Coming to a Bookstore Near You

Let me be clear, this baby was conceived five years ago and not the nine months I signed up for! All jokes 

No, seriously, five years ago, I was teaching a fiction until to my fifth grade students and I usually write with my students while they write, so this story was born in my classroom, revised and expanded there, then taken home over the summer holidays where it underwent major surgery. Then it went through physical therapy with multiple patient, outstanding readers. After it was returned with a lot of red ink, it underwent more surgery. Wounds were opened, re-examined and fixed. This happened a few half-dozen times as I learned the writing process and became more confident in my writing voice.

And finally, this book is ready to make its big debut. So much time and effort…and tears goes into writing a piece of work, and this is one I hoped would eventually see the light of others’ eyes. 

This book comes out at the end of July, so look for it and join me in celebrating the journey of writing my first book.

Hooray!

Writing....A Lonely Occupation

Let me start this post by saying that I love writing. Always have. And that love has grown as I have learned more about the art of crafting words together. But I’ve got to be honest.

The writing world is a lonely world.

Most of the time, to get work done, a writer has to separate themselves from the people around them. That means missing out on activities, staying up or getting up early when the others are asleep, and hiding in a room to get anything done. Other writers may be more successful at getting more juice out of their squeeze, but I can’t concentrate if my kids or husband are in the same room. I have learned, the more you write, the more you improve. If I want to improve, I have to give up more time.

Time that is spent alone.

That means I spend a chunk of my day separating myself from my family. Writing, then editing, then rewriting, and then virtually crunching that attempt up like a piece of paper and starting over. Occasionally I turn to other writers for feedback and crave the attention they give, even when their words are harsh, critical, and about my writing. But oh, when someone mentions something good about my writing, it is like a bloodline.

A compliment really goes a long way.

Someone commented on own of my blogs the other day, and her thought has stayed with me ever since. It made me think of my chosen career as a teacher, a mom, and a writer. It seems every career has their unappreciated moments and a kind word goes a long way in helping someone along.

So for future reference, I wanted to build a list of ideas that readers and writers could do to serve each other in this stand-alone world we try to survive in.

1. Attend conferences– Meet other authors, connect with people who are like-minded. It is a great way to build on your skills, too, but who really only goes for that? Okay, just kidding, most of us do, but the connecting part is also important.
2. Share your writing, even if you think you are not good enough. It may touch someone, and that will mean the effort and lonely time away was worth it. Especially share with your loved ones around you. They should already have a vested interest, but if they don’t it’s time for them to get on board.
3. Review others’ writing– This is a big one. We learn from other writing. If you don’t believe me, read my last post about beta-reading. This also comes in the form of reading others published writing- blogs, novels, articles. Even better, leave a review, a comment, or a message with that writer if you learned something valuable from their writing.
4. Sign up for online and in-person writing groups. Their feedback is invaluable, and connecting with other people on a consistent basis is essential in receiving encouragement that you’re on the right track.
5. Serve yourself by stepping away. Let’s be honest- the continual grind of the author life is taxing at times. The continual rejection, frustration of starting over, or the occasional moments when we try to compare ourselves to someone better takes a toll if we do not remember to step away and take some R&R.

I’m sure there is more I could have added to this list, but 5 seemed like a magical number today. Readers and writers, feel free to share what you do to serve in the writing world to make life a little less lonely. Thank you for taking time to read this. If you made it this far, it means I did something right.

Beta-Reading is the Way to Go!

Five or six years ago, I decided to write a book. I have loved writing since I was little, and the only thing I love more than writing is teaching others about writing. I am a writing teacher by trade, but I love reading others’ writing and sharing how it can be better. When I needed a partner to trade with, I started scouring Facebook for groups to share critiques with.

I found a few, some really good writers too, but their content was sometimes hard for to write. I’m religious and so it was hard to read and critique others’ writing that had heavy swearing, violence, or sexual content. I did it for a while, but afterwards, I felt like scrubbing my eyeballs, and that just wasn’t worth it to me.

I continued to look for higher caliber groups, but I could never find any with the goals I had in mind. So, I created one. I called it LDS Beta Readers. https://www.facebook.com/groups/475461645922698/

The group started with 30 members, and three years later, we are hitting our 1000 member milestone.

This group has surpassed what I ever thought it could be. Since starting, we have held so many writing events, including sprint writing contests, first chapter contests, and a query letter contest. We started a writing skills blog earlier this year. http://ldsbetareaders.blogspot.com

We’ve held two online writing conferences with authors sharing writing advice and workshops.  This year we published an anthology with 25 of our writers and we are working on publishing two more. https://www.amazon.com/Mindgames-Anthology-Compilation-Members-Readers-ebook/dp/B06X6F92RC/?tag=amazon09d4d-20

We have made lasting friendships, kept a safe sharing environment, and grown in our writing.

I have learned so much by reading and critiquing others’ writing. It’s one thing to look at your writing over and over and make it better, but it is a totally new experience to look at your writing, look at someone else’s writing that is totally different, and then look at your writing again. That is where the fun begins.  Beta-reading has helped me grow so much as a writer. Writing really is a collective art. You gather pieces that shape you into the writer you want to be. I feel so lucky to be a part of something so great!

Three cheers for beta-reading!

Writing is Expensive...

WRITING IS EASIER WHEN YOU HAVE MONEY…

Okay, that is not entirely true, but when the time comes that you have to pay for someone to edit your crazy ramblings, money makes all the difference in the world. You could go with a high-end editor who you trust will catch everything, or you could go with a low-end editor who you pray will catch just enough of your mistakes that your writing is not distracting to the reader.

Recently, our family has been hit by several financial responsibilities and to add to that burden, I have chosen to stay at home with the boys, eliminating our second income. If only writing paid as much and I could continue not to worry. But ah, some things must take a backseat. And so my writing must take its turn as well. I have decided to continue publishing my MG manuscript in July, but without the aid of any paid editors at this time. So basically, it will not be perfect. But I am okay with that. I never got in this business because I wanted to make money. I am a good enough writer to catch most mistakes most normal non-writer readers would notice, and so I must press on with what I have.

And oddly, I am peace with that decision. The great thing about self-publishing is that if errors are found, they can be fixed easily enough. As far as making a mark on the world although, I feel this book will not be the one, which is sad because it is amazing and full of sentimental moments that kids do not get enough of in entertaining, everyday writings of middle-grade authors.

I hope that my small base of fans will still support me and I will earn just enough to keep writing.  That’s the goal. Feed my need. Writing has become much more important since I have made the decision to stay at home. It will be my only outlet, and it will be much more personal when that writing is rejected by others. It will also push me that much more to do better and to become better.

Cheers to making the right decision, even when the world tells you it is ridiculous and hard. Cheers to writing and the brave world of self-discovery that it is.

Cheers! 

Jenny

Editing is Hard....

Sometimes editing makes me want to crawl in a hole and die. 

I just submitted my MG Novel to an editor, expensive and exciting, and I am waiting to see if they are the perfect match. While I wait, I am going through lots of edits for my YA romance/mystery “Diving for Love”.

And phew, I am in the thick of edits. Hundreds of little things to change and a handful of big rocks to mull over and apply throughout the whole manuscript. And as I make these big changes, deadly thoughts often come into a new author’s mind to give up.

It’s too hard.

They hate my writing. 

Your students write better than you do. (This one comes more than you’d think.)

And I could give up, but I wasn’t made for that!

If you are going to keep going, you have to start looking for the reasons why you love writing. And my biggest motivator is going back to those favorite chapters or scenes that you wrote that were spot on…and brilliant.

So as I continue to write in a mud puddle of inky mess, here are some brilliant one-liners from my current WIP that I love and that help me remember that I need to keep going with this writing thing. 

These excerpts are pulled from the chapter where the main character is meeting her new love interest’s mom who is kind of a witch! Fun, right? 

The door opened, and a lady dressed in a knee-length black dress and clickety hills peered out at me. Skinny as a fishing rod with short blonde hair that fell in waves around her shoulders. She was the perfect opposite of a modern housewife. Manicured nails that had probably never touched more than mineral bath water, hair that was completely in place, and clothes that never went on sale.

She blinked a few times before looking at the plate of cookies like they were chocolate-covered cockroaches. She noticeably gritted her teeth, making her look like a skinny horse chewing on straw.

Mrs. Williams face straightened immediately and the fake smile came back. “Well aren’t you as cute as a bug.” Her sugary, sweet temperament set my teeth on edge, and I couldn’t help picturing myself in bug form, being squashed by her stiletto heels.

A few seconds after, the door swung open and I turned to see Mrs. Williams coming toward me, her green eyes flashing. She looked like a bull ready to attack, and I didn’t want to become aftermath on Sam’s front lawn.

Comment below and I’ll message you the whole chapter 

I Love Writing More Than...

I love writing more than eating candy and watching Netflix. More than when school ends and summer starts. More than riding a roller coaster or speaking in church. More than visiting Georgia in the spring time. More than kissing. (Okay, maybe not more than that.)

Lately, projects are piling up on the frontal lobe of my brain and demand to be written down and worked on. I just don’t have enough time in the world to get them all done. Lately I’ve been editing on my breaks, while the kids are in the bath, staying up late, just to even stay above the madness. I am sure as I improve, fitting everything in will become easier, but right now I feel like I am drowning in a pool of desire.

I just finished editing my “Diving for Love” book and will be sending it out to beta readers, and while I wait for feedback, I am preparing my “A Boy without a Home” for a professional editor. Never done that before and hope I get a good one that is well worth the money.

I wonder how everyone else fits their writing time in with heavy plates to balance. I am loving it, just wish I had more time to dive in and become better.

4 Ways to "Show" your Writing, Not Tell It

In college, my English teacher assigned us to write about a high school moment we would never forget. Because it was fresh on my mind, I chose my senior prom. I asked my biggest crush to go with me and bought the most fairy tale-like dress to wear. The night was filled with perfect moments, such as when I crawled through the house window to unlock the front door in my beautiful dress, catching a shrimp in my mouth at dinner, and dancing every second I could with my date.  Plenty of good material.

When the paper came back with red ink and a big, fat D, I couldn’t understand why. My teacher suggested I take it to the tutoring center, and I just stared at her with horrified eyes. Why did I need their help? I was a brilliant writer.

And then she said the three words that still haunt me as I write today.  SHOW, DON’T TELL

I decided to do an in-depth study of HOW to show vs tell my story. One of the basic things I learned was you can “tell” you are “telling” when you find a linking verb, or a passive verb in your sentence. (am, are, is, were, was, be, being, been)

Sam was happy.

Not very interesting, right? There are at least four ways (I know of) to show what is happening to the characters.

1. Dialogue

2. Action

3. Internal thinking

4. Description

Let me show you how I used the 4 key elements to show this sentence rather than tell it. Here is an example I whipped up to a show vs. tell scenario. I included the four aspects of showing throughout.

“Yes, man! We did it,” his friend yelled as Sam’s foot hit home base. Sam turned back to his teammate and bumped his chest. Three runs in a row. The red numbers on the countdown clock clicked to zero, indicating the end of the game. Sam looked up at the cheering fans and spotted his girl. My lucky charm. He picked up the bat he had dropped moments ago and swung it her way. “That one was for you, babe.”

Notice that there is a lot more writing. This is standard. Showing what your character is doing will increase your word count, but you tell me if it was worth it. Which one was more interesting to read? Sam was happy or my expanded version to show Sam was happy?

Readers want to see what the reader is experiencing, not to be told. The key to doing this well is to practice. I could go on and on of how to show vs. tell, but as a teacher and I practice what I preach. You will learn best by doing. Just remember the 4 key elements of showing vs. telling: dialogue, action, internal thinking, and description.

So let’s begin. Here are some “telling” sentences. Choose one or more and show them rather than tell them. Share your version in the comments below.  There is no “one” way of doing this, so you can’t fail.

He was mad.

The sun was bright.

We were on our way.

He had a stomach ache.

She was shy.

I am hot.

Candy made him hyper. (See this would be so much better shown )

If you need more references and examples of how to do this, I found the following website helpful. http://www.wright.edu/~david.wilson/eng3830/creativewriting101.pdf

Please share what else you have learned about showing vs telling from writing workshops or critiques in the comments below. We learn better from each other. I am not a complete expert on this topic, but I have grown by applying these 4 key elements in my writing. Happy writing!