Saturday So What: A Writer and her MAN-uscript

post by Betsy Schow
www.betsyschow.com

I often hear it said that a WIP is like nurturing and having a baby. Recently, a single friend of mine was talking about the trials and tribulations she was having with her boyfriend. Though I'm married, I could completely relate because of my current relationship -- my manuscript.

Here's the DTR (define the relationship) breakdown for you.

FIRST SIGHT
Out of nowhere, an idea pops into my head. It is charming, alluring and I find myself chasing it around trying to know more.




THE HONEYMOON PERIOD
After I've decided to commit time and effort to this MAN-uscript, I can't spend enough time on it. Everything we do together is pure gold! When I'm at the grocery store, I find myself thing about it, jotting down little notes. It consumes my every waking thought and I find myself neglecting friends, family, and chores for my writing dates.

THE UGLY TRUTH
Now that I've obsessed about things, the realities start to seep in. Plot holes, character flaws, and vastness of the commitment in front of me. My MAN-uscript is not shaping up to the perfect ideals I had envisioned in my mind. So I try to force it to change, to become what I want, but it resists and we fight. Sometimes I give it the silent treatment for days because I've started to hate it, just a little bit. Replaying those first chapters we had together, they aren't as magical as I remembered them.




WANDERING EYES
The excitement is gone and it's not long before a new hot idea catches my eye. I tell my MAN-uscript that we need to take a break while I explore my options. Even though I have fun playing around with the new, the old tickles along the edges of my brain and I can't get it out of my head. All the possibilities we had, did I just throw them all away?

RECONCILIATION
Now I have decided that I'm not ready to discard all the hard work I put into this relationship and I tentatively dip a toe back in. The huge problems I thought we had don't seem so bad anymore. I see our past with new eyes, deciding to let the MAN-uscript be what it needs to be. I push it to be the best it can, but know and accept that it will never reach perfection. Instead of hating the WIP for what it isn't, I need to work on my own skills so that I can improve.

PDA (public displays of affection)
Now it's time to share my love affair with the world. Some people won't get it, they'll mock or laugh. Outsiders will point out every pimple and line. However, some will connect the story to their own lives and feel something. It's always scary to be judged on the things that come directly from my heart, but in the end, I know the only thing that matters is the love and growth I shared with my MAN-uscript.

Saturday So What: "Opportunity looks a lot like HARD WORK."

- a post by Betsy Schow

Usually, I'm not a big fan of Ashton Kutcher. To be honest, he always seemed like a moron. Recently I've had to revise my opinion. If you haven't seen his acceptance speech at the Teen Choice Awards, I highly recommend that you do.


http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FNXwKGZHmDc


He said one line in particular that stuck out to me: "Opportunity looks a lot like hard work." In the writing business, everyone knows there is definitely a bit of luck involved. Having the right book, at the right time, seen by the right person -- boom -- hello J.K Rowling.

There is so much more to the story. It was not an overnight success. It was not a magic spell that fixed her world. She worked her tail off to be where she is.

How many rejections did she get? No clue how many agents she queried and got put off by. As far as publishing houses go, 12 turned the manuscript down. It was picked up by a little publisher in England. The first print run was laughable. But it got bigger and bigger. Faster than you can say "alohamora" all doors were open to her.

Very few will ever attain the level of "success" that Ms. Rowling has. No matter how much we pour into our craft. However, I will never know if I don't put in the time and effort. Moving a little farther everyday. Not turning back when the road looks too long and the goal too far. Each blog post, each short story, each book gets me closer to where I want to be.

There is a famous LDS picture and saying that brought me great comfort as a teen.

Now as a wife, mother, LDS woman, and writer, these words are my daily mantra. And right next to them on my desk is a new little post-it note, "Opportunity looks a lot like hard work" - so get going.

Starting next week I will be sharing a bit of the hard work. Please tune in next Saturday to hear the wise words of my new blogday partner, Lacey.

Saturday So What: Creative Mind and Mental Illness

There is a demon that lives in my mind. It feeds on happiness and grows so large that it blocks out the light. The time is coming when it will crack through the veneer I have built. Then may God have mercy on my soul.

----My thoughts at age 15

I have always had a bit of flare for the dramatic, leaned towards the creative side of life. In turn I have also struggled my entire life with depression and anxiety. It is my belief that the two are inextricably sealed together.

This week, another famous actor died after a struggle with his own demons and self medicating with alcohol and illicit substances-- Cory Montieth. He is only the most recent in a very long list of artists. I am not glorifying him or justifying his choices, I am looking at the root, which I understand.

To be an artist is to paint with your emotions. That can be words on paper, notes in a song, a performance on a stage, images on a canvas, and much more. We are the creative mind. To be able to emote, to share and touch someone, we have to bear a little piece of raw nerve. We have to regularly be able to tap into an emotion that some might prefer stay buried. Then, after a masterpiece is built, we hold it up to the world and say, "here, judge my heart".

I feel things deeply and viscerally. That can make joy utterly euphoric and within the same day a rejection casts me into a pit of snakes that bite at my ankles. Sometimes I feel like I am saying, "Love me, love me because I can't love myself." I could be wrong, but I believe many other artist, actors, singers, and writers feel the exact same way.

Some people use drugs and alcohol to treat themselves and dull their feelings. Others seek help from a professional. Many ignore it entirely and live in fear of discovery and do whatever is necessary to keep a face to show the world, but keep their tears confined in the corner where no one is watching. On the flipside there are others who are very open and brave about their struggles, a fellow writer Robison Wells is an excellent example of this.

There are as many ways of coping as there are people under the moon. Talking to someone helps, as does spilling my feelings into my writing or music. I've had medication that has helped and others that zombified me. I've prayed to God to steal my soul in the night. But if I had given up in the depths of my dispair then the pain might have ended, but so would the joy.

My biggest point is that there is no reason to be ashamed. The way I am and the way I feel gives me access into a universe that many are blind to. Though it means I have to walk carefully as not to get lost in that place. But I am not damaged goods. And neither are you. If you are struggling with mental illness, realize that doesn't mean you are less.  It means that you are more. You have more heart and more soul than can be contained. You are the creative mind.

Saturday So What: Beta Fishing

This question came to my email via MMW Peggy C.

"What is the point of Beta Readers? Everyone seems to be the opposite of each other and it's like every time I revise someone tells me to put it back the way it was. Help!!"

Well, Peggy, you are not alone. Allow me to teach you the simple trick of beta fishing.


Step one: Find up to ten beta readers with a mix of writer friends and readers THAT ARE YOUR TARGET MARKET. Do not try to get someone to read your light fairytale YA that loves high TOR fantasy.

Step two: Receive feedback from your little betas. Read the feedback with an open mind, but don't make any changes. Let it stew overnight.

Step three: Go fishin' Look through all the notes. If one starts a light bulb moment "Aha, that's what was missing right here" then make a change. If you don't agree with the note, set it aside. Fish through the other readers notes and see who agrees. If 2 or more people are telling you the same thing, it might be time to consider making a change.  If you only hear it from one person, or have readers contradicting each other, it is going to be a matter of taste. Believe in yourself and stick to your vision.

Many a manuscript has been ruined by the author trying to please everyone. Here's a truth that took me a while to realize, not everyone else knows best! For a long time I was sure that everybody had to know better than me. So and so had been writing for 10 years, surely they would know best, right? Nope, not true. Take the criticism, especially when you hear it over and over, but what someone else might like to happen may not be what's best for your book or your narrative voice.

Everyone has a personal preference and taste, and you can't make the perfect book that everyone will fawn over. This includes agents and editors too. The goal is to write a book that you love and would love to read. I promise there are lots of other people out there that have similar taste to you and will feel the same way.

So when using Betas, fish for the stuff that resonates with you, fish for the stuff that seems to repeat -- then throw the rest back.

Thanks again Peggy for your question. Everybody else, keep 'em coming - betsyschow@gmail.com Please put in the subject line Saturday So What

Saturday So What: Labor Pains

So What's up? My book's FINALLY here that's what. It feels like it's been forever. (for you reading too huh. lol)

I have always liked the "book baby" analogy, so I think I am going to use it to explain my thoughts.

For me at least, conception was the easy part. It never takes me very long to get pregnant or write a book. The gestation though is a killer. When I was pregnant with my girls, I threw up everyday for nine months. After I signed the contract for my book, I wanted to throw up for the past 11 months. Who knew I was supposed to have a master's degree in marketing and computer science to understand a little thing called social media?

Each time I was pregnant, I gave up my favorite thing -- Diet Coke. I went off the caffeine and soda, and tried to be super healthy for my kids, not a natural state of being for me. It was not fun. I hated the restrictions. I hated the hip and back pain. I thought, "There's no way I will EVER do this again. It's just not worth it."

To try to do what the publisher asked of me, I had to give up my favorite thing. I went from being able to read a book a day, to being somewhat chained to my laptop and giving up my precious reading time. I have been warned by some other authory friends that if I don't figure out the whole blogging thing, then it doesn't matter how good the book is. It will die a slow death of obscurity. So for almost a year I've done the legwork. I've blogged, I've spoken at events, I've solicited endorsements, I've done interviews and podcast. Even got into Utah Valley Magazine. Towards the end when I was trying to gather bloggers for my blog tour,  I thought, "There's no way I will EVER do this again. It's just not worth it."

My first daughter came after 27 hours of labor. I looked into her little blue face (she had trouble breathing) and knew that anything I had been through was worth it for what I had in my hands.

My books I ordered for my launch party arrived on January 3rd, a year after I finished the first draft. I opened the box and looked at the cover in my hands -- and I knew it had been worth it.

The path of an author is never easy. It is filled with rejection, criticism, and sweat with printer ink mixed it. A piece of our soul goes into everything we write. And when that piece connects with some reader, somewhere -- all the pain, the nos, the long nights, the writer's block -- will be worth it.

Here are my babies


Thank you for sharing in my "pregnancy".

Parenting, Guns, and Rock 'n Roll

I had an entirely different post planned out for today; however, with Friday's tragedy, I felt that I had something to say.

Even as I write this, the droplets fall and make the keys slippery. My heart breaks for every family who lost someone in the Connecticut school shooting. It breaks for the children that survived while their innocence didn't. But most of all it breaks for a society where it's listed in the news as "Another Mass Shooting".

This is not okay people. This is not the new status quo, waiting in fear for someone else to walk into a public place and unload clips of ammo into innocent citizens that have nothing to do with the shooter's issues.
In case you're wondering, this is not a gun control rant. This is a parenting rant.

Friday afternoon, I had to go the DMV to register and get plates for a car. While I was at the window, an 8 year old boy was sitting in a nearby chair, playing with a bright orange handgun toy, complete with popping sounds. He was shooting my daughters, who thought it was a game and hid from him around a pillar.

I wanted to puke.

The father at the adjacent window gave a half hearted shrug when I told his kid not to point the toy gun at my girls. But the dad said nothing, gave no reprimand, just a look that clearly said, "kids will be kids".

On what planet is it okay to bring your kid into a government building and let him play with a toy gun in the waiting room? Let alone on the same day where 27 people, most of them children, were ruthlessly gunned down?

I'm begging everyone, in the words of Crosby, Stills and Nash, "Teach your children well." Teach them to be good and gentle souls. Don't turn a blind eye at violent and errant behavior. Pay attention! I have known so many parents who refuse to believe their little Johnny was capable of punching another kid, surely there must be some kind of mistake. Usually there isn't. Acting out is often a symptom that they are struggling, perhaps being bullied themselves. Give kind correction and buckets of love, but remember, you are the watchman.

As parents we are the first line of defense. Our job is to provide a safe and loving environment for our children to grow. Nurturing them so that they may in turn nurture others. But make no mistake, no matter how well intentioned or righteous we might be, the adversary is ever knocking on the door, with sneakier and stealthier ways all the time. The more we can keep filth and violence out of our homes, off our TVs, out of the iPods, the better our kids will be. The better our nation and world will be.  And God willing, the more infrequent these senseless killings will become.

Saturday So What Spotlight: Dene Low

Today I am officially reinstating the Saturday So What Spotlight. The first Saturday of every month, I'm going to feature a guest post from an author (or aspiring one) that's faced a problem in Motherhood, Mormonism, or Writing -- then said So What, and pushed past it.

Today's guest is Dene Low, a Mormon mom and grandmom. She has written several novels (available on Amazon), including Petronella Saves Nearly Everyone; Maddie, Maddie, Flying High; and Not the Worst that Could Happen. Look for her new novel, RScue, to be published by Covenant in the coming year. See her blog and web site at denelow.com.



"Read me some of your novel," said my father, who was in his nineties and had severe macular degeneration.
I was flattered. Because he was blind, Dad listened to audio books, usually spy thrillers, historical fiction, or biography. He was also a scholarly writer. But he liked the novel that I was writing. He also liked it when I sat next to him and read to him. It was something we could do together that helped him not be so lonely.
Since my mother died, Dad's health had taken a turn for the worse--bad enough that he qualified for hospice care. He also had a horror of hospitals and care centers, so although my sister and I worked full time, we promised him that he could die at home and we would care for him.
It just seemed right after all he and my mother had done for us. We were able to keep that promise with the help of family and caring ward members and the hospice care givers who came in once a day for an hour. My sister and I took turns living at his house, so he wouldn’t have to move away from his comfort zone. We brought as much of our work there as we could, so we didn't have to be gone very much. Our amazing husbands kept our own homes going for the three years it took for Dad to die. I can't say enough about how kind our husbands were toward us and our father. The problem for me was not that we were taking care of Dad. That was bittersweet--more sweet than bitter. For me, the problem was being a writer on top of having a full-time job (and having church callings) while taking care of Dad. For one thing, I couldn't write while he was awake. During the day he needed something every few minutes, and those frequent interruptions broke my concentration.
I was committed to helping my father. Still, I had writing deadlines and some goals of my own. So, I started getting up at 5:00 a.m. while he was still asleep and writing through the time when the hospice people came to get his breakfast and give him a shower. Without expecting anything other than more time to write, I was given a gift from above. A marvelous thing happened in the early morning hours and it happened because I nearly always started the morning with scripture study. The difference between starting a writing session with scripture study and not studying my scriptures was huge. If I opened my scriptures for even a few minutes, I felt inspired to write and accomplished a huge amount for the time spent writing. If I didn't read my scriptures first, I was very aware that I'd gotten up way too early and could barely think, let alone write.
I continue the practice now even though my father has been gone over a year and the blessings continue. I look forward to a time when Dad can say to me, “Read me some of your novel.” And I’ll have something I can read to him.

Saturday So What: Judging a book by its cover

This week I posted a cover reveal on my blog for my book. I love it, but I can take no credit for it. Cedar Fort did an awesome job. But it got me thinking, So What's in a cover anyway?

In this age of indie publishing, I think covers are nearly as important as the content they wrap. In a brick and mortar bookstore, there is the option to pick a book up and thumb through for a peek. If you go to Amazon or somewhere else on the web, you get a thumbnail picture to draw people in.

I really hate to say it, but people judge a book by its cover. If the cover is hand doodled, or looks like you've taken a stock photo and then typed the title in Times New Roman font, then people will likely assume that the work inside is equally unpolished. Think of the cover like a query letter to your reader. It's unfair, I know (I stink at queries), but you only get that first impression once.

Here are my thoughts about what I've learned on the anatomy of a good cover.

Picture
The front image has to be eye catching and a pictorial representation of what the inside holds. It must appeal to your specific market. Animated covers are for children's books and some women's commercial fiction. YA or literary fiction almost never does animated, especially a cartoonization of the main character. It tends to appear more middle grade that way. Notice that YA often uses photoshopped pictures of a real person. Whatever the image, it needs to be high resolution and be pertinent to the story it represents. That's the trouble with stock photos. Unless you really find one tailored to your story, the reader might have no idea what is interesting or compelling about the imaginary your book will portray.

Title Text
A workshop I went to said, The Title should never be in a font that comes default in a word processor. Because it looks like you took the picture and typed the title over it. And on basic covers that's what is done. The Title needs to be incorporated in the imagery of the cover. It needs to be adding to the art. If it doesn't elevate the cover, then redo it.

Optional Hook
This is one sentence that sits above the back blurb. It's usually a line from the text, a bit of dialogue, or something that stands out. Not all books have it. It's making the biggest point or hook in a one liner

Back Blurb
This is not a synopsis, it's a tease. Entice the reader to want to buy it, but don't give spoilers. What's awesome and unique? Most blurbs are done in the 3rd person, even if the book is written in 1st. It gets even trickier if the book is autobiographical like mine. Some books have the main character appearing to write the back copy, but it has to be done really well to get away with it. Most importantly, it can't be dull or dry. There needs to be narrative voicing in the blurb.

Endorsements
These are the thumbs up from someone who wants to recommend your book. They can be one or two lines, or a whole paragraph. On books by the big 6, you'll see praise from a best-selling author. But chances are, you can't get J.K Rowling to put her approval on your cover. But your mom or Aunt Fanny isn't a good idea either.  Ask other authors with published works. Most are willing to help, provided they have the time. And the worst they can say is no, so it doesn't hurt to ask. Usually it's a good idea to have endorsements from other authors in the same field, or non author authorities in the case of Non-fiction books.

Put it all together and you get something like this. This is the full cover wrap for my book, including the back.

I hope this little anatomy lesson helps anyone who's trying to compose their own cover. I would have no idea how to do this myself, and I recommend even when self-publishing to invest in a cover artist to help you out if you are not a pro at photoshop.

If you have a topic you want So What to cover, leave me a comment in the notes. If I don't know the answer, I will find someone who does.

Unicorns, Mormon Democrats, and Other Mythical Creatures

I have a friend from West Virginia that sends me all manner of political propaganda. Most of it is Pro-Romney. I finally asked her to stop.
"Why?" she asked. "You're Mormon, you must love Romney."
"Actually," I said "I'm a democrat."
"I didn't know that Mormon democrats existed," she said in awe.

I thought her astonishment was pretty funny, though I was used to it from my non-member friends. But that conversation got my head turning (and credit for the blog post idea goes to Kasey). How many things are real that we believe to be fantasy? And how many things, which we strive to be, are pure myth?

First up, the liger. Though Napoleon Dynamite might dream and doodle it as a mythical beast, it actually exists. It is truly the offspring of a tiger and a lion. And unlike mules, they can actually reproduce.

Cinderella's glass slipper can be yours for the oh-so-reasonable price of $1300. A shoe.

And there is actually some truth to our Halloween monsters. Scientist believe the tales originated from sufferers of porphryia diseases. The symptoms can include, hairy and distorted bodies, aversion to sun and silver, and - wait for it - a propensity for blood.


So what isn't real?

Perfection or anything even remotely close to it. The perfect child, the perfect mother... do not exist. And yet, we all lament that we are not this ideal myth. That our kids are not like the little angels that live down the street. Yet that mom who lives down the street would probably confirm that her kids are more hell than halo.

Another bad one -- the ideal body. Even supermodels have the audacity to complain about the hugeness of their pencil width thighs. I bet even Barbie would moan about something if her lips moved.

As writers, we often keep tweaking, revising, and deleting -- waiting for that perfect story. But as long as people have opinions, that story will never exist. When I was compiling the essays from our contest, I noticed that some of the pieces that really resonated with me, may not have struck the same chord with another judge. The same also happened in reverse. Writing is an extremely subjective process. What one reader/agent/editor turns their nose up at, another person might grip the pages and never let go. Harry Potter anyone? How many agents lost their jobs after passing that one up?

Whether someone's looking to be a better mother, woman, writer, or whatever... leave the fantasy on the page, where it belongs.

And as for the reality of the unicorn... if my daughter has any say -- totally true.

Saturday So What: Comma-Kaze

So I got the first round of edits back for Finished being Fat. It has confirmed what I have long suspected -- I don't have any clue how to use commas. And judging the contest entries, I don't think I'm not the only one.


Some people use commas like sprinkles, liberally dotting them around like decoration. Others have the opposite problem, the dreaded run on.  When you read through your own work, it's not really that big a deal. You know your own voicing, you know where you meant to pause. But when you read other people's work, you need those phrasing road signs.

I still have a long way to go, but here are some comma guidelines I have picked up.
*  Use a comma when starting with an introductory action. Example: Jumping of the cliff, Jaime prayed for a miracle.

*  Use a comma to separate to short but independent thoughts with a conjuction. Example: The man was gorgeous, but he was a little tall for my tastes.

*  Use a comma to separate 3 + items or actions in a series. Example: She ran, walked, and limped her way across the finish line.

*  Use a comma to set off parenthetical elements, parts of the sentence that aren't strictly necessary and could be removed. (see what I just did there?) Here's another example: Your mom, the oldest and grumpiest lady I have ever seen, slammed the door in the girl scout's face.

*  Use a comma between complimentary descriptions.  I like the rule that if you can put an and in between them, you could probably use a comma. Example:  He was tall, dark, and mysterious.  As opposed to the She was a little old lady. Notice you don't use a comma in the second example.

*  Use a comma for a break in thought, or to add contrast and set a piece apart. A lot of people think this is the old, put a comma in wherever you pause when reading. Not so, there is an actual reason for it. Example: I didn't like what he had done, though not my problem anymore.

There are many more uses and misuses of the comma. But these are the ones I find myself abusing the most. 

What about you? Are you a comma-kaze? Or a grammar nazi that has total comma control?

Saturday So What Makes A Good Personal Essay

And now back to our regularly scheduled programming of Betsy leaves the serious stuff to other people and focuses on writing.

This week I've been poring over the contest essays as well as penning a few of my own to publish in concurrence with my book coming out in January. (yes I still do the happy dance every time I say that) But that leads me to focus on the question: So What exactly makes a good personal essay?

First off, it's got to be non-fiction. Resist the temptation of making your life more dramatic than it really is. On the same token, you don't need to quote a conversation that happened ten years ago word for word. Recount the details as best you can and leave the alien abductions to the Sci-fi folks.

Next, the essay has to serve a purpose. It has to have a central conceit -- an emotional goal. Rambling is all good and well for self journaling and blogging, but if you want an essay to be published somewhere, it has to have a point. Preferably one that matches with where you are trying to publish. Once you know what you want the reader to walk away with at the end of your tale, make sure every word - every line - gets you closer to that. You can quickly lose your reader by giving too much info that serves no other purpose than to prove you are an excellent writer.

One thing to be wary of is being preachy. Often, in an essay, you'll want to show what you've learned. How an experience changed you. Try very hard not to use 2nd person narration. Let me give you an example of what to do vs what not to do.

Do: In my heart, I knew I had to wait until he came to the truth himself. My beliefs, no matter how well-intentioned, couldn't make him find God until he was ready to look.

Don't: You can't force your beliefs on other people. You've got to let them find the Lord all on their own.

See the difference? 2nd person is used in teaching, or a blog post such as this. But in a personal essay, you want your audience to learn the lesson through your eyes. They don't want to have a finger wagged at them.

Which leads me to my last point. Trust yourself and trust your reader. You can get out the emotion of a story without over dramatic phrases like: Grief crashed over me like waves, threatening to pull me under until I had no breath in my lungs. Sometimes over doing it can ruin the moment as much as under doing it. I was sad. Don't hit the audience over the head "you will feel this gosh darnit." Instead of relying on heavy handed or cliched expressions, trust in your narrative voice to convey what you're going through. Losing him made me want to run and bury myself under a thousand blankets. Maybe if I hid long enough, I could forget he was really gone.

On a final note, I wanted to say what a pleasure it's been reading through your submissions. Thank you for sharing your stories with us. We should get the results and notes back to the participants shortly.


Next week, I will be working with my editor on the final proofs of Finished being Fat. I'm sure I will have much to share on the process.  Maybe she'll even teach me how to use a comma correctly.


Until then, come "like" my new fan page for the book. Or visit the blog.

Saturday So What: Alpha, Beta and Omega

So What do the words Alpha, Beta and Omega have in common? Well, they're all Greek letters and that's why it sounds like a frat or sorority. As it relates to writing, you could call it the fraternal order of readers.


It's important to know the difference between these three types and their respective roles.

Alpha Readers:
These are the people that read and comment on your story as you are writing it. Most likely your critique group. Alphas are super important, because its always good to have extra pairs of eyes on your plot line to point out any major holes. Better to find them in the early stages of crafting than when you are 300 pages strong and then realize you took a wrong turn on page 50.

Beta Readers:
This is who you farm your book out to after you are done with the first draft and maybe a round of revisions. It's good to have a mix of author buds and non writing folk. The author type people will pick up some of the structuring nuances you might have mixed, but it's important to have a beta or two from your target audience. Remember, when your story gets published, not all of your readers will be writers. The things that may drive another author nuts, will be loved by the general public.  It's good to have a wide sampling to see what works and what doesn't. And that's what a good general Beta is for. They're not line editors -- not there to fix your commas. They will point out some macro things. Perhaps whether or not they liked your characters, or maybe were confused by a plot point. Pacing is a good thing to ask about.

Omega Readers:
This is a very exclusive club. It consists of you and your agent or editor. After all, you and whoever might be paying you for a story, are the end of the line. This is when you reread all the Betas commentary and decide whether you want to use it or not.  The opinion of an Omega reader will probably hold the most weight. It's one thing if the neighbor down the street tells you you need to rewrite an entire scene. It's a whole different kettle of popcorn when an agent tells you to.


So there you have the basics of the fraternal order of readers. Are you a member?

Saturday So What: Wrong Turn

We've all seen one of these in our lives. Whether in personal or family life, or in our writing -- things are going smooth then Wham, bumpy dirt road.

I recently had this experience in both aspects of my life.  Things were going great, I was sailing along, the words just pouring through my fingers. We're talking 5000 words a day. Then boom, couldn't get a single sentence out. Something just felt wrong. It wasn't easy, it literally felt like slogging through quicksand. Write a paragraph, delete it.  Delete the paragraph before it. Wonder why I am a writer anyway since I clearly sucked.

A day off and a little perspective taught me that I had gone the wrong way in the scene prior. That's why I was having trouble making it work. If you have to force and trudge it to come out, chances are you have made a little error in the progression of your story.  Maybe a character's voicing or attitude is wrong. Or the reasoning for an action doesn't track. It can really throw you off.

The same thing applies to home life. When my day just feels like I am trudging through that mud and the kids are being little demons, I probably took a wrong turn somewhere. I might have started the day with the wrong attitude. I might have my priorities messed up.

Sometimes I feel like I keep going down that bumpy dirt path until I get a flat tire, rather than taking a moment to turn myself around.

So my advice for the week is if your having a rough road as a writer or at home, Stop. Look back and find that spot it went from smooth to that three hour tour that never ends. Go back to that spot and turn yourself around.

Saturday So What: 1st Person POV Pitfalls

So for this week I have been cleaning up and tweaking my YA Fractured Oz fairy tale, House of Emerald. An agent requested a full manuscript, so I wanted to make sure it's my best. But one of my beta readers noticed I had fallen into the 1st person trap. Now I have to go back through and dig myself out of it.

One of the reasons that YA and mass market adult fiction has turned to 1st person POV writing (telling the story from the I point of view) is the ability to really get into your character's head. But there is such a problem of too much of a good thing. If you live in your head most of the time, the story can be slow. Or have difficulty progressing. Thoughts and feelings are great, but sometimes we rely on them to fill the book and nothing is there to push the action forward except thought. I thought today might be a good day to go to the market. It is much stronger if some outside force pushed your character along. Like her mom asking her to go. If your characters thoughts read as half of your written material, you're in trouble.

That leads me to another pitfall. It is closely tied to the above problem, and is often a cause. One is the loneliest number. If your character has no one to react to, to bounce off of, they have nowhere else to go but in their own head. You need sidekicks, or a lot of action happening to your character. If your MC is in their room lamenting, it won't be all that interesting.

The next pitfall is tricky. It's really tough to get around and one that many new writer's fall into. The narcissist. Since your writing all from one person's point of view, it's easy to structure a lot of your sentences with I verb ___. I felt sorry for her so I took her a loaf of bread. If you have a lot of I sentences in a row, it get super obnoxious. Try changing up the structure. Feeling sorry for her, I took her a loaf of bread.

The last pitfall to avoid is being likable. If we are spending a good amount of time with you MC and in their head, they can't drive us nuts. There needs to be character growth, but if you MC is whiny we may want to shut the book on her. They don't have to be good, just not annoying or somebody we can't stand. This is true in any POV, but especially true in 1st person. If you want a good example of an interesting likably unlikable MC, check out Dan Wells, I am not a Serial Killer.

Saturday So What: Marinate

     I love  to watch the Food channel.  Ironic, I know. I can't cook and I have a weight loss book coming out. Go figure.
     Anyway, I was watching Chopped, and they kicked a chef off the show because her pork didn't have enough flavor. She didn't let it marinate long enough, and so the meat was bland.
     Recently, I got some feedback from a beta reader/ editor type person. My story didn't have enough flavor. I needed another ingredient. He suggested that I move a character that was introduced in the second half of the book, all the way up to the second chapter. = Major rewrites.
     I kicked, I screamed. I may have cried and cursed a little. I hated the idea. It was horrible and I rejected it out of hand. Then I went to sleep. And the idea marinated in my brain with the story. The next day it begrudgingly marinated a little more. By the third day I had rewritten the first three chapters to reflect the change.
     My friend was right. The extra character got me out of the 1st person POV trap (post coming next week). I needed that character to draw my heroine out and advance the story. She added just the right amount of bite and flavor. Sometimes ideas need that time to marinate. To really sink into your brain.
     My advice, when you get a critique from a friend, or a reader, or your group -- don't dismiss it out of hand. I know, the instinct is defense mode and protecting the integrity of your vision. Just hear it, and let it stew for a while. Let it marinate and then decide if it adds the right amount of flavor to your story.

Saturday So What: Avoiding Deus Ex Machina

So What am I up to this holiday weekend? Touching up the end of my latest novel. In particular, I am making sure it doesn't fall prey to the dreaded, Deus Ex Machina. If you are a writer, you've probably seen or heard the words floated around. Here's how Wikipedia defines it:

Latin: "god from the machine"; plural: dei ex machina) is a plot device whereby a seemingly unsolvable problem is suddenly and abruptly solved with the contrived and unexpected intervention of some new event, character, ability, or object.

Lord of the Flies is one of the most famous examples. Someone from outside the island has to swoop in and save them all. 

So, basically it means you cheated in the end. Your character is stuck, she's screwed. Death is certain. But right before the blade hits, some white knight comes to her rescue. One problem, we've never met him before and it's the end of the book. Your character should be smart enough and well equipped enough to get out of a jam. It's ok for the side kicks to help, but a strong main character needs to have the main role. (Harry Potter walked a really thin line on that one)

So how do you protect against the hand of God saving the day and make a killer ending that's actually believable? 

Just a personal opinion mind you, but before you finish writing the first chapter, you should know how your book ends. None of this "We'll see what happens" stuff.  You need to know where your character starts and where they end. Let me tell you why. If you know how they're supposed to end up - both as a change in personal growth as well as what they need in their skill set to overcome the 'Big Bad' - then you can make sure they get what they need along the journey. That way you are not just throwing in at the last second "Oh, by the way, Katya used to fence as a child." An expert plot crafter will throw in seemingly ordinary bits of info, hints, or items throughout the story. Then when the ending comes the reader remembers and says, "That's why in Chapter ... she found that, Or went here." It makes the experience richer and more layered for a reader. But you can't hint if you don't know the end. I'm not going to throw in spoilers, but Dark Knight Rises does this to near perfection. You want to see the movie again just to catch the little hints.

So do yourself a favor, fix your beginning and your end points. Let the middle flow organically and go along the journey with your character if you want. Make sure your MC has the tools they need to outlast, outwit, or out kick butt. Before the last chapter.


Last call for contest entries this week guys. No more 'saving hands' from us.  :)

Saturday So What: Why can't I be you?

In case you haven't noticed, my writing style is very conversational and mass market.  I don't have a literary hair on my head. Or on my legs for that matter.

But I long to write the flowing lovely sentiments and imagery that a friend of mine does. Her writing is stunning and deep and ...ugh... and I can't even come up with the right words here. When I had the opportunity recently to write a personal essay about a lesson I had learned from one of my kiddos, I saw it as a chance to strut my serious side. I was gonna make the reader cry, darn'it. I poured over my words, spending hours to find just the right line. For example, "inflicting my pain on the cold and unyielding earth". Yeah, you can probably guess how well it was received in my writer's group.

The central conceit behind my essay was just fine, but the flow was stilted and I was leading my reader to the emotion by the nose. All in an attempt to write like this other girl. Flash forward to me attempt  a few weeks later. I had an idea, it took me 45 minutes to write the 1200 word essay, and I just let the words flow out in my natural narrative voice. This time it was well received. I have a few chuckles and few tears without searching for the flowery or "ensign" words to insert. Just me.

So here's the lesson I took away from this exercise.  I may love the operatic sopranos, but I am firmly an alto. And if I tried to squeak out Ave Maria, everyone would cover their ears. But I can sing something lovely in my own register, something uniquely me. Same goes with writing. As an author, I have to stick with my own voice. I can appreciate and admire yours, but if I try to emulate it, everyone will cover their eyes.

So whether you write fiction or non, romance or YA, revel and celebrate your own unique style. Don't try to be Dickens, or Rowling, or Twilight. It will always be a pale imitation. Instead shine and create a new original  that others will long to be.



Come visit Smashing Stories for another excerpt from Finished being Fat. "Ghosts of Fat Past"
Don't forget... less than a week to get your contest entries in!!

Saturday So What: What to expect when you're expecting... a book

Whenever I read other author's refer to their books as though they were children, well, I just thought they were weird. I figured maybe those writers were the same kind of people that dress up their chihuahuas in little fluffy outfits.

Now I get it.

There's the inception. The dream before the first word ever hits the page. The hoping and wishing and wondering exactly what your book will look like.

There are false starts. You get partway in and for what ever reason, this time, it just wasn't meant to be.

Then, you've finally created a book. You are so excited that you want to scream it from the rooftops. But you have to find someone to 'deliver' it. And then you have to wait.

Publishing book gestation time can be a year or longer. You tell your friends and family and everyone anxiously awaits the event. And waits some more. By 7 or so months in, everyone's pretty sick of hearing about it.

If I'm sticking with the pregnancy theme, I'm at the point where my belly is big and I'm waddling to get around. I'm ready for this thing to be here!

But am I really? Have I done all the groundwork? As a first time author, I have no idea what I'll need. I hear other expectant authors talking and I'm still clueless.
What's a blog tour and when do you have one?
What should you do at a launch party? Do you play pin the bookmark on the book?
How do you get the word out once it's here? Should I hand make little birth announcements like I did with my two girls?

Just under 4 months until the big moment and I'm not sure I have everything in order. I could sure use some advice from anyone who's been here before. Or if you haven't, maybe you have some cool ideas to share?

Horror stories welcome too.

Saturday So What: Swat the flies, not your kids

free image courtesy of freedigitalphoto.net

So What is wrong at my house?

My kids are whacking each other, that's what. And for the life of me, I couldn't figure out why. I abhor violence and don't spank unless mortal danger was involved in the infraction. So when my nearly 3 year old got mad at her 5 year old sister and slapped her hard on the back, I blamed unruly preschool kids for rubbing off on my angels.

Flash forward an hour. The two "little angels" were nose to nose yelling at one another. I'd had it. I hollered for them to stop. It was like they couldn't even hear me. Next I stomped over and dropped down to their level.  Still, like I wasn't even in the room. So what did I do? I swatted both girls on the back to get their attention. Just a featherlite pat.

Lightbulb.

These kids were like funhouse mirrors, reflecting and distorting my behavior back. When I was frustrated at them, I would swat them to get their attention, or get down to eye level. How must that look to them? I'm big, they're little.  Though I don't intend it to come off as intimidating, it probably does. So they take that tap and magnify it 20x.

I have a few things to work on apparently. What about you guys? Have you ever accidentally been a bad influence? Better yet, how do you discourage fighting?

-Betsy

MMW Press Release

I have ceded this week's So What over for an important Press Release about the contest and a way authors and readers can share their clean books with the world. If you want a short little thing from me, help me win a page view contest by checking out the first two paragraphs from my book at the Smashing Stories blog today. Just clicking on the above link helps me out. :)

- Betsy

Two Amazing Announcements from MMW

Mormon Mommy Writers' Blog is hosting our second annual writing contest. Last year's contest resulted in the wonderful anthology, Totally Cliche. This year's contest promises to be even more exciting since there won't be three winners, but NINE winners since we have three categories in our contest this year. Your mission is to submit a short story, non-fiction essay, or a poem that falls under the theme of Mormon or Mommy or Writer. You do not have to be a Mormon or a mommy to enter this amazing contest. The top three stories in each category will be in MMW's next anthology book. In addition to being published, the authors of the top three winning stories in each category will recieve a free e-copy of the anthology and the following prizes:

First Place: $10 Barnes and Noble gift card

Second Place: $5 Barnes and Noble gift card

Third Place: Free Print copy of the anthology featuring their story

The deadline for the contest has been extended to August 31st. Don't delay! Go to this link for the rules and to find out more 

MormonMommyWriters.com

We believe in good, clean books that uphold Christian values. To accomplish this goal, we will be providing two different services to our readers. First, we will have a list of author websites listed by genres so readers can have access to many books of their favorite genre. Second, we will have a list of books that will be rated for content. We understand this is subjective and our readers will not always agree with our rating. With that in mind we will also list if the book contains violence, sex, drugs, or offensive language. Eventually there will be a way for our readers to vote on what they believe the content rating to be as well.  This will allow our audience to make informed decisions about books. Please come by and check us out.

Opportunity for Authors:

The purpose of our website is to bring readers to clean authors’ websites and to create back links for each writer to up their chances of online virility.   To do this, we encourage authors to do a few things.  First, agree to the commitment below and add your website to our list of authors.  By agreeing to this commitment, you agree to link to MormonMommyWriters.com somewhere on your website.  We also encourage you to link to other author websites that are within your same genres.  This will help support writers that are committed to writing books that don’t glorify or make light of evil activities or things. 

Next, we would like authors to put their books up on our review page under their genre.  We would also like writers to give their books a rating based on our rating system.  We will have an area for readers vote on the rating they think the book should have. 

Getting Started:

To get started, send an email to nikki@mormonmommywriters.com with your name and pen name, email address, author website, title and summary of your books, which rating below that you would give the content of your books, and an image of the cover of each of your books.  If you do so, you are agreeing to the following statement:

To be linked on MormonMommyWriters.com I agree to link to their website on my website. I also agree that any books on my website do not glorify immoral or sinful practices. Meaning that any immoral or sinful things depicted in my books are shown with the natural consequences and are not explicit in their depiction. If there is a book I feel may be questionable in that area, I will address it on my website so my readers can make informed decisions.

Ratings:

G – General Audiences

PG – Parental Guidance

PG-13 – Not suggested for children under the age of 13

PG-16 – Not suggested for children under the age of 16

AC- Adult Content better understood by ages 18 and up

R – For 18 and up containing graphic violence, language, or sexual content

X-rated – Contains excessively graphic sexual content, language, or violence