This week is flying by. So much to do with so little time.
Lately I’ve been focusing more and more on being descriptive. I want my readers to take the journey with me, not just read it. It means more if they see the vision that I do when I’m writing. As I wrote earlier, show, don’t tell. It’s important to keep the readers interest and if they’re just reading words, it won’t. They’ll lose their train of thought. But, if you open up the world to them, then you’ll have fans for life.
For instance, in my current WIP, when Hadley is walking up the sidewalk, I get into the weather, the scenery around her and the neighbor that always stops her, keeping her from the tasks at hand. Also her little cottage on the sleepy street in the small town. I go into detail so that the reader has a sense of where she lives and during certain parts of the story, how close she is to possible danger.
So see, you have to be descriptive. Let your reader into your head. It can only make it better for them.
We finally have a sunny, beautiful Sunday morning. The rain has been looming around for weeks, messing up the weekend. I’m thankful for the blessing of a nice weekend. It may be cold, but the sun is bright.
Here’s a little word for you on this beautiful Sunday morning. Live each day as though it was your last. Love with all of your heart. And Laugh until your sides hurt. Make it count people because you only get one chance at this thing we call life.
I write to release everything. All of the pent up stress just flows away when I begin to type the words that fill my head. And with that release, I can live, love, and laugh a little stronger. Try it!
It’s barely above 25 degrees this morning here in Georgia. So, burr… It makes my coffee that much better, if that’s even possible. Anyhoo, today we’re talking Show, Don’t Tell… What? Yes, that’s I said. So here goes!
Have you ever read a book and you felt like you were there? Why? Because the writer put into words what the character was seeing. Of course sometimes in our own imagination, we see the world the writer creates. But, it’s important for a writer to let us see their world that is being created with words. Help the reader take the journey with you. And as a writer, you know what I’m talking about. We see the story in our head, but the reader doesn’t unless we let them in on the whole thing, not just the words.
What do I mean? Well, if your character walks out and it’s bitterly cold, then you want your reader to shiver. But how do you do that? Let’s go through an example:
Telling: Rose walked outside and it was cold. She got the mail, then went back to the house to warm up. (Ok, so here in this example, the writer is telling you it’s cold outside, but you don’t know how cold or anything further than it’s cold. This would work, but let’s try this again.)
Showing: Rose opened the door to an artic blast hitting her as she stepped outside. The temperature had dropped to well below freezing and the wind seemed to slice through her thin coat. The walk to the mailbox was bone chilling as she struggled to keep her jacket tightly around her. When she turned to go back to the house, she looked forward to the crackling fire that was waiting for her. The moment she shut the door, leaving the bitter cold outside, the warmth of the fire seem to melt the ice from her as she held up her hands to give them a good thaw. (Now, you feel the cold, the wind, and the characters reaction to those elements. Not to mention, it was more wordy so you made more of a punch. See the difference.)
So, with that, think about how you express things in your writing. The reader doesn’t know the wall is red until you tell them. But remember, tell them the shade red, how the red makes the character feel, etc. Get it. Now, go out there and write up a storm, literally.
Good Friday morning! I’m getting so excited about my current work in progress, Safe. It’s taking me on a journey that I never thought I’d take in my writing. This book is a new adventure and I’m ready for it.
So, you may be wondering what’s up, well… I’m learning how much adrenaline comes in when you’re writing suspenseful mystery. One scene had me so tensed up that every sound in the house made me jump. It’s amazing. I’m so pumped up when I finish writing scenes that I have a hard time stopping to go to work.
I can’t wait to get finished with it so that I can get it out to all of you. The two main characters are such polar opposites, but yet they seem to be drawn to one another. The fun part is, they don’t even realize it. Drew is such a protective soul and Hadley is an introvert with a dislike for the outside world. Together they are explosive. The dark place that both of them are in comes from two very different sources, but together they seem to get darker. They have to fight to keep the darkness from over shadowing the light at the end of the tunnel. And the mystery that surrounds them in this spine tingling romance will have you guessing until the end.
As most of you know, I’m an accountant. So, tax season is a big part of my time right now. This means I’m spending a lot of time in my office. At least I have a coffee maker sitting beside my desk. There may be long hours and late nights, but with coffee and tea by my side, I’m good to go.
As I sip my afternoon coffee, I’m thinking about the last nine years of publishing my work, I have to smile. This publishing life has been the best way to get all of my craziness out of my head. In 2012 I was unsure how it would be received, but wow, it’s been such a wild, wonderful ride.
Now, don’t take this as saying it was easy, but it has been fun. So, with another sip of my coffee I say thanks for all of the wonderful friends I’ve made during this wonderful time. And I look forward to many more years, publishing, writing, and blogging.
So, here’s to more coffee thoughts in the future… Meaning, everyday…
As a writer I see a lot of writers come and go in the spot light. It’s amazing how many books are appearing on Amazon and other platforms daily. When I started publishing my work in 2012, you could stay on the front page of new releases for at least 24 hours. Now you’re lucky if you stay there for 24 minutes.Â
I’ve found out a couple of things about some of this craziness and that’s the indie authors that haven’t done their homework. Here are 3 of the many ways indies can improve self-publishing and the stigma that goes with it. But also, things have changed on that front too. Now more people are self publishing that ever before.
1: Editing. How many times do you edit your book? I know how exciting it can be to get to the words ‘The End’ and want it out there right then, but that’s a mistake. Make sure you read your work several times and one of those needs to be out loud. I recently went in and revised one of my first published books due to the fact that I put it out there way too fast. Editing is a very important part of the publishing process and as a self-publisher that’s up to you the writer. Also, there are many great editors out there that don’t cost you an arm and leg to hire them. It’s well worth the money and your work will benefit from an extra eye.
2: Cover Design: This is critical. When I look back at my first covers that I designed, I seriously laugh. They were so boring and uninspiring, but being an accountant I didn’t train on creative design software. That’s when I put me assistant to work as my cover designer. She took one look at my work and said ‘not happening’. She went to work and designed the awesome covers that now grace my books. This is the first thing that a potential reader sees. If it doesn’t inspire them, they will go on to the next book. And on top of that, make sure it’s relevant with the book and make it vibrant.
3: The Book Blurb: As a self-publisher this is solely your responsibility. This is one of the hardest things to do for me. Don’t get too out there. Make sure it’s very expressive and use lots of expressive words, but don’t give a lot away. If you give away the ‘who done it’ then there’s no sense reading the book. Make several different ones and have some other people read it. See what they think. Also, in the blurb, give the person a sense of thrill for picking up your book.
This was just a few of the ways that help a self published author. And remember, these are important parts of your book. Of course, the inside is important, but to get someone to actually see the inside, you need to get them to buy it first.
Good Sunday Morning! It’s a chilly morning in Georgia. I’ve had two nights of not getting enough sleep. I think my sleeper is broke, but at least it’s Sunday. After I get home from Church I plan to take a nice nap. For now, I’ll be getting an extra couple of cups of coffee before I head out the door.
Now, on to inspiration. I’m elbow deep into Safe, my newest WIP. It’s been quite an eye opener. I never realized how much fun it would be to expand my genre. I call it a genre makeover! And writing suspense in the middle of the night when you can’t sleep makes you a little jumpy. I was writing an intense scene at two thirty this morning when I caught myself glancing up every few minutes. You know you’re into your work real deep when you have to remind yourself it’s just a book.
So, here’s my little tidbit of inspiration for early Sunday morning. If you plan to change your genre in any way, then make sure that you read some books in that genre. Not to mention, watch movies and shows that follow the same genre.
My editor returned the first little bit of editing for this book and she’s excited for where this book is going. This made me happy. Not to mention that I’m loving this book so far. The chemistry between the two main characters is beginning to get edgy and the mystery is deepening.
Good Wednesday! It’s chilly here in Georgia. My fingers are stiff and it makes writing difficult, but I’m forging on.
I hear people all the time say, ‘I can write a novel. How hard can it be?’. Sometimes I just let it blow over my shoulders, then other times I look at them and tell them what it takes to write that novel. Usually by the time I’m done, they have changed their mind. So, let’s go through some things it takes to put those words on the paper.
Now, don’t get me wrong, anyone can put words on a paper, but… Words on a paper… What a concept…
To write a novel that actually makes sense, you have to get it in the right order. Make sure that you don’t bust the bubble too early and lose the reader. You have to focus on the ebb and flow of the story line. If you write in a up and down motion, meaning there is constant conflict, then resolution, then more conflict and more resolution, the reader will grow tired. It’s important to have a story within the conflict and resolution. The reader needs to be pulled into your story. It needs a purpose.
And an important part of writing is patience. The words don’t write themselves. You have to be patient as you put your story together. If you just haphazardly write, then you’ll get the wrong result. The story needs to be polished and ready before you send it out. Believe me, I’ve been impatient before and the results were less than mediocre. I’ll never do that again.
So, when someone says they could write a novel, explain to them the process. And I’ve only touched on the many intricacies of getting a story completed that will sell and bring you joy. There are so many facets of the writing process that it would take many posts to accomplish.
It’s Groundhog Day! Let’s hope it doesn’t go like the movie. Anyway, Punxsutawney Phil saw his shadow, so six more weeks of winter. Whether you believe the groundhog or not, it’s fun to see what he does and if his predictions come true. But, whatever happens, we can’t do anything to change it, so life goes on.
Here in Georgia we’re finally seeing the sunshine this morning. As I sip my second cup of coffee, I’m reviewing two more chapters of Safe, my current work in process. With temperatures in the upper 20’s, this coffee helps warm me up. These hardwood floors are mighty cold this morning. But, one step outside and I’m reminded how warm it really is inside. The icy air hits your face like a ton of bricks. So, wrap up and stay warm today.
As for writing, this is the month for romance. The question of the day is this, can you squeeze in romance in a crime thriller? The answer is yes. Even a horror can have some romance element without taking away from the story line. For me, adding an element of romance just makes for a better story. Of course, that could be that I’m a romance writer and I try to put romance in everything I do.
With that being said, my new WIP is coming along quite well. It’s full of suspense, dabbled with excitement and a couple of spine tingling moments. I’m starting to really enjoy this new added genre in my romance books. The thrill of mystery keeps my fingers typing and my mind working. I was so enthralled in the story last night that the dog barked and I almost jumped out of my skin. But that’s what makes it fun, to get lost in the story.
In other news, I’ll have a featured article in the Southern Writer’s Magazine a couple of days before Valentines Day, so keep watching for it. It’s such an honor to be able to talk writing on such a wonderful platform. As writers, we need to be able to spread our wings.
Stephanie Hurt - Romance Author 