Writing & Editing – Page 3

Another Look-

Here’s another look at the journals I keep for each story. The photos show the journals for the Fairies of Carlow series.

I keep one journal for each book, with the pages divided into several sections: main characters, settings, events, chapter summaries.

They help keep continuity while I’m writing the book, and any books that may share characters or settings. (I’m a big fan of series’!).

By using a journal I can make sure the eye and hair colors of each character are consistent as I write. Sometimes, these things get lost inside my head and I can’t remember if I made someone a blonde, redhead, or a brunette. Also, I include height, preferences, things they hate/love, etc. Some characters get a full page, others get a half-page. It depends on how much I need to know about them.

For the Fairies of Carlow books, I found journals with covers that match each fairy’s signature color. (Confused? Now’s a good time to buy the books and find out what I’m talking about!)

I happen to love journals and tend to buy way too many of them. I have a stack of blank journals and a ton of pens that I need to find a use for. Did I mention my love of pens?

I have found that I don’t like gel pens… and try to find anything but those these days! I don’t know, the ink smears, it bleeds when you drip tea on it… But I love ballpoint pens and feel so posh when I use a fountain pen. I was given a Mont Blanc decades ago and feel so special when I use it. (But talk about wet ink and bleeding under drips of tea!)

Anyway, consistency is the key to good writing. Floor plans need to make sense. The barn needs to stay in the same place. And the sun needs to set in the same direction every evening.

Write on! Sonja

Make It a Habit

However you like to write–pen and paper, laptop, typewriter–make sure you write every day. Sometimes it’s terrible. Sometimes it’s golden. Just make sure it gets done.

Don’t worry about quality, especially when you’re starting out and it’s the first draft. That draft is always terrible, but it’s very important.

I like to say the first draft is the skeleton-when you get the general gist of the story down on paper. Subsequent drafts are when you add the muscles, skin, and features–to make it pretty.

And don’t worry about the beginning. That always changes as you write and get to know your story and your characters. What you think about one character can change drastically by the time you type ‘The End’ on the final page.

I like for my characters to surprise me so I leave plenty of wiggle room in my outlines to allow for surprises.

In the ‘Guinness the Therapy Dog’ series, Lucy (his older sister) surprised me by insisting on being in the books. She’s a great dog so I let her assert herself-which is new for her. The real Lucy is so emotionally damaged by abuse that she is afraid of everything. To have her stand her ground is something wonderful to see.

I hear people say all the time “I would never write a book”. I say, “Sure, you can!” There’s a story in everyone and I think if you sat down at whatever writing implement you choose, you can get the story down on paper. You may not like the result, but that doesn’t mean it’s bad. You wrote a book!

Take your passion or your favorite family story, and flesh it out. Write every day. Make it something you miss if it’s not done. If you decide you hate to write, finish your story and never do it again.

At least you’ll have one book that you wrote and you won’t have to wonder if it’s in you ever again.

Take on the challenge! Sonja

Did you know-

Did you know that Guinness the Therapy Dog is drawn by an artist in England?

He is.

Isn’t she talented???

I’ve always wanted to be able to draw, but the best I can do are lopsided trees and animals that look like they’re melting. It’s always the nose-and proportion-and the eyes-basically everything.

My great aunt was a talented artist and was world-renowned for her florals on super-thin porcelain and China. I don’t have any of her work, but her daughters have lots of pieces.

I plan to gather her books, which are available on eBay, to enjoy her work. I wish her talent had jumped into my genes! (Even just a drop!)

Her daughters are talented, as well. Their homes are torn from the best interior decorating magazines. I’m always jealous about how effortless their homes and decorating are. My sister has the decorating gene, too. I am NOT that way. My house is clean and comfy, but the decorating finesse has bypassed me.

Hmm. Maybe they feel the same way about my writing. I love it. Lots of people don’t. I can spend hours plotting and writing at my laptop. I love the research, too.

I hope you find that thing that sparks your inner fire. Sonja

Unboxing the books!

https://smile.amazon.com/s/ref=nb_sb_noss?url=search-alias%3Ddigital-text&field-keywords=the+fairies+of+carlow — (c) 2019 Available on Amazon.com

One of the most fun things is to get a box of books in the mail. From the covers to the pages, I love getting books.

These days, it takes a long time to get stuff shipped–since the shipping sources have been affected, as well as the supply lines. Order what you want and have the patience to wait. The people working to get it to you are battling a lot of negativity and unhappiness from the scarcity of several things as well.

Make sure you thank your delivery drivers–and wave when they drive by. It’s a good way to bridge the gap of social distancing!

I was out walking Guinness the Therapy Dog and waited for the Fed Ex truck to pass by before we crossed a side street. It wasn’t a big deal for me or Guinness, but it meant a lot to the driver and he called out a thank you. It was nice to show caring in such a simple way.

Tell me your ideas for bridging the social distancing gap! Sonja

Hmm, I Don’t Have Employees-

I am a small business. So small, in fact, that I am the only person. Writing can be a lonely business. When I lean against the virtual water cooler to gossip, I talk to my dogs, including Guinness the Therapy Dog. They listen but don’t have any gossip of their own.

On the plus side, I am always the employee of the month!

I generally sit at the dining table to write. It is my designated writing space and gives me full access to my dogs, my tea, and my DVD player. I think my time in the newsroom made it necessary to have noise when I write. I usually stream Netflix or Amazon Prime or have one of my many movies playing. I don’t watch much, just hear the dialogue. Generally, I don’t even listen very closely, I just seem to need the noise.

Why don’t I listen to music?

It’s too distracting! Who’d have thought?

As I said, I think it goes back to my days in broadcasting when three or four police and fire scanners were blaring behind me, reporters were scanning their video or talking, and there was general ‘stuff’ going on around me.

Editing is a different story, and I need quiet. But during the initial creation (the icky first draft), I need the background noise.

I know. Don’t judge! Sonja

How’s Your Grammar?

I am a comma fiend. I love them and use them indiscriminately. So, why does my writing have such great grammar?

I use a grammar app called Grammarly.

Part of it is free and there is premium content as well. I paid for the premium since it works better for me and keeps my writing appropriate.

This isn’t an ad, I promise. Hey, see those commas. Totally appropriate!

I also have a grammar book that I kept from college writing classes and another one I bought several years ago. But I still can’t get a handle on commas. They are my Achilles’ Heel.

I know commas should be used like salt and sprinkled conservatively. But I love them and use them like sugar in a cookie. Lots of them and blended through everything!

I hope you have an app or two that help you. Sonja

Did You Get a Copy?

Use the links in the left margin of this website or search for ‘Sonja Danielson’ on Amazon.com

A couple of weekends ago I offered the ebook versions of these titles for free. So many downloads! I hope you were one of those who took advantage of the offer.

If not, you can order the ebook or the paperback using the direct links in the left margin of this website. You can also find my entire book catalog at Amazon.com. Just search for my name, ‘Sonja Danielson’, and all my titles will come up.

“The Voyage” is a true history of one of the founding families of the American Colonies. I happen to be a member of that family. Doing the research was fun and I learned so much about the patriarch who instigated the family’s move from England and Europe to the American colonies.

He didn’t live long enough to move to Plymouth Colony, but his wife and sons booked passage on a ship and arrived in Boston, along with his father-in-law and sister-in-law. The story of his father-in-law, Stephen Bachiler, is very interesting and I plan to research and write about it.

So many stories float through my head and I want to write them all!

Please leave a review on Amazon.com or Good Reads if you have read one of my books. I would love to see what you think! Sonja

#pitmad

Here’s the scenario: You stand in a hotel and wait for the elevator. Your current manuscript fills your head. You know it needs to be published. You have done your research and know which editors are best for you and your work.

The elevator doors slide open.

Lo and behold! There is dream-editor standing alone in the car. Your time is now. Take the chance!

But you have only the length of the ride up or down to pitch your current work-in-progress (WIP). That’s usually less than thirty seconds. How are you going to boil down your plot and your subplots into such a short time?

That’s the premise of a pitch. Don’t waste the editor’s time with ‘ums’ and ‘uhs’. Don’t squander this opportunity.

Be ready!

#pitmad is an opportunity to go through the same scenario from the comfort of your own home/work/rock. Using Twitter, #pitmad is going on today. Can you feel the anxiety permeating the world? This is the Olympic Trials and we (the writers) want to be selected for the team.

If you’re a writer, get your pitch ready and head over to Twitter! Sonja

Enjoying The Everyday

I love pretty plates and tea cups. And I love tea.

Not coffee.

Sacrilege? Possibly. I come from a family of coffee drinkers. Does that help? Between the three of them, they drink enough to cover my expected daily consumption.

I love tea. Mainly loose-leaf, but I’ll have the bagged variety as well. No milk. A little Stevia if it needs sweetening. I’m a purist, I guess.

I make pots of tea and keep them warm with a teapot warmer fueled by tea lights (what else?!?!?). It makes my writing area cozy and gentle.

Have a cup with me! Sonja

My Love of Candles

When I write, which is every day, I sit at the dining room table. That way I’m near my dogs, my movies, and my candles.

I have a candle in a frosted glass holder exactly like the one in the photo. I keep it lit while I’m sitting there and working. I also have a teapot warmer that keeps my tea hot. It was purchased in Germany and heats the tea using a tea light. I have tapers on the breakfast bar in a holder that used to be my grandmother’s and tea lights on the window sill.

Can you tell that I love candles?

I buy tea lights by the bushel and scour sales for larger candles. I’ve been lucky enough to buy large bags filled with candles from estate sales. Those have lasted for weeks!

What do you use to make your workspace warm and comforting? Sonja