<br /></div>
<br />
<div style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="mso-bookmark: _Hlk17542392;">Access denied.</span></div>
<div style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="mso-bookmark: _Hlk17542392;"><br /></span></div>
<div style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="mso-bookmark: _Hlk17542392;"><br /></span></div>
<div style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
Hayley Sherman is an <a href="http://www.whoosh-editing.com/" target="_blank">editor</a> and <a href="https://thewhooshblog.blogspot.com/2019/02/the-invisible-woman-interview-with.html" target="_blank">ghost writer</a> for hire. Hit her up!!<br />
<span style="mso-bookmark: _Hlk17542392;"><br /></span>
</div>
<b></b><i></i><u></u><sub></sub><sup></sup><strike></strike>Hayley Shermanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04207183495704284788noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3430602697578737616.post-59877213156270881132019-02-28T11:27:00.000-08:002019-02-28T11:50:41.024-08:00Brian Montgomery, Author of the Degsy Hay Trilogy, on Writing for Social Change<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjeng8rreWWgdv9nfqgPH5HzIX0u79bmUSNDleAWB6BF0XEdYT9KoQ2NwPAWs2WnvpKHxcJrniXVGoesahmPOrE3SlqQWp04j4nTZ0pahqnLftKwyL5_IS48-Jt8dGXKOSSSKXFdW3sRBc/s1600/d1.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="293" data-original-width="184" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjeng8rreWWgdv9nfqgPH5HzIX0u79bmUSNDleAWB6BF0XEdYT9KoQ2NwPAWs2WnvpKHxcJrniXVGoesahmPOrE3SlqQWp04j4nTZ0pahqnLftKwyL5_IS48-Jt8dGXKOSSSKXFdW3sRBc/s1600/d1.jpg" /></a></div>
The <a href="https://www.amazon.co.uk/Degsy-Hay-Juvenile-Redeemed-Everbody/dp/1999315111" target="_blank">Degsy Hay</a> trilogy is a heartfelt, hard-hitting series
following the many rises and falls of a young man let down by the system. But
although Degsy Hay, the eponymous hero, is as hard as nails and condemned to a
life on the streets or behind bars, he refuses to stay down and devotes himself
to helping others find a better life. Oh, and he finds time to bring down the
corrupt, fight injustice, battle his rivals and fall in love. These are
explosive, emotional, sometimes funny, always human books, and I caught up with
author and <a href="http://www.whoosh-editing.com/" target="_blank">Whoosh!</a> client Brian Montgomery to find out more.<br />
<br />
<div style="margin: 0cm 0cm 0pt;">
<b>I know this book is close to your heart, Brian. Can you give
us a bit of background on your inspiration for Degsy?</b></div>
<br />
<div style="margin: 0cm 0cm 0pt;">
Degsy is based on my teen years growing in a gang
environment in South London. Although the book is fictional, real events did
occur. Sleeping rough on the streets of London, having to protect myself from
prowlers, taking solvents, drugs and alcohol to forget about the freezing cold
temperatures and about li<b></b><b></b>fe for a while, but also having to dip the bins for
food. Fortunately, I never went to prison but spent time in a lock-up government
children’s home.</div>
<br />
<div style="margin: 0cm 0cm 0pt;">
<b>So you must relate to Degsy quite closely?</b></div>
<br />
<div style="margin: 0cm 0cm 0pt;">
Very close. He’s also my hero. Every good thing he does, he
reminds me of me as a teen, wanting to get out of the gang trend and become a
different person.</div>
<br />
<div style="margin: 0cm 0cm 0pt;">
<b>Did the writing flow easily or did your closeness to the
subject matter present problems?</b></div>
<br />
<div style="margin: 0cm 0cm 0pt;">
There were a lot of problems, some emotional. With every
sentence I wrote I was confronted with my past. But it got easier as I went
along.</div>
<br />
<div style="margin: 0cm 0cm 0pt;">
<b>It’s quite hard-hitting in places, covering violence and
abuse; was it harrowing to write?</b></div>
<br />
<div style="margin: 0cm 0cm 0pt;">
It was, because my past was harrowing. But those same experiences
helped me to become a hardnut and I’d win most of my fights as a teen, which
went a long away in keeping me safe while roughing the streets.</div>
<br />
<div style="margin: 0cm 0cm 0pt;">
<b>Did you need to do a lot of research?</b></div>
<br />
<div style="margin: 0cm 0cm 0pt;">
No not really. I knew what type of era I was brought up in.
Listening to and reading the media daily about youth knife crime and gangs, it
was important for me to write about this. And I wanted to try taking would-be
gang members into new, positive situations and a new kind of gang where they
can help those in the commu<b></b><b></b>nity where they live.</div>
<br />
<div style="margin: 0cm 0cm 0pt;">
<b>You have worked with young people to take them away from
gangs and street life, do you see the book as a continuation of that work?</b></div>
<br />
<div style="margin: 0cm 0cm 0pt;">
Very much so, despite the barriers I'm facing from local
government and police. I have now promised myself that I'll make a movie out
of the books. I feel young people would pay more <span style="mso-no-proof: yes;">attention,</span> watching a movie rather <span style="mso-no-proof: yes;">than</span>
reading books. <span style="mso-no-proof: yes;">This,</span> <span style="mso-no-proof: yes;">of course,</span> will need sponsoring. </div>
<br />
<div style="margin: 0cm 0cm 0pt;">
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhIRgiRQh30AuJpZMjBxV56SWWzpEFCJYsHKHYN4BVby8dgWl_Xm6GkqR2ApmwFbbRaOAs-MYVFmy7fFD7_lmBEzwiU0BS-vX9FEDH5eA5wCE2MuIDbCUGVUFx44Yil2gDAodhYWDAz0zA/s1600/d2.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="346" data-original-width="218" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhIRgiRQh30AuJpZMjBxV56SWWzpEFCJYsHKHYN4BVby8dgWl_Xm6GkqR2ApmwFbbRaOAs-MYVFmy7fFD7_lmBEzwiU0BS-vX9FEDH5eA5wCE2MuIDbCUGVUFx44Yil2gDAodhYWDAz0zA/s320/d2.jpg" width="200" /></a></div>
<b>Gangs and knife crime are such serious problems in the UK and
globally; what do you see as being the solution?</b></div>
<br />
<div style="margin: 0cm 0cm 0pt;">
The ideas in the book mirror those that I would like to implement
in real life. The Hay Patrollers is a youth program, getting young people out
of gang life, encouraging them to find a place in the community. This not only
reduces crime by creating positive activities for those who participate, but
also it creates employment and respect. I haven’t heard of many communities
with similar ideas, creating employment and housing. </div>
<br />
<div style="margin: 0cm 0cm 0pt;">
Book three in the series, <i>Degsy Hay: Unit 16-21</i> (currently being written), not only explores the idea of providing <span style="mso-no-proof: yes;">apprenticeships,</span> but also subsidising <span style="mso-no-proof: yes;">one-bed</span> housing for each participant. <span style="mso-no-proof: yes;">This</span> could become a huge, positive programme, but funding and
sponsors will be needed.</div>
<br />
<div style="margin: 0cm 0cm 0pt;">
<b>What are you hoping to achieve with the book?</b></div>
<br />
<div style="margin: 0cm 0cm 0pt;">
As many
sales as possible so I can put 50% of the royalties back into the Hay
Patrollers programme and realise my dream of making a <a href="https://www.communitynews.com.au/joondalup-times/lifestyle/currambine-author-wants-to-turn-book-into-inspirational-movie/" target="_blank">movie</a>.</div>
<br />
<div style="margin: 0cm 0cm 0pt;">
<b>What’s the next step for you as a writer?</b></div>
<br />
<div style="margin: 0cm 0cm 0pt;">
Complete book three, keep the Degsy franchise open and
perhaps write some thrillers or mysteries.</div>
<br />
<div style="margin: 0cm 0cm 0pt;">
<i>The first two books in the trilogy are available now and
receiving <a href="https://literarytitan.com/2019/02/18/degsy-hay-the-hay-patrollers/" target="_blank">positive reviews</a></i></div>
<a href="https://www.amazon.co.uk/Degsy-Hay-Juvenile-Redeemed-Everbody/dp/1999315111" target="_blank"><i>Degsy Hay: A Juvenile Redeemed</i></a><br />
<i><a href="https://www.amazon.co.uk/gp/product/B07MTNX4VB/ref=dbs_a_def_rwt_bibl_vppi_i0" target="_blank">Degsy Hay: The Hay Patrollers</a></i><br />
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<i>Want to help? Support Brian's crucial community projects <a href="https://www.gofundme.com/6upmuf4" target="_blank">here</a>.</i></div>
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<b></b><i></i><u></u><sub></sub><sup></sup><strike></strike>Hayley Shermanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04207183495704284788noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3430602697578737616.post-72027188510260258642018-12-06T07:47:00.001-08:002018-12-06T07:47:30.543-08:00Ho! Ho! Ho! Writing Christmas Fiction with Julie Hodgson
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjNNye4VJcCK9JcfPTI-odYm8epW0rwCaWobB4lKdE-29M7LKea58ZTB5vR4zXetunGAruldwkAPfm_X1UURJzn6aCkiEuFDGYbCPFKwJMJ1wYRXccQ8UXBo96oQlgdA5hzsgwsWGjFJS4/s1600/gift.png" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="270" data-original-width="187" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjNNye4VJcCK9JcfPTI-odYm8epW0rwCaWobB4lKdE-29M7LKea58ZTB5vR4zXetunGAruldwkAPfm_X1UURJzn6aCkiEuFDGYbCPFKwJMJ1wYRXccQ8UXBo96oQlgdA5hzsgwsWGjFJS4/s1600/gift.png" /></a></div>
<div style="line-height: normal; margin: 0cm 0cm 0pt;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12.0pt;">Award-winning author and Whoosh client Julie
Hodgson has written for adults and children across a range of genres, including
everyone’s favourite – the Christmas book! Yes, who doesn’t love a good tale of
families coming together and mean-spirited humbugs learning the true meaning of
Christmas, both of which are central to her hilarious book <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;"><a href="http://www.whoosh-editing.com/" target="_blank">The Gift</a></i>, in which long-suffering Joe is forced to team up with the
mother-in-law from hell to pass tests set by Santa himself and save his wife in
time for Christmas. I caught up with Julie for a quick chat about the
inspiration behind the book, what goes into writing a seasonal novel and how
she’ll be spending the holidays.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span></span></div>
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<br /></div>
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<div style="line-height: normal; margin: 0cm 0cm 0pt;">
<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12.0pt;">What inspired you to tackle a Christmas
book? </span></b></div>
<br />
<div style="line-height: normal; margin: 0cm 0cm 0pt;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12.0pt;">Christmas
is my absolute favourite time of the year. I have already written a few
Christmas stories for small children and love the subject.</span></div>
<br />
<div style="line-height: normal; margin: 0cm 0cm 0pt;">
<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12.0pt;">What was your inspiration when writing <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">The Gift</i>? </span></b></div>
<br />
<div style="line-height: normal; margin: 0cm 0cm 0pt;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12.0pt;">Again,
my love for the Christmas spirit and season. It always brings out the very best
in most people. I like that.</span></div>
<br />
<div style="line-height: normal; margin: 0cm 0cm 0pt;">
<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12.0pt;">Christmas books are often about families
coming together. Tell us about the relationship between Joe and his awful,
flame-haired monster-in-law.</span></b></div>
<br />
<div style="line-height: normal; margin: 0cm 0cm 0pt;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12.0pt;">Joe
tries his best but always feels he is never good enough for Madge. She picks
fault all the time without rhyme or reason. But Madge does have her ways and
Joe tries to please her, just to keep the peace for Beth. Of course, when two
people are thrown together it can go either way. With Joe and Madge, the
results are both funny and heart warming. </span></div>
<br />
<div style="line-height: normal; margin: 0cm 0cm 0pt;">
<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12.0pt;">Who/what inspired the terrible
mother-in-law character? </span></b></div>
<br />
<div style="line-height: normal; margin: 0cm 0cm 0pt;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12.0pt;">We
can all guess pretty well about who the mother-in-law character was based on. I
think many wives or husbands have this issue with not being liked by the
spouse’s mother! A son’s mother never really accepts the new woman in their son’s
life … at least not every one of them! There are exceptions.</span></div>
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjpHuGF859T0RYV6yguJIbhVYmDLIlwyQo3hUrXhw6AKnvHbWG1TgHgJdqPQr3vAMm0j6EUDeVCpGVaGig9Z_sEYvVsE0WRXzQ5W7BvEwPEe0Qby8m6pEww8nJ0TxCMyjjNaSrJwOFRrxw/s1600/julie.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="261" data-original-width="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjpHuGF859T0RYV6yguJIbhVYmDLIlwyQo3hUrXhw6AKnvHbWG1TgHgJdqPQr3vAMm0j6EUDeVCpGVaGig9Z_sEYvVsE0WRXzQ5W7BvEwPEe0Qby8m6pEww8nJ0TxCMyjjNaSrJwOFRrxw/s1600/julie.jpg" /></a></div>
<div style="line-height: normal; margin: 0cm 0cm 0pt;">
<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12.0pt;">What is the most important ingredient of a
Christmas book? </span></b></div>
<br />
<div style="line-height: normal; margin: 0cm 0cm 0pt;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12.0pt;">It’s
great to have comedy, heart-warming situations and, of course, the family
involved.</span></div>
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<div style="line-height: normal; margin: 0cm 0cm 0pt;">
<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12.0pt;">What advice would you give to other
writers tackling Christmas books? </span></b></div>
<br />
<div style="line-height: normal; margin: 0cm 0cm 0pt;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12.0pt;">It’s
important to have some strong characters in the book, a main one who the reader
can follow. It’s essential to have lots going on, excitement, even sad
situations. This will keep the reader following the story.</span></div>
<br />
<div style="line-height: normal; margin: 0cm 0cm 0pt;">
<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12.0pt;">How important is a happy ending in
seasonal writing? </span></b></div>
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<div style="line-height: normal; margin: 0cm 0cm 0pt;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12.0pt;">To
me at least, it’s very important … Although I do know it is not always the case.
But Christmas is for having dreams and happy endings, especially in books.</span></div>
<br />
<div style="line-height: normal; margin: 0cm 0cm 0pt;">
<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12.0pt;">How has creating a book with a limited
window for sales affected your marketing strategy? </span></b></div>
<br />
<div style="line-height: normal; margin: 0cm 0cm 0pt;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12.0pt;">I
never think of any one particular marketing strategy for the Christmas books,
as people love them anyway … I use postcards, which are easy to give to people
or leave in libraries and shops. Xmas fayres are a great way to spread the news
about your Christmas saga. The cover is important, I feel, too. I always look
for a wonderful cover when I’m buying a book. And now I own a book shop, but I
don’t tell customers I’m an author; it’s a buzz when they pick up one of my books.
</span></div>
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<div style="line-height: normal; margin: 0cm 0cm 0pt;">
<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12.0pt;">What is your favourite Christmas book? </span></b></div>
<br />
<div style="line-height: normal; margin: 0cm 0cm 0pt;">
<i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12.0pt;">A Christmas Carol</span></i><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12.0pt;"> by Charles
Dickens! </span></div>
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<div style="line-height: normal; margin: 0cm 0cm 0pt;">
<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12.0pt;">How will you be spending Christmas this
year? </span></b></div>
<br />
<div style="line-height: normal; margin: 0cm 0cm 0pt;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12.0pt;">As I
am in Portugal this year, I am flying to Sweden to be with my grown-up children
and to have a crazy family Christmas, with board games, good food and plenty of
laughter. Whereas Madge has issues with Joe, I adore my son- and daughter-in-law.</span></div>
<div style="line-height: normal; margin: 0cm 0cm 0pt;">
<br /></div>
<div style="line-height: normal; margin: 0cm 0cm 0pt;">
Buy <i>The Gift</i> by Julie Hodgson on <a href="https://www.amazon.co.uk/Gift-Julie-Hodgson-ebook/dp/B01N63VIYI/ref=sr_1_3?ie=UTF8&qid=1544109842&sr=8-3&keywords=the+gift+julie+hodgson" target="_blank">Amazon</a></div>
<div style="line-height: normal; margin: 0cm 0cm 0pt;">
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<b></b><i></i><u></u><sub></sub><sup></sup><strike></strike>Hayley Shermanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04207183495704284788noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3430602697578737616.post-20451417796648992732018-10-31T07:10:00.000-07:002018-10-31T07:10:23.782-07:00Three Incredibly Easy Ways to Make Your Character Descriptions Pop<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi-Nn_ArbOGDQmrOWqeod-gsboCJpQYv4V25L09Wnsdu3KR0ER7wgWlUXo4YfX-jIrXo98yiixUCK-2QhZo3M1tIMaJkN_xQsEESn-MDuWNKDcvhWtaCeikpFTT7udXWUig4eBd3yIq2do/s1600/pic.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"></a><div>
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi-Nn_ArbOGDQmrOWqeod-gsboCJpQYv4V25L09Wnsdu3KR0ER7wgWlUXo4YfX-jIrXo98yiixUCK-2QhZo3M1tIMaJkN_xQsEESn-MDuWNKDcvhWtaCeikpFTT7udXWUig4eBd3yIq2do/s1600/pic.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="600" data-original-width="900" height="212" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi-Nn_ArbOGDQmrOWqeod-gsboCJpQYv4V25L09Wnsdu3KR0ER7wgWlUXo4YfX-jIrXo98yiixUCK-2QhZo3M1tIMaJkN_xQsEESn-MDuWNKDcvhWtaCeikpFTT7udXWUig4eBd3yIq2do/s320/pic.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
<i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12.0pt;"> She had blue eyes, brown hair, a blue jumper
and a look of boredom that had been there since she read this description of
herself. </span></i><br />
<div style="text-align: left;">
</div>
<div style="line-height: normal; margin: 0cm 0cm 0pt; text-align: left;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12.0pt;"><br /></span></div>
<div style="line-height: normal; margin: 0cm 0cm 0pt; text-align: left;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12.0pt;">We've all been guilty of lazy writing like this before. So, what
follows are three tips to avoid listing your characters' attributes and elevate your description to make it
pop. </span></div>
<br />
<div style="line-height: normal; margin: 0cm 0cm 0pt;">
<br /></div>
<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12.0pt;">One</span></b><br />
<br />
<div style="line-height: normal; margin: 0cm 0cm 0pt;">
<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12.0pt;">Select Meaningful Points of Focus</span></b></div>
<br />
<div style="line-height: normal; margin: 0cm 0cm 0pt;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12.0pt;">Think
about what you are telling your readers with your physical description. Yes,
you are telling us what your characters look like, but you could be showing us
so much more. What would you like us to see about your characters that’s unique
to them and builds on character development?</span></div>
<br />
<div style="line-height: normal; margin: 0cm 0cm 0pt;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12.0pt;">Think
about that blue jumper. <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">She wore a blue
jumper.</i> Anyone can wear a blue jumper, but ask yourself how your character
is wearing it and what it says about them. Is it new or old? Tightfitting or
loose and worn? Are the sleeves rolled up? This will give you a starting point,
but take it further so this jumper could only belong to your character. Does it
have stains down the front? Does she fiddle with the loose threads? Perhaps it’s
not a jumper at all but a t-shirt with a slogan that shows your character’s
unique perspective; a shirt that he sweats through within minutes of putting it
on; a painters’ shirt with more paint on it than the canvas.</span></div>
<br />
<div style="line-height: normal; margin: 0cm 0cm 0pt;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12.0pt;">And
those blue eyes? <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">She had blue eyes.</i> What
are they telling us about the character? Seventeen percent of the world’s
population has blue eyes (thank you, Google). What sets your character apart
from the others? What are they expressing or looking at? Do they blink
particularly slowly or quickly or linger, thirsty to drink in the world around
him? Or maybe there is another focal point that will tell us more about this
character? His/her hands, feet, necklace, tattoo, hat, teeth?</span></div>
<br />
<div style="line-height: normal; margin: 0cm 0cm 0pt;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12.0pt;">Carefully
selecting focus points is a great approach to take when describing all other
aspects of your book. Think beyond literal description and about what you would
like to show readers. Think about the perspective of the character viewing the
room or the dog or the sky; does it affect the way you describe it? Think about
who the garden or car or phone belong to; what does your description tell us
about them? Use description to your advantage to reveal and develop character
and plot. </span></div>
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<div style="line-height: normal; margin: 0cm 0cm 0pt;">
<br /></div>
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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<div style="line-height: normal; margin: 0cm 0cm 0pt;">
<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12.0pt;">Two</span></b></div>
<br />
<div style="line-height: normal; margin: 0cm 0cm 0pt;">
<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12.0pt;">Show Your Description in Action</span></b></div>
<br />
<div style="line-height: normal; margin: 0cm 0cm 0pt;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12.0pt;">I
have touched on this in the first tip, when the character fiddles with the
loose strand on the blue jumper or his blue eyes linger on the world around
him. Adding movement/interaction will paint a stronger picture of your
characters beyond 2D descriptions, and you are killing two birds with one stone:
avoiding directly telling readers how a character feels (the greatest writing
sin!) and creating more dynamic description. So, 'The nervous woman in the blue
jumper' becomes 'The fidgety woman fiddling with the loose strands on her worn
jumper'. 'The miserable-looking man at the bar with the blue eyes' becomes 'The man
at the bar who hasn’t looked up from the glass of warm beer in his hand for the
last hour nor taken a sip of it'.</span></div>
<br />
<div style="line-height: normal; margin: 0cm 0cm 0pt;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12.0pt;">Even
when you are not particularly saying much of anything about a character with
your description and you really do just want a character to have blonde hair
and blue eyes, it will be more powerfully shown dynamically rather than in list
form. So, ‘She had blonde hair’ becomes ‘I hadn’t noticed just how blonde her
hair was until we were out in the light’. ‘He had blue eyes’ becomes ‘Those
blue eyes got me every time. How could I say no?’. </span></div>
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12.0pt;">Again,
use dynamic description throughout the book, beyond character description, to
elevate your writing. </span><br />
<br />
<div style="line-height: normal; margin: 0cm 0cm 0pt;">
<br /></div>
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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<div style="line-height: normal; margin: 0cm 0cm 0pt;">
<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12.0pt;">Three</span></b></div>
<br />
<div style="line-height: normal; margin: 0cm 0cm 0pt;">
<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12.0pt;">Use all the Senses</span></b></div>
<br />
<div style="line-height: normal; margin: 0cm 0cm 0pt;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12.0pt;">So
far, we have only looked at visual description, but there are five senses to
play with, and the other four are quite often forgotten. What sounds does a
person make and what do they tell us about the character? Perhaps they are so
softly spoken that it’s almost as if they don’t want to be heard. Perhaps they
crack their knuckles so loudly that it makes her jump every time. Perhaps the
suit was so cheap that it squeaked. What about smell? Everyone has a unique
smell and every smell tells a story. There are obvious smells, like BO and
perfume, but it’s the unusual smells that get the cogs turning: ‘It was
an odd combination of cinnamon and WD40; don’t ask me what she had spent the
day doing.’</span></div>
<br />
<div style="line-height: normal; margin: 0cm 0cm 0pt;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12.0pt;">The
more intimate senses are useful when characters are up close and personal, but touch
also has a place in general character descriptions. Think of a simple handshake
and what this could tell us about a character. Is it firm or soft? Hot or cold?
Rough or soft?</span></div>
<br />
<div style="line-height: normal; margin: 0cm 0cm 0pt;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12.0pt;">If
this was helpful, feel free to share it with others. </span></div>
<br />
<div style="line-height: normal; margin: 0cm 0cm 0pt;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12.0pt;">Follow
us on <a href="https://www.facebook.com/Whoosh-Writers-130058670378879/" target="_blank">Facebook</a> and <a href="https://twitter.com/WhooshEditing" target="_blank">Twitter</a> and check out the <a href="http://www.whoosh-editing.com/" target="_blank">Whoosh website</a> <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span></span></div>
<b></b><i></i><u></u><sub></sub><sup></sup><strike></strike></div>
Hayley Shermanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04207183495704284788noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3430602697578737616.post-38675649545818869932018-02-28T01:50:00.001-08:002021-09-09T07:25:04.350-07:00Why are Agents and Publishers Rejecting Your Novel?
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh1OoHpUmb34Bnwfb88wLVibatdFNV-ppFwcshZfGNq4potW5siupR6N6cLl-_sV4ycwxW6hdCf2LU6Dm52p4Ydrihm2eP1-KXFMWYvMY9C1C6LXveFvHgXG_ud-Uw2VTHn3whAU31d-iw/s1600/images.jpg" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="183" data-original-width="276" height="132" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh1OoHpUmb34Bnwfb88wLVibatdFNV-ppFwcshZfGNq4potW5siupR6N6cLl-_sV4ycwxW6hdCf2LU6Dm52p4Ydrihm2eP1-KXFMWYvMY9C1C6LXveFvHgXG_ud-Uw2VTHn3whAU31d-iw/s200/images.jpg" width="200" /></a></div>
<div style="margin: 0cm 0cm 0pt;">
There are many reasons that agents and publishers reject
manuscripts. These reasons fall into two categories: variables controlled by
them and variables controlled by you. Anything from budgets and a full list could
fall into the first category, to something as trivial as an agent looking at
your sample after an argument with his/her husband/wife and barely reading it.
That’s publishing for you – it was never meant to be easy! </div>
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Thick skin and persistence are obviously key here. Even the
spotty, awkward, greasy teenager gets a date if he asks every single girl in
the whole school. Every ‘no’ brings him closer to a ‘yes’, and it’s the same
principle with finding a home for your book. Knock on enough doors and you
eventually find an agent or publisher. Right? Well, partly, but, sticking with
the metaphor, wouldn’t it be better to have a wash, reach for the Clearasil and
get some dating advice? </div>
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This is where the second set of variables become important.
What can you do to attract attention and impress potential backers? More
importantly, what might you be doing to ruin your chances of finding
representation?</div>
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<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;">Not researching the
agent or publisher thoroughly</b></div>
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It’s tempting to send samples out in all directions to see
what sticks, but wouldn’t it be better to take the time to find the best match
for your work? No poetry, children’s book, sci-fi, etc. means just that. No
publisher ever is going to be so dazzled by your work that they will change
their ethos to work around you. Don’t waste their time. Instead, show them
respect and tell them why you have chosen them specifically in your cover
letter. If you can’t think of a reason, they might not be the agent or
publisher for you.</div>
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<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;">Not presenting your
work to their specifications</b></div>
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Agents and publishers each have their own specifications
governing submissions. Read them! Some things are generally similar – 12pt
font, Times New Roman, double-spaced, one side of A4 – however, there are
variables in their content requirements – email/snail mail, long/short
synopsis, one/three chapters/whole manuscript. They may ask for a reading fee,
a reference, a CV. The only way to find out is to check their website or <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">The Artists’ and Writers’ Yearbook</i>.</div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgufcK-ikQpRhiBHrWz6bNJ50Ue3qQ9_m3q3basgfC23yTep-q6xYL-5Ey_cdPcsdEf2T9Lpi56W_bm9YJvr4FydI3_17uJrOWrv9hs24wnBBe-Atylw56jJ_9Ka_nXu1uS4S7xkVA_QAc/s1600/pbin4_1414394i.jpg" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="400" data-original-width="620" height="128" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgufcK-ikQpRhiBHrWz6bNJ50Ue3qQ9_m3q3basgfC23yTep-q6xYL-5Ey_cdPcsdEf2T9Lpi56W_bm9YJvr4FydI3_17uJrOWrv9hs24wnBBe-Atylw56jJ_9Ka_nXu1uS4S7xkVA_QAc/s200/pbin4_1414394i.jpg" width="200" /></a></div>
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<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;">Not Presenting your
work professionally</b></div>
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Are your sample chapters, cover letter and synopsis printed
on good quality paper, well-aligned, free from thumbprints? Have you put them
in an A4 envelope and neither stapled nor folded them? Are you proud to send
this first impression to the people that hold your future in their hands? If
not, bypass the postbox and head straight to the bin.</div>
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<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;">Not checking for
errors</b></div>
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When you have solved cosmetic problems, the next step is
confronting the text. Is your manuscript full of errors? This is an interesting
and difficult question; if your manuscript is full of error, you have made them
and might not be aware of them. A better question would be to ask if you are
the best person to judge if there are errors in your sample. I suggest getting
as many eyes on deck as possible. A <a href="http://www.whoosh-editing.com/proofreading/"><span style="color: #0563c1;">professional proofread</span></a>
is never a waste of money.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span></div>
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<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;">Not reworking your
manuscript sufficiently</b></div>
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I’m sure there is no need for me to say this, but you
shouldn’t be sending anyone your first draft. The first draft is merely the
clay that you can then rework into your masterpiece. It is a springboard to
greater work. There are no hard and fast rules about how many times you need to
edit a book, but the more work you put in, the better the result, so allow
yourself to be driven by your own high standards. Again, get as many people to
read it as possible. A professional <a href="http://www.whoosh-editing.com/manuscriptassessmen/"><span style="color: #0563c1;">manuscript assessment</span></a>
is a great way of looking at the novel with fresh eyes and discovering
strengths and weaknesses in both the project and your writing skills.</div>
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<br /></div>
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<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;">Underestimating the
role of a writer</b></div>
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It takes hard work, determination, practise, sacrifice and
devotion to be a writer. Many authors fail to find representation until they
have written a number of books, developing skills with each project. Others
find success later in life, again building and honing their skills over time.
If you have chosen writing because of £million book deals and overnight success
stories, you may be approaching this from the wrong angle. There are no
shortcuts and no replacement for a lifetime of development. Take a course, join
a writing group, get as many people to read you as possible so you can gain a
sense of where you are in terms of your abilities. Seeking publication is
applying for the Olympics. Are you ready for that?</div>
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<br /></div>
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<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;">Underestimating the
additional role of a writer</b></div>
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Agents and publishers are primarily looking for great,
well-written books. They are also concerned with who is writing them. In the 21<sup>st</sup>
century ‘who you are’ in this context means ‘who you are online’. Do you have a
blog? Have you been published online or in magazines? Have you self-published?
What do your Facebook and Twitter accounts look like? Are you presenting
yourself as someone who is capable of building hype and publicising your own
book? Do you have any significant contacts that you can share in your cover
letter?<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span></div>
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<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;">Finally, sadly, flogging
a dead horse</b></div>
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Your book just might not be good enough. It’s blunt, I know,
but this is a reality that we all have to face at some point in our careers. We
have devoted six months or a year or fifteen years to a book, we have put our
souls into it, and we’ve accidentally produced a stinker. You can try to mend
it, seek advice, edit hard, but some books were never meant to be. I have seen
writers crushed beneath the weight of their magnum opuses for decades,
unwilling to let them go because they have devoted themselves to them for so long.
This is no way to live. Sometimes, it’s okay to simply let go, take what you
have learned to your next project and keep moving forwards.</div>
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<br /></div>
<br />
<div style="margin: 0cm 0cm 0pt;">
<i>Hayley Sherman has been </i><a href="http://www.whoosh-editing.com/"><span style="color: #0563c1;"><i>helping writers</i></span></a><i> move towards
publication for ten years.</i></div>
<div style="margin: 0cm 0cm 0pt;">
<i>Don't forget to share and follow</i> <i>@whooshEditing</i></div>
<br />
<div style="margin: 0cm 0cm 0pt;">
<i>Read: </i><a href="http://www.whoosh-editing.com/how-to-get-published/"><span style="color: #0563c1;"><i>How to Get Published</i></span></a></div>
Hayley Shermanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04207183495704284788noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3430602697578737616.post-13569254680804455562017-11-24T11:52:00.000-08:002017-11-24T12:15:28.622-08:00Show Don’t Tell - The Writer’s Mantra! But When is it Okay to Tell?<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhMa1nPXZCqol3ZGRu6s28o7To9w4eDqcmisTtux1yG6QFRSa_2jTOLEfGym4wt4r8ub2ZrXL2WMYFeLa7m8fDbhrSf2n0KFgsfz-t5Fa7Oqd-UY6pASAhgrgykYxLdladX8SRsMMjM238/s1600/showdonttell.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="847" data-original-width="1600" height="169" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhMa1nPXZCqol3ZGRu6s28o7To9w4eDqcmisTtux1yG6QFRSa_2jTOLEfGym4wt4r8ub2ZrXL2WMYFeLa7m8fDbhrSf2n0KFgsfz-t5Fa7Oqd-UY6pASAhgrgykYxLdladX8SRsMMjM238/s320/showdonttell.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
<span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;">‘Show don’t tell’ is the single most valuable piece of advice a writer
can receive. Don’t tell the reader what’s going on, get out your box of paints
and create a world that readers can disappear into. Don’t explain what’s
happening, stay in the moment and allow the events to unravel, detail by
detail. The closer you get to the action or drama, the more immersed your
readers will become in your fantasy.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;"><br /></span>
<div style="line-height: normal; margin: 0cm 0cm 0pt;">
<span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;">We all know the Chekhov quote now – <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">‘Don’t
tell me the moon is shining; show me the glint of light on broken glass.’ – </i>and
it’s a great illustration of the point. </span></div>
<span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;"><br /></span>
<div style="line-height: normal; margin: 0cm 0cm 0pt;">
<span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;">Every time I <a href="http://www.whoosh-editing.com/manuscriptassessmen/" target="_blank">assess</a> or <a href="http://www.whoosh-editing.com/copy-editing/" target="_blank">edit</a> a fresh manuscript for a client, the words
‘show don’t tell’ will always pop up at least once in my notes, whether it’s
simply a need to show the heat and tension on a character’s face rather than
simply writing, ‘She was angry’, or a greater sin of completely lapsing into distant
overview and summarising whole scenes when what we really need is to stay in
the moment.</span></div>
<span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;"><br /></span>
<div style="line-height: normal; margin: 0cm 0cm 0pt;">
<span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;">However, there is definitely a time and a place for telling. You just
need to make sure you know when and where that is. </span></div>
<span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;"><br /></span>
<div style="line-height: normal; margin: 0cm 0cm 0pt;">
<span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;"><br /></span></div>
<span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;"><br /></span>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg8Mv3HAVmSl6p7vWu_UYI4I3JoxEbt3O0slc3Kvonen7mt4WpqfHH7N_fcejBvP-XNOTEu8ZzwQ6sVT9oOmm0BRdhES78m_5Hxcv_7UlZAy0ScZ3Ye7UNBo7mDuinGHEYY5ZE3KfxAL84/s1600/we.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;"><img border="0" data-original-height="499" data-original-width="326" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg8Mv3HAVmSl6p7vWu_UYI4I3JoxEbt3O0slc3Kvonen7mt4WpqfHH7N_fcejBvP-XNOTEu8ZzwQ6sVT9oOmm0BRdhES78m_5Hxcv_7UlZAy0ScZ3Ye7UNBo7mDuinGHEYY5ZE3KfxAL84/s320/we.jpg" width="209" /></span></a></div>
<div style="line-height: normal; margin: 0cm 0cm 0pt;">
<span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;">I am rereading <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;"><a href="http://karenjoyfowler.com/" target="_blank">We Are All
Completely Beside Ourselves</a></i><a href="http://karenjoyfowler.com/" target="_blank"> by Karen Joy Fowler </a>and rediscovering what a
masterclass it is on the subject. It’s hard to talk about the book without
spoilers, so I will simply say that Rosemary’s story is unravelled throughout
the early decades of her life, which Fowler achieves through a balance of scene-building
<i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">and</i> overview, showing <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">and</i> telling, both of which are necessary
because of the scope of the story. The genius of this narrative is Fowler’s
instinct for when to zoom in for a closeup of the moments of Rosemary’s life and
when to pull away to show readers the bigger picture. She does so with a deft
hand that allows her to skip from the past to the present, and uses the
distinct first-person voice to colour her ‘telling’ with the opinions and
character of her narrator that make the book so unique. I highly recommend
taking a look. </span></div>
<span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;"><br /></span>
<div style="line-height: normal; margin: 0cm 0cm 0pt;">
<span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;">Zooming in and out is a great way of addressing the showing and telling
issue. For the most part, we obviously need to be zoomed in. This is where
readers are flies on walls that you are creating, eavesdropping on the
dialogue, absorbing interactions moment by moment, interpreting nuanced behaviour
into character and plot (with no ‘telling’ from you). The telling comes in when
you need to convey something that cannot be shown … and I mean <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">really</i> cannot be shown; this does not
include explanations of what a character is feeling, unnecessary chapter introduction
and summaries of what’s generally going on (which often show a lack of
confidence in your ability and underestimate the intelligence of your readers).
</span></div>
<span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;"><br /></span>
<div style="line-height: normal; margin: 0cm 0cm 0pt;">
<span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;">So, when can you tell? </span></div>
<span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;"><br /></span>
<div style="line-height: normal; margin: 0cm 0cm 0pt;">
<span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;">‘Telling’ often becomes necessary when there are gaps that need to be
filled; either the past needs to be explained or time has moved on and your
readers need to know what’s happened in their absence. This is where I encourage
you to get creative and ask questions of your project. Do you need to tell as
much as you think in the exposition? Would you be creating a more challenging
read if background was implied rather than directly revealed? And when used, what
can you do to create ‘telling’ that is as absorbing and compelling as the ‘showing’?
Fowler and others zoom in and out even within exposition, often throwing in
fragments of scenes and dialogue alongside summary to illustrate their ‘telling’;
what can you do in this way to dissolve the distance that ‘telling’ creates?</span></div>
<span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;"><br /></span>
<div style="line-height: normal; margin: 0cm 0cm 0pt;">
<span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;">This is especially challenging with first-person narratives, where you
are firmly positioned inside your main character’s head and it is tempting to
explain what they are thinking and experiencing rather than showing it, which
is why it is so important to consider how you are going to approach this kind
of commentary before beginning. Even if you have created a character whose
thought processes, worldview and personal voice are so dynamic and captivating
that we are hanging off every thought they have, we will still get closer to
them if we are allowed to see out of their eyes and experience the world the
way they see it, rather than simply being told about it.</span></div>
<span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;"><br /></span>
<div style="line-height: normal; margin: 0cm 0cm 0pt;">
<span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;"><br /></span></div>
<div style="line-height: normal; margin: 0cm 0cm 0pt;">
<span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;">Was this helpful? If so, follow the links to share and subscribe.</span></div>
<div style="line-height: normal; margin: 0cm 0cm 0pt;">
<a href="http://www.whoosh-editing.com/" target="_blank"><span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;">Need more help?</span></a></div>
Hayley Shermanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04207183495704284788noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3430602697578737616.post-80851153116338851842017-03-05T04:49:00.000-08:002017-03-08T02:06:23.190-08:00Staying Motivated When You’re Skint, Pissed Off and Your Protagonists are Stalking Your Nightmares<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjBu3CUFB_h-Cy9zkRPzAxnIcUMbQi1vyQRvfyyFilh5s7ItXpEcDxs5BamoTsYF8UFA0qVvNTP-nkeo6t-JL1e7FVkEdf-d3X1q2TzDftsuwKDL-ZVXFv3UH_NFcAWkp-wHvSpzDqeBxo/s1600/graffitti.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="183" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjBu3CUFB_h-Cy9zkRPzAxnIcUMbQi1vyQRvfyyFilh5s7ItXpEcDxs5BamoTsYF8UFA0qVvNTP-nkeo6t-JL1e7FVkEdf-d3X1q2TzDftsuwKDL-ZVXFv3UH_NFcAWkp-wHvSpzDqeBxo/s320/graffitti.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
<span style="font-family: "times new roman" , serif; font-size: 12pt;">You’re
skint! You’ve been working on the same soul-hungry, ink-draining, end-dodging
novel/screenplay/collection for so long that its characters have started to lurk
around the corners of your nightmares and jump out at you with their demonic
hair and crazy weapons of doom. When you wake up they’re still there, demanding
your attention even though it’s a sunny day and you’ve been told there are actually
real people in the world. You’ve starting to compare yourself to people your
age, from your best mate to J.K. Rowling, both of whom have achievements that far
outweigh your own. You’ve started to hide from your laptop because it’s looking at
you all the time and you’re sure you can hear it calling you. <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">Why aren’t you writing? You can’t run from
me forever!</i> You walk into the library and your heart sinks at the sheer
volume of books confronting you. What could you possibly have to say that hasn’t
already been said? And no one’s reading them anyway. You’re battling to produce
a masterpiece that will end up in this large-print, pensioner-fingered graveyard
before it’s even lived a life. All is lost!<o:p></o:p></span><br />
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin: 0cm 0cm 0pt;">
<span style="font-family: "times new roman" , serif; font-size: 12pt;">But
you know deep down that this is what you signed up for. You know that you can
make a killing but not a living with a pen, so you drag yourself through the
lean years. You know that there will be days when your characters salute you
when the sun goes down and you can snuggle under your duvet as a hero of the
craft, so you tolerate the struggle. You know that the majority of writers find
success later in life and you’re in no hurry, but how can you keep your sanity
in the meantime, when your self-confidence has buggered off in a taxi with your
talent and you’re sitting on the floor thinking the unthinkable – of getting a
proper job? Maybe this will help …<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin: 0cm 0cm 0pt;">
<span style="font-family: "times new roman" , serif; font-size: 12pt;"><span style="mso-list: Ignore;"><span style="font-size-adjust: none; font-stretch: normal; font: 7pt/normal "Times New Roman";">
</span></span></span><!--[endif]--><span style="font-family: "times new roman" , serif; font-size: 12pt;"><strong>Read
Something Awesome<o:p></o:p></strong></span></div>
<span style="font-family: "times new roman" , serif; font-size: 12pt;">This could be the book that you’ve been
waiting to hit the shelves, a biography by an author who has been through what
you’re going through, or your favourite book, which you’ve already read one hundred
times. There is a danger of falling out of love with books when your own has had
you in a headlock for so long, so be good to yourself and get into bed with a
classic.<o:p></o:p></span><br />
<span style="font-family: "times new roman" , serif; font-size: 12pt;"><span style="mso-list: Ignore;"></span></span><br />
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<!--[endif]--><span style="font-family: "times new roman" , serif; font-size: 12pt;"><strong>Do
something Awesome<o:p></o:p></strong></span><br />
<span style="font-family: "times new roman" , serif; font-size: 12pt;">I waste a lot of time when I should be
writing and I end up doing nothing. I think I’m fooling myself, but I’ve got my
number. Watching ‘just one episode’ on Netflix, cleaning the house from top to
bottom, alphabetising my shoes; this is not writing and I am fooling nobody. If
writing just isn’t going to happen then better to be honest about it and go out
into the world than spend a day wracked with guilt and zero productivity. Go
have a good time and feel good. Go and do something awesome and inspiring and
your creative world will reap the benefits anyway.<o:p></o:p></span><br />
<br />
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<!--[endif]--><span style="font-family: "times new roman" , serif; font-size: 12pt;"><strong>Make
Contact with Awesome People<o:p></o:p></strong></span></div>
<span style="font-family: "times new roman" , serif; font-size: 12pt;">Write a letter (yes, a letter) to your
favourite author. Why? Because they might actually write back to you with words
of encouragement. Because it will make you feel good to reach out. Join writing
forums and get Tweeting, join a real-life writing group to meet other writers
who have pulled half their hair out over questions of point of view and
characterisation. Get support.<o:p></o:p></span><br />
<br />
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<!--[endif]--><span style="font-family: "times new roman" , serif; font-size: 12pt;"><strong>Try
an Awesome New Medium</strong> <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<span style="font-family: "times new roman" , serif; font-size: 12pt;">If you’re a novelist, have a go at writing
a screenplay; if you’re a screenwriter, try your hand at poetry; if you’re a
poet, see what it feels like to develop a play; if you write comedy, get
serious; if you are a literary author, lighten up; if you tend to write long,
sprawling sentences, see what short bursts are like. Go further still; if you
usually tell a story with words, try doing it with music or art, film or dance.
There are many ways to tell a story and so many creative spaces in which to
park your beautiful mind.<o:p></o:p></span><br />
<br />
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<!--[endif]--><span style="font-family: "times new roman" , serif; font-size: 12pt;"><strong>Write
to Your Awesome Self<o:p></o:p></strong></span></div>
<span style="font-family: "times new roman" , serif; font-size: 12pt;">I read this tip in a book many years ago
and it’s such a charming idea. Quite simply, write an emergency letter to be
opened in times of deep dejection and distress. Write it when you’re feeling
great. You’re the best writer ever. George Orwell and Virginia Woolf had a love
affair and you were the result. There has never been a writer quite like you.
Write it all down and go into specifics, remind yourself of what inspired you to
write in the first place and what you would like to achieve with this project.
Be kind to yourself.<o:p></o:p></span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "times new roman" , serif; font-size: 12pt;"><em>Need
help? Hayley Sherman has been supporting independent writers for nearly ten
years as an editor, creative consultant and ghost-writer. Visit </em><a href="http://www.whoosh-editing.com/"><span style="color: #0563c1;"><em>www.whoosh-editing.com</em></span></a><em> for more
details.</em> <o:p></o:p></span></div>
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Hayley Shermanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04207183495704284788noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3430602697578737616.post-37437919645610731522016-07-22T11:29:00.001-07:002016-10-23T02:47:40.042-07:00Writing as Improvisation<div class="MsoNormal">
I recently read <i>Why Be
Happy When You Can Be Normal?</i> by Jeanette Winterson with my book group and
found one of the bravest and most inspiring writer-based lines I have ever
read:</div>
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<o:p></o:p></div>
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<br /></div>
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<i>Every day I went to
work, without a plan, without a plot, to see what I had to say.<o:p></o:p></i></div>
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She was falling apart by this stage, fighting a battle with
the fog, and, as it had throughout her life, writing pulled her through her despair.
She was so broken and crushed by the weight of her experiences that she could
barely vocalise her thoughts or bring food to her lips, but she had this place
of words and stories in which to immerse herself and from it came great
healing. The restorative power of artistic endeavour is beyond inspiring, but I
was particularly astounded by her courageous faith in the unknown, to simply
see what she had to say each day, improvising a world in which to insert
herself with no thought for the end result. And this time of improvisation
yielded not only the return of sanity but also <i>The Battle of the Sun</i>, a book for children.<o:p></o:p></div>
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For the rest of us, just how easy is it to write to see what
we have to say? Personally, I have found the experience incredibly overwhelming,
but with surprising and compelling results. It’s also a little frightening.
Writing in this way is a direct route to the subconscious – why kick that
hornet’s nest? – but it is highly recommended for just that reason, because you
never know what you’re going to manifest – on the page and in your world. <o:p></o:p></div>
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As writers, we already know the power of ‘free writing’,
because to a lesser extent, writing is always improvisation. We never know what
a character is going to say or how we will express their movements, even if we
are working to a strict plan. We are often swept off into fantastical new
directions that we simply couldn’t have imagined without the act of writing
them. I don’t know how it works, but it does, so why not try to harness this
with a 100% improvisation practice, even if it’s just for ten minutes a day,
just to see what you have to say? You can start by plucking a first line or
subject out of the air, or from a newspaper/the internet, use a photograph or
work of art to inspire you, or bravely simply commit to keeping your pen moving
for ten minutes with absolutely no preconceptions. I promise you won’t regret
it.<o:p></o:p></div>
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For more useful articles and info about editorial and creative services, visit www.whoosh-editing.com</div>
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Hayley Shermanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04207183495704284788noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3430602697578737616.post-30646140968545961262015-09-09T05:07:00.000-07:002015-09-09T05:07:07.550-07:00Top Ten Words I Found Down the Back of the Sofa<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEibl0A7LZO4G9RY3IkreykiiaN6z2KowSWnhLExvpHUCYOi0QAL9_8xOwLlQC6Sug_qkAEheanAv-cyCA4pXK7KeQlTITmnsZahbSk4_ZUCoeVpE6aXI8FxIVH3U7bjazjdeWpx_RNxROU/s1600/shrub-sofa.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEibl0A7LZO4G9RY3IkreykiiaN6z2KowSWnhLExvpHUCYOi0QAL9_8xOwLlQC6Sug_qkAEheanAv-cyCA4pXK7KeQlTITmnsZahbSk4_ZUCoeVpE6aXI8FxIVH3U7bjazjdeWpx_RNxROU/s200/shrub-sofa.jpg" width="200" /></a></div>
<span style="text-indent: 0cm;">I love a good top
ten list and more importantly, search engines love a good top ten list, so I
have compiled my own catchy countdown to draw the masses away from the mainstream
Top Ten Movies, TV Shows and Celebrity Arse Cracks and back to the mothership
that is the English language. This is Action 159 (Clause 12) of my cunning manifesto
to take over the world with a dictionary in one hand a mug of peppermint tea in
the other.</span><br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-indent: 0cm;">
<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-indent: 0cm;">
But first let me
take you back a bit …<o:p></o:p></div>
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<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-indent: 0cm;">
To my shame, as a
child when reading, I was a skipper rather than a looker-upper, because who has
the time to pull out a dictionary for every unfamiliar word when you’re a)
immersed in a great book and b) more than capable of inventing a definition for
the word using its sound and context? But this is where I had been going wrong;
this is where mistakes are made from which one might never recover. For
example, who knew the words demotic and demonstrative had absolutely nothing to
do with demons? Who knew ‘bucolic’ was neither a disease nor a vegetable? Who
knew a ‘sibilant’ wasn’t a robotic, mutant brother? <o:p></o:p></div>
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<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-indent: 0cm;">
So, in recent
times, I have treated mystery words with a little more respect, especially as
it is impossible to skip words in conversations with learned colleagues who
have never missed a dictionary call in their lives, and making up my own
definitions leads only to embarrassment – a despot is not served for pudding, Dada
is not mama’s partner, a filigree is not an accommodating horse.<o:p></o:p></div>
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<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-indent: 0cm;">
Several
discoveries have emerged from my rehabilitation from crimes against language;
the first is a realisation that there are literally words for everything. That
may sound like an obvious thing to say, but now I am committed to learning the
meaning of every single word in the English language, I am convinced that many
words are surplus to requirement. Interlocutor: a person having a conversation.
Do we really need that one? Sonorous? I have given this word so many different
meanings over the years and now I discover that all it means is deep and full.
Call me old fashioned, but we already have two words for that: one is deep and
the other is full. Lubricious (nothing to do with the joy of Durex Play): the
simple definition of this is lewd. What I’m realising is that I should be in
charge of giving words their definitions. I would be so much better at it than
the joker who decided that a wonderful word like nebulous, a jewel of the OED –
neberendingfabulousness – should simply mean vague.<o:p></o:p></div>
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<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-indent: 0cm;">
But it’s not all
doom and gloom, or cataclysm and monochrome (which actually means disaster and
black and white, but let’s not Serra (Greek dance) with semantics). I love
words; of course I love words. I have always loved words; I work with words; I
would eat them for dinner if I could. So you won’t be surprised to find that as
I worked through my blind spots I uncovered more than the odd word that made me
smile. And so was born my top ten words found down the back of the sofa. I
suppose I only figurative found them down the back of the sofa (or I <i>literally</i> found them down the back of
the sofa if you’re a young person gamely determined to use the word ‘literally’
in literally every sentence and hang the consequences – I literally salute
you). Enjoy … <o:p></o:p></div>
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<b>Ten<o:p></o:p></b></div>
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<b>Assuage</b><o:p></o:p></div>
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I include this on
my list not for its meaning but because I don’t think I have ever heard it
spoken, although fiction writers seem to love it. Desires and unpleasant
feelings are always being assuaged, but I’m still not sure I know how the word
would feel in my mouth should I need to get my assuage on.<o:p></o:p></div>
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<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-indent: 0cm;">
<b>Nine<o:p></o:p></b></div>
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<b>Patina</b><o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-indent: 0cm;">
We’re just
warming up, so another fairly straightforward word, but this one seemed to appear
from nowhere one day. I simply hadn’t heard of it, but then it was in every single
book I read. Isn’t it strange when you learn something and then it’s suddenly
everywhere although you’ve never heard of it before? It’s as if the world gave
birth to it at the exact moment I discovered it. Patina: the green film found
on bronze. <o:p></o:p></div>
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<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-indent: 0cm;">
<b>Eight<o:p></o:p></b></div>
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<b>Lepidopterist<o:p></o:p></b></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-indent: 0cm;">
Now we’re cooking
with gas! A student of butterflies and moths.<o:p></o:p></div>
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<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-indent: 0cm;">
<b>Seven<o:p></o:p></b></div>
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<b>Costive</b><o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-indent: 0cm;">
What can I say?
I’m a childish girl-woman. This word isn’t an adjective relating to a popular
coffee house chain, or a projection you would find on an accountant’s
spreadsheet; it simply refers to something that causes constipation. Ha! It’s
such a benign- and innocuous-looking word … and I thought I had heard of all
the toilet-related words that existed.<o:p></o:p></div>
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<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-indent: 0cm;">
<b>Six<o:p></o:p></b></div>
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<b>Frugivorous</b><o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-indent: 0cm;">
Just look at it!
It’s ugly but beautiful at the same time; awkward but self-contained; harsh,
almost violent and then peaceful in the last few syllables. The shape of this
word tells a thousand stories and takes the tongue on journeys previously
untraveled. And its meaning? Fruit-eating. <o:p></o:p></div>
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<br /></div>
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<b>Five<o:p></o:p></b></div>
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<b>Xanthochroid </b><o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-indent: 0cm;">
This is included
because I previously only knew the words xenon, xenophobia, Xerox, Xmas, X-ray
and xylophone beginning with X. But X has far more to deliver than this:
xenogamy, xenoglossia, xenopus, etc., etc. I feel as if I have never lived when
I look at these words. My number five simply describes a person with light hair
and a fair complexion.<o:p></o:p></div>
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<br /></div>
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<b>Four<o:p></o:p></b></div>
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<b>Fecundity</b><o:p></o:p></div>
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If assuage was
chosen because I didn’t quite know how it would feel in my mouth, I have chosen
fecundity for the exact opposite reason. I know how it feels and it’s
positively filthy. Say it out loud, savour the syllables – fe-cun-di-ty. How
isn’t this a sexually explicit swear word? Disappointingly, it simply means
fertility (for which we already have a word, which is fertility!) <o:p></o:p></div>
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<b>Three<o:p></o:p></b></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-indent: 0cm;">
<b>Skeuomorph. </b><o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-indent: 0cm;">
This is a
physical object or design which is made to resemble another material. That
sounded quite complicated when I looked it up, but it’s really simple. For
example, when you use an app that’s designed to look like something that exists
in the real world (a computer keypad, a bookshelf, pages of a notepad), this is
skeuomorphic. I’m not sure why this word appeals. It just does; perhaps because
I only discovered it a few nights ago and it still has that fresh and exciting
glow.<o:p></o:p></div>
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<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-indent: 0cm;">
<b>Two<o:p></o:p></b></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-indent: 0cm;">
<b>Defenestration</b><o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-indent: 0cm;">
Proving conclusively
that there is a word for absolutely everything, this simply means to throw
someone or something out of a window. I love that it is clean, succinct and
specific. This word can do no wrong in my eyes. <o:p></o:p></div>
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<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-indent: 0cm;">
<b>And at Number One<o:p></o:p></b></div>
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<b>Moribund</b></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-indent: 0cm;">
<span style="text-indent: 0cm;">This word
absolutely stole the show for me for its awkward and unusual positioning in the
sentence; the very knowledge that this word exists makes me smile most days. It
is an adjective meaning ‘at the point of death’. So, for example, a
slaughterhouse din might be a cacophony of moribund squeals. A man with his
head in a guillotine might have moribund thoughts of a better life where his
head hasn’t ended up in a guillotine. Love it!</span></div>
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<o:p></o:p></div>
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Hayley Shermanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04207183495704284788noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3430602697578737616.post-54441367524062532302015-05-18T07:30:00.000-07:002018-03-06T05:22:36.350-08:00Stop Talking Sh*t! Start Writing Believable Dialogue!<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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There is good dialogue and there is bad dialogue and depending on which you are writing, it will make or break your story. Nothing engages a reader more than realistic dialogue and nothing disgruntles a reader more than a phrase that is contrived, clichéd and unnatural; it will pull a reader away from your lovingly crafted prose quicker than a flat character or a thin plot could ever do.<br />
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It is not too much of a surprise, then, to discover that writing dialogue is one of the most challenging elements of fiction writing and one which takes time to master. The following list should help you through the minefield of dos and don’ts.<br />
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Listen to how people talk</h3>
This is the best way to learn about speech patterns and natural dialogue. People have many different methods of verbal expression which vary depending on who they are talking to, what they are talking about, their mood and their upbringing. Taking notes from real life will really improve the authenticity of your dialogue.<br />
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Use dialogue to move the story forward</h3>
Dialogue in fiction is an economical representation of the real thing. In addition to being realistic, it must be purposeful. Read your dialogue and ask whether it has a function. Does it establish tone or mood? Does it reveal anything about the plot or characters? Does it add to the relationship that the reader is building with the speaker? Does it add or create conflict? If it doesn’t have a purpose, delete it.<br />
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Break up dialogue with action</h3>
Breaking up the dialogue is especially useful when handling large sections of speech which a reader may find tedious. Including actions alongside dialogue also gives the reader a sense of the conversation taking place in the real world, which elevates the conversation above mere words on a page.<br />
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Vary the use and placement of speech tags</h3>
Speech tags indicate who is speaking and are essential in following dialogue (he/she said). Varying the use and placement of the tag will help the flow of the conversation and prevent the dialogue from becoming tedious. Place tags at the beginning, middle or end of speech. When experienced, a writer instinctively knows the most effective use of tags and when to leave them out completely.<br />
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Give each character a distinct voice</h3>
In theory, a reader should be able to read a line of speech and identify which character is saying it. There are many techniques for achieving this. You may give your character a distinct accent, use habitual phrases or mistakes which they tend to repeat or vary the speech patterns through the grammar. Paying attention to what a character will and will not talk about, their level of intelligence and sense of humour will also create the difference.<br />
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Be aware of pace</h3>
As with all elements of writing fiction, you are in control of the pace. In urgent situations, when you want to pick up the pace, leave out or limit narration and tags. To slow the pace and building suspense, use monologues and longer sections of narration.<br />
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Read widely</h3>
The best way to learn is to see how the masters do it. Read within your genre and note techniques that really work.<br />
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Test your dialogue by reading aloud</h3>
With dialogue, the ears are often a better judge than the eyes. Listen to the dialogue to hear the flow and notice the mistakes that interfere with it.<br />
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Use dialogue to dump information</h3>
This is where trust in your reader is essential. If you have done your job well, the reader will be able to follow the story as it slowly unfolds without a character speaking for the sole purpose of filling in a back story, reminding the reader of past details or over-explaining. Information dumps are unnatural, lazy and annoying. Don’t let them slip into your writing.<br />
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Obsess about grammar</h3>
People don’t obsess about grammar when they speak and you shouldn’t when you are writing speech. People speak in incomplete sentences, leave out words and interrupt each other. Relaxing the grammar can only help your dialogue to be more believable.<br />
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Overdo Tags</h3>
You may be tempted to replace ‘he/she said’ with ‘he roared, whimpered, gushed or barked’, but you will be in danger of drawing too much attention to the tag and away from the dialogue. When the dialogue is strong, simple tags will suffice and keep the reader engaged with what is really important. As stated earlier, use action to ground the reader in the reality of the conversation.<br />
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Overuse slang, stereotypes and Ummms!</h3>
Beware of overusing stereotypes and slang. These can distract or alienate your reader. They will also age your work. In real speech people take time to think about what they are saying and ‘Ummming’ and ‘Ahhhing’ is commonplace, but to keep the dialogue economical and interesting, use this sparingly.<br />
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Hayley Shermanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04207183495704284788noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3430602697578737616.post-35144200122829944202014-07-30T03:19:00.000-07:002019-07-08T02:25:14.249-07:0010 Questions to Ask of Every Single Chapter You Write…<div class="MsoNormal">
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<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjz8w9LO-75nLEc0oHwnLXOT4DaBHZfAdpaqmNkcCWZXQmrXb9N-r-cOS2rZvtva9Kkprssyn6KZ2f8-jEUZXElM3zXHR_h-U6DdEys_iTRjaxpCidos6r7Z-gFz425azq3s0YNduRNjqs/s1600/awesome.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjz8w9LO-75nLEc0oHwnLXOT4DaBHZfAdpaqmNkcCWZXQmrXb9N-r-cOS2rZvtva9Kkprssyn6KZ2f8-jEUZXElM3zXHR_h-U6DdEys_iTRjaxpCidos6r7Z-gFz425azq3s0YNduRNjqs/s1600/awesome.jpg" width="244" /></a></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal;">
<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;">1. Are the Opening Paragraphs Slowing it Down</b>
</div>
<div align="left" class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; text-align: left;">
Chapter
divisions are a necessary part of a book, helping to pace the whole, but this
doesn’t mean you have to give them too much respect and spend endless
paragraphs at the beginning of the chapter re-introducing the setting, plot or
characters. The very best chapter openings are those that take the readers
straight into the action, resisting the temptation to recap an overview of the
story so far or simply take a literary breath, where nothing is actually
happening, but somehow you’ve kept the pen moving. Whatever’s happening in your
chapter, get to the point as quickly as you can to keep the book moving
forward. <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span></div>
<div align="left" class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; text-align: left;">
<br /></div>
<div align="left" class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; text-align: left;">
<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;">2. What Do We Know Now About the Plot that We
Didn’t Know in the Last Chapter?</b></div>
<div align="left" class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; text-align: left;">
This
question could be rephrased to ask ‘what is the point of this chapter’? This is
something that it is useful for you to know before you start writing to keep
you on track. As an editor, I often read chapters where it seems that nothing
in particular happens. One reason for this is that the author has forgotten
their creative licence and taken a linear pathway through the story rather than
simply picking and choosing a tightly plotted route where something is always
happening to take us ever onwards. That’s the beauty of being a writer; you
really don’t have to include all the boring bits that happen in life in order
to get the interesting bit. Be succinct in your writing and make sure that
every single chapter moves your reader forward in some way. Remember, ours is
such a disposable culture that it only takes one slow or ‘bad’ chapter where
nothing much is happen for a reader to potentially pass you over for another
read. </div>
<div align="left" class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; text-align: left;">
<br /></div>
<div align="left" class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; text-align: left;">
<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;">3. How Has Your Lead Character (Other
Characters) Developed?</b></div>
<div align="left" class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; text-align: left;">
Again
this is about making every chapter count. Use your plot development and the
interaction between characters to show us exactly what makes your characters
tick. Ideally they will be constantly affected by the events of your novel, so
take the time to ask what this particular chunk of story is going to do to
them. If your characters remain essentially unchanged throughout then something
has gone wrong. </div>
<div align="left" class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; text-align: left;">
<br /></div>
<div align="left" class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; text-align: left;">
<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;">4. Is Any Part of the Chapter Unnecessary?</b></div>
<div align="left" class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; text-align: left;">
There
are a range of reasons why parts of the chapter may be unnecessary, two of
which are outlined in the preceding questions (not progressing plot or
character). The ideal is for you to keep moving forward, and cutting
unnecessary passages will help this, whether it’s that you are spending a
little too long hammering a point home that you nailed in a few paragraphs, or
you’ve written a killer description that you love, but it really is slowing the
narrative down. It could be that you have chunks that are a little repetitive
because you want to feel confident that you have got your point across. Have
faith in your readers and your own writing ability that they will understand
what you are writing immediately without dead, repetitive passages. Be ruthless
in your cutting to create the best possible read. </div>
<div align="left" class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; text-align: left;">
<br /></div>
<div align="left" class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; text-align: left;">
<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;">5. What is there for Your Readers to Wonder About?</b></div>
<div align="left" class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; text-align: left;">
This
is a huge question, responding directly to the reasons that readers choose to
read at all. Whatever you are writing, you need to be one step ahead of the
reader because readers want to be challenged. Mystery is not simply the domain
of the crime writer; whatever you are writing, you need to leave your readers
guessing. If you are asking what there is for your readers to wonder about with
every chapter you write, you stand a good chance of creating a book that will
deeply satisfy even the most skilled, plot-unravelling mind.</div>
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<br /></div>
<div align="left" class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; text-align: left;">
<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;">6. What is there for Your Readers to Care About?</b></div>
<div align="left" class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; text-align: left;">
Another
reason that readers read is pure escapism and it is your responsibility to
create an island for their imaginary vacation. The only way that this can
happen is for you to get your readers emotionally involved, so you have to
continually ask what you have created that your readers will care about. This
is an extremely loose question because there are a number of ways to care and
it is up to you to decide which is appropriate for you and your story. Empathy
is the key here; if readers are able to relate to the characters you are
creating and the situations that you put them in then you have a jumpstart. </div>
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<br /></div>
<div align="left" class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; text-align: left;">
<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;">7. Has Any Opportunity for Action Been Missed?</b></div>
<div align="left" class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; text-align: left;">
This
is an interesting point to make and not one that is always apparent to the
writer unless they make a point of adding it to a chapter checklist. Again this
has become apparent to me as an editor, reading fiction of all kinds, and relates
to how you choose to tell your story. Of course, there are many ways to plot
events in a novel and quite simply, the most exciting route is a wrecking ball
through the middle of the drama as it happens. This is how truly exciting
fiction emerges. Let me qualify this by giving you an example of the
alternative: picture a thriller, perhaps a detective novel, where the
protagonist spends most of his or her time thinking, going over evidence,
talking to people, cracking on with the clues and then eventually solving the
case. It sounds good, but how much better would it be if the same protagonist always
arrived at times of danger and has to put his or her life on the line to get to
the truth and the clues put him or her under further private peril and he or
she barely scrapes it to the end of the book in one piece? Just as mystery isn’t
just the domain of the mystery writer, thriller writers don’t have the monopoly
on action. Even if you are writing a non-genre, literary thinker, a love story
or a comedy, you need to keep your readers engaged by keeping the stakes as
high as you can. </div>
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<br /></div>
<div align="left" class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; text-align: left;">
<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;">8. Has Any Opportunity for Originality Been Missed?</b></div>
<div align="left" class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; text-align: left;">
While
we’re making sure that you haven’t missed any opportunities, take a moment to do
an originality check. Have you read or seen anything you have written in this
chapter before? Worse, have you bought into any clichés that are dominating
this chapter? One of the most wonderful things about being a writer is being
able to present a unique view of the world to readers. This should be presented
on many levels throughout the book, from the overall vision that you want to
achieve and the characters and plot that gets you there, to the way events are
presented throughout each chapter, right down to language level, where you are
being inventing and using your personal voice to create a unique reading
experience. Taking the time to check that you haven’t sloped off into a world
that’s just too familiar will help you as you write each chapter.</div>
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<br /></div>
<div align="left" class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; text-align: left;">
<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;">9. Is Everything Right?</b></div>
<div align="left" class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; text-align: left;">
This
will seem like a ridiculously broad question to ask of your chapter, but
accuracy is important. I have read books where Mr Smith began as a blonde
teacher and ended as a ginger accountant. I have read books where he started as
Mr Smith and somehow became Mr Schmitt by the end. She grew up in Suffolk but
somehow now has a Geordie accent? We’re told in the first chapter that he
always calls her lollypop because of the size of her head, but then we never actually
see him call her it. It’s all about consistency and accuracy. Some writers keep
notes as they write to make sure that they aren’t having crises of continuity.
Chapter by chapter, it may just be an idea to have a read through what you’ve
already written so that you are avoiding glaring errors and equally usefully,
creating a consistent reading experience in terms of your style. This is also a
great time to mention SHOW don’t TELL, which I’m hoping needs no further
explanation.</div>
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<br /></div>
<div align="left" class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; text-align: left;">
<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;">10. Will the Ending Keep the Pages Turning?</b></div>
<div align="left" class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; text-align: left;">
Chapter
endings give readers the option of reading on or slipping their bookmark in for
the night and coming back to you another day. Ideally you want the former, so
approach the end of the chapter with this in mind. I have read books where
every chapter ends with a cliff-hanger, which was great apart from the fact
that I don’t remember getting any sleep at all throughout the whole reading
experience. Not every book needs to have this level of drama, but ask yourself
how you can end your chapter to guarantee, at the very least, a return visit
from the reader. An unresolved issue is great. What also works is a reveal –
readers will always want to read on to see what happens next. Surprises and twists
are great also. Basically I would just encourage you to utilize what you have
with the beginnings and endings of chapters and steer clear of ‘the day begins’
and ‘the day ends’ kinds of openings and closings. Chapter divides are a great
tool for you to explore and master, so take the time and see what you can do.</div>
<br />
<br />
<br /></div>
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<b>More articles and information can be found on the Whoosh Editing website, along with full information about all of our editorial and creative services for writers ... www.whoosh-editing.com </b></blockquote>
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<b>Free Ebook!</b></div>
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better to advise you on the subject of self-publishing than forty indie
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Hundreds of books pass through Hayley Sherman's inbox each year. This book is a culmination of her experience as an editor<i> </i>and offers advice, examples and more than 40 exercises to help you achieve a novel to be proud of. <i> </i><b> </b> </div>
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Hayley Shermanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04207183495704284788noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3430602697578737616.post-23000742300953734202014-01-30T08:28:00.000-08:002014-07-30T02:59:12.263-07:00Writing Exercises<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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Much like an athlete, it is essential that you exercise before the
marathon that is writing a novel, script or poetry/short story
anthology. Even non-fiction writers need to warm up or you will find
yourself exhausted with only a blank page to show for your efforts.<br />
Writing exercises, however, not only serve to enhance discipline and
stamina, they are paramount in generating ideas and improving your
skills in certain areas (e.g. developing characters, writing dialogue,
etc). Listed below are tried and tested writing exercises for you to dip
into:<br />
<h5>
Adjective Free</h5>
Adjective free is an exercise which explores style and language
choice. Write a scene or chapter, maybe just a few pages, without using
adjectives. Introducing this limitation is a great demonstration of the
power of word economy and the over-reliance of certain words. It will
also get the cogs turning in a uniquely challenging way.<br />
<h5>
Chain Writing</h5>
This exercise is great fun for two or more writers. One person starts
by writing a few paragraphs then passes it on to the next person to
continue (maybe by email). This can provide a great break in a heavy
writing session, introduce you to collaborative work and produce amusing
results.<br />
<h5>
Character CV</h5>
The better acquainted you are with your characters, the more rich and
believable they will appear to your reader. As the title of this
exercise suggests, write a character CV for any character you are
writing about. The CV should not simply include work and education
details; include as many of the following as possible: Height, body
shape, hair colour, skin colour, method of transportation, favourite
saying, accommodation, typical outfit to wear, friends, pets,
upbringing, favourite food, drink, book, film, moral attitude, financial
situation, hobbies and anything else you can think of.<br />
<h5>
Eavesdropping</h5>
This exercise is specifically geared towards improving dialogue
writing. In a public place (maybe a café), sit, listen to and record as
much natural dialogue as possible. The importance here is to write it
exactly as it was said. In addition to improving dialogue writing,
interesting people translate into interesting characters for future
writing.<br />
<h5>
Go out into the World</h5>
It is so important to take breaks from writing and this is a
productive way of doing so. Go out into the world (the city, beach,
forest, etc) and bring back one or more items that you find. These can
be, for example, an interesting leaf, a brick, an item of rubbish, or
anything that takes your fancy. Write vivid physical descriptions of the
item(s) and develop a back story to how the item(s) ended up where they
were. This is good as a general exercise and may generate story ideas.<br />
<h5>
Liars</h5>
This is a great exercise which encourages writers to show and not
tell in dialogue. Write a scene where two characters are lying to each
other without stating that this is the case. The reader must be able to
figure out that both are lying through your use of language alone.<br />
<h5>
New Endings</h5>
This exercise is great for identifying writing influences in your
style and distancing yourself from them. Select a favourite novel,
script or short story and rewrite the ending. When completed, examine
how your voice differs from the original author. As writers our voices
need to be as individual and original as possible, so actively practice
abandoning outside influences.<br />
<h5>
News to Fiction</h5>
This idea has been used by many writers to inspire stories and films.
Select a news story of interest (local news stories are quite good for
this as they are not too dramatic and leave lots of scope for
embellishment) and write a fictionalised account of it. As an extension
of this exercise, choose an ad from the classified section of the local
paper and write the back story of the sale.<br />
<h5>
People-Watching</h5>
People-watching is an endless source of entertainment and, as a
writer, it can also be a great source of inspiration. Spend some time in
a public place and select one person to be your central character;
writing a detailed physical description can be a great creative
exercise. Taking this one step further, create a life story for this
person and they could create the foundation of your next big idea.<br />
<h5>
Pick an Object, any Object</h5>
Starting small, chose an object and work outwards to create a scene.
You may, for example, choose a chair. What does this chair look like?
Who sits in it and when? What room is it in and what is it like? Make
your descriptions vivid and this exercise has the potential to generate
wonderful plot and character ideas.<br />
<h5>
Random Words</h5>
This is a great exercise for working with specific restrictions and
will often produce zany writing. Collect words from the dictionary by
opening the pages and blind-pointing. Alternatively, ask a friend to
give you a list of words. Now write a story containing every one of
these words. It can be challenging when you have to include hovercraft,
daffodils, X-ray, Oxford, stereo, liver, ice-cream and prostitution in
the same story.<br />
<h5>
There’s no I in fiction</h5>
Okay, there is an I in fiction, but this exercise will help to
separate your personality from your characters’. Select a character from
a story/script you are working on. Write an unrelated scene/chapter
where you interact with your character. It could be that you’re having a
meal together, giving a job interview or even that your cars smash into
each other and you are having an argument. This exercise will highlight
areas where you are using your own personality in the place of genuine
character development.<br />
<h5>
Timed Free Writing</h5>
Set the clock for 10 or 20 minutes everyday and just write. Pay no
attention to what you are writing; just let it flow. This will get those
muscles working and will produce surprising results.<br />
<h5>
Visual Stimulation</h5>
Many great literary works began with a visual seed of inspiration, so
try it for yourself. Choose a painting or image and bring it to life
with words. You could write about what you see or what you feel. Who is
in the picture? What is this world like? How does it make you feel? You
could also select a few different images and combine them in a piece of
writing.<br />
<h5>
Workshopping</h5>
Although not technically a writing exercise, workshopping your
writing will help you to improve your technique and your critical
skills. A successful way of doing this is to set up or join a small
group (perhaps online). Everyone should read a piece of writing written
by one of the participants and discuss their responses constructively.<br />
<br />
For further editorial and creative support visit <a href="http://www.whoosh-editing.com/">www.whoosh-editing.com</a><br />
Follow us on <a href="https://www.facebook.com/pages/Hayley-Sherman-Author-and-Editor/130058670378879?ref=hl" target="_blank">Facebook</a> Hayley Shermanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04207183495704284788noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3430602697578737616.post-1819558318617923492013-02-05T09:50:00.001-08:002014-07-30T03:00:15.699-07:00How Many Writers Does it Take to Change a Light Bulb?<!--[if gte mso 9]><xml>
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Everyone's so serious at the moment, but I thought I would offer a stolen joke to lighten the writers' load. And now for the inevitable self-promotion, but if you see something you like you'll be glad you stopped by...</div>
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Who better to advise you on the subject of self-publishing than forty indie authors who have been there, done that and, well, written the book?</div>
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Hundreds of books pass through Hayley Sherman's inbox each year. This book is a culmination of her experience as an editor<i> </i>and offers advice, examples and more than 40 exercises to help you achieve a novel to be proud of. <i> </i><b> </b> </div>
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Hayley Shermanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04207183495704284788noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3430602697578737616.post-90081541134158479562013-01-15T15:29:00.000-08:002014-07-30T03:00:43.683-07:00Five New New Year’s Resolutions for Writers<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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Yeah, I know; it’s mid-January. You’ve already decided on,
set and broken all of your New Year’s resolutions. You didn’t quit smoking,
lose 5 stone or magically become or sleep with Angelina Jolie or Brad Pitt. You
probably hate me already for reminding you that we even started a new year with
so many broken promises littering the pathway to February, but do not despair;
we live in a disposable culture: if things break, we don’t fix them; we get
more things. And so it is with New Year’s resolutions. Sweep away your broken
promises and conjure up some new ones. Better still, you can use these… Five
New New Year’s Resolutions for Writers. <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><br />
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1. </div>
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I will not write Tweets, check my emails, respond to pokes,
see how my items are selling on eBay, watch clips of dancing babies, download
tunes, check my emails again or buy things that I don’t need from Amazon when I
am supposed to be writing. I will commit to disconnecting the internet at
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2.</div>
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Conversely, I will learn to tolerate interruptions in my
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my imaginary world by thoughtless non-writers who think that the real world is
the only one that matters. I will not kick the cat, headbutt Jehovah Witnesses,
scream at phone sales people, file for divorce or have my children put into
care.</div>
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3.</div>
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I will commit to considering that this ‘real life’ sometimes
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4.</div>
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I will look on other writers’ successes with good grace,
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are now living the life of my dreams even though they’re talentless and don’t
deserve it and it’s not fair… And breathe!</div>
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I will remember everyday how lucky I am to have the ability
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will be heard long after I have left this planet and – if I’m even luckier – to
get paid into the bargain.</div>
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Happy New New Year x</div>
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<br />Hayley Shermanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04207183495704284788noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3430602697578737616.post-23119028040776801382012-11-21T19:00:00.001-08:002012-11-22T05:20:20.955-08:00A Love Letter to Anyone Writing a First Novel<!--[if gte mso 9]><xml>
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<br />
<div class="MsoNormal">
Dear *Insert your name, you brave and crazy adventurer*,</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
I just wanted to write you a quick note to express my love
for you and everything you’re doing at the moment. </div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
You know when you’re stuck in a waiting room for hours and
all there is to read is a copy of last week’s <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">Daily Mirror</i>? Well, that would be what my whole life would be like
without you and your kind, plunging headfirst into your wondrous and mangled
minds and bringing back the bounty.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjjEjbIAtsc1vCsiaN2mG5UD5Ah1h3NuE3x5E54OGjjb0VhsmClpy7EVYYeiZZs4oXGH6H7UU7-LDEQpQpmBS8RrKynsyr5yjH9SGhFje4Szitn9wRo9yXSGV655MwypzwQVOV-qbN6Mgo/s1600/writers_block.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjjEjbIAtsc1vCsiaN2mG5UD5Ah1h3NuE3x5E54OGjjb0VhsmClpy7EVYYeiZZs4oXGH6H7UU7-LDEQpQpmBS8RrKynsyr5yjH9SGhFje4Szitn9wRo9yXSGV655MwypzwQVOV-qbN6Mgo/s1600/writers_block.jpg" height="186" width="200" /></a></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
You may think me insincere, and I apologise for being
forward (I hardly know you). It’s just that for every book by Kurt Vonnegut,
Donna Tartt, Charles Dickens, Stephen King, Jane Austen and *insert your
favourite author* there are hundreds of thousands of half-finished, abandoned,
unloved manuscripts sitting, embarrassed and cold, in boxes in attics around the
world, and I don’t want this to happen to yours. Imagine just how much great
fiction has been swallowed up by the great self-doubt epidemic of our times. It
may be brash and forward of me to write to you in this way, but I don’t want
you to give up. The world needs to hear your voice, taste your truths and play
with the <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Stickle_bricks" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">stickle bricks</a> of your creation. </div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
If you’re flying high, writing lots and pushing forward then
I hope that you will still appreciate my message of love (I salute you), but if
you're struggling to make it to the page on yet another cold November morning,
when there are bills to be paid and a hundred nothings out of
the window to distract you, there may be a few ideas I can offer to help.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
First of all, get in first; kick your doubts in the balls
before they can drag you into the dark alley. You can <a href="http://www.copyblogger.com/writing-meditation/" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">meditate</a>, try some
<a href="http://www.aubreyhirsch.com/2011/writers-block-and-self-hypnosis/" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">self-hypnosis</a> or write a letter to yourself to be opened at times of ‘Why am I
doing this? I’m crap’. Don’t be alone; join a <a href="http://www.nawg.co.uk/" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">group</a> or take a course. And then
of course there’s the internet, keeper of a relentless haul of porn,
skateboarding kittens and <a href="http://www.writingforums.org/" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">writing forums, groups</a>, Twitter, etc. Just make sure
that your doubt doesn’t become procrastination in the hands of <a href="http://mashable.com/2012/10/12/the-10-types-of-social-media-addict-infographic/" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">social-media addiction</a>.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
Sometimes it’s not just doubt though; it could be that
personal pressure is causing you to freeze at the sight of a biro. It could
also be that your idea isn’t quite developed enough to plunge into the writing
stages and more planning or research is needed. Try some <a href="http://writingexercises.co.uk/" target="_blank">writing exercises</a>. No
amount of staring at a blank piece of paper is going to turn a creative void into
a bestselling masterpiece. Another problem could be the strength of your idea.
Writing a mega slab of fiction could take years and is daunting even to the
most experienced practitioner, but if you’ve chosen to write something that you
only have lukewarm feeling for, you’re going to struggle.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
And then there’s comfort. Take regular screen breaks,
stretch, go for a walk, go and find inspiration. If you find that none of the
above is affecting you, it could simply be that you've been overdoing it, or
that you’re not comfortable in your environment. Setting up a writing space
that is just for you – maybe even the kitchen table when the kids are at school
– is essential to the wellbeing of you and your work. </div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
Remember that there is no right or wrong way to be a writer.
If writing at night works for you, then great. If starting at the end of your
novel and working backwards is for you then do it. Maybe you find that working
on more than one project and alternating your attention between the two will
keep you interested. Writing is one of the few professions where you can suit
yourself and that is something to be celebrated. If you have personal problems
in your life that you think may be clashing with your ability to immerse
yourself in the creative process then it may be that some life evaluation is
necessary before you begin. I don’t want to pry into your life, but if there's
an elephant in the room that you’ve been trying to pretend is not there, it’s
not going to be any less visible when you're trying to get down to some
writing. </div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
Finally, if all else fails, it's discipline that will see
you through. Plan working times and deadlines and stick to them. You chose to
write for a reason; remember that reason as often as you can and just write.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
I hope that this letter has helped.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
Lots of Love</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
Hayley xx</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgf2cfINrj5Q-gU875bJDhUaERAqljZEUPiTFByq-SaxVe0NHwYvN0243Oqng_dquABZnwmZVfMZyK1GgJkacoiync3lZcS1TOk5CfL2r-duNCHFP1eIAT7BHE1nIjNPw-H0-OHrzqsU8k/s1600/ditch-the-publisher-ebook.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgf2cfINrj5Q-gU875bJDhUaERAqljZEUPiTFByq-SaxVe0NHwYvN0243Oqng_dquABZnwmZVfMZyK1GgJkacoiync3lZcS1TOk5CfL2r-duNCHFP1eIAT7BHE1nIjNPw-H0-OHrzqsU8k/s1600/ditch-the-publisher-ebook.jpg" height="200" width="140" /></a> </div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
FREE EBOOK...</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<a href="http://www.hayley-sherman.co.uk/free-ebook-ditch-the-publisher/" target="_blank"><i>Ditch the Publisher:</i></a></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<a href="http://www.hayley-sherman.co.uk/free-ebook-ditch-the-publisher/" target="_blank"><i>40 Indie Authors on their Unique Self-Publishing Journeys </i> </a></div>
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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