How to Grow as a Writer

Creating a great, complete piece of writing is one of the most difficult tasks there is. Many people – most in fact – have unique experiences and a unique voice that could be turned into a quality piece of writing. Many new writers and those sitting down to the task for the first time discover that the process isn’t as straightforward as it may seem, however. While it is difficult, the rewards are great once you have a piece of polished work in your hands that you can feel proud of. With this in mind, here are a few these steps for growing in the art of writing.

• Read Widely – Read, read, read, everything you can get your hands on. Read classics, genre novels, nonfiction, and the morning news. One of the main ways writers learn about language and structure is simply through seeing how others have done it before.
  Reading as a writer is a bit different than reading for pure pleasure. You want to examine the art and technique of what you’re reading to see how it works. Examine how the sentences are structured, what diction is chosen and the effect it has. See which characteristics you can borrow for your own work.
• Join a Writer’s Group – Nothing is quite as stressful as having a group of people read your work and offer constructive criticism. For better or worse, it’s a vital process most writers use for improving. This process will be helpful on specific issues you’re working through in a piece and it will help you look critically at how other writers approach the task. Remember that you don’t have to incorporate all suggestions or critiques into your work, but that you should consider feedback with an open mind.
• Learn about Your Craft – The nuts and bolts of writing aren’t hocus-pocus dreamed up in the writer’s mind. For the most part, they are techniques that have been honed by hundreds of writers over the centuries. It’s best to learn these concrete techniques straightaway, so don’t try to reinvent the wheel.
  Books are a great place to learn about craft. The “Modern Library Writer’s Workshop” by Stephen Koch and “Making Shapely Fiction” by Jerome Stern are both geared towards beginning writers looking for advice. You can also consider learning about writing through formal education, whether through continuing education classes or a full-fledged English degree.
• Revise, Revise, Revise – Great writing doesn’t happen through a freak lightning strike that sets the writer at his keyboard for hours on end, resulting in a perfect final draft. For most writers, it’s an arduous and long process, although it can be quite enjoyable. For the most part, you will have three stages of writing and revision: The initial “blurt” of your story onto the page; the secondary refinement of scenes and development of character; and the final polishing of the piece. Each step can require several drafts.
• Search Out Good Readers – Your writing group can provide good readers for your work, but other places in your life may turn up good readers as well. What makes a good reader? It should be someone who respects you, but who won’t be afraid to give you honest feedback (for example, most writers’ mothers are too sentimental about their children to be up to the task). Being well read is a good sign that someone could be a helpful reader, as is an open mind. Consider asking other artists and friends who you think fit the bill to give you honest criticism. Offer to do the same for their work if it’s appropriate.

Sources

Purdue Online Writing Lab (2012)

University of Denver (2012)

What exactly is tension and why is it so important in a novel? Tension evokes readers’ emotions, makes characters come alive and keeps readers turning the pages.  Without tension your story will fall flat and readers will be bored within the first few chapters.

Tension keeps readers interested. Point blank. You need to have tension in every scene of your story.  Readers are not as patient with a novel as they use to be. You’re not only competing with other writers and other books but with the Internet, television, video games, sports, and anything else that can steal a reader’s attention.  You wanna make sure they finish your book and without tension to keep the reader hungry for more, your book won’t stand a chance.

I’d like to share four tips I use in my own writing to create tension. These tips will bring out the power in your writing, make your characters come alive and keep readers glued to the pages.

Write Short Chapters:

Short chapters work well for writers and readers. It keeps a writer at a tight pace, forcing them to pay close attention to the tension in a scene. It also makes it harder for a reader to put the book down. Most readers like to finish a certain amount of chapters in each sitting. Each chapter should address a vital point in your story and leave the reader begging for more so they can’t help but flip to the next chapter.  I like to keep my chapters around six manuscript pages, the maximum being ten.  You don’t wanna have gigantic, drawn out chapters with a million things going on in the same chapter. This bogs down the reader and makes them more compelled to ditch the book if reading it becomes a task.

Avoid Long Passages of Narrative and Utilize Dialogue and Action:

Dialogue and action are wonderful ways to create tension in a scene. No one wants to read a book full of narrative with the author telling them what’s going on. If Jim is upset, show us with words he says or things he does.  Maybe he curses. Maybe he throws a cup against the room. Maybe he grabs his wife. Readers need to see it to feel it. Narrative has its place of course but too much narrative becomes boring and repetitive. Think of your book like a movie. How would you feel if every time your mouth watered to see how Jim would react, some voice out of nowhere pops on and “tells” you how he felt?  You’d feel cheated because you’re being kept at arms length throughout the story right? You need to show as much as possible to create tension. Dialogue and action puts readers inside your story and that’s exactly what you want.

End a Chapter in the Middle of a Scene:

This is one of my favorite tips and I definitely do it a lot. Sometimes I will end a scene right in the middle of a conversation or a heated argument.  Why? It forces readers to continue. Readers are not gonna put a book down when the story is in the middle of something juicy or pivotal. They are gonna keep reading until they see what happens next.  This jolts the reader. It intrigues them and tricks them into becoming more involved in the story.  Think of it as a mind game. It’s like watching a movie then getting the urge to go to the toilet right when Rhonda is about to find out Jim killed her sister. Would you leave the room? Heck no! You’d stay to see what happens even if it meant wetting yourself.  You want readers to be so compelled with your story that they won’t put it down even if the house is on fire. The only way to do this

is with tension.

End a Chapter on a Cliffhanger:

This is a great tip but don’t overdo it. It works well for keeping up tension and keeping readers involved but it can become gimmicky if you do it too much.  You want readers turning the pages but you don’t wanna bore them with overused tricks that take away from the story. Also not every chapter can end on a cliffhanger so don’t force it. But if it fits, use it.

Happy Writing!

Stacy-Deanne (Dee-Anne) is an award-winning novelist of crime fiction, mysteries and interracial romance. She is known as, “Interracial Romance’s First Lady of Crime and Mystery”. She is a 2011 AALAS Mystery Nominee.

Check out her recent release: “Giving up the Ghost” the first installment in her interracial romantic suspense series.  Book 2, The Season of Sin will be released January 2012.  Her books are available in ebook and paperback. Giving up the Ghost is available in hardcover as well from Black Expressions.

Giving up the Ghost @ Amazon: http://tiny.cc/ivgxn

Read more about Stacy and her releases here: http://www.stacy-deanne.net

Facebook: http://tiny.cc/aqx43

Twitter: http://www.twitter.com/stacydeanne

COMING DECEMBER 27, 2011 MORE DRAMA

FIND OUT DELILAH’S FATE IN RUTHLESS!

By Shelia M Goss

I received an email from a guy thanking me for publishing advice I gave him. He wanted to send me an autographed copy of his first book. To be honest, I don’t remember communicating with him but I must have. Most of us try our best to respond to every email that we get within a timely manner, but with deadlines and re-writes and life, we get busy.

Below are commonly asked questions received from aspiring writers. Hopefully, it’ll answer some of your questions. If you’re not a writer but know someone who is interested in becoming one, please refer them to this post.

I have a good story. I’m learning fast that people don’t or won’t help you. Why is that?

I don’t want you to have the misconception of authors not wanting to help…many of us do. You also have to keep in mind of your approach. Have you ever contacted this particular author before? Have you ever bought one of their books? My question is, why would you ask for advice from an author if you’ve never purchased or read one of their books? I don’t ask for advice from just anyone. You best believe any writer I approached in the past, I’ve read their entire book; not just an excerpt off their website.

Will you read my unpublished manuscript and give me feedback?

For legal reasons, a lot of authors will not read the work of people they don’t already have a relationship with in some capacity. As a writer, we have to protect ourselves because there are too many “sue-happy” folks out there. Please keep that in mind the next time you ask the question and don’t get the response you want. Don’t hold it against the writer. Also, most writers do not have the time to read other people’s manuscripts because they are too busy working on their own and trying to meet deadlines. I would suggest joining a writing group where some of the members may be able to assist with critiquing your work.

Can you help me write my life story?

Yes, for a price; but most people don’t want to hear that. They expect you to do something for free. Writing is a passion for most of us but it’s also a business. Don’t get upset if you get turned flat down because you’re not willing to pay for the writer’s time.
Also, keep in mind that if you live long enough, there’s a story within all of us; but not every life story is meant to be told (meaning, just because your life is interesting to you doesn’t mean we all want to read about it). That’s one reason why I write fiction. Nobody wants to hear about the ins and outs of my life (that’s what blogging is for…lol).

Will you write a blurb for my book?

It depends. Have we ever communicated before? Belonging to literary groups is great for networking so don’t forget to join a few online and offline. You don’t have to wait until your manuscript is finished to do it.
Depending on the author’s schedule, he or she will want to read the entire manuscript before attaching their name to your book. At the very least, they will want to read several chapters if they are unfamiliar with your writing style. If said author doesn’t write a blurb, do not hold it against them.

I’ve finished my book. What’s next?

This is a dreaded question. Why? Because there are so many things you could do next. #1, I would ask, what do you want to do next? Are you looking for an agent or a publisher? If you are looking for either one, you will need to know about the submission process. Most require a query letter, synopsis, and the first three chapters.

Are you looking to self-publish? If so, then there are other things you need to consider. For example, will you outright self-publish or will you be using a Print on Demand (POD) service.
Be sure you’ve done your homework and know exactly what you want to do. You will probably get more responses if you ask specific questions, such as “How do I write a query letter?” or “How do I get an ISBN?” than asking a generic question.

How can I find an agent?

Agents are found via conferences, referrals or by using other resources such as books like the Writer’s Market and online websites. Bookmark the following website because it gives information on what agents are looking for and their contact information: http://www.agentquery.com/
Be sure to only send them what they are requesting.

When should I start marketing my book?

I would start marketing the moment I knew the book was going to be published. Once you have an official publishing date and your ISBN from your publisher, I would suggest submitting your galleys to print publications and reviewers. The goal is to inform or make book readers and book buyers aware of your book. You want them to be familiar with the title so once it’s released and they see it on the shelves or while browsing on the Internet, they may take a chance and purchase it. Click on the link below for more information on promoting your book.

Does paying for reviews help or hurt your review rating?

I’m really not sure. I submit my book to publications and sites that read books in my genre; whether their actual review of my book makes it to the publication or site is at their discretion. I don’t, however, pay for book reviews. Most of the reviews I’ve received lately are from individual readers who purchased the book and either liked or disliked the book. I personally tend to shy away from review sites that charge; however, there are several reputable sites that do charge. Hopefully that answered your question.

How do you find time to write?

I don’t. I make time. Life is what it is. If you wait to find time to write, you never will. Something can or will get in the way if you don’t make a conscious effort to fit writing into your schedule. You have to make time. Set aside a certain amount of time a day or a week to write. Even if you only write an hour a week, you’re closer to your goal than waiting to find time to write.

Please note: The Internet is your friend. Use any one of the search engines and it will pull up a ton of information on any topic.

The more specific you can be when asking a question to an author, the better chances you’ll get a response. It shows that you’ve done your homework and you’re really interested in pursuing a writing career.
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Shelia M. Goss is the Essence Magazine & Black Expressions Book Club Best-Selling author of Delilah, Ruthless, My Invisible Husband, Roses are Thorns, Paige’s Web, Double Platinum, His Invisible Wife, Hollywood Deception, Savannah’s Curse, Montana’s Way and the teen series The Lip Gloss Chronicles: The Ultimate Test, Splitsville, Paper Thin and Secrets Untold.  Besides writing fiction, Shelia is a freelance writer. She’s also the recipient of three Shades of Romance Magazine Readers Choice Multi-Cultural Awards and honored as a Literary Diva: The Top 100 Most Admired African American Women in Literature.

5 Things to Consider When Writing a Novel
By Shelia M. Goss

Main Character(s) - Who is your main character or characters? Determine whose point of view the story will be told from. Will the story be told from one character’s point of view or several? Remember the more point of views told, the more confusing it will be to the reader. I suggest no more than two points of views. Although there are three main characters in my young adult series the Lip Gloss Chronicles, each book is told from one main character’s point of view.

• The Ultimate Test – Britney Franklin’s point of view
• Splitsville – Jasmine McNeil’s point of view
• Paper Thin – Sierra Sanchez’s point of view
• Secrets Untold – Porsha Swint’s point of view

Setting - Where will your story take place? When will it take place (now, 1800’s, 1960’s)?

The Lip Gloss Chronicles series takes place in Dallas, Texas and the surrounding area–in modern day times.

Plot or Theme - What is your story about? What message are you trying to get across to your readers? Your plot determines what’s going to happen; when it’s going to happen and who it’s going to happen to.

The Ultimate Test is about best friends who deal with growing up. Trust and friendship is tested.

Conflict (internal & external) - What type of crisis is your character dealing with? Is the character dealing with their own insecurities or something from their past (or present)? What or who is standing in the way of your character getting what they want? Conflict is drama. Drama makes the readers turn the pages.

In The Ultimate Test – D.J. is an external conflict that causes friction between the friends.
Some internal conflicts: Sierra is dealing with weight gain. Jasmine is dealing with jealousy. Britney feels she is the glue to keeping the friendship together. Will these young ladies be able to grow up and stay together or will the tests they face tear them apart?

The End - How will your story end? Will all of your characters’ problems be resolved? Can readers see a difference in the character’s attitude or situation? Knowing the end of the story makes it easier to write. You will be writing with a purpose—to get to the end.

This workshop document was created by Shelia M Goss.
Please link back to this post or email directly for permission to reuse.
Shelia M. Goss is the author of the young adult series – The Lip Gloss Chronicles: The Ultimate Test, Splitsville, Paper Thin, and Secrets Untold (August 2011). www.thelipglosschronicles.com

Shelia’s also the author of nine other books in various genres: His Invisible Wife, My Invisible Husband, Roses are thorns, Paige’s Web, Double Platinum, Hollywood Deception, Delilah, Savannah’s Curse and Ruthless (December 2011).
www.sheliagoss.com

Stop Sending Out Mass Emails About Your Book through Yahoo and Gmail?
By Guest Blogger Joy Farrington

One of the arsenals in an author toolkit is email marketing. Newsletters and e-blasts are easy to make, helps you stay connected with your readers, and can be very cost effective. I encourage all authors to create an email marketing campaign for their book.

 However, I have one huge pet peeve that I hope you’re not guilty of doing. I hate when I receive an email which includes a lonnnnng list of every Tom, Dick, and Harry in that person’s address book. If you are still sending out mass emails by CC –ing (carbon-coping) everyone in your address book-leave me off your list.

Matter of fact, how about we stop sending out mass emails through Yahoo or Gmail. Not only is it considered tacky, it’s also considered spamming.

To stay spam-compliant, email addresses must be invisible to others on your mailing list. In other words, to keep the privacy of your mailing list in tack, Jane@randomemail.com shouldn’t know that John@randomemail.com is also on your list. Not only is the act of sending out a mass email without masking everyone contact information on your list illegal, it’s also unprofessional.

Therefore, it’s time to upgrade the way you communicate with your readers by investing in a company that can help you manage your mailing list while stayinh opt-in compliant. There are several companies to choose from and to help, I’ve listed some of the more popular (and my favorite) ones.

Best Overall Services

Constant Contact

When people began scrambling for an email marketing solution, Constant Contact was one of the first companies ready to meet their needs. Constant Contact has prices starting at $15 and has over 400 email templates that you can choose from. Constant Contact also offers online surveys and event marketing services to help you announce and manage your next event (including taking payments). For more information, visit http://constantcontact.com.

Best Templates Designs

iContact

My personal favorite is iContact because they offer the best templates, I’ve seen. With over 650+ templates and growing, iContact meets the need of anyone looking to create a distinctive email campaign. iContact also has an online community and gives you the option to automatically archive your newsletters and e-blasts online (a handy tool if anyone ever ask to see your previous newsletters or you would like to archive your newsletters on your website). Prices starts at $9.95 and for more information, visit http://icontact.com. 

Best Price in Town

Mail Chimp

Mail Chimp is different from the other companies because they offer free services for up to 1000 subscribers. If you’re just building up your mailing list or want to test drive email marketing without tapping into your budget, this is the company for you.  The only flaw I have with Mail Chimp is they only have a few dozen email templates available. Since I consider myself the Template Queen and can pimp out any template to meet my needs, this is a definite point in the negative column for them. Outside of that, I think they offer a great service at fantastic rates.

Which company do you prefer to use for your email campaigns? Share your favorites here.

Author, Joy Farrington is the CEO of Lit Diva, Inc. a company which specializes in online book marketing. She is also the editor of Nubian Lit News an AA literary based blog and the host of Between the Sheets, an online radio show.  Her most noted interview to date was with acclaimed author, poet, and activist, Nikki Giovanni. Currently, Joy Farrington is working on the next book in the A Literary Diva’s Guide series. She lives in Miami, Fl. Websites: http://thebookclubexpert.com, http://litdiva.com, http://nubianlit.com

The Entitlement Factor: “I’m Suppose to Be Published!” Say What?
By Guest Blogger Stacy Deanne

It didn’t take much at all for me to come up with something to write about where this is concerned. Let’s talk about the new breed of unpublished writers and their entitlement attitude.

I’ve noticed there is a new brand of writers who seem to think that someone is supposed to publish their work and they don’t wanna hear anything saying otherwise.  Yet what comes along with this attitude is not the normal one that might help gain publication. No, most of these arrogant new writers believe that what they’ve written has either never been done before (yeah right), can’t be done better (don’t make me throw up a corn chip while laughing), or that they’ve gotten some new idea that will change the world.

One thing any writer can’t afford to be is cocky. I don’t care if you’re unpublished, published, best selling, etc. Writing is an industry where you can have a hot book one season and a string of flops the next. The industry and what it wants changes so much that anyone can be whisked out of the flood gates.

But come on, I gotta speak on this. Where do these type of new writers come from? The Planet of Pitiful because they sure as heck aren’t from earth if they think they will get published with this type of attitude. I see a whole new crop of newbies coming up thinking they know everything and thinking they have some “designated” spot for publication or getting an agent.  Let me just say a few things because it’s getting out of hand.

1)      You’re Not the First to Ever Write That Type Of Book

You aren’t the first to think of what you thought of so don’t think you are. Get over it. If any writer can write something today and think it hasn’t been done, I’d swallow my foot if they can prove it. I’ve found that the main people who claim they are so unique have actually taken some idea that was big a long time ago yet they act like us mere mortals are too stupid to know it.

2)      You Are NOT Some Great Undiscovered Talent that Agents and Editors Wanna Keep Down

Because you’ve Written the Most Brilliant Piece of Literature Since Hemingway and they Just Can’t Market It.

Okay I really did throw up the corn chip on this one. No further explanation needed.

3)      It’s Not Other People’s Fault if You Can’t Get Published

Why the blame game here? It’s no one’s fault if you can’t get published. It’s not yours either. People need to realize that sometimes publication, especially for a specific book is just not gonna happen. Doesn’t mean it won’t at one point but just might not be when you expected it.  Writing is an industry where you cannot try to dictate it and please don’t try to plan it out. You’ll fall short every time and end up disappointed and bitter.  That won’t help you.

4)      Jealousy of Published or More Successful Authors Gets You Nowhere

Man how pathetic.  There are actually newbies who spend their time bashing other writers, some who are their friends just because the publication princess hasn’t kissed them and turned their work into a NYT best selling novel.  Hmm. Look you are only hurting yourself if you have this attitude. The best part of being a writer is to be supportive. Rewards come to you that way. Erase the negative energy and hate and concentrate on what you’re doing. It’s not your business what the next author does, how much they sell, what they write, their deals, etc.  This leads to a slow painful process of bitterness and once that sets in you will definitely lose your way.

5)      It’s Not a Conspiracy to Keep Your Unpublished Novel from the Public!

Come on, dude. It is not that serious. Just because you get rejected (like everyone else has and will) doesn’t mean it’s some conspiracy. Uh, maybe the book needs work. Maybe you can’t write. Maybe it’s just not the right time. The point is you cannot always pinpoint why your novel isn’t getting out there. Sometimes it is you and your writing. But a lot of newbies don’t wanna hear this. They think it’s a knock to their character if you politely say, “This needs work.” When people take the time to help you, they really are trying to do just that. But this jazz about some big world domination thing to keep your little book from being published because it’s so great and people are scared of what it will become, wow…just wow.

Okay you took your breath yet? You probably going, “Stacy’s tripping out. People don’t really act this ridiculous.” Oh yes they do. Just hang around some writing forums and one or two of these folks will pop up. Sometimes they come right behind each other like mindless cockroaches.  The moral of this little piece is to check your attitude and outlook. Are you being realistic? Are you really, really doing all you can and working hard? Or are you just expecting it to fall into your lap?

I remember what it was like to be new and I never, ever had this type of attitude.  Some people don’t know the difference between confidence and conceit. It is not your right to be published, if it happens it’s because you worked hard and deserve it. No more and no less. It’s really sad that some new writers have killed their destiny before it has a chance to happen because of their attitudes.  I always wonder when I meet up with one of these misguided souls, “What planet are you from? Are you for real?”

I’ll ask the next one and see what they say.

Stacy-Deanne is an Award-Winning Crime/Mystery & Interracial Romance Novelist. Author of Giving Up The Ghost Book 1 (Coming 2011 Peace in the Storm Publishing) To learn more, visit: http://www.stacy-deanne.net

Romance author spotlight on Michelle McGriff

Click on the link to read the interview: http://www.examiner.com/examiner/x-28527-Dallas-Romance-Examiner~y2009m11d4-Interview-with-romance-author-Michelle-McGriff

Authors in Search of Extra Income

Many writers I know are always on the search for ways to make extra money. Time constraints and not knowing where there’s available freelance opportunities have been the two biggest complaints I’ve heard from my writing buddies. Many places have cut back on hiring new writers; however opportunities to make money is still out there.  Beware of some online sites who prey on writers. Always ask around and do your research before signing up. Through networking, I’ve found out about these legitimate sites so if you’re looking for supplemental income, writing for. To read the rest, go to: http://www.blogginginblack.com/2009/11/authors-in-search-of-extra-income.html

6 Tips for Parents:Encouraging Your Teen to Read by Shelia M. Goss

As parents or guardians, finding ways to encourage your teenager to read may be difficult but it’s not an impossible task.  To read the tips, http://www.rawsistaz.com/articles-workshops/6-tips-for-parentsencouraging-your-teen-to-read-by-shelia-m-goss/