Inspiration

I love waking up to inspiration. One of the benefits of being pregnant is that you have the weirdest, most vivid dreams that you could ever imagine. Though the dream I had last night had nothing to do with the series we are working on, having that dream led to a long shower filled with question after question about book two of the Nedaran series. Half an hour later I lad a list of thoughts about "What if that were to happen to one of the characters, then what kind of consequences would result from it?" "Would it impact individuals, the world, or the way that magic works?"

Because of vivid dreams I now am re-energized on progressing through the series. I love it. So my suggestion for the day is to remember your dreams and write them down while you still remember them. They may just help you one day write a bestseller. Good luck and keep on writing.

Self-Editing Your Writing (Continued)

The following is the second part of my notes from a class taught by author Kirt Hickman on how to self-edit. These are my personal notes and, even though a handout was provided, I did not reference it at all while writing these notes. For further detail on Kirt's suggestions on how to improve your self-editing please buy or checkout his book Revising Fiction: Making Sense of Madness from your local library.

First Draft

• Usually done with the right side of the brain (the muse)
  
• Revisions are done by the left side of the brain (the editor)

The best thing to do is to find ways to trick the editor side into silence until your right brain has finished the first draft. (See section below on Tips & Tricks)

Point of View (POV)
The following are the times that you should make sure to have a clear POV change:

• When there is a change to a different characters POV
  
• When there is a change in time
  
• When there is a change in location

There are three times that you should write from a different POV other than the main character:

• When there is another character within the story who has the most to lose
  
• When you have to convey some piece of info that the hero doesn't know
  
• When the hero is not in the scene

Note: If you are writing from someone elses POV, try to convey their opinion of the hero.

Before Writing the Scene
Every scene takes place in a setting.

• Find at least five characteristics of the setting that you can communicate at some point in the scene (using the 5 scenses - not all will make it to the scene, but you see it more clearly as the writer if you can personally identify the five scenses).
  
• What impressions do you want to make about the setting (i.e. dangerous)
  
• What meaningful actions from the character make the setting an integral part of the story

Tips to Trick the Editor to Allow the Muse to Write

• Write early in the morning
  
• Eliminate/seperate yourself from distractions
  
• Write by hand
  
• Don't stop to edit
  
• If you make a decision to change something, then write a note to later go back and change anything earlier in the story that may need changing
  
• Don't stop for research (write a note to remind yourself to research later)
  
• Relax
  
• Use unlined paper and a pen that won't slow you down
  
• Interestingly enough you can get the first draft done in one hour a day in three months time
  
• at the end of the day of writing, create a scene card (see Mr. Hickman's book for a template) that oulines what happened in the scene
  
  • include scene number
    
  • type (i.e. action, suspense, etc.)
    
  • who's POV
    
  • setting
    
  • who is in the scene
    
  • the conflict
    
  • anything that advances the plot
    
  • information revealed about characters
    
  • identify inconsistencies
    
  • other important information
    
  • any reserach questions
    
  • suspense elements (something that raises a question in the reader's mind)

After you are finished with the first draft, then do the research for the questions that you still need answered. Refer to the scene cards to remind yourself what those questions are. I hope that this information helps you with your writing efforts. Keep up the good work, and don't lose hope. Good Luck!!!!

Update Forthcoming

I apologize for the lack of notes posted from the last conference I attended. Due to difficulties in my pregnancy the doctor has officially put me on bedrest. I will try to post more of the notes later this week. Thank you for your patience, in the meantime, remember to never give up on your dream. No matter what happens. Keep on writing.

Self-Editing Your Writing

The following is the first part of my notes from a class taught by author Kirt Hickman on how to self-edit. These are my personal notes and, even though a handout was provided, I did not reference it at all while writing these notes. For further detail on Kirt's suggestions on how to improve your self-editing please buy or checkout his book Revising Fiction: Making Sense of Madness from your local library.

Revising Fiction: Making Sense of Writing

• Not all advice fits every time, so adapt as needed
  
• There are no hard & fast rules in fiction writing
  
• Edit for one thing at a time in your writing
  
• Sequence matters
  

Where to Start (before the 1st draft)

• The World - understand what its like before you write
  
• Characters - know who they are
  
• Plot (optional) - try to determine a general plot before you write (doesn't work for writers who are character driven writers rather than plot driven writers

World (must mesh into a coherent hole) - Things to determine about the setup of your world

• Physical characteristics
  
• Moral codes for the society
  
• Economic state, money
  
• Local/world political structure
  
• Predominant religion
  
• Magic - how does it work?
  
• State of science
  
• Day-to-day life of characters & how it defers from our current world
  

Side notes:

• If the reader can't by into your world they can't by into your story
  
• If you’re writing historical fiction, make sure to do research on what life was like in that time period.

Characters

• Characters have to be consistent with your world
  
• make characters unique so even if the story has been told before it hasn't been told from your character's point of view.
  
• 3 dimensional characteristics - It's your character's past that brings that character to life for your reader
  
  • At least two unique physical characteristics for each character
    
  • Unique style of speech based on age, education, etc.
    
  • give each character a flaw (your character must have a flaw for your reader to be able to connect with them and the flaw should be introduced early in your story)
    
  • Hero should go through a life altering change in your story
    
  • leverage their flaw to make things more difficult for your character
    
  • make things as difficult as possible for your character
    
  • give each character a special skill that you will see at use during the story (establish early)
    
  • give them a definable personality (what do they get fired up about?)
    
  • How does your character face frustration (typically)
    
    • get angry, resourceful, depressed, get help, pray, etc.
      
  • give identifying line, mannerism, or prop (identify early and bring up frequently)
    
  • give them virtues as well as flaws for the reader to grasp onto and care about (even the villain needs a virtue)
    
  • know how they will change over the course of the story
    
  • make your villain stronger than your hero

To Avoid Common Pitfalls

• Characters need to be different from one another
  
• make sure your hero is strong willed
  
• make your character a doer rather than a watcher (put them in the driver seat)
  
• remove cliché characteristic traits (i.e. dumb blond, mad scientist, etc.). Instead do what the reader doesn't expect
  
• don't forget your secondary characters (If a character is not important or doesn't appear frequently then don't give them a name)

Character Profile (check out his book for a detailed example)

• To catch mundane details and keep them consistent throughout the story
  
• know more about your character than your reader will ever know

Plot

• Some writers start with a plot while others start with a character and find a plot along the way
  
• Will the plot carry the reader through the story?
  
• Is your plot any good?
  
• Every story is generally a three act story - introduction/setup, conflict, resolution
  
• Inciting Event
  
• What is providing conflict?
  
• resolve in a way satisfying to the reader
  
• make sure your main hero takes the main action to solve the problem
  
• Cause & effect
  
  • every thing that happens in your book must be a direct reaction to a previous event or person's action (not including a natural event such as an earthquake - which must be established early on in the story that it can feasibly happen in order to raise the stakes)
    
• Character must have a life altering change

Mythic Structure/Heroes Journey (demonstrated proven method)

• Within the three acts of your story there are usually 9 steps that occur over the course of the story
  
• Step 1: Establish character's ordinary life
  
  • give reason to reader to like your character
    
• Step 2: Story's starting point/inciting event (usually happens within the first chapter)
  
  • shows this is not an ordinary day for the main character
    
• Step 3: Heading the call (usually happens at the end of Act 1)
  
  • Character should be somewhat reluctant to go on the journey
    
  • Propels story into Act 2
    
• Step 4: Allies & Enemies
  
  • The hero starts to learn the rules of the new "world"/environment he has entered
    
  • Begins to identify who are the hero's allies and enemies (assessing loyalties)
    
• Step 5: Going on the Journey
  
  • Possibly seeing or finding a mentor
    
  • Approaching the Dark moment
    
• Step 6: The Dark Moment
  
  • Hero is faced with his most difficult challenge
    
  • Paint your character into a deep, dark, corner
    
  • Crisis doesn't have to be a physical one, a good emotional/ psychological crises works just as well
    
  • Reader must feel like all is lost
    
• Step 7: Return from Dark Moment
  
  • Hero trying to return home with the prize when the villain comes to try and take it away
    
• Step 8: Climax
  
  • Hero faces second life or death struggle
    
  • overcome lingering resentment or flaw
    
• Step 9: Permanence of the Change
  
  • Show the character has permanently changed
    
  • The hardest part of the Mythic Structure is Step 5 & 7, which will take up the majority of the book
  
  

Suspense Builders- Make one character a wild card (adversarial)

• Spring surprises (often used at end of chapter, but must be from natural evolution of the plot)
  
• Mislead the reader
  
• drop clues that may give the reader the wrong idea, but make sure to play fair and be consistent with the character
  
• Do your worst
  
  • What is the absolute worst thing you can make happen?
    
• Take away what is most important to the hero
  
• Past failure comes back to haunt them
  
• Turn environment loose on your characters (could be weather, earthquake, or at least something out of the main character's influence), but establish early that such event is possible, but not clearly expected to happen
  
• Phobias
  
  • make him face the object of his fear
    
• Never make anything easy
  
• Show danger is real
  
• Kill a good guy
  
• Impose a deadline (a.k.a. the ticking clock)
  
• Prevent hero from running away
  
  • make the need to stay greater than the desire to flee
    
• Make one final twist at end of book
  
• Stack these suspense techniques on top of each other

Side note: For good practice watch your favorite movie and identify where the mythic structure steps arise and what suspense builder techniques are used.


I will continue on with more of my notes from Kirt's class next week, so please stay tuned.

Results of Writer's Conference

This last weekend I had a fantastic time at the League of Utah Writer's Conference that was held at the Homestead Resort in Midway, Utah. I love being able to listen to the variety of keynote speakers, and to learn at the feet of a wide range of published authors.

I was able to take a way a lot of good information from the conference, but the best thing was to realize that I have already accomplished at least two-thirds of all the recommendations I was given. I did meet with an agent for New York and an editor from Maryland and, even though I realized before going into meet with them that we weren't a good fit, I was grateful for the chance to practice my pitch as well as get some great feedback.

So keep your eyes out of the next several days/weeks as I will post some of my notes & findings from this conference. I hope you will find this information as helpful/hopeful as I did. In the meantime, please keep up your efforts on writing and never give up the dream. Good Luck!

Edit Update

1 1/2 weeks to go until the conference and I've completed all my assigned updates through the first 2/3 of the story. This allows me to have a little more time to continue to rework the climax to make it all the more dramatic. A huge thanks to my co-author Stephanie who, whether she thinks she is helping or not, has been a huge help in keeping me honest and on track with my work. Also a huge thanks to my husband who watched my daughter for several hours last night so I could curl up on the couch and focus solely on writing. Because of that I was able to get all of this week's changes done last night and this morning.


So my writer's tip for this week's post is to make sure that you have a great support structure. It is imperative to have people who believe in what you are doing and are willing to help out to make it happen.


Keep up your efforts and don't give up hope.

Editing Update

Phew, 280 pages of the easier edits done and out of the way. Only 60 more pages of updating the easy edits, then comes the hard parts. As there are two of us working on this book I've started a change log to show what chapters have been updated and noting down suggestions of larger changes to be made. So once all the easy changes are out of the way, Stephanie and I will review the suggestions for the larger changes and parcel out who will work on what. With three weeks to go its a lot to cover when we both have kids, but I think that we can do. So that's it in the writing world on my end. How is life going with your writing? Please let me know when you get a chance. I'd love to hear what you are working on.

Countdown to Conference

I apologize for not posting in a while. I haven't been accomplishing much on the writing front the last month as I've been dealing with trying to buy a house, living in a hotel, having a visit from my stepsons, moving and dealing with morning sickness. Now with a personal deadline approaching I'm determined (no matter how sick this baby makes me) to meet our goal. Sometimes life does get in the way, and I've learned that you've got to forgive yourself, focus on life for a moment, then get back on track with things. Goals and a friend/co-author to keep you line definitely help to get back on the writing band wagon. Also what helps is realizing that I found another fellow writer just four doors down who will be attending the same conference. I'm not sure writers would survive the struggle of getting out a book without the helping hands of angels (other people in the same fight) that pop up in the least expected places.

So now that I'm moved in to my new place and my stepsons have gone back home I'm starting back on track tomorrow with my friend Stephanie as we begin the hectic task of completing draft nine of The Nedaran Prophecy in time for the League of Utah Writer's Conference scheduled for September 18-19. So wish us luck as we barrel into the editing process. I'm so looking forward to the changes that we've planned, even though some our drastic (we're re-writing the entire climax and I'm stoked about it). Keep up your efforts as well and if you ever need to vent about your writing frustrations or the publishing process please feel free to vent to me. I'll understand. Good Luck and keep on writing!

Progress is Being Made

Yesterday I was excited to complete reviewing a hard copy of draft eight of The Nedaran Prophecy. Going over my notes I am excited to begin work on the changes which will make draft nine ten times better than draft eight and the climax a 100% better. Work will be slightly delayed as we are getting ready to move over the next two weeks, but I am bound and determined that Stephanie and I will get the necessary changes completed before I meet with an agent from New York this September. I can't wait for the world to see where this book and the entire series is headed. I think it will make for an incredible read.

For those of you out there who may stumble across this blog please post a comment and let me know how your writing is going and what kind of struggles that you run into. Between all of us we can help each other become better writers. Keep up the good work and never give up the dream.

Awesome Giveaway on Anne Bradshaw's Website

If you love international mysteries than you should REALLY check out Anne Bradshaw's website Not Entirely British for an absolutely incredibly giveaway - Pursued by Lynn Gardner (trust me it is an Awesome read).

Creating Evil

If you could see my living room, you would see one wall covered in posters where I have outlined the qualities and past of several of my characters in The Nedaran Prophecy. The most intriguing and difficult one of my characters to work out has been my antagonist. I have been working on trying to figure out what makes this guy tick and why he would be considered evil on and off for the last couple of weeks. I sent my most recent notes off to Stephanie for her input, but I thought I would go ahead and post here what I have learned about the process.

- It is imperative to know why the evil guy does what he does.
- Even if the reader never knows why, it is important for the writer to understand what triggered the antagonist to go down the path of destruction.
- It is vital to know why he thinks he is right and everyone else is wrong.
- It is often more difficult to understand the antagonist's past rather than the hero's.
- To have an intriguing story you must make your antagonist smarter than the average guy and always a step ahead of the hero.

The struggle is to try and balance all that information to make your evil guy a three-dimensional character, but still someone that the hero can eventually conquer. It has been an interesting journey to discover who the bad guy is in our story and I hope that when Stephanie and I are done the reader will have come to understand him as I have.

Excitement & Nerves

Phew, that is over with...for the moment. Stephanie and I just finished revising the first three chapters of The Dawn of Change and submitted it to a local contest. Now we only have to wait three months for the results. I really like the changes we made though.

Now we get to take a short break before working like mad to make the other changes we've decided in order to make our main characters more likeable. We have three months to make all the changes possible before I am pitching the story to an agent from New York that I will be meeting with at a writer's conference. This is BIG!!! It's one thing to try and convince an agent to be excited about your book through a letter or email. It is something totally different to get them excited about, not only your book, but you as an author in a one-on-one, in-person interview. If anyone has any tips I would love to hear them.

In the meantime, don't give up on your dream either. Keep on writing and never give up hope.

Giveaway on Anne Bradshaw Website

Not only should you check out the giveaway on my book review website fabulousreads.blogspot.com but you should check out this fantastic giveaway on Anne Bradshaw's Website, Not Entirely British, for a $50 gift certificate to LDSWA. Go check out her blog and the rules to this contest.

The Princess and the Hound Giveaway

The time has come. My friend Stephanie and I are hosting a book giveaway on Fabulous Reads starting today and running through June 13th. Thanks to author Mette Ivie Harrison we have a signed and dated copy of The Princess and the Hound to give the winner who will be chosen via random drawing on Saturday, June 14th. For rules and reviews of Mette's books please check us out at FabulousReads.blogspot.com.

Book Giveaway

Starting next week on the book review website Fabulous Reads (run by my friend Stephanie and myself) we will be giving away a special book autographed by one of the authors mentioned in my previous post. If you would like a chance to win such an amazing book please check out http://fabulousreads.blogspot.com/ starting Sunday for the big announcement.

Provo Children's Book Festival

This last weekend my family and I attended the Provo Children's Book Festival held at the Provo Library. I was so excited to see the enormous crowd that gathered from the smallest babe to the not so young. The festival promoted literacy by welcoming author's and illustrator's the likes of Shannon Hale (and her hubby Dean), Brandon Mull, J. Scott Savage, Ann Cannon, Mette Ivie Harrison Nathan Hale, Aprilynne Pike and many, many more.

I briefly poked my head into the Fantasy/Sci-Fi Discussion Panel which included Shannon & Dean Hale, Jessica Day George, Brandon Mull, Brandon Sanderson, J. Scott Savage and James Dashner. Everyone was so excited to see these awesome authors that there was standing room only. It felt great to get a nod from the good old James Dashner when I entered the room, and to see Jessica Day George with her baby. Everyone in the room was eager to learn from the panel what it takes to write fantasy & sci-fi (until the room rang out with the harsh sounds of the fire alarm which a wandering child had pulled). I'm glad that I took my camera though and was able to get a few pictures of the panel.



In the main room of the festival there was plenty to keep people engaged including regular puppet shows, musical chairs (to win books and posters), people dressed up in costumes, arts and crafts, and book signings from over twenty different authors and illustrators.



I was able to meet with several of my favorite authors who willing autographed books, posters, etc. that we will be prizes as future giveaway's on the book review website FabulousReads which my friend Stephanie and I run. Check us out on a regular basis to read our reviews and see what fabulous giveaways we might be running at the time.

My writer's tip for this week is to support your favorite authors by looking online to see when they maybe coming to a town or library near you. Go and sit at their feet and soak up the words they say. You might discover the one piece of information that makes everything click for you as an author, sending you down the path of publication and adventure. Good luck and keep on writing.

Check out FabulousReads

My friend Stephanie and I are managing a book review blog called Fabulous Reads which you should really check out this week. Both Stephanie and I are huge Percy Jackson fans and are so excited that Book 5 has just been released. So all this week we are having Percy Jackson Week and even have a fantastic giveaway. If you post any comments on one of our reviews this week then you are automatically entered into a drawing for an autographed copy of The Lightning Thief (Book 1 of the series). Please check it out at http://www.fabulousreads.blogspot.com/.

In the meantime, I'm working today on my character bible. I have posters all over the back of my front door where I am outling details about each of my characters. I'm having a blast. I hope you continue working on your writing talents as well. Keep up the great work.

J. Scott Savage on creating a Character Bible

At the LDS Storymaker's Conference I was able to attend a class taught by J. Scott Savage, author of the Far World series, on how to Create and Maintain a Character Bible. I was so excited about taking this class as I feel that I am relatively week in the area of fully and completely developing my characters.

I know that in the first book in the Nedaran Prophecy series that I'm writing I have some well done characters and others who need added help. For example: where by my elemental character Niall is well done and interesting, my twins (Kael and Anaya) could use some help to be more developed and well-rounded. So I sat eagerly in the front row of class - pen and paper on the ready - to listen to guidance from Mr. Savage on how I can make weak things strong through utilization of a character bible. Here is what I learned:

What is a character bible?
A character bible is a set of notes about each character that flushes out their past, the desires, their hopes that helped to make them feel real. Everybody has a history. Even if you never utilize all this information in the story, by knowing all if it you know your character, you know why they act the way they do, and you can make them stand out more in your story (make them more real).

Why a character bible?
- A lot of authors don't come to care about the characters until 3/4 the way through writing the story. Then when re-reading what they wrote they identify holes in the story, or that a character acted when way when they know that character would have done something totally different.
- If you start by identifying your characters, then you can identify how they will react throughout the story.
- First impressions of a character are vital.
- What are the motives? Helps you to know what makes the character happy/sad and what is the fundamental reason they act the way they do.
- We need to understand their past to understand their actions.
- What is their reputation
- Allows you to play around with the characters. You can take a stereotype and be willing to reverse it and give the reader the opposite image of the stereotype they expect.

Characters
- You must make the reader care about the characters as they are w hat will carry your story. (For an example of character driven stories look at Stephanie Meyer.)

Two reasons for having a Character Bible
- Create powerful meaningful character
- Keep track of your characters through the story


Types of Story (Orson Scott Card's MICE quotient)
- Milieu - Place Story (i.e. Lord of the Rings)
- Idea - Plot Heavy Story (i.e. Agatha Christie, books with a puzzle to solve)
- Character - Romance/Thriller Story (i.e. books where the character is the main point of the story)
- Event - Fantasy/Sci-fi (i.e. Something is wrong or out of order in the universe and it needs to be fixed)

Things to keep in mind when creating a character bible:
- Not every character needs the same level of detail as every other. Don't setup walk-on characters to be more than walkons or you will disappoint the reader. So don't spend too much time over describing this characters.
- Implied History - using one sentence to imply a lot about the characters past. Much better than doing an information dump which can bog down a story and provide a lot of unnecessary information.

Different Levels of Characters
- Protagonist - Know a lot about protagonist even if you don't know a lot. This is where you know everything about a character even though you might never tell the reader.
- Antagonist - Antagonist tells less than the protagonist, but put yourself in that role and see why he does what he does. Try to understand his reasoning as best you can.
- Sidekick - For the sidekick you need to know what role they are to play in the story. For example in the Harry Potter books Hermione plays the information source and Ron plays the comic relief and the reliant companion.
- Background - Background characters (i.e. Colin Creevey) has details and may recur in later stories, but you don't need the same level of knowledge or description as any of the about characters. You need just enough information about these characters to make them feel reel.
- Walk-on - People like the waiter in a restaurant that brings the main characters food. Be careful about over describing. Keep simple.

Attributes vs. Gimmicks
Examples: eats a lot, sings, twirls his rings, certain expressions...
- Turn a gimmick into an attribute. (i.e. habit - twirling a ring, attribute - twisting the ring is a reminder of having failed to save a loved one)

Who are you going to root for?
- We like what is like us or have the same moral code.
- They must have attributes we can root for.
- Don't focus on physical characteristics so much so that the reader can imagine what they are like. With less physical description the reader can more readily insert themselves into the character's role.
- Strong jaw/firm handshake gives image of good guy/positive character.
- Give clues not physical characteristics.
- Who's the victim, savior, sacrifice.
- The main character needs a noble goal (motive & actions)
- The common man trying to do something uncommon.
- The superman who discovers imperfections.

How is your character going to grow?
Note: Make sure to update the bible as your characters grow in order to keep things consistent.
- You get a wish granted, but it costs something or turns out not to have been a good thing.

Last Thoughts
- Keep your character bible open as you write and continually reference it. Make sure to note every time your character makes a decision and why he made it and how it changed him.
- You have to know "why" your character changed. You need to know why they do what they do at all times.
- Allows you to create and track information.
- Evaluate your characters. Your main character can only be acted upon so many times before they have to act themselves.

I was so excited by the information that J. Scott Savage provided in his class that I know have poster board pasted on the back of my front door where I am keeping track of my characters and what happened in their lives to make them who they are by the time my story starts. I am so excited at how this will help further develop my characters and I hope this information helps you. Keep up the good work.

Julie Wright - Editor & Author Extraordinaire

A few weekends ago I attended the LDS Storymakers conference in Provo. One of the classes I took was from Julie Wright (a fabulous woman who happens to have read my book The Nedaran Prophecy as an editor and has provided me with some wonderful and incredibly helpful feedback). OK, so I think she is marvelous. Can you tell?

Anyway, the following are my personal notes from Julie's class:

It's Alive
Dialogue -
Dialogue is imperative in a good story. As such, the dialogue should be impressive, sets the mood, and foreshadows what is to come. Things to keep in mind while writing dialogue:
- We reveal a lot about ourselves by what we don't say.
- Don't have characters whose whole purpose is to tell back story.
- You can tell some back story through dialogue, but you have to be VERY careful.
Point of View
Point of View (a.k.a. POV) is who is telling the story. Here are some POV strategies:
- If your going to be in a single person's mind, then you must tell the story from only that persons POV.
- If you as the writer are writing from the main character's POV than don't describe you character as a passerby (i.e. don't say that you has the main character has small hands, black hair, brown eyes. How do you in reality describe yourself?...I hate my hair, maybe I should dye it because....yadayadayada...or I wish I didn't look like I was constantly in a hair state of electric shock.)
- It is better to use he said, she said with dialogue than overkilling dialogue tags with things like "he was enraged."
- To get a good idea on how to write dialogue, it is vital that you read everything (especially outside of your genre). By reading you are getting a subconscious education on how to write.
- Write - write everything. Nothing you write is wasted. Even if no one ever reads it, it is something that has come alive in you and has helped you become a better writer.

Voice
Don't lose your voice in pandering to the public. Make sure that you are writing for yourself and no one else.
- Resonate - Write things that resonates to you. Stay passionate about your topic.
- Use plain language that resonates to the reader. Flowery language or description (even written well) can lose a reader's focus, causing them to skip ahead to dialogue.

Redundancy
Simplify your descriptions to get rid of redundancy.
- It's BAD
- Keep your stuff fresh and unique
- Turn the story on its head
- Don't make all your heros the same
- Challenge yourself & your characters
- Keep it new and different (i.e. try not to write about elves and orcs, but about something no one but you has ever imagined)

Setting
Write as if the setting where its own character.
- The setting should be a living, tactile, breathing thing that shows up in your writing.
- Be aware where your character is standing and where they are going. Know (visualize) where they are.
- Be aware of surroundings - i.e. empty room vs. coffee ship - which is more interesting?
- Include smells, sounds, etc, even if it is only seen as character's are talking while walking.

You
Don't give up (You have no right!)
- Just because you get rejected doesn't mean you should give up.
- You have something in you that needs to be written and needs to be read by someone else.
- You do not have the right to deny your own future. Who knows if the next letter you decided not to send out would have been the one to get you an agent or publisher?

I would like to personally thank Julie Write for her thoughts, and again for her fabulous feedback and suggestions on my book.

For all the other writer's out there I would like to echo Julie's thoughts and say to you Please, Don't Give Up. You have a great story within you and the rest of us our eagerly waiting to read it. Keep up the good work.

YA Discussion Panel

The panelists who participated in the Middle-Grade/Young Adult Discussion Panel were: Rob Wells, Allyson Condie, Dan Wells, James Dasher, Janette Rollison, J. Scott Savage, and Tamra Norton.

The following are the notes that I took from the questions asked of the panel.

Q&A

- What is the difference between Middle-Grade and Young Adult? MG starts at chapter books and goes up to seven grade. YA adult then goes from 8th grade on up to 16 years of age. In the publishing industry a book is no longer YA is the main character is older than 16 years old. At that point the book is marketed as an adult book.

- What is the difference in word count between MG and YA? Word count is generally less in middle grade unless it is a fantasy novel. Fantasy novels in general tend to be longer in word count over other genres.

- What are other differences between MG and YA? The younger the reader, the focused the problem for the main character is. (i.e. dealing with achne or lost love vs. saving the world).

- What control do authors have over their book covers? Authors have very little control over covers. Bookstores have the greatest control (especially B&N) over covers. They know what sells. Book covers are like plumage on a bird. They are what attract the attention of the readers enough to get them to pick up the book and read it. If the bookstores feel that the cover won't attract enough attention, they will not purchase it from the publisher, or insist that the cover be changed.

Other Thoughts/Comments:

- On average kids tend to read books with characters that are two years older then themselves.
- Young Adult book has more attention given to opposite sex and romance. Middle Grade doesn't care as much.
- If you are going to write MG/YA make sure to talk to kids in that age range while you are writing. That way you make sure that your characters/plots are age appropriate. Then have those kids read you manuscript when you are done and provide you with feedback and what needs improvement.
- With kids books try to present suspense/scare without adding graphic descriptions. It can be done. Keep in mind that responsibility scares kids and that fantasy needs the scary elements (don't hold back).
- Empower your characters.
- Keep in mind how parents might react to having their kids read your book.
- The non-supernatural stuff scares people more than the supernatural. If you think your book is too scary make it a little more supernatural.
- Middle Grade books are uniformly geared to both genders.
- Boys read as much as girls. They just don't read as many novels. Usually boys read more on the Internet and things that are video game related.
- If you are going to write about drinking, sex, or drugs, then you have to include the consequences that that choice will bring up.
- Book One will always be the better seller of a series.

Fantastic Video - I Wanna Be A Bestseller

I KNOW!!! Three posts in one day...what can she be thinking?...you might be asking yourself. I just wanted to make sure to pass on this fantabulous video that several authors put together for the LDS Storymakers conference over the weekend. HILARIOUS!!! Please check it out - I Wanna Be A Bestseller.

My personal notes from: "Plot and Conflict" with Rachel Ann Nunes

(Updated Post: In order to comply with copyright law I have removed anything that was directly taken from the course syllabus and have left only my summarization of the course. I apologize to LDS Storymakers and Rachel Ann Nunes for any conflict of copyright and thank them for their patience.)

On Saturday I attended the LDS Storymakers conference where I was able to learn tips, tricks, and helpful information from published authors within the LDS community. The first class that I attended was on Plot and Conflict which was taught by Rachel Ann Nunes (http://www.ranunes.com/).

Rachel is an award winning author of women's fiction. She has written over 28 books and is most known for her works of her Arianna series, and her award-winning picture book Daughter of a King.


To have a strong, successful story you must focus on plot. Your characters must have a direction, a purpose, conflict and resolution. All this is accomplished through the plot.

Things to keep in mind with plot:
- If you have too many characters in your story the less the reader cares about them. Stick with one or two MAIN characters, then use plot to draw the reader into the characters lives and make them care about what happens to that one or two characters.

Parts to a Plot:
- Main character's conflict -
- The initiation force. Start with a severe event or point of change in the main character's live. (i.e. death of a loved one, change in social position, tragedy).
Complications:
- To keep the plot strong your main characters must confront complications (i.e. complications with other, with self, with nature, etc.)
- Make sure to include suspense/mystery throughout the plot. Don't try to resolve things too early. Draw out suspense through methods like: the ticking time bomb, foreshadowing, etc.
Climax:
- Climax should be seen through the main character's point of view. If you don't tell it through their point of view you risk angering the reader. The climax also should be fully developed and the highest point of tension in the book.
Resolution:
- Clean up all hanging threads. Leave no sub-plot unresolved or you risk irritating the reader and risk losing them. - Make sure that the resolution makes sense. Don't let the leading up sequences lead you to a surprise ending that makes no sense. - Finish - Do not drag on your ending for any longer than it really needs.

Other things to help make a strong story
Coincidence:
- Coincidences can be tempting for a writer to find a way out of a situation (i.e. someone who suddenly shows up with the answers or clues that you have never seen before and probably will never see again). So be very careful how you use them.
Hooks:
- Hooks are things that keep the reader involved and asking "What happens next?" Hooks make it so that the reader can't put the story down until they've reached the end of the story.
Protagonist:
- Should take action and not be waiting around for some action to happen to them.
- A positive action by the protagonist doesn't necessarily require positive result. If something goes wrong because of the protagonist action you increase the tention of the story and show that even well-meaning intent can have negative resutls.
- The more than an act/event means to the main character, the more you can create an effective plot and have the reader care about what happens to that character.

I want to again thank Rachel Ann Nunes and the LDS Storymakers for their wonderful advice and support of all of us out here striving to become better (and need I say) published writers. Stay tuned for further thoughts the other classes and discussions that I attended.

Keep on writing.

Congratulations to James Dashner and Brandon Sanderson

This weekend I was able to attend part of the LDS Storymakers Conference down in Provo, Utah. Most of the authors present are local to Utah and mainly write for the LDS Market, though there were also authors, agents, and editors that focus on the National Market.

After two days of fabulous discussions, panels, skits and much, much more, the conference ended with the Whitney Awards Dinner to celebrate some of the many amazing LDS authors out there. Here are a few of the authors nominated for awards in their areas:

- Jessica Day George
- Brandon Sanderson
- Brandon Mull
- J. Scott Savage
- Jessica Day George
- James Dashner
- Orson Scott Card
- Stephanie Meyer
- David Farland

Even though I was unable to attend the award ceremony I want to give a shout out of congratulations to James Dashner who won Best Youth Fiction for his book The 13th Reality and to Brandon Sanderson who won Best Speculative Fiction for his book The Hero of Ages. I have had the privilege of meeting both gentlemen several times and want to thank them for their wonderful books and their efforts to continually motivate those of us working to break into the field. You both deserve the kudos!!! Please keep up the great work.

Keep on the look out for fabulous notes from this conference which will be posted throughout this week on this blog. I learned so many wonderful things I am eager to pass on the knowledge to anyone who wants to know about, but was unable to attend themselves. I do hope these notes are of help to you. Keep up the good work and never give up hope.

Fablehaven Book 4 Launch

One of the great things about living in Utah is learning from the fabulous mass of authors that consider Utah home. I've had the wonderful opportunity several times in the last six months to meet authors like Shannon Hale, James Dashner, Brandon Mull, Tracy and Laura Hickman, Jessica Day George, and several more. Last week I attended small portions of Brandon Mull's release activities for Fablehaven Book 4: Secrets of the Dragon Sanctuary.

Brandon attended a pre-launch party book signing at Deseret Book in Midvale, UT on Tuesday, March 24th. Even though my daughter and I arrived twenty minutes early (a lot later than I hoped for) we were about thirtieth in line. By the time the book signing began the line nearly went out the back entrance after swirling around several rows of books, crafts, etc. Even though the line was long (and Brandon was a little late) he still took the time to talk to each person as he signed their books and posed for pictures.



Later that evening I arrived late to the launch party to see a mass of teens and their parents leaving from the Cottonwood High School auditorium in Murray, UT. When I entered the auditorium to see what I missed there were still hundreds of people milling around checking out the dragon decorated stage, grabbing posters, and talking about the fun presentation that had just occurred. In the hallways outside of the auditorium there were booths for purchasing Fablehaven t-shirts, people decorated up as characters from the books, and games for everyone to participate in. Overall it was an amazing book release party (even if I did miss the main part).



Brandon was not the only author at the release party. I also saw James Dashner and Shannon Hale there. It would seem that even well published authors enjoy attending and supporting their fellow authors.



As I continue the process to become a published author, I look forward to a time down the road when I can participate in a release party of my very own. If you ever need motivation to keep on writing check out any book signings or release parties that are scheduled near you and go see what the future may hold for you. Keep up the good work on your writing and don't give up hope.

Partner in Crime

I've made a command decision. My dear friend Stephanie as aided and abetted me in my efforts over the last eight drafts of Nedara book one with edits and advice. She has been of such tremendous help and unflinching support that I've decided to make her the co-author of this series. I think she will bring a fresh look to the book and help me to fill in holes that may still be preventing this work from being a marvelous book and turning it into a FANTASTIC book.

So my piece of advice in regards to writing is...do not be afraid to admit where you are weak and seek out the help of someone who can help you become stronger in those areas. Keep up the great work. I'm rooting for you.

LTUE - How to Make a Novel Fill 100,00 Words

How Novelists Fill 100,000 Words and Still Keep the Story Interesting Panel Discussion with David Farland, Tracy Hickman, Laura Hickman, Paul Genesse, L.E. Modesitt Jr., and Brandon Sanderson - To ensure that a novel reaches its fullest potential (and exceeds 100,000 words) the bonus (or the foundation) of the book must be solid, well built, and well put together. - Instead of doing a load dump at the beginning of the book describing the story setting try to interweave the details throughout the story. - Let tension continue to build throughout the story so that something that should have been attainable seems less and less attainable as the story progresses. - The reader has to feel a sense of progression throughout the story. There are three ways of doing this:

 - a trave log - where main characters are moving to different locations to achieve their goal

 - a time bomb - where the main characters are in one location but time is counting down to something bad happening and they have to stop it

 - the reader has to learn something new providing a sense of continuing revelation

- To have a really good story and one that reaches 100,000+ words you should make the bad guys really smart. Anybody in a position to dominate a society, city, people, etc., will not be slow or an idiot. Try to have the bad guy one step ahead of the heroes through a good portion of the story. - Make your main characters think that the world is "this way" and then realize/learn that their view of the way the world is is not really the truth. - The villain needs to be convinced that he/she is the good guy and is the one who is absolutely convinced that he/she is the one saving the world. - Use characters to extend the story length

 - give your hero flaws that lead to confrontations or avoidances

 - add more conflict for or to your characters which causes them to make choices which have consequences

 - ask the evil guy who he thinks the good guy is as a person

 - ask why your main character is the person to save the world

I do hope that you find this information as helpful as I did in helping you to lengthen your stories. Don't give up hope and keep up the great work!!!

LTUE - The Moral Universe of the Runelords

The Moral Universe of the Runelords
Discussion with David Farland author of "Of Mice and Magic", "The Runelords", "Mummy Chronicles" and much more.

- Readers don't always read what you wrote with the intent that you meant.

- In fantasy there tends to always be black and white, but you should re-evaluate what you have written to identify any ambiguity which you might be able to play around with.

- When writing you have to realize that, even though it may be hard to write, sometimes good people are forced to make ugly decisions. Be willing to make your good characters make decisions that aren't perfect (i.e. a person having to take someone else's powers in order to eventually overpower the ultimate evil even though they don't want to take people's powers in the first place.)



Author David Farland has an email that he sents out five times a week to other writers called David Farland's Kick In The Pants. It is full of great insight into the publishing industry, as well as tips for how to become a better writer. If you would like to receive these emails please email David at davidfarland@xmission.com and say "Kick me!" I highly recommend it.


Next time I will post notes on How to Make a Novel Fill 100,000 Words and Still Keep It Interesting

LTUE - Myth & Mythology

Alright, so after a week hiatus of posting here is additional information from "the Life, the Universe, and Everything" Sci-Fi/Fantasy Symposium that I attended last month.


Myth & Mythology
Panel Discussion with John Brown, Mette Ivie Harrison, L.E. Modesitt Jr., Aprilynne Pike, and Nathan Shumate


- Fantasy is making "myths" and "mythic characters" personal. Myth is about the inexplicable.

- If you choose to base your story (or part of your story) from a myth make sure to include references to that myth throughout the entire story rather than in one great big information dump.

- Feel free to re-write the myth to tell the story that you want to tell and the lesson that you want to learn.

- Keep in mind that there has to be a limitation to power/magic. Your characters can't simply be able to do anything they want. There has to be a downside to their use of power (i.e. draining of energy, can only work at midnight, etc.). Remember:Characters are "cool" because of their strengths but "interesting" because of their "weaknesses."


I hope that you find this information helpful in your journey to write a better story. I know that it is helping me. Keep up the good work and good luck!!!

Light in the Darkness

Today I'm going to take a break from posting my thoughts on the LTUE Symposium to provide an update on my writing efforts. Thanks to a friend who lives nearby I was able to have a professional editor take a look at the first novel in my Nedaran series. The feedback that I received today was amazing - filled with hope, fantastic revelations and great ideas.

So how do I feel about it...honestly...overwhelmed. It was incredibly worth it to go to a professional editor for feedback. Now that I have that feedback I see months more of work ahead of me and feel a little daunted about the task ahead. The editor said that I am imaginative and a storyteller with great writing mechanics. She loved several of my characters, and plot ideas. She just recommends that I flush out a few of my characters more so that it is easier for the reader to fall in love (or hate as the case may be) easier. She even pointed out certain smaller details that will immensely improve on my story once resolved. I LOVE IT!!!! After what I have learned this morning I’m eager to get moving on the story and to overcome any hurdles that lay ahead.

My one writer’s tip for the day is this………get feedback on your story. It is vital for a good writer to have friends and strangers read your words. As mentioned in some of the LTUE notes, the reader is the author’s partner in making a story come alive. If you want to make sure that your story does just that, then it is important that you have someone other than you read your story and provide feedback. If it is within your power (and finances) I would even recommend having a professional editor read it prior to you submitting it to agents. That way you can identify any kinks, weak spots, etc., and get them worked out in advance. This will allow the true light of your story to shine forth in the darkness and amaze any agent who reads it.

Good luck and don’t give up hope!

LTUE - Creative Reading

Last Saturday, while at the LTUE Symposium author Tracy Hickman spoke on Creative Reading. His keynote address was so amazing and touching that he received a standing ovation. Below are a few of my notes from his speach. I hope you find it helpful in creating a meaningful experience with those who will read your works.


Creative Reading
Key Note Speaker: Tracy Hickman

- Story is meaning - The author should see the reader as his/her partner in creating meaning and experience within the story. Let the reader see, smell, feel, time things, and imagine characters without necessarily having to write the words on the page.

Principle #1

No Book Lives Until It Is Read

- Literature is an art form where the final performance takes place while the original artist is not present

and

- the meaningful experience in all literature takes place in the white space between words.

- It is the reader that creates the meaningful experience

Principle #2

The Lord Is In The Still Small Voice

- The Spirit speaks to us from between the words

Principle #3

We Are Changed By What We Read

- Change is the only constant and what we experience cannot help but change us in turn.

So remember, that the READER is the author's partner in meaningful creation. As a result, who knows what words are in you that will change someone's life.


I don't feel like I really did justice to Tracy Hickman's thoughts during his key note address. Each prinicple was elaborated on by examples and stories that I did not feel I could mention here as they are his personal stories. If he wants them shared with you I'm sure he will tell you one day in person.

Overall, the point he was trying to make, is that when a reader picks up your book to read your words come alive for that reader. More than words though, the reader will usually see an image in their mind and will create and add details to that image in their mind that were never written on paper. So everyone who picks up your book could easily have a different experience from your story than anyone else has. The story becomes personal to them. They may like it...they may hate it...but they have taken it within them and have made it their own.


I hope this clarifies my notes. Feel free to let me know if you are confused or if you have any questions with any of my notes from this year's "The Life, the Universe and Everything" Symposium. Until then, keep on writing and never give up hope.

LTUE - Current Trends + The Problem With Writing Sequels

Saturday's discussions at the LTUE Symposium were filled to the brim with interesting tidbits of information to help the aspiring author to improve their skills as a writer and to achieve their dreams. I hope that passing on my notes from those discussions will help inspire you to continue on in your dream as well.
Good Luck!

Current Trends in Fantasy & SF
Panel Discussion with:L.E. Modesitt Jr., Brandon Sanderson, David Farland, Eric James Stone

- YA Fantasy is overwhelmed at this time and many published are booked out for three years in advance.
- Editors/Agents are eager to find strong science fiction to balance out the large amount of fantasy forthcoming.
- No matter what the current trend literature is in a state of constant flux. Two years ago Vampire books were considered dead...now look at Stephanie Meyers.
- It is important to write from your heart and what you want to read. If a book is written well and the story is compelling, then it won't matter what the current trend is.
- Slipstream literature is literature that fuses several genres within one story.
- Currently there is a lot of crossover between YA and Adult Fantasy.
- An average agent/editor can tell you what is currently selling. A first rate agent/editor can tell you what will sell that hasn't sold yet.


The Problem with Writing Sequels
Panel discussion with: James Dashner, David Farland, Paul Genesse, mette Ivie Harrison, Laura Hickman, L.E. Modesitt Jr., and Brandon Sanderson

- Sequals are easier to write in that you already know the characters, but harder in determining what information to repeat in order to remind the reader what went on in the first book without boring them with too many details. - A sequel also gives you a chance to help the reader fall in love with your characters even more. How do you keep a sequel fresh?

 - Use different characters (i.e. build up one of the minor characters from an earlier book or introduce a new character)

 - Use a different cultural background

 - Use a different setting

 - Introduce bigger/more difficult problems that force the characters to grow

LTUE Symposium - 3 Things You Must Learn to Write Killer Stories

This last weekend I had the chance to attend the "Life, the Universe & Everything: The Marion K. “Doc” Smith Symposium on Science Fiction and Fantasy" held at Brigham Young University in Provo, UT. I was unable to attend the full three days of the symposium, but loved every minute that I did catch. For anyone interested I will post what I learned at the symposium a lit bit each day:

“3 Things You Must Learn to Write Killer Stories” workshop by John Brown

(Note: I did not realize this was a two our workshop. As such, I didn't show up until it was half over. I will still pass on what I did learn while I was there.)

- Identify generally what I I'm doing with the story - There are five things to keep in mind with a story 1) Plot 2) Problem 3) Setting 4) Character 5) Text - Figure out how all those parts fit together - Creativity is - you have a problem and you come up with a solution
So how do you get started developing a story:

Part 1: Gather Material

- Always be looking for material.  You must feed your beast.  Look for "zings" that attract, whether they might make a good plot idea, character idea, etc, and write them down in a "zing" file to look at later.  

Warning: You must have zings in all five areas to have a good story.

Part 2: Ask Questions

- Look at material and write down what your first thoughts are when you focus on a particular "zing"

- Develop those initial thoughts

Prinicples to help you stay in the writing mode:

#1 - Make enough time.

- 10 hours minimum per week would be best.  Find any moment you can to do something related to writing.  To make the time inbetween your work sessions try to write down a question you need to think about and keep it with throughout the day.  Pull it out when you get a chance to remind yourself of the question.  If you come up with the answer to the question at any point immediately write it down so that you can look at it again during your next writing session.

#2 - Follow your "zing"

- If you find a great zing, then play with it, mess with it and develope it until you've exhausted it.

#3 - Practice "Farmer's Faith"

- Throw all the crap you can on the garden of you mind and have faith that something will grow from it.

#4 - Writer's Block is a gift (it is your "spidey sense")

- When you get writer's block your mind is trying to tell you one of four things:

- Your out of material

- You know what to write, but you don't want to write it

- You have "perfection" stress

- You're overwhelmed and need to try and break your work up into baby 

steps

#5 - Keep yourself on the move

- Make a decision, get out, and move

Excercises to help you in your writing (a.k.a. 10-20s)
These excercises should help you to identify patterns of things that interest you in order to help improve your writing:

1) write 10-20 story ideas
2) figure out 10-20 problems that would be good in a story
3) go through 10-20 cycles of writing down a problem and figuring out how to resolve it
4) determine 10-20 people in life that I'm drawn to and write down what draws me to them
5) determine 10-20 things or actions that cause me to root against someone
6) write down 10-20 "zings"
7) be on the lookout for story questions (i.e.  why would my character act that way?)
8) work on writing or writing related activities 10-20 hours per week 

That's it for today ladies and gentlemen. Keep an eye out for the next installment of fabulous knowledge gained at the LTUE tomorrow.

Updates, Contests and Symposiums

Hello World -
It's a new month and new hope is out on the horizon. Thanks to an awesome fellow aspiring author the first book in my fantasy series The Nedaran Prophecy will get a once over by a professional editor. I am SO excited and am eager to hear their suggestions.


In the meantime, I need to pass on information in regards to a fabulous contest that fellow author Anne Bradshaw is hosting on her blog. On a regular basis Anne holds contests with fabulous prizes. You should really check out her blog and while there don't forget to poke around and learn more about this amazing woman and the stuff she writes, including her upcoming book Famous Family Nights releasing later this year.
To find out more details about this week's contest and rules go to:

Not Entirely British: CONTEST - for Soothing and Uplifting CD


Also, if you live in Utah or will be visiting Utah the week of February 16th and are an aspiring author you should consider attending

"the Life, the Universe & Everything: The Marion K. “Doc” Smith Symposium on Science Fiction and Fantasy"

that will be held at BYU in Provo, UT February 19-21, 2009. For more information on the symposium and who the visiting authors will be please check out the following link:

http://ltue.byu.edu/2009Home.html

Priorities

As any individual who lives and breathes can attest, there are times in our lives where we are forced to sit down and face priorities. I love writing...I love words...I love a good story that lets me delve into a whole new world and to go places that I would've never imagined before. I love the thrill of the hunt to create a character and make him leap from the page (or sometimes fall flat on his face off the page).

As much as I love all of this, there are times that I can't put as much energy and devotion into the creative process. This is one of those times. Write now I have a sweet, little, highly-active daughter and an incredibly patient and supportive husband that deserve more of my time and attention. And to be honest I have very little energy at the moment to let my writing compete with my family.

So I have been forced to take a step back on only work on my writing, at most, one day a week. Sure it slows down how many stories I can submit to publishers and magazines and how much time that I can focus fine-tuning my novel so that it reads more like a novel rather than a rough draft. I will not give writing up. It is too much a part of who I am . . . and it seems that people actually like to read my stories (go figure), but if I am to become the world famous author I dream of being I have to take time to regenerate my soul and recoup who I am.

You may ask..."well what does that have to do with struggling authors everywhere?" I just want to say that everyone should make sure to take time for yourselves, be kind to yourself, and treat yourself right and you will find that your writing improves dramatically.

Don't give up hope and keep your pen to paper when you can. Who knows . . .your life's struggles might just become the next best selling story the world has been waiting for. Good luck!