Word Count

Jennifer debates the length of her novel…

I know there are standard word counts for different types of books—novellas, novels, etc. But is there a word count that you feel comfortable writing?

My first book was almost 90,000 when I was finished. There was a certain inspiration that kept the words flowing and I had no trouble reaching it. It could be that since it was my first book, I didn’t edit out enough. Still, I love that word count.

The rest of my books have been in the 65,000-75,000 range and I had a much more difficult time getting there. Part of me feels like it’s too short; that I’ve sped through things that I should have taken more time with. But at the same time, the stories were complete.

I know some editors shy away from the longer word counts, especially from first-time authors. My current editor is open to all word counts, although she’s specifically looking for novellas.

While my word counts have been shrinking to the 65,000 range, I can’t imagine writing a novella—not enough detail or time to develop the characters or the story, at least in my opinion. But I have writer friends who love it.

So, what do you think?

The First Paragraph Wall

Ana has something in common with a great writer

Gabriel Garcia Marquez said, "One of the most difficult things is the first paragraph. I have spent many months on a first paragraph and once I get it, the rest just comes out very easily. In the first paragraph you solve most of the problems with your book. The theme is defined, the style, the tone. At least in my case, the first paragraph is a kind of sample of what the rest of the book is going to be."

His mind has to be developing the rest of the story as he labors over the opening paragraph. 

I seem to write pages and pages that ultimately need to be hacked away until I find where the story starts. But I definitely need to get the opening "right" before I can go forward. I view this as a handicap, but at least one great author seems to understand. 

Marquez also said: "Ultimately literature is nothing but carpentry. Both are very hard work. Writing something is almost as hard as making a table. With both you are working with reality, a material just as hard as wood. Both are full of tricks and techniques. Basically very little magic and a lot of hard work involved."

Friday Friend - Chrys Fey

I'm happy to welcome fellow Rose Chrys Fey here today to tell us about her brand new (just released this week!) ebook short story, Hurricane Crimes.

Blurb:

After her car breaks down, Beth Kennedy is forced to stay in Florida, the target of Hurricane Sabrina. She stocks up supplies, boards up windows, and hunkers down to wait out the storm, but her plan unravels when she witnesses a car accident. Risking her life, she braves the winds to save the driver. Just when she believes they are safe, she finds out the man she saved could possibly be more dangerous than the severe weather.

Donovan Goldwyn only wanted to hide from the police, but the hurricane shoved his car into a tree. Now he's trapped with a beautiful woman while the evidence that can prove his innocence to a brutal crime is out there for anyone to find.

As Hurricane Sabrina wreaks havoc, Beth has no other choice but to trust Donovan to stay alive. But will she survive, or will she become another hurricane crime?

Excerpt:
On the television set, which was fighting to stay alive, was breaking news. She caught bits and pieces of it as she emptied the bowl of blood-tainted water and threw out the cloth. It was about a high-speed chase that had occurred about a half-hour ago. Beth shook her head. Apparently, Donovan wasn’t the only idiot driving around during a hurricane.

She went back into the living room and began replacing all the medical supplies into the first-aid kit. Behind her, a reporter was explaining that the driver of the car was believed to be a murder suspect.

“The name of the—”

The lights flashed, prompting Beth to snatch up her flashlight.

“Donovan Goldwyn.”

Her fingers went cold around the plastic tube as ice frosted her veins. She straightened her spine and turned stiffly to the television, her heart wasn’t beating in her chest. On the screen was the picture of the man who was right now changing in her bedroom. Above it was a caption in bold letters that read—SUSPECT.

She gripped the flashlight in her frozen fingers. Her heart thudded fearfully. She stared into the immobilized violet eyes through the glass.

“Oh my god,” she gasped.

She had brought a murderer into her home!

Book Links:
Amazon US: http://amzn.com/B00GVK921G
Amazon UK: http://www.amazon.co.uk/dp/B00GVK921G
Amazon Canada: http://www.amazon.ca/dp/B00GVK921G/
Goodreads: https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/18757793-hurricane-crimes


About the Author:

Chrys Fey’s debut, Hurricane Crimes, was published by The Wild Rose Press. Mid 2014, she will be coming out with her second romantic-suspense eBook, 30 Seconds. She created the blog Write with Fey to offer aspiring writers advice and inspiration. She lives in Florida where she is ready to battle the next hurricane that comes her way.






Author Links:
Facebook: www.facebook.com/chrysfey
Blog: www.writewithfey.blogspot.com
Goodreads: https://www.goodreads.com/ChrysFey
Google +: www.google.com/+ChrysFey

Baby Talk

Debra flashes back to an old Brady Bunch episode while contemplating 'child speak' in her story.

"Baby talk, baby talk, it's a wonder you can walk." If you're familiar with the Brady Bunch (I still watch with rapt attention if a rerun comes on.) you'll recognize the line which reduced Cindy to tears and led to a black eye for Peter when he stepped in to defend her.

The reason the phrase has been running through my mind is I've been working on the second round of edits for Family Secrets. The hero of the story, Chase, has twin four-year-olds who figure prominently in the story, so there's a fair amount of 'speaking parts' for the girls. When I wrote the first draft, I used what I thought of as authentic phrasing for the kids. I have grammatical errors, issues with tense, dropped syllables, and mispronunciations. However, during edits, it was requested the dialogue be written correctly, letting the reader to imagine the 'kid speak' for herself.

I was asked to do something similar in This Feels Like Home, but it was only a line or two of dialogue, and I thought it was a personal preference of the editor (not my usual one) I was working with. I've since learned the request came from the senior editors of the lines, and is the recommended 'policy' at TWRP now. Which makes sense, so that all of the lines will be consistent.

At first I was a bit bummed about this. I thought the accurate dialogue added a bit of charm to the story, plus helped distinguish one twin from another, as each made particular errors. However, after a read-through last night, I realized the girls were still cute and charming, and it was actually easier to stay in the flow of the story without the distraction of having to figure out what was supposed to be said. (This is why editors are so valuable and good ones' advice should always be heeded.)

I don't know if I'll ever have another story with kids in it, but if I do, I'm just going to write their conversations 'normally', and go from there.

Until next time,

Happy Reading!

Debra
www.debrastjohnromance.com

P.S. The second round of edits has been turned in for Family Secrets and will now head to the copy editing department. Yay!

The mind of a writer...

Paula's quote of the week:

 

I can do no better today than to quote what I understand Robert De Niro said when introducing the best screenplay nominees at the Academy Awards on Sunday:

 

“The mind of a writer can be a truly terrifying thing. Isolated, neurotic, caffeine-addled, crippled by procrastination and consumed by feelings of panic, self-loathing and soul-crushing inadequacy. And that’s on a good day.”

If that's a good day, then I've been having a lot of bad days recently!

 

The only words I would add to what Mr De Niro said are: "And totally disheartened because there seems to be no point in continuing to write stories that hardly anyone reads."

 

One friend, who bought one of my paperbacks last week, admitted she hadn't read my last two books yet. Of course, I'm grateful for her loyalty in buying my books, but I don't think she realised what her admission actually said to me. She's had those other two books since November 2012, and February 2013, but hasn't been interested enough to actually read either of them. She might as well have said, "I'll buy your book, but I can't be bothered to read it."

 

I'm sure all writers can relate to what De Niro said, but I'm now at the point of wondering why I put myself through all that for nothing. At the moment (not having added anything to my current novel for over two weeks), I've been quite happy playing Facebook games and adding photos to my Pinterest boards - anything rather than open that Chapter 4 file again!

 

P.S. My Pinterest file, in case you want to take a look, is at http://www.pinterest.com/paulam3843/

Zero To Sixty

Last week, I wrote about the timing problem I found in my manuscript. I’ve spent the week revising and fixing that issue, but while doing that, I found something else. Actually, my critique partner did.

I had her read the first six or ten chapters because I knew I needed to add a few scenes; I just didn’t know exactly what needed to be added. I was hoping she could tell me what needed to be fleshed out.

You know when you read something you’ve written and you like it but you’re also like, “hmm, I’m not sure about this”? Well, I knew there was a problem, but I couldn’t quite put my finger on it. That’s why having a critique partner is so great.

She saw what the problem was immediately—I’d rushed the hero and heroine getting together. Zero to sixty is great for a car; less so for a hero and heroine who are developing a relationship.

So, as I’ve been reviewing my manuscript for the timing issue, I’ve also slowed down their meeting, liking and falling in love. Not to where it drags, but I’ve added a bit more tension, more wanting, more conflict. I hope readers like it and don’t find it slows down the pacing—I’ll be checking again with my critique partner for that problem.

But I think I’m on the right track.

Is "said" the only dialogue tag verb permitted now?

Ana builds on Paula's discussion on limiting the repetition of names in dialogue

The over-use of names in dialogue has a not-so-distant cousin: the verbs allowed to accompany the he-she-it character attribute in dialogue tags.

"Said" is the recommended choice now. He said, she said. "Asked" is used, but aren't other, more descriptive verbs okay to use?

I agree that "Sigh" is a separate action and should not be employed as a speech descriptor, but can't characters mutter, shout, scream, shriek, complain, growl, moan, mumble, murmur, patter, or whisper?

From the most wonderful Writer's Digest Flip Dictionary: Characters could also advertise, affirm, announce, advise, answer, articulate, assert, asseverate, aver, call, claim, comment, communicate, convey, declare, dictate, enunciate, express, imply, indicate, inform, insinuate, intimate, mention, pronounce, quote, respond, recite, relate, remark, repeat, report, show, speak, state, talk, tell, testify, utter, verbalize, vocalize, voice and vote.

They can disclose and divulge. Also acclaim, bark, bellow, blare, call, cheer, clamor, crow, cry, fulminate (though I don't know anyone who fulminates), hoot, howl, hurrah, rejoice, roar, root, scream, screech, yell, yelp and whoop.

 From my western historical WIP: neighbor parents promoting their eligible daughter to my eligible bachelor hero: 

“Emma is good in the kitchen,” Gertrude said. “She knows to cook and clean.”

 “Ja, and make the butter, Albert added. 

If I use "added," will I be marked down for stating the obvious? Or does "added" add the note that Albert is seconding his wife's list of their daughter's virtues and adding one more?

What do you think the rule is? When and how is it okay to break it?