Plan to Grow Your Writing Next Year

I hope your Christmas season has been merry and bright, and filled with God’s peace, goodness, and Light.

This time of year, we all analyze our lives and our careers – looking to the past and planning the future. As writers, we seek to improve our craft through a variety of ways. Online writing courses are an inexpensive option to consider, and provide more benefits than you might imagine.

I coordinate WIES Workshops. Each month, we offer one to three writing courses geared toward writers of various skill levels. The classes are usually small – five to ten students each – so students gets plenty of one-on-one instruction and detailed feedback specific for them. The format is easy – all lessons and coursework completed by e-mail on your own schedule. The instructor grades or critiques homework assignments, answers any questions you may have, and provides feedback as needed.

Students of our previous courses are raving. They’ve let us know that the feedback and encouragement from instructors has allowed them to take their writing to the next level, and some of the students take several courses as they grow in confidence and ability.

We’re excited about the lineup for the new year. The schedule changes regularly, so check back often to view updates. You can also sign up for our quarterly newsletter to receive updates and savings.


I've listed the current schedule below. You can click each link to learn more about the course and/or about the instructor, or to register for any of the courses.

JANUARY
Writing Devotionals – Jeanette Hanscome
Writing Romantic Suspense – Ramona Richards

FEBRUARY
From Flat to Full: Characterization in Fiction – Linda Leigh Hargrove

MARCH
Writing for Children – Karen Whiting

APRIL
Dynamics of Dialogue – Eva Marie Everson

MAY
Writing Women's Fiction – Deborah Raney

June
Writing the Historical Romance – Kathleen Fuller

JULY
Introduction to Writing Christian Novels – Virginia Smith

How Long Will (or Should) My Manuscript Be?

Recently someone asked me “how do I know how long my manuscript will be?” I answered that person privately but thought it might be a good subject to explore here.

The person inquiring is a seat-of-the-pants writer (or, as my friend Megan DiMaria prefers to call herself, an intuitive writer), not a plotter. Whichever way you write, the same principles apply.

The basic answer is: what kind of book do you want to write? The length the market requires varies generally, according to the genre, and specifically, to the publisher you are targeting.

For instance, I write mostly historical romance and (to date) all for Barbour. The length can vary anywhere from 18,000 words to 100,000+.
Christmas novella: 18,000-20,000 words
Heartsong historical romance: 45,000-50,000 words
Trade book: 100,000 words
But if I want to write to Love Inspired Historical, I’ll need 75,000 words.

Do you know the publisher you hope to submit to? If you’re like me, the answer may be “anyone who is interested.” But the length of your manuscript will determine who it’s suited for. Do you write “long” (100,000 or more words)? Or do you write short (70,000 or less)? I tend to write on the “short” side, so aiming for trade books is a growth process for me. Adapting the story idea to the length you need is a topic for another blog, but my point is: what’s your natural style? Start with a publisher who prints books in your comfortable length.

Over time, I have discovered that I naturally write chapters of 2,500-3,000 words. So if I’ve working on a book for Heartsong, I’ll need 17-20 chapters. If my original story idea only seems to have enough material for 14 chapters, I have a couple of choices: one is to add more depth to the story, another plot thread or two, to add chapters. Or to explore the threads I have in more depth, and make those 14 chapters longer. (3,500 words). That doesn’t mean all my chapters are exactly the same length, or that yours need to be that length. But it helps me pace my writing. I plan the number and length of my chapters before I start writing.

If you are a “pantser”, you’re not working from a strict outline; but you probably have a good idea where your story is going to end. Where do you feel you’re at in your story? Has your character barely started to resolve her issues? Has she made significant progress? Almost there? Gauge how far along your story is in the story arc (one third? One half? Ninety percent?) and project the length of the finished story from there.

So the short answer is:
Know yourself.
Know your publisher.
And pace your story accordingly.

Edit for Chapter Two

Daughter of the King,

Thank you for submitting Chapter Two. I hope you and others find the edit below helpful.

Strengths: You have a great voice, and Harry's got spunk. I like that kid. He brings in just the right amount of conflict, and that's what every story needs: conflict. Harry is also likable. You can see him trying, but you can also understand why he falls short. It's something all kids will connect with emotionally, and that's awesome. Harry's also got some heroic aspects about him because he fights back. That's also something kids will like because more often than not, kids are too afraid to fight back. Great job!

Weaknesses: You've got excellent conflict and Harry's personality is great, but right now, there's too much telling and not enough showing. We need more action, dialogue and setting. Think five senses: touch, taste, smell, see, and hear. I'll give a few examples of how to "show" within the text below.

Side note: When there's repetition, it's highlighted in yellow. More comments are within the text.

CHAPTER TWO

So, f On the first day of second grade,comma everything started out great, and then we went outside for recess. (My school is not close to any large cities. It’s clean and quiet, which is great, but kinda boring sometimes. I'd cut this. It stops the pace. You've got a powerful line with "and then we went outside for recess" and this last passage dilutes it. Also, why does the character think this? It feels like it's coming from an adult's perspective. Also, if you wish to convey this setting, you can "show" it to us below. I'll offer some examples.)

“I’m free,” I yelled. Great line! Shows how cooped up the character felt. It also reveals the character's personality without "telling" the reader what he/she is like. You've done well to "show" us that the character is happy-go-lucky and likes being outdoors. I ran around the playground, pretending I was driving a train around and around. Some repetition in children's fiction is good, but I wouldn't use it here. It lacks purpose and rhythm.

“Choo Chooooo.”. I (was going convert this to one strong verb. Something like "scurried" or "sprinted." I wouldn't use "ran" because it was used in the paragraph above.) around the playground equipment, under the slide, between the swings, and scuffing through the tan bark.

(I loved trains; I had a big collection at home, with engines, and cars and a caboose. It felt so good just to run and move and laugh without someone telling me to be still or be quiet. All of this is telling. Show us that he/she loves trains. Have Harry imagine that he's on one of his toy trains. Also, to show that he doesn't like being told to be still or quiet, bring that out in dialogue and action above. Have him sitting in his little chair, eyes glued to the door or the clock, counting down the minutes before he gets to go outside. Then, when the bell goes off or the teacher dismisses them, he charges out the door, shouting, "I'm free!" Show these things through action and dialogue.)

(“If you don’t behave, comma you’ll get three checks and I’m emailing your mother,” the teacher would tell me every day. Show this rather than summarizing it here. This would be perfect to place at the beginning like I suggested.)

But outside there were so many things to do and look at. I could run, move, and talk loud. I was free. Again, show this. You did a great job at showing part of this with his running around. Now have him climb the monkey bars and look out over the school fence, or something like that. Then he can show us more of what the school and surrounding neighborhood looks like. This could replace the second line in the opening paragraph that I suggested you cut. Instead, the description can come out here, and it's a fun way for readers to see the surroundings because the story continues to move forward.)

“Humph”(. Place all periods inside the quotation marks.) What was that? Oh, it was Jordan’s foot. I had accidentally tripped over it. I guess I wasn’t looking where I was going. Keep things in chronological order. This will help you to "show" the story instead of "telling" it. Let me give an example:

I ran to the monkey bars, ready to swing myself up. Something caught my foot and I tripped. I skidded on my belly and sand flew into my mouth.

Then he can see who tripped him and hit the guy. But notice how this pulls in more of the setting: we have monkey bars, sand, etc. Above this, we don't know where we're at. Where outside are we? Or did we come back inside? The telling lines that refer to the teacher tend to disorientate the readers. Also, if things are in chronological order, we already know he tripped without the writer having to "tell" or "explain" it to the reader.

….. I don't know why these ellipsis or dots are here. Be sure to cut them. They're not necessary.

When I looked into those little beady eyes of Jordan’s(,Replace comma with a period.) I saw that he didn’t accidentally stick his foot out, he did it on purpose. My grandpa said if someone hits (you;comma, instead of semi-colon) hit ‘em back.

“I saw you Jordan, take that,” I said as I got up and then pushed him to the ground. Again, keep in chronological order. Like this: "I saw you, Jordan!" I jumped up and shoved him down. "Take that."

Before he could get up comma Ms Spencer was there. Again, telling. What's Jordan doing to get up. Show that, then show Ms. Spencer rushing over to them.

(“Harry,” Okay, here's the first revelation of the character's sex. We now know he's a boy and his name is Harry. I'm assuming it was revealed sooner in Chapter One. If not, be sure it is.) she said, “when we go inside, give yourself a check.” (She seemed mad. Have her "do" something to show Harry that she's mad. This is telling.)

“Yes comma Ms Spencer,period”

New paragraph: hHanging my head, I saw it had begun already. Again, here's how to show this: Hanging my head, I kicked the dirt. Here we go again.

Notice how the action and interior monologue brings it alive. This is how to "show" and not "tell." You've got the right idea, and I really like Harry. He's got spunk and it works against him. Poor kid just needs to learn a few things. Not sure Gramps had good advice, either! LOL You've got some good conflict with this, so keep at it.

“But he started it,” I said under my breath. I didn’t expect to be heard.

… I'm assuming these are to indicate the passing of time. If so, then they work fine here.

Here are some phrases to avoid. You'll find them throughout the text, but I'll point them out in the two paragraphs below. I'll highlight them in green:

The next check that day was during circle time. Sue Palmer, who was sitting next to me on the floor kicked me when she crossed her legs, we were doing, ‘criss cross, apple sauce’. She didn’t mean to, so I didn’t say anything.

Then Jordan, who was sitting on the other side of me, put his big, old, shoes on my new, clean pants.

Okay, here we need to make the story more active. Let's bring it into the here and now. As we read it, because of the passive phrases (was during, etc), it gives the reader the feeling that this happened in a previous time (more about that later). Make it happen in the hear and now. Also, bring in some dialogue.

Here's how:

Ms. Spencer clapped her hands. "It's circle time."

Harry dropped his pencil on his desk and rushed to the carpet.

"Walk," Ms. Spencer said. "Don't forget criss-cross-applesauce."

Harry sat down.

As Sue plopped down next to him, she kicked Harry's knee when she crossed her legs.

Sue smiled at Harry, so he knew she didn't mean to kick him. He grinned back.

Something nudged Harry's leg from the other side. He looked down to see Jordan's big shoes pushing against his clean pants. Mom would be furious. Jordan glared at him and stuck out his tongue.

See the difference?

I told him, “Move your big, old, dirty, shoes Jordan,” I shouted.

He just laughed and turned his head, but kept his shoes on me.

So w What was I suppose to do? I pushed his big, old, dirty, shoes off my pants.
Well, Ms Spencer saw me and gave me a check, which made two.

What’s a guy to do?

(So the year went from a possibility of something good, to the same as every year for me in school. Wordiness. Try to trim it down a bit.)

… Cut ellipsis.

But I learned that I had to (figger figure I realize you're trying to convey an accent with the misspelling, but it's not wise to misspell words, especially in children's fiction.) this out myself. It took me a while. From Kindergarten to second grade, it meant a whole lot of emails sent home. Cute.

When is this taking place? I mean, how old is the narrator of the story? Obviously, he's older now. I'm assuming this is revealed in Chapter One. Again, great voice, and it sounds like the narrator is Harry when he's older. But keep in mind, this doesn't change the fact that there needs to be more showing. Bring the story into the here and now. The best way to start a story with this type of narration is to introduce the narrator in the opening paragraphs of Chapter One, then with a transitional paragraph or phrase, take us into the "here and now" of the story. See published first person stories for examples.

I hope this helps. If you have any questions, feel free to post them below.

Stretch those writing muscles!

I normally would have put the critique/edit up by now, but a number of you are afraid to comment on the submission below because this is children's fiction.

Other than sentence length and word count, the same rules apply: showing versus telling, POV, attributions, dialogue, etc. Janet and Victoria touched on some important points regarding showing versus telling. What else can improve this manuscript?

Let's stretch those writing muscles. Show us what you know about the craft and expand on the points already made, or add your own. Maybe even show us more examples. This will help strengthen your abilities and make your own work stronger--no matter what genre you write.

Show us what you've got!

Up for Critique: Chapter Two

I'd like to thank Daughter of the King for her submission and for providing others with an opportunity to learn more about the craft.

To those offering a critique, some of you might find it helpful to review the writing tips below and the overview of The Beach. Please be sure to include positive comments as well as constructive.

Remember, taking the time to give feedback is an opportunity to sharpen your own skills.

Thank you!

***

Children's chapter book - this is the first of what I am ambitiously calling a series. I'm new at this and praying hard to get it right. Any suggestions, please be honest. Thanks.

CHAPTER TWO

So, first day of second grade everything started out great, and then we went outside for recess. My school is not close to any large cities. It’s clean and quiet, which is great, but kinda boring sometimes.

“I’m free,” I yelled. I ran around the playground, pretending I was driving a train around and around.

“Choo Chooooo”. I was going around the playground equipment, under the slide, between the swings, and scuffing through the tan bark.

I loved trains; I had a big collection at home, with engines, and cars and a caboose. It felt so good just to run and move and laugh without someone telling me to be still or be quiet.

“If you don’t behave you’ll get three checks and I’m emailing your mother,” the teacher would tell me every day.

But outside there were so many things to do and look at. I could run, move, and talk loud. I was free.

“Humph”. What was that? Oh, it was Jordan’s foot. I had accidentally tripped over it. I guess I wasn’t looking where I was going.
…..
When I looked into those little beady eyes of Jordan’s, I saw that he didn’t accidentally stick his foot out, he did it on purpose. My grandpa said if someone hits you; hit ‘em back.

“I saw you Jordan, take that,” I said as I got up and then pushed him to the ground.

Before he could get up Ms Spencer was there.

“Harry,” she said, “when we go inside, give yourself a check.” She seemed mad.

“Yes Ms Spencer,” hanging my head, I saw it had begun already.

“But he started it,” I said under my breath. I didn’t expect to be heard.
…
The next check that day was during circle time. Sue Palmer, who was sitting next to me on the floor kicked me when she crossed her legs, we were doing, ‘criss cross, apple sauce’. She didn’t mean to, so I didn’t say anything.

Then Jordan, who was sitting on the other side of me, put his big, old, shoes on my new, clean pants.

I told him, “Move your big, old, dirty, shoes, Jordan,”

He just laughed and turned his head, but kept his shoes on me.

So what was I suppose to do? I pushed his big, old, dirty, shoes off my pants.

Well, Ms Spencer saw me and gave me a check, which made two.

What’s a guy to do?

So the year went from a possibility of something good, to the same as every year for me in school.
…
But I learned that I had to figger this out myself. It took me awhile. From Kindergarten to second grade, it meant a whole lot of emails sent home.

Choose Your Words Carefully

When I first started writing, I had no idea how difficult the journey was going to be. Thankfully, God sent me a few talented and gifted writers who willingly and graciously shared their expertise, and helped me to learn and to grow. In my articles here on The Book Doctor, I’ll tackle many of the topics I’ve dealt with in my own writing, and many that I see on a daily basis from my editing clients.

Today, we’ll focus on three topics related to words.

Overused Words

One weakness in most first drafts is the use of pet words and phrases. Recognizing this weakness gives us the opportunity to make more of our writing, and create a stronger story for the reader.

I’ve compiled a list of words that I provide to my clients, and I’ll share it with The Book Doctor’s readers, too. Just visit this page, and click on the link for the free “Overused Words List” download in pdf format.

Learning to spot those weak words gives us an opportunity to show, instead of tell; an opportunity to be active with our story, rather than passive. Author Jeanne Marie Leach provides some excellent examples in her book Writing Basics for Beginners.

First, she offers a simple sentence, and shows how to reword it to eliminate the overused (and passive) word “was”:

She was tired.
Her body ached as she climbed the stairs to the house.

She offers another example:

Jane was angry at her brother for telling her parents she was the one who’d caused the stain on the carpet.

Then she shows us how to eliminate the “was” and pull the reader right into the middle of the story, with words that show, rather than tell:

Jane frowned and stomped her foot. “You little brat! You had no right to tell Mom and Dad I spilled my juice on the rug. I’m going to ring your stupid little neck when I catch you.”

The difference is amazing, isn’t it? It's much more powerful, and we feel like we're right there in the middle of the scene.

Repetitious Phrases

After you’ve scanned your manuscript for the list words, be sure to check for repetition of favorite phrases concerning your characters. Does your heroine regularly tuck her hair behind her ear, chew her bottom lip, or tap her fingernails impatiently? Does your hero crack his knuckles, toss his head back, or wink? The reader will catch these phrases faster right away, so you’ll want to add variety. If you need help coming up with different traits, just pay a visit to the coffee shop or bookstore for observation. (Any excuse, right?) Watch how people interact, then watch their movements when they’re sitting alone. You’ll be surprised at how much fresh material you can gather in just one trip!

Word Usage

Many writers like to share their knowledge of big words, but sometimes simpler is better, especially when we discover that we’re explaining ourselves every other paragraph. I’m not saying “dumb-down” our writing – I’m saying we need to be wise with our word choices to best convey our meaning, keeping the reader in mind as we write.

Eliminating overused, passive words and phrases, avoiding repetition, and choosing the right words can make our stories stronger, and can make us better writers overall, but we must work at it. Anyone who thinks a writer is “lazy” must not be a writer himself. Don’t you agree?


P.S. Don’t forget to hop over to Write Integrity to get your free Overused Words List!

From Contract to Publication: The Editing Process

Since I have achieved the lofty status of being multi-published (tell that to my bank), Sandi suggested I begin by sharing the editing process with you.

Author’s caveat: All my books have been published by Barbour Publishing. There will be some minor differences among publishing houses, but all manuscripts go through a similar process—the author just gets more or less input.

With my first book, Romanian Rhapsody, I thought the editor would tell about any needed changes before I received a contract. When that didn’t happen, I assumed that meant my “baby” was perfect.

So I was caught by surprise when a few months later, I received requested revisions from a copy editor that she needed to have returned within in a few days. I had spent a year writing the book and now I had less than a week to change it. Gasp! Not to mention a request that I delete 3,000 words! (Or was it 300?)

Now as a seasoned veteran, I expect changes and set aside time in my schedule when the publication date approaches.

Steps in the editing process: (These steps aren’t set in stone, but are fluid, and may be called by different names.)

1. The editor receives the author’s manuscript, reviews it, makes comments, and passes it on to a content editor.

2. The content editor adds her comments to the editor’s comments on the overall book: plot development, character development, pacing, dialogue, POV, etc. She returns it to the author for changes. Steps 1-2 are repeated until the author gets it “right.”

3. A line (or copy) editor checks the manuscript for formatting, grammar issues and word usage and returns it to the author for changes. This is the author’s last chance to make major revisions.

4. Once the manuscript has been typeset, the galleys (either hard copy or electronic) are returned to the author for proofreading. Only actual mistakes in the text are corrected in this step.

The author’s response during the editing process can make or break her continued success with the publisher:
Is she flexible enough to accept editorial direction in the manuscript?
Is she able to make the requested changes?
Does she work within the requested turnaround time?
Does she present clean copy, with minimal need for line edits?
Does she request major changes once the galleys have been typeset?

Every manuscript needs the help of a good editor; and I’ve been fortunate to work with some great ones at Barbour.