Since the day is more than half gone, I'll just touch on things to avoid when attempting to seize the reader.

Cliches- these, unless you add your own little twist to them, should be avoided. When you are introducing your story to your reader you want them to continue on. One way to do that is with originality. Using cliches right off the bat (hehe, cliche), tells the reader you don't know how to think outside the box very well.

I'm guilty of this next one. Too much scene setting or backstory. If you're setting up the story, you're most likely starting in the wrong place. I rewrote the first chapter of my first manuscript at least five different times. I found myself setting up previous happenings in order to clue in the reader.

As with the rest of your manuscript, you should show and not tell. Imagine you're in a time travel machine and you've been thrust into the middle of one of Genghis Khan's battles. What is going to engage your reader more, telling or showing?

She sat there, stunned.

or

Clara landed on her feet like a cat.

Do you see something wrong with that second sentence? Cliche, cliche, cliche.

Clara stumbled onto the frozen ground. She gasped. The harsh, fridgid air caught in her throat as she pushed her damp hair out of her eyes. Why couldn't she have landed on a warm, sunny beach with a hottie cabana and a cute umbrella drink? But noooo! Instead of conjuring up a tropical paradise, she had to envision him, Genghis Khan.

Better? Maybe. I'm the sort the spends hours perfecting my beginnings(which I didn't do), and even then I still don't get them right. I at least got the showing in there, but did I put too much backstory in, or just the right amount? I'll let you decide.

All right, the last thing to avoid when seeking to engage your reader is starting with a secondary character. Yes, secondary characters serve a purpose and can be fun, but they are secondary. They might be able to show a story from their pov but they can't possibly know the inner workings of your hero or your heroine. In order for you beginning to be effective the reader needs to be right in it with your main character. That means getting into their heads too.

The odd creature fell from the sky, and landed near Chuluun's feet. He wondered if this was another of Khan's deceptions. He glanced toward Bataar, and then to Khan, their greatest enemey. The two warriors dropped their weapons and narrowed their eyes upon this unknown being. The creature brushed the fur from its head. A woman? A beautiful woman. Bataar grunted out a command before his gaze flickered to Khan. Chuluun grabbed the woman's mane, lifted her to her feet and watched as Khan and his commander battled for possession.

Again, this was done on the spur and not well thought out. To me it sounds stilted. Ahhhh, I know what is wrong with it, it's a lot of telling. Anyway, from what I have above it would seem as if Chuluun is the hero, which would mislead the reader, which would ultimately cause disappointment, which is not something I want when I'm hoping to gain fans.

All right, that's a wrap up. If you want to engage your reader you need to create beginnings that will seize them. I'm just saying . . . . I hope you got something out of all this. If you have any questions please feel free to ask and I'll do my best to answer.

Renee

Don't forget to check out Anthea Lawson's workshop that she'll be presenting through the East Valley Authors.

 As writers we are constantly making decisions. Not just with our beginnings, but with everything. From character names to the color of their eyes. What to cut, what to leave in. When to write, when not to write. There are always decisions to be made, which brings me to a poem my daughter wrote the first year I homeschooled her. She's now in her 20s and will probably stomp her feet when she realizes that I'm sharing the product of one of her tantrums. The assignment was to write a poem about a difficult decision she had to make in her life. It was the beginning of her 7th grade year, and she wasn't going to write a poem. Period.

You know how difficult pre-teens can be, right?

After threatening punishment, this is what she came up with.

For the past two and a half years I've had the luxury of being a full-time writer, but now it's time for me to get a paying job. (I know, it's hard to believe that I've not been paid a penny for my writing.) Tomorrow, I have a job interview. This strikes terror in my heart. Not the interview, I do well with interviews. It is the thought of leaving behind my life as a full-time writer. Once I get a job I'm afraid I'll become a full-time non-writer.

In the past, I've worked both full and part time. When I work for someone else, I have a Type A personality. I worked whatever long hours were required of me to get done everything that was required of me, and more. I wore myself out. At the end of the day, I was too exhausted to do anything, but veg in front of the TV. Sometimes thinking about a favorite TV show was the only thing that got me through the work day. On the weekend, I shopped until I dropped. By the time I got home all I could do was nap. It was a depressing time of no writing. As a matter of fact, when I worked full-time my creativity evaporated. I couldn't come up with any new story ideas. My life was work, TV and shopping. And it is time for me to go back. (Yikes!!!)

Go Back? No way! I am going to move forward. This time round, I'm determined to take it easy at work and put my energy into writing. The job I'm applying for is with a company I've work for in the past, so I'm sure I'll get the job. It's a seasonal part-time job in their call center. My plan is to read and write during the down time between calls. (I know, last week I told you I find it hard to write in public. I want to change.) The reading time, alone, would be beneficial. I have almost no reading time at home. The most important step in moving forward, however, is attitude. This time around my attitude is that I work the job to help pay bills. I will not fall into the creativity black hole again. The only career I'm building is my writing career.

Looks like KRISTAL LEE won the prize on Camryn's blog.

And SARAH HOSS and CLANCY won the prizes on Becca's blog.

Congrats to the winners. Thanks for playing. Don't forget to check out Zoe's contest. She's giving away a FREE KINDLE!! And stay tuned for the NKotWB contest later this fall where you could win a Kindle (or possibly a Nook). Thanks for playing!

-New Kids on the Writers Block

Here's the Sunday Shout-Outs. My version of a "best-of the blogosophere" based on what I read this week. Because I have the time and inclination to read tons of blogs, I generally figure I might as well share the wealth. If you ever have suggestions for blogs I should follow that I'm not, or for posts that would be great to look at for the week, email me at the address below. I may not use the link that week, but I always love to add great blogs to my to-read list. Anyway, here are my best-of's for the week.

** Zoe Winters is giving away one Kindle, for sure. Possibly two. Check it out! I'm always going to promote e-reading, so I'll put the contest link up on the side for those of you who want to check in. By the by, once we reach 100 followers on NKotWB, we'll also be giving away a Kindle. How can you help? If you buy books through Amazon, click through here and you can help us. Whatever books you buy. Doesn't matter. This happens to be the link to Zoe's book because, hey, I want her to have to give away a second Kindle! :-)

** Thanks to Renee for sending me to Camy Tang's blog this week. Camy has a fantastic post up about choosing agents. Definitely a must-read.

** Barbara Samuel wrote an absolute must-read post about how to keep on keepin on when you write, in her writer's toolbox. Doing self-care is the most important part of a writing career. Read this post.

** If you've never seen Treatment Tuesdays on The Character Therapist, you need to check this out. If you end up submitting one of your scenarios to it, please let me know so we can follow you on your Tuesday. We'd love to hear about it!

** Mona Risk did a great blog of RWA Nationals in pictures. The last one is my favorite, but I did enjoy the whole post. It made me go back through my own pictures and put some of them around to re-motivate me.

** Simon Larter is hilarious. He's the original Patrick Alan. One of the only bloggers whose blog I read just becuase it's funny. And this one was side-splitting. I find that anyone who can use "schadenfreude" in a blog post deserves major kudos.

** Paty Jager wins the historical post of the week for me, with this piece she did on the diet of the Nez Pierce over at Seduced by History. It's information she dug up while researching her new release, and it's very interesting to me.

** If you're into Edgy Christian Fiction, here's a great list of books you might want to buy this summer. The ECF Beach Reads for 2010.

** Deb Werksman was taking pitches this week at Casablanca Authors. While you can't pitch anymore, I found it really helpful to read her feedback, both to the pitches she accepted and the ones she evaluated. It helped me to see what editors are looking for in a hook and what they're not. If you ever run across opportunities like this, please email us at New Kids so we can refer people to them.

- Rebecca Lynn [email: rlcameron(at)yahoo(dot)com with blog links]

Soap Operas suck you in. You know you have found yourself planning your day around that 1 p.m. time slot.

"I have to to to the post office, then to the bank, and then to the grocery store and I want to get it all done before 1 so I can get home to watch Day's." This is what I found myself saying to my sister-in-law today.

I have sat in my chair and said out loud, "Are you serious?" as if the actors could actually hear me. I am drawn to them. I want to see each day what they will do next and if the story line is really good, I love when Monday rolls around so I can see what happens next. The story lines are compelling and the actors are gorgeous. Those are the same things I want to read about in my books.

A new friend of mine that I met in Celtic Hearts gave me a great quote. "The idea is to write it so that so that people hear it and it slides through the brain and goes straight to the heart." There are a few books that have touched me like this. Diana Gabaldon's "Outlander" series is one example. Another is Nora Roberts's "The Circle" Trilogy. They were books I couldn't put down. I couldn't wait to get back to reading to see what was going to happen to the characters next. I loved who they were and and I wanted them to make it; for them to have a HEA.

This is how I want to write. I want someone to pick up a book written by Sarah Hoss and say to their friend, "You have got to read this book. You'll love it." I want people to care about my characters and to want them to have a HEA. I want my writing to touch peoples hearts. But don't we all? Isn't that the passion behind every writer, to want to move people?

Please tell me the name of the author and the book that moved you. Maybe out of your suggestions, I can find another great read! And good luck to you in your writing. I hope that you are able to find that one character or that one plot that will make someone hurry home to read more!

If you've ever wanted to help name a werewolf, come over to Romancing the Palate today. You can win stuff, vote for a name for my character, and maybe make fun of me. All at once.

It's like multitasking, but better.

Wait, that is exactly like multitasking. Nevermind. Just come vote.

Anyone who's ever attended a RWA National Conference knows that one of the highlights of the conference for any reader/writer is getting your pick of the thousands of free books that the publishing houses supply for the publisher book signings. Yes, of course, that means waiting in lines when you could be trying to get an editor or agent appointment or sitting through a really interesting workshop, but, ah...the rewards of standing in those lines can be long lasting.

“Voice, at its most basic level, is the sensibility with which an author writes. It’s a perspective, an outlook on the world, a personality and style that is recognizable even out of context.” ~ Nathan Bransford

   Writing craft guru Dwight Swain writes “each of us experiences and responds to life differently, in a manner uniquely and individually his own. As a writer, your task is to bring this heart-bound feeling to the surface in your reader: to make it well and swell and surge and churn.” (page 7, Techniques of the Selling Writer).

So, how do we make it well and swell and surge and chum?  With our voice.

First, there’s the matter of style. Choices a writer makes with words, sentence structure, figurative language, and how emotion or conflict is layered.

Personality should also be present on the page.  For me, personality is reflected in the tone, setting, and theme.

Originality is a must. As I mentioned in a previous post, To Thine Own Voice Be True. Be yourself. Write what comes natural. Write what you know. Don’t be an imitation. Only Nora can be Nora. Aspire to be You.

Enrapture and provoke. I call this the Calgon, Take Me Away syndrome. Whisk the reader away from their every day life. Help them experience your character’s world as if they were there, in the middle of the story. As a participant, not a bystander.

Be consistent and in control. Know your characters. Know their story. Weave a tale that only you can tell. And tell it fresh. Tell it with power. Tell it with confidence.

In my endeavor to define my own voice, I’ve started to understand that it isn’t something you study like grammar and vocabulary. It’s recognized through practice, the same way a vocalist discovers, develops, and strengthens their range by singing and experimenting. So a writer must write and explore. Figure out what feels natural. What doesn’t. Write, write, write. And then write some more. Read what you wrote when you first began writing and compare it to your current work in progress. You will begin to see and hear your writer’s voice.

Rachelle Gardner explains in her blog that finding your voice “is a process of peeling away the layers of your false self, your trying-to-be-something-you're-not self, your copycat self, your trying-to-sound-a-certain-way self, your spent-my-life-watching-television self. It's like going to psychotherapy, delving deep and allowing the real you to emerge, only in this case you want it to find its way on to the page.”

So, tell me.  Have you peeled away the layers to discover your  true voice? What have you learned in the process that makes your voice unique?

Have you ever had one of those moments when someone makes a comment and a light goes on in your head? Yeah, an "ah ha" moment. Appropriate term.

My CP and I were chit chatting about life the other day. She's judging a panel of entries for a contest and mentioned how time consuming it had been to critique each entry. They were all well written, she said, but one simply stood out. It wasn't the best manuscript in the panel. There were grammar and POV mistakes. It needed some tweaks to the plot and pacing. But something about this particular entry that made her want to keep reading.

If you didn't catch the first part be sure to check it out here, I'm Just Saying . . . Part I

The Essentials

According to Anthea Lawson, the essentials of seizing the reader are as follows:

• Who- The hero or heroine should be introduced
• Where/When- The time frame and setting should be clear, sometimes explicitly, sometimes subtly implied through use of tone and setting.
• Interest- Whether it is VOICE, the nature of the character, or the opening action, something should be of interest to the reader, something that will keep the reader engaged.
• Story question- Beginning should raise one story question. It can be a short-term question and/or imply a longer term question (like who will this person grow up to be).

Who should be self-explanatory. The where/when can be a little tricky to grasp. Let's look at two examples from last week's post.

 Captain David Langley stepped down from his hired hack and gestured for the driver to help unload his things. Though it was twilight and the air smelled like rain, he took a moment to gaze at the white and gray house before him; after all, he hadn't seen it in three years.

And

From behind his high-end designer sunglasses, Secret Service agent Shane Tremont scanned the crowd gathered for the groundbreaking of the Nathan Benedict wing at the University of Texas Campus.

Once Smitten, Twice Shy by Lori Wilde

Both are explicit in their setting.

This one is more subtle. If the reader isn't familiar with Jane Austen they very well could place this excerpt in today's high society.

It is a truth universally acknowledged, that a single man in possession of a good fortune, must be in want of a wife.

Pride and Prejudice by Jane Austen

Interest is important. You don't want to put your reader to sleep within the first paragraph. Compare the two excerpts.

"I made a terrible mistake," her sister Trina said in a low voice, her expression bleak. "I need you to take Cody."

Sometimes God asked difficult things of a man, and for Luke Davis, what he was fixing to do was the hardest task ever.

Both of them get us into the story, and depending on your interest, one will interest some readers more than others. And they both have voice. One more distinctive than the other.

Come back next Tuesday where I'll wrap my posts on beginnings by sharing with you things you should avoid.

Has anyone ever asked you where you get your story ideas? It's a hard question to answer. Inspiration comes from everywhere and nowhere, from outside triggers and from the ether.

For me, ideas sometimes pop into my head as I listen to music or watch TV. At my mom's house on Memorial Day, I heard a strain of 1920's Jazz coming from across the street. The beginning scene for a 1920's romance flashed before me. I've written two chapters of this story since then. The contemporary romance I wrote for November's NaNoWriMo came while I watched "Dancing with the Stars."

Historical research about my hometown for a college paper sparked the story ideas for a series of historical romances including my two current wips. Reading a How-to book about creating an amateur detective sparked yet another idea that still sits in my TBW (to be written) pile. I have my character and setting, now all I need is the perfect murder. Maybe I will get an idea from the book I'm currently reading, Deborah Blum's "The Poisoner's Handbook." (Or as my son likes to call it "Mom's new cookbook." Bwahaha!)

My TBW pile grows daily. Story ideas are inspired by music, television, research, and reading. I've even had ideas come to me from dreams, and even out of thin air, so tell me where your story ideas come from.

Does inspiration come from outside triggers or does it simply flash into your brain from the ether?

Hello everyone. I'm glad Rebecca let me come by, so that I could talk to you about being a new author.

Being a new author is a roller coaster of emotions, with huge highs and frightening plunges. It's rough at times, and yet in the end is always great. You'll fight through depression and loneliness, but you'll get the elation of events like a first autograph, and first fan, and first review.

I'm fairly new to the writing world. I've been a storyteller for most of my life, weaving tales that I wanted to get published, but just weren't meant for full life. I actually completed a novel in junior high, and have subsequently trashed it and and its sequel. It was a start, but not really any good. I just kept writing, and entertaining myself and my friends, and kept learning to be a better writer.

During the end of 2007, I needed something to help me through a very depressive point of my life. I used writing for my salvation, and started a vampire novel. I wrote it quickly, the first draft was pretty shabby, but the bones were there. I created an outline, fleshed out my characters and their adventure, and in January of 2008, I started All Hallows Blood.

I completed writing it by that summer, edited it through the fall, and started submitting that winter. I'm not a patient person, so waiting for replies to queries was pretty aggravating. If you're not patient, I fully recommend moving on to something else while you're waiting. Do NOT check your email daily, or stare at the calender waiting for the end of fourteen weeks. Keep writing. Or work on your site, your blog, or networking. I chose to keep writing, and during my query time wrote the sequel.

Summer of 2009 rolls around, and I'm finally getting answers to my queries. Rejections, all. One said it just wasn't what they published, and someone else said it was too young adult. Both of those came in the same week. Very devastating. I was in mourning, because this book was my little catharsis. To have people telling me it was no good was pretty rough.

This is the part where having a loved one helps a lot. Even a best bosom buddy, or tight network of fellow authors will help. Because rejection hurts. A LOT. I have my fiance, and he helped me get focused, helped me move past the pain.

So I buckled down, and did a major rewrite of the book, with the help of my beta reader. I changed almost a third of the novel, and put it out again.

This is where my experience departs from the norm. This was my fourth query (the third one has never responded), and I picked Crescent Moon Press because of how their site looked. Something just clicked for me, and I took a chance.

That chance paid off. Within a week of me sending my query, I was asked for a partial, and then to sign the contract. For those who (unlike me) are really following the career, and how publishing is "supposed" to go, I had a minor miracle. No one gets signed on their fourth attempt. And in under a week. Even amidst my naivete, I knew I'd struck gold.

I was so elated and ecstatic, my fiance called me a bobblehead. Yes, those toys with the head on a spring. Anyone just had to mention that I was a published author for me to start wiggling and grinning and making a fool of myself. It was the absolutely greatest feeling. (Other than falling in love, of course.) I was an author now, vindicated in my feeling that I could write better than some of what was on bookshelves.

It's a feeling that's stayed with me. I still become a squeeing mess when I think about it, or when I talk about it. It's giving me the strength to keep at my writing, to craft more, to reach out to other authors more.

Granted, with the highs come some lows. I had to learn the hard way that authors have to do the majority of the promoting work. I'd focused on the writing aspect, and not looked into the industry aspects of it. Start learning how to do that now. Start networking and reaching out to others now.

I also had to learn to balance my work life with my family life with my new author promoting machine life. It was rough, and it brought me crashing down several times. Again, because I'm not patient. Getting a fanbase takes times and effort, and I wanted to be some viral hit.

But then came the first royalty check. While I'm not a storyteller to make money, seeing that check, seeing that people bought MY book really sealed the deal. This wasn't something I was making up, plotting out a book in my head. It was real life. I was an author, with the benefits that come with it.

It hasn't even been a year since I signed my contract. I am just starting out on this journey of being an author. It's tiring, sometimes, but the rewards are worth it. Having a stranger tell you how much they liked your book is wonderful. Having people suggest to you a story idea is fantastic. Knowing that one day you'll be walking through the bookstore, and someone will be reading YOUR book is glorious.

If I haven't made it clear enough, let me simply state that being a new author is awesome.

Raven Corinn Carluk

As is typical for me, I'm listing the best of what I've read this week. I spend about 45 minutes to an hour every day just reading craft blogs, trying to find the best of what's out there. So as I keep track of what I've read, for my own posterity, I'm also hoping to share it with you. Hope you enjoy, and LEARN! But enjoy, primarily. :-) Anyway, here are the Shout-Outs for this week.

** All new writers need to read this post IMMEDIATELY about being scammed by an agent. It's from Vintage Publishing... I didn't even read who the author was, but I'll go back and check. I just finished reading it and thought, this HAS to go on my Sunday Shout-Outs list, right NOW! Click on it! A scary and sad but very important story.

** The indefatigable Kerri Nelson, who is teaching a fantastic class right now on how to be a "Book Factory", also managed to write one of the best posts I've read in a long time about how to make decisions when it comes to the publication process. This is a post that I think you should all check out if you're doing things like "waiting for the big NY house" and "skipping the epub route". Really, a great post.

** Patti Hill wrote a great blog on edgy Christian fiction. Since this is what I write, primarily, or at least some form of it, I thought I'd praise what I thought was a well-written post about it. I tend to shy away from the more formal "edgy Christian Fiction" blogs, just because I'm not quite sure I want to jump into the pool of being labeled yet. But I do follow them. And this is one that I wanted to come out of the closet saying, yes. This is good.

** Once again, Rachelle Gardner. I'm not even going to tell you what it's about. Just that it's hilarious, and you should read it immediately. How about we all just agree to start reading her blog, and then I can put her in the same category as Nathan Bransford--i.e. the category of People Whose Blogs I Assume You Are Reading And Therefore Do Not Bother Shouting Out to Them Every Single Week Because It Takes Up Valuable Real Estate, i.e. my Sunday Shout Outs Space (which, if you've read her awesomely hilarious post, you'll get why I just said the words "valuable real estate"). In case you need an acronym to shorten that up, it's PWBIAYARATDNBSOTESWBITUVREIEMSSOS. There. Now, the next time I use that acronym, you'll know what I'm talking about. Also, the stuff in parenthesis doesn't count. In case you're counting.

Are you counting?

** For the weekly dose of humor, please go immediately to Patrick Alan's blog. Do not read any of my comments because they are mostly rambles, but you must read this post. There are very few things that I would rather do than laugh at Patrick Alan. 's humor. Yes, Patrick Alan's humor. Humorlarious.

** I know that I'm shouting out to myself, again this week, but this post about what I got in the mail  was just too good to pass up sharing. Seriously. It was the freakiest thing that's ever happened to me. Twice.

** Chip MacGregor wrote a really insightful post about the difference between CBA and ABA writers, and whether or not it is really possible to cross-over from one to the other. He also tries to debunk the myth that there is no "good Christian fiction" out there, which I appreciate. Really interesting article.

-written by Rebecca Lynn

For those of you who read and/or write erotic romance, I'm sure you know Ellora's Cave. I've recently written about my fangirl crush on this publisher and how excited I am to submit to them. Well, I'm just about ready to send in my manuscript, and in honor of that, I'm doing a giveaway on my blog.

I wanted to let you all know about this because I know that some of you do read erotic romance, and some of you write it. Some of you don't, and that's totally fine. Just know that if you come over to my blog to learn about the contest, there will be adult content there.

So, that being said, please come over to my blog for this contest. I'm going to be giving away two (yes, count them! two) of Ellora's Cave printed anthologies. Come see which ones, and how you win them!

Loving being a New Kid. I can't wait to see what topics we'll come up with this week.

First lesson: A new writer must develop the skin of a rhinoceros or be doomed!

My newly adopted mantra became: that (criticism) which does not kill me, makes me a stronger (better) writer.

Along with the aforementioned revisions, Deb wanted more history incorporated into the story, more details about the horses and the horseracing world. Her injunction to me was “build the world.” I took this irrevocably to heart and six months later, with Kelly’s undying but well-tried patience, my revisions were complete.

Sourcebooks accepted the manuscript and I joyfully received the second half of my long awaited advance. A Star Was Born...not quite...

My novel was released April1, 2010 to great reviews, and I stalked it like an OCD patient off medication. I “Googled” and surfed every book blog, and monitored (sometime hourly) the book seller’s web sites, my pulse quickening, and stomach dropping, with the rise and fall of my sales rankings. Here’s where a writer’s pure fortitude must kick in to stop this kind of insanity!

Second lesson: Building a writer career is a marathon, not a sprint!

I began to take stock and look for opportunities to promote and talk about not just my book, but myself. This can be a Herculean task for introverts (most writers).
Third lesson: Get over yourself!

Be tenacious about getting your name out through the readily available media channels. Creating a web site, blog, and social networking page, is essential. Tell people who you are, what you write, and why you write it. Shockingly, they really do want to know! “People don’t buy books – they buy authors.”

The last lesson ( I am still learning) : Relax and try like hell to just “enjoy the ride !!!”

I’d like to thank Emery for blogging with us today. Below you will find out how to contact her directly at her blog and a brief synopsis of her current book. Which I've read and can say it's fantastic!
Feel free to leave her questions here, also.
Tamara Hanson
www.tamaradhanson.com


WHAT WOULD YOU WAGER FOR LOVE???
In the high stakes gentleman's world of 18th century horseracing, when the blood of the "desert kings" ruled the English turf, a hero returns from war to claim the girl he has loved since he first spied her riding hell-for-leather over the Doncaster heath. Determined to have her at any cost, he will risk everything.

A story of star-crossed lovers and horseracing, THE HIGHEST STAKES transports the reader to 18th century England, an era infamous for corruption, arranged marriages, and high stakes gambling; when racing and breeding became the obsession of the uppermost elite, and a match race might replace a duel in settling a point of honor. In this world, a tale of drama, danger, thwarted love, and retribution unfurls...
author blog: http://emerylee.wordpress.com
author web: http://www.authoremerylee.com

********************************************



Today I’d like to introduce Emery Lee, author of THE HIGHEST STAKES. She’ll be blogging about her journey as an author with insight into her first sale, securing an agent, edits, and so much more.



Emery Lee’s Perilous Journey
If anyone had told me just four years ago that I would one day become a novelist, incredible as it sounds, I would have thought him or her deranged. How could a person without a creative bone in her body write a novel?


After fifteen years in my chosen career, I had risen to a comfortable and lucrative middle management position, but something indefinable, intangible was missing. I felt stifled and restless. I was, to be blunt …bored… out of my mind.
I began reading - voraciously, something I had not done since the bookworm days of my youth.

I found myself pouring back over the novels of my old favorites: Georgette Heyer, Jean Plaidy, Daphne Dumaurier, William Makepiece Thackeray, Charles Dickens, James Fennimore Cooper, and the Bronte sisters. I discovered new favorites in historical romance: Lisa Kleypas, Diane Gaston, Mary Balogh, Madeleine Hunter, and Elizabeth Hoyt.

And somehow, somewhere in this diverse mix of old and new, history and romance, I discovered Emery Lee.

It is said that one should write what one knows, but I will add that one should also write one’s passions. In my case, converging horses, history, and romance. These three elements at first appear much at odds, but the combination, to me, was irresistible.

After fourteen months of blood (papercuts), sweat (the computer generates a great deal of heat in a tiny office) and tears (these were real when I kissed my baby goodbye at the UPS office), I finally got “the call” from Deb Werksman at Sourcebooks offering me a contract on my first manuscript. I was once again “out of my mind,” but this time with elation, and my tears were those of joy- initially.

My delayed reaction? Incredulous, tremulous, and then terrified!
Although Deb had seen a glimmer of “something” in my writing, she also let me know it needed a good bit of work to shine. My heroine was too passive and wimpy, my hero not strong enough, and the romance not compelling enough. What she did like was the freshness and uniqueness of my story – passion, retribution and horseracing, oh my!

The trouble was - I had no support network. I had traversed this perilous journey alone and now felt like a canoe headed for a waterfall. I stalled. Told her I had no experience with publishing and contracts, and asked for a few days to get legal advice. Deb was gracious.

I hung up the phone and immediately sent out a frantic SOS email to a group of former Golden Heart finalists who blog as The Wet Noodle Posse. Two members, Debra Holland and Diane Gaston replied with much needed and appreciated advice. Debra even forwarded my desperate email to her agent, Kelly Mortimer, of Mortimer Literary, who called me the next day.

After emailing Kelly my submission (pitch, synopsis, and three sample chapters that I had sent to Sourcebooks), she was scratching her head why Deb would have wanted such an unpolished manuscript.

In truth, she hated my passive style of writing which also included what I like to think of as a Heyer-istic over use of adverbs.

I took instant (but thankfully silent) affront to her criticism of my “author voice.” After all, my editor had liked my voice. Had called it a strong voice. How dare Kelly hate my voice! Kelly, always up for a challenge, somewhat reluctantly took me on.

Stay tuned for Part II, Emery Lee's four valuable lessons! The post will be up at 1:30PM today.

Tamara D. Hanson
www.tamaradhanson.com

(I thought I’d follow up on Julie’s post this week about where we write. The first half of this blog was written on Wednesday evening, the rest on Thursday.)

My writing desk at home has the desktop computer, a full size keyboard and a 32-inch screen monitor. No, I’m not visually impaired. My DH bought THREE of the same televisions over the last two years, and now he uses one for a monitor, I use one, and one we use as a bedroom television. When he set took away my monitor and attached the television, I thought he was crazy.

But I have to admit; I like the way the manuscript looks on the screen. Mistakes are easy to see when my fingers fly too fast. And on screen editing is a breeze.

Tomorrow I’m taking my laptop to the bookstore where my local RWA chapter meets, a good hour drive from my house. I’m taking off work early. I’m going to a write-in.

I’ve written in public before. At the airport. At restaurants. Even at bars. When I was taking writing classes I’d take my homework to my local pub and write with a cold draft by my notebook. Shades of Hemingway.

This will be my first write-in. I’ve got my laptop packed. I know which story I’m going to work on. Now I’m wondering is if writing in a group will help or hinder my word count. I love the idea that the café is only a few steps away. I know I have a kitchen here at home, but I have to bake a pan full of brownies if I get a craving. There, I can order just one.

Honestly, I’m pretty jacked about trying. I don’t have enough vacation days available to make these write-ins each month so attending this one is a special treat. A glimpse of what it might be like to write without the day job.

Part II: I’m back… I bet you didn’t even notice I was gone. Report from the write in – mostly positive. I wrote 1600 words in two hours. And since I’m just starting this novella, I was pleased. The room was quiet, only two people were still writing when I showed up. I plugged in my laptop, got a sandwich and hot tea from the café, and started writing.

Bad news? My arm cramped up because of the height of the table, not the best set up for typing (can you still call it typing these days?) I had Internet service available thanks to the bookstore but I only got on line to check out the publishing house where I’m targeting this novella. Would I have been tempted to surf longer if I had stayed the entire day? Probably. And I realized I’m not as familiar with my laptop as I should be so it kept scrolling down the pages without my permission.

So what did I learn? For me, carving out time from my busy life to write is more important than where I’m writing. I’ve had higher word counts sitting at my crowded desk at home. I guess it’s like reading a good book. The words transport you away so it doesn’t matter where you’re reading, or writing. The story is what matters.

And the cheesecake in the café.

And even when you’re writing in a group, you’re still alone with your manuscript.

So has anyone else switched up their writing place hoping for better outcomes? And were you delighted, dismayed or on the fence with your results?

I like post-it notes. Whenever I come across a phrase or a quote that I find enlightening or inspirational, I write it down on those tiny colored pads and stick them on my desk. On my bulletin board. On the bathroom mirror. On the refrigerator door, etc. into ad infinitum.

One of my favorite quotes is by Ingrid Bergman, "Be yourself. The world worships the original."

Les Edgerton tackles this sentiment in chapter four of his book, Finding Your Voice: How to put personality in your writing. He states that many writers follow the pack to the detriment of their writing instincts because they've been educationally programmed to do things the proper way. This leads to formal, text-book style writing. It may be technically correct, but doesn't showcase voice. When one reads it aloud, it doesn't feel natural.

If something doesn't feel right in your writing, trust that feeling. Your gut is saying, "Hello! Did you develop a sudden case of writer's laryngitis? Cuz I can't hear your voice no more."

Les suggests reading your work out loud to friends and family and ask them to comment when the "hear" your voice. Once those sections are identified, read them aloud again until you become accustomed to the sound and the rhythm of the words. This will put you in tune with yourself.

He also suggests selecting a writing sample from your WIP and marking out all the adverbs and adjectives. "Adverbs and adjectives are the hockers of your voice." I love that sentence so much I have to type it again. "Adverbs and adjectives are the hockers of your voice." (Yep, that's definitely going on a post-it note for my netbook.)


Once these phlegm balls are cleared from your writing, the true essence of what you wrote will shine through. The pace will be faster and the writing more alive. It's okay to go back and sprinkle a few adjectives into the prose, but sparingly and use stronger adjectives when possible. And ex-nay on the adverbs. "They bring bad karma and are rarely aligned with the planets." --Oh yeah, that's going on a post-it note, too.

The important thing to remember is to be the same person on the page that you are off the page. Don't use words that you wouldn't use naturally when talking to people. Don't adopt a writing style that doesn't mesh with your personality. Learn the rules so you will know when, where, and how to break them. Trust your gut. And above all, to thine own voice be true.

That can be answered in one word…EDIT.

Editing can encompass a varitey of things.

Content editing means you're not only taking out what doesn't work, but you're improving on what does. You might be moving scenes, rewriting plot points, inserting new content to fill in gaps or expand on emotion/sensory details or just to help add clarity. You'll want to make sure your facts are correct by verifying research and double checking for consistency (especially if you've changed character's names or moved scenes around). It's always a good idea to save different versions of your manuscript in case you decide to go back to a previous incarnation.

Copy editing is sometimes called line editing. This step is where you correct spelling, grammar, punctuation, POV, improve on descriptive phrases by changing words or deleting a phrase entirely. Do not rely solely on spellcheck. It won't catch all the errors. Trust me.

Once you feel that your manuscript is as good as it can get, proof read the final copy to eliminate any errors that slipped by on the first few rounds. You won't catch every mistake.

I know several published authors who write their first draft just to get the story on paper and then go through five, six or more revisions before submitting to their editor. Some writers pen their first draft with every conceivable scenario and plot twist, then work through it a chapter at a time until at last they have a polished manuscript.

Others craft their story meticulously as they write. Afterwards, they print out the pages and lay them on the floor looking for large areas of white space (dialogue) and blocks of solid print (description). Your story will flow better if dialogue is woven in with descriptive passages. Readers tend to skip over lengthy pages of backstory or detailed settings because they're searching for the action (dialogue). I'm raising my hand to signal I'm guilty of skipping.


Is there a right or wrong method? Absolutely not. We're all individuals. What works for Nora Roberts might not work for Iris Johanssen or Linda Howard or Diana Gabaldon. Keep experimenting until you find a process that works with your writing style.

If you're still having problems, there's great tips and advice in a free e-book by Lillie Ammann. Click here to download: http://lillieammann.com/Editing_LillieAmmann.pdf

Until next time, BICHOK!

Deb

The third door led into yet another magnificent room. Empty, just as the previous ones had been. There was nothing for it but to go in.

His Cavalry Lady by Joanna Maitland

A few weeks ago, I had the awesome opportunity to take a workshop, Seize the Reader, from Anthea Lawson.

As I implied, the workshop was awesome. I enjoyed it so much that after I received permission from Anthea I shared it with a local group of writers. I hope she does not mind, but I'm about to share some of that information here, too.


Seize the reader!

seize- to capture; arrest. to grasp suddenly.

How many times have you picked up a book off the shelf, read the back cover and then the first paragraph? Did that first paragraph leave you wanting more? Or did you place it back onto the shelf? I've done it. I'm sure you have too. And if we've done it, how far past that first paragraph are editors and agents going to read if it doesn't grab them.

I'm just saying . . . they have hundreds of manuscripts on their desks. They're not really looking for an escape from day to day life, not like we are. They're looking for the next best seller. It's their job.

If you are to seize your reader, capture their attention, you should have a strong beginning. It didn't take me long to grasp this concept. But I went for shock factor.

He's gone completely mad.

To Sin With A Stranger by Kathryn Caskie

I didn't exactly have a clue as to what I was doing. All right, so I did have a clue, I'm just saying . . . I didn't know why I was doing it other than it had been suggested to create stronger beginnings. And, I had no idea what a beginning needed to be effective.

Seize the reader!

From Anthea's workshop I learned differently.

Captain David Langley stepped down from his hired hack and gestured for the driver to help unload his things. Though it was twilight and the air smelled like rain, he took a moment to gaze at the white and gray house before him; after all, he hadn't seen it in three years.

The Care And Taming of a Rogue by Suzanne Enoch

From behind his high-end designer sunglasses, Secret Service agent Shane Tremont scanned the crowd gathered for the groundbreaking of the Nathan Benedict wing at the University of Texas Campus.

Once Smitten, Twice Shy by Lori Wilde

Leigh was only a block and a half from home when she noticed the footsteps echoing her own. At first she didn't think anything of it. This was Kansas. Nothing ever happened here, especially not at five in the morning. Even Dorothy and Toto had to get picked up by a tornado and dropped somewhere else for adventure to come their way.

Bite Me If you Can by Lynsay Sands

The grand townhouse on the corner had not been occupied in more than three years, its furniture covered in dust cloths, its servants a skeleton staff of retainers.

Compromised by Kate Noble

And perhaps one of my most favorite beginnings, even though I don't read them much, comes from Blaze.

It wasn't every day a woman got to see her naked self coated in chocolate and being licked like and ice cream cone by a dozen people. Apparently hot fudge was the syrup of choice for an orgy.

A throng of bearded men, in sad-colored garments, and gray, steeple-crowned hats, intermixed with women, some wearing hoods and others bearheaded, was assembled in front of a wooden edifice, the door which was heavily timbered with oak, and studded with iron spikes.

The Scarlet Letter by Nathaniel Hawthorne

It is a truth universally acknowledged, that a single man in possession of a good fortune, must be in want of a wife

I am by birth a Genevese; and my family is one of the most distinguished of that republic. My ancestors had been for many years counsellors and syndics; and my father had filled several public situations with honour and reputation. He was respected by all who knew him for his integrity and indefatigable attention to public business. he passed his younger days perpetually occupied by the affairs of his country; a variety of circumstances had prevented his marrying early, nor was it until the decline of life that he became a husband and the father of a family.

Frankenstein by Mary Shelley

Hmmm . . . what do you think?

Now that you've read over all these beginnings, take a moment to look over yours. Does it have what it takes to seize the reader? Or, does it need more umpf? If you have any doubts, feel free to post your beginning in the comments section and we'll see if we can help. And if you just want to share your awesome beginning, please feel free to do that as well.

Here is one of mine from a manuscript that has finalled in several contests.

Some legends were meant to give hope. Some were meant to instill fear into the hearts of men. Some, like Fiona Graem, were meant to do both. It was a legend her father played to its fullest. And it was a shame he'd not finally witness her glory as she faced down the latest, and to some, a fiercer legend--the Lord of Woodhaven.

Some people write sitting at a table behind the furnace in the basement, while others have luxurious offices. Then there are those who write at Starbucks, the kitchen table, in their cars or at a beach or park. (I envy those Starbucks writers.) For me, I prefer to write in my home office. I have had an office in every house I've lived in since I was 26. (Yes, just last year.) But it is a necessity for me because I don't do well writing in a public setting.

My office is the size of a small bedroom, and fits my furniture comfortably. It contains four bookshelves, two file cabinets, three desks, a reading chair, and a refrigerator. (Yes, I said refrigerator, but it's really more for hiding food from my seventeen year old son than for my convenience. Really.) Why three desk, you may ask. Well I have one desk for my desktop computer, adding machine, and bills basket. Another for my printers, (Yes that's plural, I have two.) and laptop, and a third desk for my writing.

I write at a desk that looks out over the yard,
not at my computer.I hand write my first draft, and most of my revisions. The feel of the pen in my hand flowing across paper and the story flow through my head is a symbiotic relationship that pressing keys on a keyboard rarely mimics. When I type I think in letters, not words, and it messes with my story flow. So I write my stories long hand. (I have two 100,000 word manuscripts completed.) Then I transcribe it into the computer I have composed on the keyboard. Last November, I wrote a 50,000 word contemporary romance on my computer, but I still prefer the double duty of writing long hand.

So tell me, where and how do you write? Do you have a table in the corner, a room of your own or is Starbucks your office? And do you compose on the keyboard or prefer to feel the pen flow across the page as you write?

I've had one of my critique partners on this blog already today (Mary McCall). So I figured I'd give a shout out to one of my other critique partners who just started blogging.

Sherita Smedley, whom I met at RWA, writes historical inspirational romance and just had a full request from Harlequin as well. We're madly preparing together.

Check her out if you get a chance, and say hi!

As she says, the journey starts with a word...

For my Sunday blog, I wanted to bring someone in to piggyback on a topic that we've been blogging about this week at NKotWB. Please welcome, our guest blogger, Mary McCall, whose new Scottish historical romance released last week!



The New Kids on the Writers’ Block is rapidly becoming one of my favorite blog, so I was delighted when Becca asked me to share a few thoughts about character development with you. We often see people speaking about GMC and its importance, and sometimes we see character growth mentioned. Some people are able to naturally apply steps into their story wherein character growth occurs. Others get lost and bogged down in a quagmire of writing rules until they sap the dynamics from their stories.

When I first joined River City Romance Writers, I was privileged to not only be in the RWA chapter founded by the Queen of GMC, Debra Dixon, but I also had access to Martha Shields, Pat Potter, Carolyn MacSparren, Barbara Christopher and a number of other published authors. In addition, Debra and Martha offered a course for University of Memphis’ continuing education program called Writing the Romance Novel. One of Martha’s classes proved particularly valuable toward developing dynamic characters that don’t fall flat at the end.

In her online class, Nicole North does a wonder job explaining the Fatal Flaw. We all know that we need to identify the character’s fatal flaw that keeps him/her from achieving the goal. If this fatal flaw can be emotionally internalized, even if it is an external flaw (think cripple in Avatar who had internal conflict related to his inability to walk), then it is stronger and overcoming it becomes a matter of character emotional growth. That’s what can make or break the connection with the reader and also moves a plot. Martha identified several key steps.

1. What must character learn? From your perspective as the author, identify what the character must learn and what change(s) he/she must incorporate to overcome the fatal flaw.

2. Problem Realization: The character identifies an actual problem or knows something is wrong, even if they can’t quite put a name to the problem.

3. Recognize need for change: Either alone or with assistance from a mentor, the character realizes there is a need for change to correct the problem.

4. Try to cheat/fake solution to problem: While committed to change, humans as a species fight change. We tend to see it in terms of loss rather than improvement or gain. Thus, most people resist change and will try to fake solution by either: viewing the problem as someone else’s fault and trying to change them, or they’ll try to change half the time but not the other. Another point, it is natural for a person who has made any change, major or minor, to revert to previous behavior as soon as any impetus for change passes. Most people view safety in the known status quo.

5. Learn how to change: The character will finally admit the need to change is his/her own and seek the best solution. This may be done by observation, mentors, or the character may figure it out.

6. Get scared when doing something to change: From a psychological perspective, change is scary. But, the character honestly struggles toward the needed improvement or change.

7. Get kicked in teeth for doing something to change: They very thing the character must do either makes him/her extremely unhappy, causes a clash with another character, or the change seems to make matters worse, even if it’s the right thing to do.

8. Decide changing is worth getting kicked over: Because it’s the right thing to do, the character will decide the change is important enough to carry out, no matter the consequences.

9. Get positive feedback from making change: Whether it’s from the mentor or another and no matter how unhappy the character might be, there must be some kind of positive reinforcement to make the change stick, even if it’s before the hero and heroine get together for an HEA.

10. Epiphany: Put words in the characters mouth. Let the person clearly state what he/she learned. Depending on whether you are writing for a short series or a long single title, this may be before the black moment or in the final scene, but it is crucial.

Like I said, they don’t have to occur in order. Some steps may repeat, and some characters have more than one thing to learn. But somewhere in all your musing, plotting and writing, you need character growth. This is the key element of elements in Romance genres that allows readers to identify so strongly with our characters that they eagerly await the next release.

Happy reading and writing!

Mary’s first release from Eternal Press debuted August 7, 2010. She writes humorous and adventurous historical romances set mainly in the medieval Highlands and England. She is a member of Romance Writers of America and served as the first PRO Coordinator for RWA; founding president and current online campus chairperson of Hearts Through History Romance Writers; member of Celtic Hearts Romance Writers; member of The Golden Network; past conference chair and vice president of River City Romance Writer; ESPAN; Faith, Hope & Love, Inc. A member of Sisters in Crime and the Malice in Memphis chapter of SinC. , she loves history, has a particular fondness for the Greek through Medieval periods, and is glad research for her books has finally utilized her ability to speak Ecclesiastical Latin. Mary resides in Memphis, Tennessee with her Maltese dog: Regina Benita Catarina.

Visit her blog http://marymccall.wordpress.com/, website http://www.marymccall.net/ or e-mail her mary@marymccall.net.

First of all, just a reminder about #8KB4S. Our 8,000 Words Before Sunday Challenge is still live this week. Sounds like Julie & Camryn are doing well. I (Becca) am about halfway through. Don't forget to keep track and report in! One of these weeks... maybe even next week... we're going to have a prize for one of the finishers! :-) And now, for something completely different:

If you've been around New Kids on the Writer's Block (since it was just one Kid--me!) for any length of time, you'll know that I like to post a collection, once a week, of the best of what I've read on the blogosphere over the week. This week, I read a lot of good posts, so if you didn't make the list, it doesn't mean I didn't like it (I always try to comment if it engages me!). But there was a lot of good stuff out there, and I wanted to highlight a few that I found worthwhile for particular reasons. This was a great week of blogging, so there are a few more than normal, and there were a lot of people tackling issues that were important to me.

** Maisey Yates' post about the Irish Biker's Romanced Wife is frickin awesome. It made me want to prowl the romance aisles for this man. Then again, I suppose if he's buying books for his wife, he's off the market... but maybe he has a friend he can introduce me to...

** Camille Eide wrote a phenomenal post on Rachelle Gardner's blog about recieving a revision letter from an agent and doing major revision. I really, really encourage all of us New Kids (and not just those of us that blog here, but all of us new kids on the writer's block) to read this post. It was so helpful.

** Kristen Lamb wrote a great post on social media for writers. If you don't think this applies to you, read it anyway. Seriously, it's really an incredible post. Maybe the best post of the week. I'm changing my Twitter name as we speak!

** This review from The Pen & Muse, although it's mine, I wanted to highlight because it's truly the best book I've read in years. Her Reluctant Bodyguard by Jennette Green. Phenomenal.

** Nicole du Cleroir wrote a great post on POV this week that made me think not only about my own novel, but about novels I'd read where the same event is told from different perspectives. It's so interesting that we can easily contextualize details after the fact when we're telling a story. But it does make me wonder how a person would experience the event itself differently, regardless of what they say later.

** I loved Rachel Gibson's post on the weirdness of love. It's got a really fantastic voice, and the emotion of the experience with her daughter gripped me right through the screen. It's short, but the point is so good.

** I'm not sure whether she intended this or not, but this post by Bonnie Grove made me re-connect with the "purpose" of my novel. With the "why" of why-I-write. I loved that.

** By far, my favorite research post of the week was Joanna Bourne's post on Regency Bling over at Word Wenches. If you write Regency, you should definitely check this out. It was a fantastic read.

** And of course, after I say "my favorite research post", Donna posts this great piece on Celtic Queens about the Tuatha de Danaan (and you know I'm going to spell that wrong, right?). That'll show me to make pronouncements.

** In the self-publishing realm, I've been following Kris Tualla's journey, and she got a response from RWA that I guess I sort of expected. Still it was a sobering email.

** I almost never shout-out to Nathan Bransford because, let's be honest, if you're a living, breathing writer with any type of internet connection and you don't read Nathan Bransford's blog, you must have just gotten your internet hooked up yesterday, or you were recently born, or you're a straight male who already has an agent/contract (come on, a cute guy who also happens to be an agent who also happens to be a great writer? what female writer isn't at least a little turned on by that?), or you don't like bandwagons. In any of those cases, my shout-outs will just fly right past you and be completely ineffectual. In short, I assume that you're all reading his blog regularly. But just in case you're not, I had to shout-out to this post about The Hernandez Rule. If you're not a baseball fan, don't worry. But if you are a Seinfeld fan, you'll get that immediately. Anyway, I'm going to stop babbling. Just go read this post, now.

Okay, so picture it. I am sitting at my computer desk getting ready to start writing. I can envision the story in my head; see the characters before me. No one is around and the house is quiet.

For me, the first thing I want are Twizzlers. I love to have them near by because chewing on them helps me think. Sitting on the table next to me is a glass of sweet tea and sometimes I like to have the radio playing softly. My needs are simple.

There are other things I want close by while I write. The Writer's Thesaurus, A Writer's Guide to Character Traits by Linda Edelstein, The Writer's Digest Character Naming source book by Sherrilyn Kenyon, and Castles of the Clans by Martin Coventry. Four books I can't live without. Writing is so much easier, I think with my vices near by.

Now I want to hear from you. What do you need by your side while you write?

Hi everyone! Well, my birthday is this weekend, and even though I'm looking forward to all the fun I'll be having with my family and boyfriend, a part of me is worried. Yes, I know, nobody over 21 likes getting older, but this year, I'm more worried about the fact that another birthday means another year that I didn't meet my goal of being published. In fact, I've missed my personal goal by two years, which kinda sucks.

Now, I did read that we should all make goals for ourselves that we have total control over. You wouldn't have a goal to marry royalty or to end the drug wars in Mexico and then automatically expect those goals to come to fruition, would you? Well, I hope not, because you don't have total control over those situations.

Getting published is that same kind of non-controllable goal. Any unpubbed writer knows this to be true. You write the best story you can and submit it to publishing professionals, but in the end, you do not control the economy or what a particular industry gatekeeper will like to read. So what can we do? I guess all we can do is keep plugging away at our computers and take comfort in our writing friends. We all know, without asking, how hard it is out there. And I know that if we work hard, we'll achieve success someday--I have no doubt about that fact.

Most of the year, I try not to worry about these somewhat depressing matters, or I'll go do something to forget eg. writing, baking, or movie watching. BTW, flowers are also great for this :) What do you do to perk yourself up in these moments?

I can hear Julie Andrews singing in the Sound of Music simply by reading the words do-re-mi-fa-so-la-ti-do. Her voice is as clear and distinctive in my mind as it was to my ears when I heard her sing them. I will never mistake another singer for her.

Why?

Because her voice is unique and very identifiable.

At the mention of her name, I bet you heard her voice in your head too-- if, you've ever heard her sing. If you haven't, you should.

As a writer, I want my manuscripts to be as vivid and memorable as a Julie Andrews performance. I want readers to recognize my voice from the first paragraph. I want it to stand out. I want it to sing to the rafters.

But first, I have to learn what my voice is and isn't.

I pulled out some old contest critiques on my first manuscript to see if others had heard my voice. What a relief that they had. I read comments about "strong voice" and "unique voice".  But what does that mean?

Ambiguous terms, although complimentary and very appreciated, haven't helped me in my quest to discover who I am as writer.

To help me gain a better understanding of  "voice,"  I bought books and dug through past issues of RWR. ( I keep every issue and stack them on the floor in my home office because they contain nuggets of wisdom that I need to dig for from time to time.)

In the July 2008 RWR, Julie Rowe wrote an article entitled "Love Your Voice" and said, "Voice is an extension of who the writer is. [It] is a writer's personality on paper."

Hmmm.  Houston we have a kink in the fuel line.

In life, I have two distinct personalities. My work personality and my non-work personality. The two are very different. Maybe that's why I'm having difficulties defining my writer's voice. In re-reading the old contest critiques, I came across a reviewer's comment that my writing style fluctuated between formal and informal with the suggestion to pick one and stick to it.

In essence she was saying, "Know thy Self."

Julie Andrews had to learn her true singing range in order to become the vocalist everyone recognizes. I need to learn my true writing style in order to become the novelist I want to be.


Over the next few weeks, I'll be researching the different elements of voice and trying to define my own through some writing exercises. So, come "sing" with me in a two minute  practice session in writing outside the box.

Write at least four alternate uses for the following items:

* A popsicle stick

* A bobby pin (hair pin)

* A newspaper

* A dog bone

I'll post mine in the comments later in the day, and no I won't look at yours first. I already have mine written.

I recently decided to experiment with self publishing through Smashwords. I haven't submitted my manuscript yet but I'm thoroughly intrigued with the idea. And since it costs nothing to try, the test fits perfectly with my pocketbook.