Writerly Wednesday ~ The Fairy Tale Twist

I'll have to admit...I've been in a bit of a funk, lately.  (HI!  btw... :))  Maybe you've noticed?  This blogging thing is HARD sometimes!  The thing is ~ I wandered into this lovely blogging community and I've met some wonderful people and I don't want to lose contact with you.  So - I hope you'll forgive my "good-blogger" shortcomings and stop by to say "hello" from time to time.

BUT ~ on to the post!!  I admit it.  I watch FAR too much television.  I'm kind of a TV-junkie.  My poor dvr...  My husband is frequently exiled to the bedroom to watch his sports on the small screen, while I get the big TV in the living room ALL to myself!  (I know...mean...sorry sport-lovin' hubbies out there...)

A few new shows I'm trying out lately are twists on fairy tales.  These appeal to me, of course, because I happen to be writing a twisty fairy-tale based story.  Plus - who doesn't love a good fairy tale???  And I humbly maintain that watching copious amounts of TV is good research for writers.  I mean - a good show schools me on dialogue that works, humor, drama, character development, transitions from story to story - ALL sorts of stuff!  Here are the shows:

Once Upon a Time:



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 and Grimm:

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It's too early to decide which one I like better.  They both have their take on the Grimm fairy tales, but completely different approaches.  I do like the flashbacks to the fairy tales, themselves, in Once Upon a Time.  But - the cop angle of Grimm lends to more possible stories...I think.  Maybe.  :)  Plus, the reformed "Big Bad Wolf" in Grimm is pretty funny.  What I like the best, I think - is that they are taking stories that the whole world knows and putting a whole new twist on them.  Because - really...that's what writers do.

Have you seen these shows?  Have a favorite yet?  What's your favorite fairy-tale twist?  Please share!

And I hope you all have a wonderful Wednesday!

Writerly Wednesday ~ An Excuse...Limerick Style

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There once was a girl named Donea

Who wished to be Dax, named Jadzia

‘Cause it’ll take lifetimes to do

All the things I need to

“Ah, heck. Quark? Give me a Sangria!”

 
(my apologies, blogger buddies - BUSY week!!  I'll have something better for you on Friday.  AND - I'll catch up my visiting this weekend.  Have a good one!!)

Writerly Wednesday ~ Blogfest, Contest and a Question!!

Welcome to Writerly Wednesday, Friends!!

So - I'm short and sweet today.  Or, well...my blog post will be.  (although, I am admittedly short...5' 3 1/2"...*sigh*)

My good bloggy friend, Michael, of the In Time...blog is having a blogfest on Friday, Sept. 23rd:

You should TOTALLY sign up for this!!  What's better than summer vacation pics and LOTS of them???  :)  You can read all about it by clicking HERE.

And now for some contest news ~ this one just sounds amazingly awesome!!  Miss Snark's First Victim blog is gearing up for the 2nd Annual Baker's Dozen Agent Auction!!  If your logline is picked - you could have agents warring over who gets to read and possibly represent your book!!  BIDDING WARS, my friends.  And all logged on-line for the world to see.  It's open to Adult and MG/YA submissions - so if you've got a pretty polished novel - I'd do a quick spit-shine and hustle on over to MSFV's site STAT!

And finally, a question.  Does this font make my prose look big?  :)

Happy Hump Day!

Writerly Wednesday ~ Read any GREAT books lately??

Hi, all!  No tips, today.  But, I'm asking for tips from you:  Have you read any particularly GREAT books, lately??  If you're anything like me ~ your TBR list is already toppling over and you feel a strong need to cover your eyes when you look at it...

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There are just SOOO many wonderful stories out there, waiting to be discovered!  But, do you have any suggestions that might need to jump to the top of my mounting TBR list?

As it stands, Aprilynne Pike's "Wings" series is the next set for me.

What about you?  What are you reading?

Whatever the story may be, I hope you enjoy it!!  I know I'm looking forward to mine.  Happy Writerly Wednesday, my friends! :)

Writerly Wednesday ~ MONARCH Review and ARC giveaway!!!

Hello, my peeps!!  I have the great honor of reviewing Michelle Davidson Argyle's novel, MONARCH, on my blog today.

Check out this cool cover:

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Spys and butterflys?  Awesome.  :)

Here's the back cover descrip of the book:

Nick's life as a CIA spy should be fulfilling, but it has only given him unhappiness, a wife who committed suicide, and two daughters who resent everything he has become. Now, stuck in the Amazon on the last mission of his career, he must track down Matheus Ferreira, a drug lord and terrorist the United States has tried to bring down for years. If he succeeds, he'll have the chance to start his life over again. Just when he's on the brink of catching Ferreira, he's framed for a murder that turns his world upside down. His only chance of survival lies in West Virginia, where Lilian Love, a woman from his past, owns the secluded Monarch Inn. He's safe, but not for long.

 

AND a little bit about Michelle:

 

Michelle Davidson Argyle has been writing since a very young age. She graduated from Utah Valley University with a BA in English and creative writing in the winter of 2002. To date, she has completed five novels. Bonded will be released in fall 2012 by Rhemalda Publishing. She currently resides in the Rocky Mountains. Michelle is an avid blogger and currently runs her own blog, The Innocent Flower, as well as The Literary Lab, which she coauthors with the amazing Scott G. F. Bailey and Davin Malasarn. She is also an editor and publisher of the Literary Lab Presents series of anthologies, an annual nonprofit publication that donates all proceeds to charity.  (woot woot - a fellow Utahn!!!)

 

*I'll admit - adult thrillers aren't typically my genre of choice.  And as I read the first page, the image of a dead guy's blood pooling like butterfly wings ~ simply because I'm just not a blood&guts gal ~ had me a little worried.  But, the worry was for nothing.

 

As I delved deeper into Nick's, Lilian's, and Devan's stories ~ Michelle's deft descriptions and lovely words had me turning page after page after page.  And I soooo want to stay at The Monarch Inn!  And have some of Lilian's cake!!!

 

MONARCH mixes so many interesting elements ~ Nick's life as a spy is something many of us can't even begin to imagine - the sacrifices, the loss, the danger.  Lilian's divorce and the aftermath and her hopes for the future were touching and identifiable.  And Devan's loyalties to his mom (Lilian) and his sense of wonder about his future made him a lovable character.

 

With a thriller ~ it's hard to review too much of the plot.  I don't want to give anything away.  I'll say that, as a thriller, MONARCH does its job of keeping the reader guessing and pushing us to want to know what happens next!  I really enjoyed it.

 

And you can, too!!!  I'm giving my ARC away to one lucky commenter.  The book officially releases next week, Sept. 15th.  But, I'd like my winner to get it before then - so, entries will be accepted until this Friday, Midnight MDT.  I'll contact the winner bright and early on Saturday and (hopefully) get this mailed out to you ASAP!  (sorry - US residents only.)  Otherwise, I encourage you all to show a fellow UT-gal some love and pick up a copy of Michelle's book when it releases on the 15th.

 

Happy reading!!

Writerly Wednesday ~ Consistency!!!

CONSISTENCY!

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Consistency is what I SERIOUSLY lack these days... *sigh*  And I know it's sooo important... especially for a writer.

Like cake batter ~ if the consistency is too thin?  So is the story.  Too thick?  Well, I don't want to choke my (future) readers to death!  I'm working towards the perfect consistency ~ the kind that makes for a moist, delicious, good-looking cake...err...story!  But, it's something I struggle with.  Blogging, writing, sleeping, cleaning the house, taking my meds...yeah, it's that bad sometimes.  I think about how nice "consistency" in all aspects of my life would be.  I'm working on it ~ :)

What about you?  Do you struggle with consistency in writing (or life in general)?  Be it the voice, the style, the time you dedicate to it on a regular basis?  Or is there something else you struggle with?

With that ~ I wish you ALL THE BEST working through your current struggles.  There's a bright light out there.  No worries ~ we'll find it.  Happy Wednesday, my friends!!

Writerly Wednesday ~ A QoP Poll... :)

Hello, friends! As writers - it's always good to know what appeals to the masses. Right? :) So, I thought I'd give you a little poll and find out:

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No, No!!  Not that kind of pole!!!  This kind of poll:

So, tell me ~ did any of these results surprise you? (granted you're not the first person voting, of course... :p)  And, thanks for playing along!! I hope you all have a wonderful day of writing/reading/living out there today! :)

Writerly Wednesday ~ Do you Writeoncon?

Happy Wednesday, everyone!!!

Well - I've been busy with a little event this week...  Umm, maybe you've heard of it?

Yeah - it's AWESOME!!  If you haven't been by - I HIGHLY encourage you to check it out HERE.  Even if you don't participate in any of the live events/forums, there's a plethora of queries, 1st 250 words, 1st 5 pages critiques going on.  Industry agents are EVERYWHERE!  It's so interesting to see what everyone thinks.  What new story idea are out there.  What agents like and why. 

If you struggle with querying or the beginnings of your novels - maybe there's some agent-picks posted that will give you an idea of what you can try to make it better?  As I said - a plethora of writerly goodness at Writeoncon.  Check it out.  Stat!  :)  Must run now - more Writeoncon-ing to do!!

Writerly Wednesday - The 5 ESSENTIAL Story Ingredients!!

Again, I stumbled upon an article in Writer's Digest, written by Steven James about the 5 essential story ingredients.  You can (and I HIGHLY encourage you to) read the full article by clicking HERE.  He boils his idea down to this:

Story Trumps Structure

What do you think about that?  Can you throw your ideas of structuring a story with a beginning, middle, and end and/or predetermined plot points and bake a cake instead?  Have I lost you? 

OK, so this story of yours/mine - should have these 5 essential ingredients:

Ingredient # 1:  Orientation

Ingredient # 2:  Crisis

Ingredient # 3:  Escalation

Ingredient #4:  Discovery

Ingredient #5: Change

And like baking a cake....

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We can all start out with the same basic story ingredients, but end up with a wonderful variation of the final product.  Of course - like cake, if you leave an essential ingredient out, the cake falls flat.  Granted - you can tell me that a "recipe" has a beginning, middle, and end.  But, the choices you make with your ingredients are going to have a MUCH bigger impact on your cake/story than the fact that you can follow a recipe from point A. to point C.

Read the article.  It explains these essential 5 ingredients much better than I can.  And then tell me what you think?  Go on ~ I'll wait.  :)

Happy Writerly Wednesday!! 

Writerly Wednesday ~ I have written a fiction novel!!!! (ahem...10 query no-no's)

Happy Writerly Wednesday, all!!! 

I stumbled upon some query NO-NO's as I was trolling through the vast WD if-you-read-this-you-might-like-this links today.  I'm sure these are probably no-brainers, but...just in case... :)

10 things you NEVER want to do in a query (from WD - thank you Ann Rittenberg!):

The ultimate #1:  (hint: it's in the title)   A novel, of course, is fictional by definition

#2:  If you're having trouble reading this...so is the potential agent.

#3: Deer Agent,   (typo = no no)

#4:  --> query continues on page 2.

#5: Sorry, no nuggets of wisdom to start.  Such as "Every step in life we take moves us in a direction."  Wow, really?

#6: "Thanks for your time.  I look forward to hearing from you.  But, only if you contact me between Sept. 5 and Dec. 1 at the following number.  Otherwise, you can e-mail me at this address until 5pm on Wednesdays.  Or call at this # between the hours of 9am and 9:05am on the third Friday of every month.  Thank you."

#7: No generic photocopied letter, please!

#8:  "I worked very hard on this novel."  (Ummm...K.  But, does hard work = great writing?  Maybe...)

#9:  "I know you're busy.  I don't want to take up too much of your valuable time."  (Uh - too late!)

#10:  "My novel will appeal to women in general and since we make up the majority of the population in the world - I will sell a bazillion books!!!"  (do I even need to explain this one?  Seriously.)


Anything you want to add to this list?  :)  Happy Query Writing out there today!!

Writerly Wednesday ~ The 7 Deadly Sins of Writing...

Happy Wednesday, everyone!! 

I have to say...I really hate it when my blog title is a little too apt.  "Queen" of Procrastination?  Heck!  I've been the "Universal, Trans-dimensional, Supreme Ruler" of Procrastination lately!  My bad... and my apologies to all my wonderful followers.  My goal is to get back on track with consistent posting ASAP!

Needless to say, when I stumbled across this article in Writer's Digest, I wasn't very happy that I identified a little too much with #1...(in a more literal sense than what they actually meant, but still...)

I give you my recap of The Seven Deadly Sins of Writing by Zachary Petit:

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#1:  Laziness.  (You see?  :))  The contributing author of this deadly sin, David Hewson, is actually talking about academic laziness.  You know - coming up with the same story over and over and over again, but just giving it a minor face lift?  (don't do that, btw...)  But, the literal laziness is kind of death to a story, too.  Trust me...I know.  It's far too easy to slip into a do-nothing rut and let your story gather dust.

#2:  Trying to be a good student.  Contributing author, Lisa Gardner, said that research for a novel is essential.  Of course it is!  However, what you do with that research is another matter.  Regurgitating it on a page just isn't going to work.  Use what you've learned artfully, and don't forget you're writing to entertain and move your story forward.

#3:  Marching Down the Outline.  Now, for me and my fellow pantsers - this one's not so much a problem.  But, for you uber organized outliners out there - take note:  Contributing author, John Sandford, said that sticking too closely to your outline may stifle your story.  Just be aware of the problems this could create and don't be resistant to changes as needed.

#4:  Denying Jealousy.  Author M.J. Rose said that aspiring writers are often jealous of successful, published authors.  (Who, me??)  Well...OK.  Yes.  When I first heard about J.K. Rowling's success, I thought - "Seriously?  What's so neat about Harry Potter?!"  And then I read the books.  The point is, it's OK to feel jealous.  Just don't bottle it up and let it hinder your own creative efforts.  Embrace your jealousy and let it fuel your way through writing your own bestseller!!  Who knows, J.K. might be a little jealous of you/me someday...  :)

#5:  Focusing too heavily on the business.  Again from Sandford, he warns that getting lost in the trappings of business and promotion could hinder you from actually writing novels.  The business of writing is important to learn and to know - but, it will do you no good if you don't have books to use it on.

#6:  Not reading books.  Again from Rose, this just might be the deadliest sin of all!  You absolutely MUST read books in the genre you write.  No questions, no excuses.  Just do it!  Read, read, read.

#7:  Imitation.  Hewson says it well - There is a difference between imitating a book and being influenced by a book.  (So, now I'm a little worried about my story "Mary Cotter", about a teen witch who flies off on a shiny red plane to the Blogwarts school of witchcraft and wizardry...dangit!)  But, seriously...aside from the whole tacky factor of imitating another writer's work?  There is the part about  -  PEOPLE WILL KNOW!! So just don't do it.  If you love a particular book - look at why you love this book.  What works?  How could your own unique story elements work the same way?  Remember - imitation is not always the sincerest form of flattery.

So - tell me.  Are you a sinner?  :)  Happy writing out there today!!  And for realz this time...Find the Story Friday on the 15th!!

Writerly Wednesday ~ If I were a Nietzschean...

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I'm back!!  (Sort of...)  Hello, my bloggy friends!  Hope the past few weeks and holidays have been good to you - and PRODUCTIVE!!!  Have you all been getting a ton of writing/reading/editing done?

I'm back from a recent blogcation and actual vacation to B.C. Canada.  Enjoyed some poutine.  Saw a mama black bear and her three adorable cubs, up close!!  Paid 12% tax on EVERYTHING!  (B.C.'ers...how do you do it?)  I watched fireworks on Canada Day and absolutely drank in my beautiful, gorgeous surroundings.  Trust me - I've got plenty of new pics for Find the Story Fridays!!

Otherwise, I'm a little unprepared for my Writerly Wednesday today.  So, I thought I'd leave you with writing quote.  Not sure it's my absolute favorite, but the idea/image behind it is interesting.  Also, I've been watching FAR too many reruns of Andromeda lately.  So, obviously, when I stumbled across the quote author's name... I had to run with it.  Here you go:

Dancing in all its forms cannot be excluded from the curriculum of all noble education; dancing with the feet, with ideas, with words, and, need I add that one must also be able to dance with the pen?



~Friedrich Nietzsche

Til Friday...  :)

Writerly Wednesday ~ A twist on TV

The QoP (that would be me, btw) welcomes you all to another Writerly Wednesday!!

I have a question for all of you? How many of you have story ideas influenced by television? I'll admit - I once started a story about a fat housewife who found a way to teleport into her favorite TV shows and had an affair with Commander Riker... :)

And do you ever find yourself likening your stories to different shows? "Dear Agent - My 350,000 word YA fantasy is Buffy the Vampire Slayer meets Survivor."

Is television a worthy muse?

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I'd have to say that there's four types of television watchers:

1. The D.I.H.A.T.s: Do I Have A TV? These are the precious few that actually have better things to do than mindlessly watch TV. I imagine they have really good posture and arch an eyebrow when they speak. Clearly, their muses are tangible and talk to them on a regular basis. TV doesn't stand a chance...

2. The H.O.R.Ts: Hooked on Reality TV. These people may need a 12-step program. Seriously. They're junkies - hooked on the adrenaline rush that comes with intense competition. Reality TV isn't reality TV without some healthy competition - be it singing, dancing, surviving the wild, cooking, getting the guy, getting the girl, getting the celebrity...etc. What is the muse telling this person, anyway?

3. The I.W.A.G.S: I'll Watch A Good Show. This person will watch a few good shows. They don't deviate too much. Once they find a fun sitcom and a good law/medical drama - they're SET! Is this person's muse as steady?

4. The T.I.H.I.L.s: TV Is How I Live!! This happens to be the category that I fall into... you know, the people who look up the fall TV preview on TV guide.com to schedule their fall viewing line-up, DVR'ing one show, while watching another and spending their free time catching up on seasons of several shows via both their Netflix and Blockbuster memberships. Yeah, this person's muse is lucky to get a word in edge-wise.

Still...you have to wonder...if the TIHILs have a moment to focus on writing, with all those TV stories flowing through their veins, are their written words unwittingly laced with pure genius? ;) Hmm... it's a theory I like, anyways.

So, what do you think? Can watching copious amounts of TV inspire? Or is it the opposite? And which category do you fall into? Do tell!!

(*AND DON'T FORGET!!  I'm giving away a signed copy of POSSESSION on Friday.  Check it out HERE!)

Writerly Wednesday - READ with PURPOSE!!

Happy Writerly Wednesday!!  Again - simple tip for you today:

READ with PURPOSE

What do I mean by that?  Well, I just finished reading The Liar Society by Lisa and Laura Roecker.  FABULOUS, btw!!

Check it out!!

I started reading this book with the purpose of picking out the reasons why it works/doesn't work.  (totally works!)  What did I like about it?  How did they set up their chapters?  How did they handle things like description and backstory?  Did they use any passive voice?  Were the characters identifiable/unique?  How can reading this book make me a better writer?

The answer to the last question was, "Umm - because it's AWESOME!"  Seriously, if Kate, Liam and Seth are looking for a fourth - PICK ME, PICK ME!!

Considering the event that sets off this story, the death of Kate's best friend, and Kate's struggle to come to terms with the loss of a loved one - the wonderful humor laced throughout is so well done!  And if you want an example of a kick-a teen-girl voice, Kate's your girl.  It taught me a few tips on dealing with backstory and peppering in sensory detail.  Need ideas on how to create suspense?  Please read this book!  I even learned that it's ok to "tell" rather than "show" on occasion.  It's also a great example of a fun stand-alone story that offers series potential.

I started reading this book with a purpose.  I enjoyed it as a bonus!  Tell me, how many of you take an approach to how you read a book?  And how does it help your writing?

I've got a TAG to catch up on ~ I'll try to do that on Friday.  Otherwise, I hope you all have a wonderful Wednesday.  Happy purposeful reading!!

W is for Writing Tips from a Pulitzer Prize winner!

Happy Wednesday, all!!   Lucky me ~ "W" falls on Wednesday, which is typically the day I dispense all sorts of writerly goodness, outside of the A-Z.  So, of course, today you get writing tips!

Actually, it's more a look into the writing process of 2011 Pulitzer Prize  for Fiction Writing winner - Jennifer Egan.  I haven't had a chance to read her book - A VISIT FROM THE GOON SQUAD - which won her this prestigious writing award, but I'll definitely have to add that to my TBR list.

Here's a copied recap of some of her tips from the Writer's Digest article.  For the entire recapped interview and links to the full interview (and pic source), please go HERE.

Inspiration:

I don’t really know where my ideas come from. I start with a time and a place. That’s what I need to get started, and an intellectual question2.

Process:
-Start with a time and a place.
-Be excited/surprised by the process
-Avoid going backward instead of forward (so simple, and yet, so unyieldingly difficult).
-Start with as little as possible

Fiction-writing I only do by hand. Only.

Output:
I usually try to write five to seven original pages a day.

First drafts:
A first draft takes about 10% of the total writing time, but in terms of importance it’s probably 50%.

Outlining:
I don’t outline initially. I outline everything in revision. Some of my revision outlines are 50 pages long.

Revision:
Usually my books go through three or four big drafts, with each big draft reflecting 20 rewrites of each individual part. When I get to a full new draft, it means I’ve made enough changes to all the parts that I’m willing to look at it as a whole.


Interesting, Interesting!  I wonder if I should invest in some yellow notepads...hmm.  :)  Tell me, do you see any of your writing habits here?

E is For Evoking Emotion through Experience

Welcome to Writerly Wednesday at The QoP!! *smiles and waves to my fans and visitors*

I usually do a segment on writing tips on Wednesdays, and honestly, the topic I've picked for today deserves a lot more attention than the brevity the A-Z challenge suggests. So, this will be an appetizer to a longer post I'll do in May.

Please look at this chart of emotions:

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Think about the books you've read or the movies you've seen that have evoked one of these emotions in you.  Why can the death of a loved one in one book make you bawl your eyes out, while another leaves you dry-eyed?  Could it have something to do with the author's personal experience? 

Think of a time when you felt particularly loved, angry, embarrassed, surprised, or sad.  Go through the whole range of senses to help with this:  Your first kiss?  What did it taste like?  How did the other person's hands feel?  What was the look on his/her face?  Was their music in the background?  Could you smell anything?  Cologne, flowers, food, perfume, their minty breath?  And why did all these things make you feel the way you felt about it?

Now, write about it...  :)

Writerly Wednesday - Voice, Avoiding Melodrama, and Secrets to Great Storytelling!!

Now, I know you're all holding your breath for the day when I hit you on a Wednesday with original, witty, top-notch, Donea-esque writing tips...right?  Well, go ahead and breathe out.  Today is not that day.  (sorry!)  But, it will come.  Have faith!!  I'm just waiting for an agent to deem me worthy... :)  It's all about the validation, baby!

HOWEVER!  I do have some fabulous links for you.

#1:  "Like, seriously dude, if you're givin' me the blah, blah, blahs about this, that, and the other - shut it!  You get the hand." ~ *palm out*!  

Ah, you're thinking "a tutorial on cliches"!  Nope.  It's voice.  Check out this interview with agent Natalie Fischer on VOICE.

#2:  Omigosh, I read this blog about avoiding melodrama in writing and I just about DIED!  It was THAT good and after I read it, I was like flying through the clouds and my brain was a-buzz with all its FABULOUS tips and ideas and I have to cement them to memory TODAY or I might just seriously kick it!  (Melodramatic enough?) 

If you want to avoid the above suckage in your own writing... (thanks for still reading, btw)  Martina at Adventures in Children's Publishing posted an amazing article about writing emotion and avoiding melodrama by digging deeper. You can find it HERE.

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#3:  Again I turn to Writer's Digest for some useful writing tips - the offer today?  3 Secrets to Great Storytelling!  What are they? 

A.  Always, always include a chimpanzee in your story. 
B.  If your MC's aren't macking (that's '80's slang for "making out")  They should be! 
C.  Don't forget to kill off an integral character.  You always get bonus points for making a reader cry...

Oh, oh!  What if the chimpanzee kills the integral character while he's making out!!!??

Ah, my bad.  Those are MY secrets to great storytelling!!  (see, told you I'm not certified for advice giving just yet...)

*Actually,  Steven James' article on Writer's Digest suggests that the 3 best secrets are:

1. Cause and Effect are King,  2. If it's Not Believable, It doesn't Belong, and 3.  It's all About Escalation

Please click HERE for the full article and details on these 3 awesome writing secrets.

*Don't forget!  There's still time to enter Brenda Drakes "Voice" contest to win a critique with agent Natalie Fischer.  Post the first 250 words of your complete novel on March 20th and 21st.  Don't forget to sign up!  The link is on my side-bar.

**Oh, and guess what?  I have a secret admirer!!  (Well, not so secret any more...)  E.J. Wesley of The Open Vein had some lovely things to say about me...erm...my blog.  Thanks, E.J.!!  You can read all about me it HERE.

***Friendly reminder!  I'll be out and about in blogger land tomorrow, Thursday, 3/17 - for Colene Murphy's and Alexia Chamberlynn's St. Patty's Day Blogfest.  There's still time to join up!!  Click HERE and follow the girl on the pig!

I have to say I'm constantly amazed by all the enlightening writing tips, generous contests, and heart-felt support this wonderful writing community of ours has to offer.  I hope these tips find you and your writing well.  HAPPY WEDNESDAY!!  :)

In the role of Chapter One? The Devil...

Welcome to another Writerly Wednesday @ The QoP!

First, may I ask a question?  Is there a brutal murder of chapter one in your foreseeable future?  Do you want to hit it with a hammer?  Stake it through the heart, maybe?  Gunshot to that first word?  String up the ending and just let it hang?

I was thinking ice pick, but heck.  I'm no Sharon Stone.  It's more likely I'll need to call a priest, because I'm not dealing with plain ol' maniacal chapters here.  My first chapter is THE DEVIL!!

Yeah...not really as cute as he looks...

Luckily (and since I really abhor violence of any kind...) the wonderful random e-mail subscription jockey at Writer's Digest sent me the following:  8 Ways to Write a 5-Star Chapter One!

Because I know people stopping by appreciate brevity, I'm going to give you the condensed version of this wonderful advice.  But, if you'd also like to read the meatier version by Elizabeth Sims over at Writer's Digest, you can find it HERE.

#1:  Resist Terror.  My first thought, "So, nothing scary up front, eh?"  *le sigh*  It's been one of those days, you know?  Basically - don't work yourself into a terror.  Don't let all those "don't"s floating around in writer-advice land keep you from writing something unique, honest, real and ALL you.  Relax.  Let it flow.  Remember who you are and why you're writing your book.  Ms. Sims also suggests that even the most basic of outlines can help.  If you know where the story is going, you can relax and let your inner genius run with it.

#2:  Decide on Tense and POV.  So important!  I got creamed in a few critiques for switching tenses and telling the story in a POV that didn't suit the reader's taste.  Obviously, you want to pick a tense and stick with it.  First time writers might want to go the universal route - 1st person, past tense.  Remember you can always change it later!  Elizabeth suggests playing with a few different povs and tenses, write a paragraph in each and see which seems the most natural for you.  Or look at some of your favorite novels and how their authors approached it.

#3: Choose a Natural Starting Point.  To quote:  "Think about real life. Any significant episode in your own life did not spring whole from nothing; things happened beforehand that shaped it, and things happened afterward as a result of it. Think about your novel in this same way."  No, this doesn't mean you want to hit us with a lot of backstory and consequences.  You just need to think about it organically, logically - and start where it feels right.

#4:  Present a Strong Character Right Away.  A given, right?  But, an intro up front to your strongest central character is really key.  Consider what they know already.  What they might learn as they move through your story.  What their world means to them.  People (readers) want to connect to people (main characters) after all.

#5:  Be Sparing of Setting.  Of course you want to ground your reader in your world, but I think we've all heard that paragraphs of detailed setting are a big, bad "NO!"  Elizabeth gave some examples of stories that made it work, like Steinbeck's "Grapes of Wrath", but said you should consider how the setting was used in a story like that.  For starters, give a tid-bit to give the reader an idea about where the story takes place.  You can always expound on setting later.

#6:  Use Carefully Chosen Details to Create Immediacy.  Basically, if a detail serves the story - run with it.  It's those extraneous details you want to steer clear of.  And if you're an expert on something, all the better!  Use what you know, providing it serves the story and use it economically.  Great examples of this given in the longer article.

#7: Give it a Mini Plot.  Ok, this is a tip I've always heard and I think it's a great one.  Every chapter should really have its own beginning, middle, and end.  Elizabeth suggests some ways to accomplish this: make trouble (always want conflict!), focus on action, be decisive and end with a bit of closure.

#8:  Be Bold!  Put your best stuff out there, right out of the shoot!  Be bold, be audacious, don't hold back. 

She likened chapter 1 to an appetizer (yay, food!), which I really loved.  If your first chapter is delicious in just one quick bite - the reader is going to stay and relish the whole meal/story and will stick around for dessert and a night cap to boot.

I don't know about you, but I'm feeling less and less of the evil-eye from my chapter one after reading these tips.  There's a white light there now.  So, I'm off to tackle it - in a violence-free way, of course.  How about you?  Does this help?  Do you agree, disagree?  Anything you'd like to add?

And as always, Happy Writing out there today!!

Writerly Wednesday - A Useful Limerick or two...

There once was a girl bent to query
her novel about some daft faerie
she opened with "He..."
The agent did flee
And now the girl's gorging cold dairy.

1.  Ahhhh...the debate about opening your novel with dialogue.  You can click HERE to see what agent  John Sternfeld of the Irene Goodman agency has to say on the subject (plus some other query-don't tips!).

There is a blog called Falling Leaflets
a follower, here's what he or she gets
Writing tips galore
scroll down and there's more
You'll love all the info, is my bet(s)

2.  Seriously - if you aren't following Jess, you need to check out her blog of wonderful writery references.  The other day she posted this great list of 50 things your novel will be judged on.  Check it out HERE!

There once was a writer who cried,
"I think my creative muse died!"
No worries, take stock
It's just writer's block
Eat chocolate to pass the time, bide.

3.  Let's see, I've recently blogged about Brain Freeze and using I-Tunes shuffle to magic 8-ball my way through writer's block.  Why?  Because I have this accursed affliction!!  But, I want to thank everyone for their encouraging comments and tips on what gets you through it.  Everything from eating copious amounts of chocolate to visualizing your story via a brain-movie - I appreciate the support and suggestions!  And just for fun - I googled some other ideas for getting through writer's block that you can read about HERE.

If there's anything you'd like to add/comment on - I'd LOVE to hear it!

And that, my lovely peeps, is all I've got for you this Writerly Wednesday!  Happy Writing/Editing out there!

It goes without saying, and for all intents and purposes, CLICHES should be avoided at this point in time...

Welcome to Writerly Wednesday at The QoP!  I hope I'm posting this in a timely fashion.  Wouldn't want the cold shoulder from you.  I do try to offer up entertaining, useful tidbits for my lovely followers...wouldn't want you all to kick me to the curb, after all.  :)

(you caught all the "blech", right?  Smarty pants - I KNEW you would!)

So, if you missed me gushing about the Grammar Divas workshop I went to a few weeks ago - you can read about it HERE.  And if you did catch it, you know that I promised to share some fabulous tip I learned.  I decided to go with cliches, euphemisms, and idioms.  We use them all the time.  Heck!  They crop up in my writing ALL the time.  BUT, as the writing world continues to tell us...and frankly, I agree...using these common, overused phrases in your writing steals away your voice, your style and your tone.

Here's a handy list I got from the fab Grammar Divas of cliches, euphemisms, and idioms to watch for in your writing:

ace in the hold                       goes to show                      sick and tired
all wet                                     goes without saying           sigh of relief
as a matter of fact                 high and mighty                  significant other
at this point in time                in a nut shell                        sneaking suspicion
babe in the woods                 in a timely fashion              take exception
before long                             in place of                           take offense to
behind the eight ball              kick to the curb                   time and time again
better safe than sorry            knuckle under                      the long and short
cold shoulder                          like the plague                    tip of the iceberg
couldn't care less                   long and short of it              tried and true
day in and day out                  on the part of                       under the gun
down and dirty                        on thin ice                             wakeup call
fear and trembling                  par for the course                whole other story
few and far between               poor excuse for              window of opportunity
fly in the face of                       put on an act                         sick and tired
for all intents and purposes   rock and a hard place          sigh of relief


Now, I'll have to say that I'm of the opinion that eliminating ALL of these phrases from your writing may not be necessary.  Let's face it - this is how the world talks.  But, overusing them in your writing....well, ultimately your call.  Tell me - What's one cliche, euphemism or idiom that just makes you cringe when you read it?  What's your take on using them in writing?