Tag: book

Edit Your Book…Before You Take It To An Editor

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[found on writersdigest.com; by Mike Nappa]

“1. The Close-In Writing
The basic method: You write a day’s worth of work (either fiction or nonfiction)—whatever that means for you. Next day, before you write anything new, you revise and edit the previous day’s work. This is the “close-in writing,” and becomes the first draft—the first time your write your book.

2. The Close-In Edit
When the entire first draft is complete, you go back through and, beginning with word one to the end, you revise and edit the entire manuscript on your computer. This is the “close-in edit,” and becomes your second draft: the second time you write your book.

3. The Distance (or “Hand”) Edit
Next, you print a hard copy of the second draft of your entire manuscript. Beginning with word one to the end, you hand-edit the hard copy, scrawling notes and profanities to yourself all the way through the margins. Then, using your hand-edit notes as a reference, you go back into your computer file and revise the manuscript as needed. This is the “distance edit,” and becomes your third draft: the third time you’ve written your book.

4. The Oral Edit
Finally, you print a new hard copy and read your entire manuscript aloud. Read it to the walls, to your spouse, to the patrons at Starbucks, to your dog, to the bowl of soggy Cocoa Puffs left over from breakfast. Doesn’t matter who’s in the room, only that you can hear yourself reading it. Start with word one and don’t stop until you read the last word. Yes, it may take you several days, but that’s OK. Keep reading every word out loud until you’re done.”

To read more on how to edit your book to its best, with tips from WritersDigest, click HERE.

[found on http://www.writersdigest.com/editor-blogs/there-are-no-rules/how-to-edit-your-book-in-4-steps]

Magician? No, Writer.

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“Writing is hard work, not magic. It begins with deciding why you are writing and whom you are writing for. What is your intent? What do you want the reader to get out of it? What do you want to get out of it. It’s also about making a serious time commitment and getting the project done.” 

― Suze Orman

 

I could have [written about the] dance all night…

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[found on egouvernaire.wordpress.com]

“Introduction : a dance scene is more about the conversation the characters are having through the medium of the action. The physical actions of your characters are really just another form of expression, like a secondary conversation, underlying the primary verbal conversation. The most important thing to figure out is what the characters’ intentions are and how your characters can express them through their dance – oriented interaction.

1) Preparation

First of all, the objective is to collect all informations you need about your dance scene (technical, history, habits etc.)

    • Looking at videos for learning how the dances you’re using work and look
    • Understanding the community and history that surrounds them
    • Read some interviews, chat or book with some dancers about dancing, so you can figure out how your characters might think about it
    • Taking a dance class could also help to experience it
    • Search for references : Titles, habits, cloth etc. – I can be very useful to select a track for your scene
    • Consult various scholar references, including specialized glossaries or images about dance movement and steps etc.

2) Identify Character Intentions

See, all things flow from the characters’ intentions, objectives and desire –setting up some obstacles. So all you need to figure out then is :

    • What each character wants- define a want list for each or a clear goal (and, of course, what there is to know about it)
    • What each character knows about the other character’s intentions
    • What each character would do to get what they want
    • How each character would react to the other character’s actions
    • Define what is the nature of the conflict : an object, money, love, power, social or psychological conflict etc.
    • What each character is going to do in getting what he wants – to reach his goal – what are the intensity of their desires
    • What each character is going to Win / Loose – what is the reward

So basically, just make sure to nail down the flow of information, intention, goal and interaction between your characters on a high level.”

For the rest of the steps to writing a great dance scene, with tips from Egouvernaire, click HERE.

[found on http://egouvernaire.wordpress.com/2013/04/12/how-to-write-a-damn-good-dance-scene]

Emotions…even in the REAL

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[found on freelancewriting.com; by Catherine Franz]

“You have completed the draft of an article, but it seems flat and lifeless, even to you. It needs to have the spark that ignites that all important emotional connection to your readers but you are at a loss as to how to spruce it up. Breathing life into a nonfiction article is tough, especially if it doesn’t include a character or an emotional storyline….

…Why would you even want to add emotion to a nonfiction article? Adding emotion to your writing, any type of writing, fuels the reader’s attention, helps them connect with the action. It gives the reader an experience. Experience is why people go to the movies or watch TV. More importantly, it keeps them reading.”

To learn the steps on how to emotionally charge your writing, with tips from Catherine Franz, click HERE.

[found on http://www.freelancewriting.com/articles/article-write-nonfiction-with-passion.php]

Calling All Fiction Authors — Platform Up!

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[found on thewritepractice.com by Joe Bunting]

“What Fiction Authors Really Need to Know About Their Platform

“…Several times a month, writers  ask me, “How can I balance blogging, Tweeting, Facebooking, Goodreading, and all the other stuff I’m supposed to do to build myplatform, while also focusing on my writing? I have a full time job, a family, and a cat. I just don’t have time for all that other stuff.”

Writers today are overwhelmed, frustrated, and let’s be honest, a little pissed off.Why do we have to build a platform anyway? Can’t we just focus on writing? 

It all came to a head for me when I read Michael Hyatt’s bestselling book Platform: How to Get Noticed in a Noisy World. The book was interesting enough, but when I looked for information that related to fiction writers, I found the only advice specifically focused on helping fiction writers was tossed into an appendix in the back of the book.

An appendix! 

That’s when I realized most of the so-called “experts” who said every author needs a platform were really just speaking to non-fiction authors. They didn’t have a clue what a fiction platform would even look like.

Meanwhile, thousands of fiction writers followed their advice, creating blogs they resented, Twitter accounts that overwhelmed them, and Facebook pages with thirty-seven likes. For most creative writers, this whole platform experiment has been a waste of time.

That’s when I decided I needed to learn everything I could about how to build a platform specifically designed for fiction writers.”

There is too much excellent information on this, to put it here. To learn more about Fiction Writer’s Platforms from TheWritePractice, click HERE.

[found on http://thewritepractice.com/fiction-platform]

Vocabulary? Can’t I just write how I talk?

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[found on time4writing.com]

“Why is a Strong Vocabulary Important?

We use spoken and written words every single day to communicate ideas, thoughts, and emotions to those around us. Sometimes we communicate successfully, and sometimes we’re not quite so successful. “That’s not what I meant!” becomes our mantra (an often repeated word or phrase). However, a good vocabulary can help us say what we mean.

For example, let’s say that you are outside in your yard and see a large black car stop in the road. You can see four tinted windows on one side of the car, and you assume there are four tinted windows on the other side, too. Just then, the driver’s door opens, and a man wearing white gloves steps out. He walks to the back of the car and looks underneath. He shrugs his shoulders, climbs back into the car, and drives away. After you remember to close your mouth, which has been hanging open, you run next door to tell your friend what you saw. What do you say? If you know a couple of key words, you can quickly explain to this person what you saw. Instead of describing the number of windows and the length of the car, you could simply say that you saw a black limousine (a long, luxurious car). Then, instead of describing the man with the white gloves, you could say you saw the chauffeur (someone paid to drive a car or limousine) walk to the back of the car. Knowing these key words can help you quickly and effectively communicate your meaning.

When you’re faced with a writing assignment, a good vocabulary is an indispensable (very important or necessary) tool. If you have several synonyms (words with similar meanings) in your repertoire (“toolbox”), you’ll be able to choose the best word for the job. Avoid vague words like “stuff” or “things” when you write. These words do not give the reader a good sense of your meaning. Also, use strong verbs that give the reader good information.

Here’s an example:

    • POOR: People do a lot of things.
    • BETTER: People perform a lot of tasks.

Work on building your vocabulary so that you can choose the stronger, more descriptive words in your writing.

You may also want to vary your vocabulary depending on your audience. Are you writing for children? Then stick with simpler words. Are you writing for college students? Then pull the more difficult words out of your “toolbox” to avoid talking down to them. It’s important to consider your audience when writing.

You may also find it difficult to choose the best word for a sentence when you’re writing. If you have a strong vocabulary, these choices will be easier!”

For more great tips on writing from Time4Writing, click HERE.

[found on http://www.time4writing.com/writing-resources/vocabulary]