Everyone Wants a Magic Pill

To be successful as a writer, forget the lure of a magic pill. There is no magic, except the magic within you.

When the idea of writing first draws us to tell a story, we get lost in the creation process. It's such a freeing and fun activity. Words follow words, paragraphs follow paragraphs, and before we know we have completed our first novel. How exciting! We dream of seeing our book in our favorite store, bright and shining, sitting on a shelf where people are scrambling to grab the last copy. Ah, the dream...

Then come rejections. What? Pain rips a hole in our confidence. Despair, depression, and self-doubt replace the excitement. If we're lucky, we join a writer's group seeking guidance and a magic pill to turn us into an "author."

We bury ourselves in craft books, attend seminars, workshops, and take online classes. We become addicted to learning, following the "rules," being perfect, editing, re-writing...and by doing so we lose the spontaneity of telling a story. We try to follow the "market," write what's hot, all the time stumbling around and seeking what we want to be when we grow up.

Maybe that's not you. Maybe not. Maybe pieces of what I've said apply to you. It happened to me. I became addicted to learning and in the process I found out...gasp...there is no magic pill! No magic formula! The writing process is unique to each of us.

We are individuals, each with our own thought process, ideas, idiosyncrasies. That's how God created us. Knowing that, how can we expect to follow in someone else's footsteps and achieve the same success? We can't. All we can do is be true to ourselves. Write the stories we want to write, not what we think will sell.

The process? Whatever works for you! But the most important thing to remember is that you have a writing voice. Yours is different from mine and from any other writer. If you seek critiques, read them and take what makes sense for your writing. Don't change your story because of what someone else says. That's their opinion, their "voice" speaking.

The best advice I can give? Read, read, read in the genre yow want to write. You'll know what that is. Then just write your story. Don't look for a magic pill to help you succeed. Just write.

Contrasts - A Good Writing Tool

Contrasts. What are they? How do they impact our writing?

I look out my window at the rain, the beautiful green grass, the leaves on the trees, plants rising from the red mulch in the garden outside my window...and listen to the sound of my furnace running. A contrast.

When writing, it is good to look for "contrasts" that can be used for foreshadowing. It's a subtle way of instilling a subconscious mood for the reader. Igniting a spark of what's to come. Building anticipation. Building tension.

While writing a scene, think of ways to use the setting as a way to add a contrast. Use your built-in senses to envision the scene. Embrace the sights, sounds, smells, touch, tastes that surround you. Focus on your goal...what you are trying to convey with the scene. Now, using that tap into something you can use to build a contrast.

This is not a tool that you would overuse, but one that can be very effective when used correctly in a manuscript.

Good Friday is here. Words cannot express my emotions. No other gift can compare to the one given on the cross. Yet, this was the darkest day in history, to be followed by the most glorious day of hope and promise--The Resurrection on Easter Sunday morning. What a contrast! What a blessing!

What Are Mirror Characters?

Good morning! I'm so happy to turn my blog over to esteemed author and friend, Patricia Sargeant. Patricia is an award-winning author who writes romantic suspense and contemporary romance. Her romantic suspense feature ordinary people in extraordinary situations. Her contemporary romances reveal characters struggling to overcome their inner demons. Patricia loves to hear from readers. Her e-mail address is BooksByPatricia@Yahoo.com  You can learn more about Patricia and her books on her website at http://www.patriciasargeant.com/

 Carol Ann, thanks a million for letting me stop by to spend some time with you and your friends. I really appreciate the company. If it’s all right with everyone, I’d like to chat about mirror characters, their role in our stories and the reason I really dig them.

As you probably know, mirror characters are the characters in our books whose personalities contrast with our heroine or hero. If our heroine is an introvert, her mirror character will be an extrovert. If our hero is reckless, his mirror character will be cautious.

Mirror characters can be the main character’s friend or nemesis, relative or neighbor. He or she could be a pivotal secondary character or someone who walks on for only one or two scenes.

I’ve always loved mirror characters because they help sculpt main characters. To put it crudely, mirror characters are valuable tools in an author’s storytelling kit. They help show – not tell – our main character’s personality. Think about the many ways you develop your character.

• Dialogue: Is she chatty or stingy with her words?

• Actions: Does she fidget or is she composed?

• Appearance: Is she fashionable or conservative?

Now look at your mirror character. The mirror character allows you to take the heroine you’ve just developed in her entirety and contrast her with another character to deepen her personality.

Let’s take a look at some mirror characters from the movies. Have you seen “Speed” with Keanu Reeves and Sandra Bullock? No? Why not? No, never mind. We’ll discuss your serious oversight in movies later. I’ll set the scene. Keanu Reeves plays Jack, a Los Angeles police officer and man of action. He’s on the edge of being reckless. His partner, Harry, is his mirror character. Harry knows the importance of thinking before you act. We don’t have a narrator who steps onto the scene to explain that Jack is reckless and Harry is cautious. Instead we hear the contrast in the characters’ dialogue. This interaction deepens the characterization.

Sandra Bullock’s character, Annie, also is a mirror character for Keanu Reeves’s Jack. Annie is a nurturer. Jack … well, he doesn’t show as much emotion, which doesn’t mean he doesn’t care. But that’s another discussion. Anyway, one of the many scenes that contrasts Annie and Jack comes when one of the passengers on the runaway bus (It’s a long story; rent the DVD.) turns to Jack in fear of the action they’re about to take. Desperate for reassurance, the young man asks, “Is this really going to work?” Jack stares at him without responding, without showing emotion.

In contrast, Annie does show emotion. The script gives us bits of dialogue that gives away the fact that Annie cares a great deal for the other passengers. Now, Annie is driving the runaway bus. She miraculously (It’s Hollywood.) completes the dangerous action that the young man was worried about. The first words out of her mouth are, “Is everyone all right?” Nurturer. The audience contrasts Annie’s reaction with Jack’s previous reaction – or lack thereof.

I’ve used at least one mirror character for my heroine and hero in all of my stories to help deepen their characterization. For example, my heroine in Heated Rivalry is an insecure introvert. Her best friend is a confident extrovert. I had fun having them play off of each other. In Sweet Deception, my hero is a responsible oldest child whose parents take him for granted. In contrast, his younger brother is a spoiled child who has to be the center of attention. There’s a lot of tension in their scenes.

Could you share with us some of your favorite mirror characters, either from books or movies?

Carol Ann, thanks again for having me over. I’d also like to wish everyone a happy, peaceful and safe Thanksgiving.

Writers can be Likened to Lab Rats

If you want to succeed as a writer, you must treat it like any other job. I'd heard that from so many people, but I couldn't figure out how to make that work when I first began my writing career. I set up a separate room for my writing, with my desk facing a window so I could look outside and enjoy the scenery. I bought a new computer and a widescreen monitor, and big desk with a comfortable chair. I was ready to write!

Nothing made me feel better than sitting at my new desk. I looked at it and smiled. I arranged everything to be neat and pretty. Ah, I would be a professional writer. An author. How could I fail with a setup like this? I began my day by checking emails, answering emails, maybe playing a game of solitaire to warm up. Oh, and then I had to go online and do my banking. Then I needed to put something on Facebook. Oh, yes, time to do a blog. Two hours have passed. I need to check emails and see if there is anything urgent...on, and on it went. When I finally pulled up a blank page to write, I became distracted by things happening outside my window, the urge to check emails or see how many people had visited my website or my blog.

Eventually, I realized I just wasn't going to get any writing accomplished if I didn't change something. So, my solution was to buy a very cheap, no-frills, laptop and removed internet and email capabilities. I put the laptop on a small desk on the opposite side of the room where there is no window. I have a CD player there and I listen to specific music when I write. As long as I'm at the laptop, I write. Nothing else is done in that spot of the room except writing.

Suzanne Brockmann, in a workshop given on October 1, 2010 at the Central Ohio Fiction Writers conference, called this "anchoring." I had never heard of anchoring before. She said it is consciously attaching a response to a known stimulus. Just as we learned in Psychology 101, we are creatures of habit. Remember Pavlov and his dogs? He would ring a bell before feeding the dogs and eventually they began to salivate when they heard the bell. Mice and rats were trained to react to specific stimuli to receive food. Many times we don't realize that we have created the same situations for ourselves as writers.

Now, my brain is now conditioned to write when I fire up my laptop. Suzanne also said we should keep our writing space from being corrupted by outside stimuli. If possible, shut the door when you are going to write. If the phone rings, move away from your writing spot to take the call. If you play music when you are writing, turn it off when you answer the phone. If you are interrupted by your husband or kids, shut off the music, stand up and walk away from the computer. Do not sit back down and turn on the music until the outside stimulus is removed. Eventually, you will have a conditioned response to fire up your creative brain when sitting in your "writing" space.

Even if you don't have an office for writing, you can set up a spot for yourself in a corner of one of your rooms. Use the same rules as stated above. Only sit there when you are writing. Stop and move away when you are interrupted.

I still enjoy my window, my big desk and my super computer and monitor. That's where I write my blogs, do social networking, update my website, pay bills, send and receive emails, and occasionally play a game of solitaire. But, when it's time to write, I move away and go to my not so fancy little corner of the room.

If you haven't yet discovered "anchoring," why not give it a try? You have nothing to lose and a manuscript to gain!

Writing Oneself Out of the Dreaded Writer's Corner

Yesterday, I happily tapped away at the keyboard, loving how the scene played out...and then...I found myself in the dreaded writer's corner. How could I move forward without knowing exactly how local jurisdiction would handle the issue?

That's why I love being in on-line writing groups who have other authors and professionals ready to offer advice. With just a few emails and feedback, I knew how to proceed. One person told me that since this is fiction, if I write it with conviction, I can convince the reader. Yes, that is true. You must be accurate in most things, but human nature varies, and situations vary. Thus, a good writer can set up a situation and make it believable. One can color outside the lines, as long as it isn't scribbling.  : )

When you find yourself backed in a corner, perhaps, like me, you are thinking too hard. Unless you are writing a true crime type of novel, fiction has some leeways. You just have to know how to write yourself out of the corner.

Any of you had the same type of problem? How did you conquer?

Instant Replay...with Changes Allowed!

I've been having fun with my writing.

Let's see, on Wednesday I left my hero lying bleeding on the floor of a dilapidated shack. Poor guy. He stayed there until yesterday afternoon, when I finally rescued him. Now I'm thinking I didn't put him through enough angst, so he's going to have to go back into the battle again. If I don't finish the scene, he just might end up back on that floor bleeding and waiting...again.

Ah, writing is like instant replay, but you get to change things around!

Seriously, if you have trouble getting back to your manuscript, stop writing in the middle of a scene. It's the easiest way I've found to keep my interest high and while I'm accomplishing other necessary chores, I'm thinking about the spot I've left my hero or heroine in. Keeps the manuscript foremost in my mind and when I return to writing, I usually know exactly what to do next.

Where do you end your writing for the day?

Whose Story Is It?

When beginning a novel, it is important to give depth to your characters. This is critical to making the reader care what happens and entice them to read the book. In my current work in progress, my hero is the first character the reader meets. However, this is the heroine's story. So, I pondered if she should be the first character on the page. The issue with that is the heroine will reveal her story LATER in the book. What to do?

I ran the first chapter by my critique group with the hero in the opening paragraphs. They all liked it, and I didn't get any feedback about back-story dumping. All good. So, it seemed I'd done my job. BUT, I still felt strongly that the heroine should be introduced first so the reader knew it was her story. What to do?

I revised with having the heroine be in the first paragraph.

My critique group liked the first version much better. Why? Because I was able to develop the hero with likeable traits. My heroine's traits cannot be revealed until the story moves on.

This clearly tells me I have work to do. I must find a way to bring my heroine on stage at the beginning, give her some traits to make the readers want to find out what happens, and weave their paths together. Or, perhaps I may decide this is the hero's story after all.

The decision I make will determine how the story plays out. This will take a lot of brainstorming and planning. The one thing critical to any story is to know in advance whose story you are telling. If you get that right, then you're on your way to writing a great novel.

Remember when you start writing, ask the critical question, whose story is it?

Thanks for stopping by!

Do You Have a Story Box?

In the days of internet and multiple software programs, a lot of authors are keeping everything stored in their computers. I still have a story box.

My story box is a plastic index card holder, filled with multi-colored 5"x8" index cards. I have different color cards for each tab divider. I have a divider for characters, settings, and story ideas.

I use these to write down things that pop into my head. Also, I cut out interesting pictures and place them on the cards. I have quite a few male and female pictures. I place them to the upper left side of the card and when I'm writing a story, I choose appropriate pictures for the characters. I pull them out of the story box, write their names and descriptions and any other little tidbits about them on the card. I keep these displayed where I can easily see my characters while I'm writing.

Sometimes a setting comes to mind, or I see a picture that intrigues me. These go on a settings card. Unique plots pop into my mind, and no matter how silly they sound, I put them on a plot card.

There are many different ways to use story boxes. Mine works wonders for helping me with brand new stories.

Anyone else out there use a story box? I'd love to hear how yours is set up.

Storms are Coming...

The weather man is predicting heavy storms this afternoon. I'm planning on cleaning house this morning and then heading out to do a little shopping. But my real goal for the day is to really experience the ferocity of the storms. When writing, we get cliche about thunder crashing, lightning flashing and torrents of rain. I wish to write the real experience of the storm. What it feels like. What I feel like. What I see. How my body and mind reacts.

If you want to write a believable scene in which your reader truly experiences what is happening, then you need to bring that to the page. Guess you've figured out that a storm is brewing in my work in progress!

Hope you have an enjoyable weekend. Thanks for visiting.

Camping - A Tool for Writers

You're probably wrinkling your nose wondering what I mean by the title of this blog. If you've never camped, or think camping should be in a hotel with room service, then you haven't experienced the benefits of true camping.

Yesterday, while listening to one of my favorite Christian radio stations, my ears tuned into the benefits of getting away from telephones and other electronic devices. This is exactly why I loved camping with my hubby. We had the cell phone for emergencies only. We kept it turned off. Many places we camped were so far out we didn't have any reception unless we drove into town to purchase supplies. No internet services. I didn't take my laptop. Instead, I took my AlphaSmart. No chance of surfing the internet or reading emails. Believe me, it's relaxing to be cut off like this.

Sitting under a tree, with no interruptions, I could close my eyes and let my mind play out the scenes I planned to write. I would sit and write pages on the AlphaSmart without an inner editor reading back over what I'd written. If you've used an AlphaSmart, you understand why it's the perfect tool for writing a first draft. With only a three line display, you aren't tempted to go back and read what you've written. You just write, write, write.

I miss camping. With hubby's illness, we can't get away any longer. The closest I come is taking my laptop or AlphaSmart to our screened in deck on days when the weather is permitting.

Every writer needs a change of atmosphere from time to time to expand the brain cells. Any other campers out there? Care to share your experiences?

Oh, Those Query Letters...

Are you ready to submit, but don't have a clue what to put in a query letter? Don't freak out. It happens to all of us.

One thing is critical. Research your market. Make sure you target the right editor/agent and always, always address the query letter to a person.

That being said, you'll probably learn more by visiting this blog than from anything I can say:
Query Shark

Good luck with your submissions. Thanks for stopping by.

Below are the new book covers for my releases on Smashwords.

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Overthinking When Writing a Scene

Occasionally when I want to jump start my creativity with developing a character, I pull out my deck of tarot cards. I have the Paulina Tarot deck, designed by Paulina Cassidy.

I'm currently trying to get a hand on my female protagonist. She keeps trying to change who I want her to be. So, I drew a card from the deck. It was the Eight of Pentacles. I see a lady dancer, with a smile on her face and a catlike creature sitting at her feet smiling and observing. It's a great visual and it fits with the current situation. So, my character is trying to tell me that she wants to project a facade to hide her true goal, while the hero is watching her carefully, not at all fooled by her. Ah, so now I understand what she was trying to tell me. This is just enough of a creative jump to move ahead with the next scene. Sometimes I overthink what is happening, and then I find myself questioning my subplot.

Do you ever do that? How do you move ahead?

How To Revise...

...a blank page.

Sorry, that is impossible.  Staring at a blank screen is daunting. It's...scary!  It's worse than the scariest horror movie!!!

How can a writer avoid the terror of staring at a blank page?

Some tips:

1. If you are beginning a new story, don't start by opening your software to a blank page if you have no idea of what you intend to write. Even pantsers need a vague outline of what their story is about.
2. Flesh out your characters. Utilize writer's tools to learn your main characters' goals and motivations. Learn what makes them tick, what their unspoken desires are, what their fears are, and how they react in various circumstances.
3. If you are in the process of writing your story, don't stop at the end of a chapter. Stop in the middle of the scene. When you come back to your scene again, you'll know exactly what should happen next.
4. Jot down the main things that happen in each chapter as you write them, and before you stop writing for the day, jot down what scenes should be next.

Whatever motivates you to get quickly back into your story, do it. Writers are not alike. Each must find what works for them.

Establish a pattern of writing and stick to it. And, never ever start with a blank page and no idea. You can always revise later, but you cannot revise a blank page.

A Picture is Worth a Thousand Words

I've heard that old saying so many times, but as a writer, it has a meaning much different from what the quote's author might have imagined. "A picture is worth a thousand words." One would think it means there are no words needed to describe what one is seeing.

To me it means so much more. A picture might be a snapshot in my mind of something I've seen in the past which made an impact and a vivid memory. Or it might be something I'm currently viewing through my window, or it could be an actual picture taken with a camera.

A writer brings all of these to life with words.  A writer's paintbrush is words.

In the hands of a writer, a snapshot becomes a scene, and a scene becomes a story.

Yes, it's true. A picture is worth a thousand words...or more.

That's the gift of a writer.

You Can't Please Everyone

"I cannot give you the formula for success, but I can give you the formula for failure--which is: Try to please everybody."


~Herbert Bayard Swope~

Wise words to heed in any area of your life. As a writer, this is something to remember.

Some writers get caught up in entering contests, lovingly known as contest junkies. Judges comments can very greatly. Why? Because it is hard to keep personal preference from weighing in on the numbers. I remember a particularly nasty comment from a judge which put an end to my contest days. Most judges were fair and gave wonderful feedback and comments to help me. But one just made nasty comments throughout. The coordinator told me to disregard the comments, because the judge was obviously having a bad day. They dropped that score, but the comments still stung.

Along the writing path, you will submit your work to critique partners, advance readers, editors, agents, and friends. My advice to you is to remember you can't please everyone. If you try, you'll fail.

Don't rewrite your story to please another person, not even to gain a contract. Remember, this is your story. Remain true to what you want to say. That doesn't mean you shouldn't polish it, or make changes to better your work. But don't "reinvent the wheel" (pun alert!)

However, if everyone is telling you that your character is unbelievable or cardboard, then you'd better look at that character. That isn't changing your story.

Keep writing, and remember...you can't please everyone!

Character Goals, Motivations, and Conflicts

I've been playing around with a story in my head and I just can't get it to seem reasonable, or exciting. My brainstorming sessions with only myself seem to run in the same direction. My heroines seem to have similar backgrounds, baggage, and reasons for being in peril. So, is the wrong?

It can be, if the immediate goal is not worthy of drawing in the reader and making them care about the heroine or hero.

Goals, motivation and conflict are essential to writing a story that will sell. First comes goals, both external and internal. I'm very good at pinpointing internal goals. It's the external goals that seem to be less enticing. When that happens, the story is doomed. That larger than life external goal will move your character through the story and the subplots will come from that movement.

However, all six things need to be in place. Both external and internal goals, motivations and conflict. Anayzing my book Joshua's Hope the GMC looks like this:

Hope's External Goal: To gain custody of her stepson
Hope's Motivation: He's in danger
Hope's Conflict: Finding an attorney to represent her

Hope's Internal Goal: She wants to redeem herself
Hope's Motivation: She shouldn't have put her own needs ahead of her stepson by divorcing her husband.
Hope's Conflict: Guilt

Hope realizes Joshua is in danger, but since she's not his biological mother, no attorney will represent her. Danger makes the goal immediate. If she doesn't do something, her stepson will suffer the consequences. She feels guilty for saving herself without thinking of what might happen to the little boy she loves. Her own mother turned into a bitter soul after Hope's father abandoned them. Hope doesn't want to be like her mother, but fears she might. So, she works at two jobs and saves every penny to pay for an attorney, but none of them wants to take on a losing battle. If she wants to reach her internal goal and save her stepson, she'll have to do something drastic. Thus, the plotlines develop and the story moves forward with lots of conflict.

Once the GMC is determined, the rest of the story will flow. However, getting GMC right isn't an easy task. Allow plenty of time to work on this.

That's where I'm at, dear readers. I really need to find a brainstorming partner.

I'm a Turtle...

Quote for the Day: I try to leave out the parts that people skip. ~ Elmore Leonard

What I'm Reading: Teacher's Plans by JoAnn Carter

Picture of the Day:

This is one of the rocks I painted. When I paint a rock, I look at it and envision the creature inside. This one clearly spoke to me. No dallying around. Just..."look, I'm a turtle waiting for you to bring me to life." So I did.

That's what writing is like for me as well. I envision a character in a setting and then I'm magically inside his or her head. I know what mood they're in, what they are thinking, what is troubling them. From there my story becomes clear.

When I read, I don't want to read all the details that detract from the action of the story. I'm one of those "Give me the facts and cut to the chase" kind of readers. I guess I'm like that in real life as well. I told you how my hubby can draw out a story, going off in tangents that have nothing at all to do with the punch line. So, when I'm reading and run into a bunch of words that are meaningless detail or description, I pull my head into my shell. I hated history in school. There were way too many boring dates and things that to me were meaningless. Hmm. Maybe that's why I don't write historicals!

And, since I like fast moving stories that suck me into the pages, maybe that's why I write romantic suspense. My books are full of dialogue and action. They are character driven. I admit it...I'm plot challenged. I can't sit and plot out my story. If I do that, I can't write. I allow my characters to draw me in and lead me through their life. I love it. I never know what's going to happen next. I know the basics, but the exciting things I discover on the journey of writing. And, I do try to leave out the parts that people skip.

The reviews on Amazon for Joshua's Hope all seem to reflect that I've succeeded in my goal. If you haven't yet read Joshua's Hope, hop over to Amazon and read the reviews. Maybe you'll be tempted to find out what happens in the journey of a stepmother who needs to save her son--at any cost. Read Reviews.

Thanks for stopping by!

Synopsis Epiphany

Quote for the Day: Greater happiness comes with simplicity than with complexity. ~ Buddha

News:  There are two free reads available on my blog. These are previously published short stories for which I have received back the rights.

What I'm Reading: Daniella, by JoAnn Carter

 Picture of the day:

The one thing my hubby loves more than eating is talking. The main problem is he can drag out a story forever. If he is recounting the tale of someone pulling in front of him and cutting him off, he includes what time he left the house, which route he took, how many stoplights he encountered and what sights he saw along the way. All this before he gets around to telling me what actually happened.

My patience is not as good as it should be because I've tuned him out way before he gets to the good stuff. That got me to thinking about writing a synopsis, the one thing I truly dread to  write. To me, everything that happens in the book is important. It's all vital to the plot and to what happens. Unfortunately, an editor isn't interested in all that extraneous stuff. They want to cut to the chase. Give them the stuff that really matters.

In my husband's case, if he simply told me that someone in a red pickup truck cut him off and nearly caused an accident, that would tell me everything I need to know.

So, in the future when I'm writing a synopsis, I plan to remember the way my husband tells a story and cut out the unimportant stuff!

Thanks for stopping by!

Unicycles, Rubber Boats, and Free Reads!!! Yes, FREE!!

Quote for the Day: Experience is the name everyone gives to their mistakes. ~ Oscar Wilde

What I'm Reading: Daniella by JoAnn Carter

News:  My new website is live! I am so excited about the new look. And, I'll be adding some free reads very soon. Be sure to stop by and grab a few!

Picture of the Day:

I purchased a rubber boat for my hubby for Christmas about 12 years ago. He loved to go fishing, and I thought a rubber boat would be something he could enjoy and be able to handle by himself. WRONG! It took about six years for him to decide to take it out, but he decided after that "experience" he couldn't handle it alone. The battery for the trolling motor was heavy. The boat itself, with the wooden floor and seat which he built was HEAVY. However, he assured me the boat would easily accommodate both of us. So, one weekend, about three years ago, I took pity on him and decided to give it a whirl...or should I say float. I gathered up my book and supplies and off we went to a nearby fishing lake. After the boat was finally floating in the water, he told me to get in. Um, okay. I had to wade into that murky water and climb (um, fall) into the bouncy boat. Room for both? Ha! Hubby sat quite nicely on his seat while I had to scrunch myself into the other end hanging my legs over the edge and well, you can see the result. Hard to read that book I'd taken along. I called this a mistake on my part, but Oscar Wilde would call it experience.

My youngest daughter learned to ride a unicycle by holding onto hubby's van to launch herself. She fell so many times, bruised and scraped her knees, cried, and continued to get back on and try again. She made mistakes along the way, but ultimately she gained experience that led to success.

Such is the life of the writer. We gain experience by submitting our manuscripts to editors, agents, and publishers. Even though we receive rejections, we cannot look on our work as a mistake. We have gained experience by writing and submitting. And we will gain contracts by continuing on the same path.

Thanks for visiting today!

Warm, Fuzzy Alarm Clocks and Good Things

I woke up at 6:30am this morning, thanks to my alarm clock cat who refused to go into sleep mode. But, after dragging my body out from under the bed covers, I'm glad to be up. The sun is shining and the world is a beautiful place. I really don't want to waste the daylight hours in sleep.

Today I have a busy day. I'm entertaining the Board for my writing group at noon. We have a lot to discuss, so it'll be nicer to sit on the deck and enjoy the weather while we eat and make decisions. Tonight is bible study and since it's the last night, we are having a pot luck with pizza, salads, and desserts. Pig out time!

I suppose it's a good thing that I've been running up and down the stairs so much the past couple of days.

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On Writing:

I've been working with a new writer who has a great voice and really knows her characters. However, like a lot of new writers, she has a problem with POV (point of view). At one time, it was okay to do some head-hopping, but in today's literary world, not. The first thing an agent or editor will ding a writer on is incorrect usage of POV.

I woke up thinking about why writers head-hop when they begin writing. I did it, and so has most everyone else I've spoken with. Stepping back, my take is that the author knows his/her characters so well, that they know what they are thinking and what they are doing during every second of the scene. They are in each character's head so deeply that it is easy to write in both POV's. Is this a bad thing?

Not really. A good book is only as good as its characters. Story is driven by the characters, their thoughts, reactions, and actions. So, this is a good thing. The trick is to learn which character's POV is the one to stick with for a scene. Choose the character who has to most to lose or gain from the scene. Then show the other characters thoughts and emotions through their actions. Once this is accomplished, you'll have a winning story that will meet the editor/agents criteria for a great read.

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