Writing & Editing – Page 4

Do you like thrillers?

This is a book for those over 18 years of age, written by an author from Florida.

This is the synopsis, courtesy of Google Books:

Five Catholic priests have been murdered all around Tampa Bay. Law enforcement forms a task force, but is unable to find this killer, whose weapon of choice leaves clues but no answers. Father Angel, head of the Vatican’s special security projects, hires Reed O’Hara to hunt down this killer. Reed is a Tampa attorney and private investigator. She is a relentless pursuer of justice in the courtroom or on the streets. Reed and her husband Jake Dupree agree to track down the priest killer, even though they are fighting a takeover of their nightclub by Russian mobster Victor Petrov.

The author has been supportive of my books and I encourage you to take a look at his book. It is published by St. Petersburg Press.

Have a happy Tuesday! Sonja

Blogs, and Podcasts, and Articles. Oh, My!!!

Lately, I have been trying to keep up on the happenings in the publishing world. What a task! Things happen so fast.

A publishing house that I admired has closed its doors. Agents come and go from agency to agency. Books are published, make lists, and then are gone.

How to keep up?

Blogs, podcasts, and articles!

I’ve also found that some agents write essays on their websites that are full of information and tips

It’s our job as writers to watch the industry and learn what’s going on. There is a lot of information on the web. Go find it.

Local indie bookstores are great sources for info and books. The owners tend to know what’s coming down the publishing pipe and are happy to recommend titles. Just ask! These fascinating and fun stores are the lifeblood of the writing game.

Near where I live, there is a large book festival that attracts approximately 135,000 people. I love attending, showing off my books, and meeting the parents and children that stroll through all the booths and tables. I have found that most want to buy a physical book and aren’t interested in downloading an ebook. I love to see people walking past my table with bags of books.

It makes me optimistic about the future of the book world.

I hope you take the time to read today. Choose the format you like and find a comfy corner. I read printed and ebooks, plus listen to audiobooks in the car. Find what works for you.

Keep reading! Sonja

How I Do It

When I write longer chapter books, as opposed to the illustrated easy-to-read books, I need to keep track of characters, settings, and scenes. The ‘Fairies of Carlow’ series v. ‘The Voyage’ or the ‘Guinness the Therapy Dog’ series is a good example.

I keep a journal for each book with sections for characters, settings, chapter summaries, and events. This way I can map out rooms, homes, gardens, etc. to make sure my writing is consistent.

Since I like to write series’, I keep notes on the characters so when I revisit them in another title I can stay consistent with who they are and what they look like.

Consistency is the key when creating a world, which is what each book does.

I don’t have journals for the Guinness the Therapy Dog series since they are shorter and less complex. Also, I have the real thing laying at my feet so I don’t need to go far for inspiration or to see exactly how the white blaze goes from nose to the top of his head.

Let me know your tips and tricks for keeping track of details! Sonja

Writing 101

Are you a plotter or a pantser? I’ve asked this question before, but it bears repeating.

A plotter (of which I am) know the direction of the story. A pantser writes and allows the story to unfold before them. I tried to be a pantser, but it’s not me. I like to know my mile markers when I write, otherwise, the story meanders and gets boring.

That doesn’t mean that I plot out every single moment. I do like my characters and the story to surprise me, but the plot has a goal. Take, for example, The Fairies of Carlow: The Gilding. I knew that Fern would become a Gilded, but I didn’t know about the Gilding event itself. The character and the plot told me she would be engulfed in a cloud of gold glitter and would transform.

That it was before all the students of her school just added to her angst.

Decide how you want to write your story and then follow through. You can’t publish what you haven’t written.

Go for it! Sonja

Today’s Challenge

I don’t know about you, but I find it challenging to decide which story in my head is worthy of being put down on paper.

I have so many stories swirling around up there. I explore them when I’m walking, hiking, taking some quiet time, driving, or falling asleep.

I have a lot of stories to tell about Guinness. He’s a never-ending source of adventures! Just a walk around the block can lead to an interesting experience.

Just today, we were taking a walk and he was trying to be a good boy. Another dog walked by with his own human. Before we went to school, Guinness would have barked and lunged. Today, he merely kept a close watch on the dog and tried to talk to him. I think that will probably make it into one of his adventures that I write about. He loves to talk to everyone he meets. In the morning, he sounds like Chewbacca from Star Wars (R)!

I’ll try to catch his talking and post it on his Instagram page (@real_guinness_the_therapy_dog). Follow him and get daily updates on his shenanigans!

Have a happy weekend. Sonja

Write Characters You Love

As a writer, you will spend a lot of time with your characters, so you should really like them. Most stories take multiple rewrites and if you get tired of your characters, so will your readers.

I love Guinness the Therapy Dog and it is fun to write about him during all his adventures. I equally loved each of the fairy princesses in The Fairies of Carlow series and their handsome princes (and one particularly handsome farmer).

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

I hope you have the chance to read all of The Fairies of Carlow books. I think you will enjoy each of them. Sonja

Publishing Your Story

I’ve been asked by a lot of writers about how to get their story published. I always say to take the next step and get it out there.

No story is perfect and if you wait until yours is, it will never get published. Don’t wait for years to go by, edit that story and put it out into the world. Take the plunge. Take the risk. Take whichever overused saying will get you going.

If you want to write for yourself, that’s great. Do it.

If you want to write stories that others will read and enjoy, the only way to realize that dream is to publish it.

Stories take drafts, but it shouldn’t take you years and years of scrutiny over each word. Make it the best and then publish your story. Will it take you years to make it the best? Nah.

Find some friends who will read it for you, point out slow places, where they’re bored, and misspellings–fix those and then publish it.

You will never realize your dream unless you take that step.

Be brave. Go for it. Sonja

Mood Writing

The above quote really described my writing process. In a previous post, I wrote about being a ‘plotter’ or a ‘pantser’. I’m a ‘plotter’ and need to know the direction of my story.

That doesn’t mean I am strict or regimented in my writing. I like to see where my characters want to take me–and often they surprise me–but I can gently lead them in the direction of my plot. Otherwise, my stories tend to wander around too much.

When I write my fairy stories, you can be sure that I have pictures of Ireland on my computer and a nice cup of tea steaming at the side of my laptop.

When I write about Guinness the Therapy Dog, I like to watch him as he plays with his sister, Lucy. A lot of the time, he’s laying on the floor at my feet or resting his chin on my leg as he begs for a nice petting session.

I get inspiration from everything that’s around me. Hopefully, that flavors my writing and helps with the general mood and descriptions for you, the reader.

Try to write today! Sonja

#Books

Books are a portal to a world outside your imagination. The best ones transport you, make you think, and/or give you friends that can survive inside your head for years.

I know I can rely on Nancy, George, and Bess to be at my side during adventures; Elizabeth helps me prepare my daily tea; and, Marianne to go with me on flights of fancy and romance.

I love to read books that transport me.

I hope my stories do that for you. Sonja

The Writing Process

Photo by Florencia Viadana on Unsplash
Photo by Aaron Burden on Unsplash
Photo by Dan Dimmock on Unsplash

Are you a planner or a pantser?

What’s a pantser, you ask? It’s the writer who can tell a good story without planning it out first. It’s not me. I tried to write a story ‘by the seat of my pants’ and it was horrible!

My stories are much better if I outline them first. I don’t outline them to death because I want the characters to be able to lead me and surprise me. But, I need to know where they are heading or else my stories tend to wander.

I like to outline on paper, usually outside, with some distractions around me. Then I go to my computer and start writing with the outline nearby. I still need some distractions while I write the first draft; I think it’s probably from my years as a news producer. I wrote for hours in the newsroom with scanners blaring and beeping, reporters coming and going; and lots of interruptions. During successive edits (and there are many) I like quiet, especially during the final edit. I like to focus all my attention on the story and try to find mistakes while around me it is quiet and still.

How many edits does a story go through? At least three. That’s why I like my computer. I save the story as a fresh draft and then start editing. I find that sometimes I like the previous draft and need to be able to go back to it. If I’m editing on that draft, oftentimes what I wrote previously is gone.

Don’t be afraid to write the first draft! It’s always unfit for reading. But it’s much easier to edit than create afresh. More on this in another post!

Just start! Sonja