Short Stories Can Kick Some Ass Too!

One of my visitors, Rinda Elliott (aka The Write Snark: http://relliott4.wordpress.com/), brought up the issue of voice, which is an ongoing issue for even the most fluent writers. I sent out a few e-mails to find some answers, and received one that I thought was brilliant.

This author told me that when she is feelilng like her voice is becoming cloudy, she will write no less than five short stories, usually based on characters from the novel she is working on. She said the beauty with writing short stories (four to ten pages in length) is there is no room for "fluff." It is, "make one good point, and make it quick. This will reinforce your voice, especially if you are staying consistent from story to story. If not, find the spots where it drifts and write them again, paying attention to consistency."

Thanks to M. for the tip, and if any of you write a short story or five, please post them here. (I promise not to add any critique.)

The Revitalized Editor

Back from a great weekend of hiking and c-c-c-c-c-c-c-camping (yes, it was freakin' cold). The sun was shining except for a brief period when it snowed. That almost sent me home early. Thank goodness I remembered the Jack.

The lake was beautiful, and I spent some time reflecting on the new year. I still think this year is going to be a fabulous one, and creative muses are going to be working overtime. By the way, that stick is not up my ass...just an optical illusion.

Finished MS...Oh, Yes.

Just finished a manuscript that has been a challenge for me. Thus, I am taking off for the weekend to recharge. I truly love this part of the gig...finishing something and being proud of my work. The ms is brilliant, and I think it will be a breakout story for this author. It feels good to be a part of that.

I'm angry at Oprah, so don't think I'm all happy and jumping around. I watch her show about three times a year, and I fucking swear she interrupts her guests WAY too much. She comes from here in Nashville, and folks who know her say...well, she interrupts her guests WAY too much.

But I will not be thinking of her this weekend, nor editing, nor writing (that's bullshit), nor how damn cold it is outside today. At least the sun is shining. I think I will go east, into the warmth.

Have a great weekend, and if you are staying home to work, blessings of productivity to you.

-Doc

Some More Word Usage For Ya

Here's the next post in my word usage series. Again, these are taken directly from my style sheets, and are words I come across almost every day.

1. Basis. Its meaning is foundation, and is used too much. Try rewording: "On a personal basis, I find this offensive" to "Personally, I find this offensive" or on a daily basis to daily.

2. Between; among; amid. Between for one-to-one relationships: "Between me and my mother." Among is for undefined relationships: "Evil among the children." Amid is used with mass nouns: "Amid the desire for peace." Try not to use amongst or amidst.

3. Bi; semi. bi means "two" as in: "The magazine comes bimonthly" (every two months). Semi means "half" as in: "They are having the second semiannual sale" (twice a year).

4. Bring; take. Don't be fooled by this common mistake. If the action is towards your character, use bring: "Johnny, bring your car over so I can look at it." If the action is away, use take: "Johnny, take your car to the shop for Hal to look at."

5. But. But can start a contrasting sentence, though many writers disagree. It is preferred to however: "But only those who have seen the ghost believe it is real."

Short one today. More to come. Go be productive.

Work Hard Today

I have a full plate today, as I am sure many of y'all do. I hope you have a productive day, and write something spectacular. Even if it's just a sentence or two. Write something that makes you proud of yourself.

More bloggin' fun tomorrow (if I get this ms done!).

Keep Your Novel Out of the Toilet

I just received a couple of books from a friend of mine in the biz. She is in the "real world" of publishing, and we have had some hefty debates regarding authors who self-publish versus the traditional route of submitting for a publishing contract. She will send me self-published (or vanity press) books she comes across to support her argument that most self-published books are total crap.

Though I don’t agree with her position (after all, ninety percent of my business is editing for independent authors), after I read the stuff she sends me I immediately send back an e-mail saying, “touché.” It becomes clear after just a few chapters that these authors are totally inexperienced and probably did not use an editor either (shame on you!).

My friend’s biggest beef is that an author will send her a self-published “novel” as some sort of testimony that he or she knows what they’re doing. Like somehow having an actual pressed book puts him or her into the big leagues, and my friend should offer the author a contract immediately.

It really does make me sad in that the amount of money a person will spend to have a book manufactured is alarming. These authors will have to sell a ton of books off of their websites, through their blogs, or out of the trunks of their cars just to break even. It makes me ill when I look at the prices (and stealing of publishing rights) some of these publishing houses charge.

I am all for independent literature. Of any kind. There are some legitimate print-on-demand companies out there that charge reasonable prices for an author to print a book. But the point my friend and I do agree on is this: TAKE THE TIME TO MAKE YOUR MANUSCRIPT PERFECT! And I mean perfect. Draft, draft, and re-draft. Then find a good editor (like me!) who will go through your ms and make you do another draft. Listen to your editor’s advice. You may not like it, but chances are he or she is right. It’s not about robbing your story from you…it’s about making it readable to the largest audience possible. That’s how you will sell books, my friend.

The thing that will kill the independent literature movement is the continuation of work flooding into the market that is just shit. Like when your toilet gets backed up—because someone tried to flush a book down it—talk about a mess. The authors who have taken the time to make their writing shine can’t get to the market because of the backup of material that has no business being out there. Get what I’m saying? Think about your fellow authors as allies, not competition. The more quality independent writing that becomes available, the better the opportunities will be for everyone.

I have spoken with my friend a few times about starting our own publishing company. She likes the idea, and knows there are enough independent editors out there like me who can help create some awesome stuff. But from where she is sitting, she can see the time is still not right. There are just not enough hours in the day to pick through the crap in order to find the diamonds.

Don’t be lazy, writers. Take the time to make every word count. Take advice when it is given, and stop being so damn defensive. Find an editor, and build a working relationship with him or her. And for the love of (your deity here), don’t self-publish until you know your stuff is as good as anything on the bookstore best-seller shelf. And that doesn’t mean taking the word of your family or friends (unless they’re in the biz, of course).

Best of luck, and go write something wonderful.

Some Word Usage For Ya...

All righty, then. I am going to begin a little series on word usage, which is an issue I come across often with my editing. I will keep this going with new words regularily, so keep checking back. Don't forget--this is based on the house style I employ. Your publisher may wish you to use their house style, which you should always do.

1. About or approximately. Try to use about. Approximately is usually for the sciences, such as: "Approximately fifteen expressions can be identified from the equation."

2. Adequate; sufficient; enough. Adequate when referring to the suitability of something in a specific situation: "He gave an adequate response to the question." Sufficient when referring to an amount: "He provided sufficient information" or "There is sufficient wine for the party." Enough modifies mass nouns: "there is enough air to breath" or count nouns: "There are enough nails to finish the project."

3. Affect or effect. Usually a verb, affect means to influence or have an effect on: "Her argument affected his decision." Effect is usually a noun and refers to an outcome or result: "Her argument had no effect." Effect can also function as a verb meaning to produce or make happen: "She wanted to effect a change in his decision."

4.All right is two words, not alright.

5. Anxious means "worried, distressed." Do not use it to say eager, which means "having keen desire or longing."

6. Anywhere or any place. Anywhere is general: "Those kids could be anywhere." Any place is more focused when you mean "any location": "They looked for any place to hide." Don't use anyplace.

7. As far as. Too many words. Compare as far as love is concerned, we all want it with as for love, we all want it.

8. As to. Only at the beginning of a sentence: "As to the letter, he knew exactly where it came from." Other wise use about: "He gave an answer about where the letter came from."

9. As yet or as of yet. Too formal and redundant: "She has not arrived as of yet." Try yet, still, or so far: "She still has not arrived" or "She has not arrived yet."

10. Awhile or a while. Chicago Manual of Style, fifteenth edition says: "The one-word version is adverbial {let's stop here awhile}. The two-word version is a noun phrase that follows the preposition for or in {she worked for a while before beginning graduate studies}."

I hope this helps. More to come.

Get Sophisticated, and Enjoy the High Life

Like “voice,” sophistication is something that can give your writing a professional touch, and set it apart from the masses (hopefully enticing people to buy it!). Take a look at the following sentence:

As Sabrina let her bra fall to the floor, she turned to face me.

Or what about this version:

Letting her bra fall to the floor, Sabrina turned to face me.

Both are correct grammatically and let the reader know what is happening in a clear way. But by writing the action of Sabrina’s bra falling to the floor as a dependent clause, the emphasis of action is placed on Sabrina turning to face someone. If the reason Sabrina is removing her bra is one of a sexual or seductive nature, the versions above remove the reader from that detail a degree or two. Taking off an undergarment is in itself erotic, and should be given equal attention:

Sabrina let her bra fall to the floor and turned to face me.

The as and –ing constructions can also make a reader say, “what?”:

Quickly fixing my hair, I answered the door.

How can someone fix their hair and open a door at the same time? How about:

I quickly fixed my hair and answered the door.

Doesn't this last version sound a little more, well, sophisticated?

Another way to add sophistication to your writing is to get rid of those damn clichés! For the love of God, won’t you? You should drop them like a bad habit! Remember, no guts, no glory. Not turning to clichés in your writing is hard, but if at first you don’t succeed, try try again.

Don’t create the waitress at the diner your protagonist is eating at to have the name “Flo” and use the word “hon” all the time. Don’t have your grandmothers be sweet little old ladies who bake cookies all day long and always have just the right thing to say. Instead of a boss who is loathed because he/she is a control freak who makes his/her employees work like dogs (Damn, a cliché!), have he/she depressed from a failing love relationship and constantly asking his/her employees for advice and/or wanting to spend time with them on a personal basis.

The final issue I will discuss here is one that I am guilty of all the time. It is the overuse of swearing or profanity. I write like I talk (as you may have picked up from my blogs), and when I am angry I tend to use a lot of swearing. However, it only takes one or two well-placed profanities to help your reader understand the effect you are going for. Even a hardened Italian mafia dude doesn’t need to say, “Fuck you, Joey!” every other sentence to get the point across.

Oh, yeah—sex scenes. This is one more that drives me fuc--oops, better follow my own advice--crazy. Let me just say that readers like to use their imaginations, especially on something exciting like a sex scene. I have said before that readers are a sharp bunch and the quickest way to bore them is to take away their imaginations. No two people enjoy sex the same way, so let each reader use his or her own ideas to “see” the scene. The less physical detail you reveal, the better. Be subtle. Not everyone has to sweat to have passionate sex.

Hope this helps, and more to come.

Clearing the Head is a Good Thing

Well, this was the view from my room at a certain lake in Kentucky I visited this holiday weekend. It rained the whole time, except for an hour or so at sunset. The room had a private patio to sit on, and the temperature was an unseasonable seventy degrees. It was so nice to sit, play a little geetar, and clear my thoughts. I feel better. I feel relaxed. I feel warm and fuzzy. (That last one is bullshit.)

I hope everyone is having a nice MLK day. I am working on a blog for you writers concerning sophistication, which is a companion to voice (see: "Finding Your Voice and How to Use It" in my blog archive), so check back for some tidbits of truth.

Snark, Fuck Off!

Alright, I've had it. One of my clients suggested to me last year to go and check out this "Miss Snark, Literary Agent" blog. Becuase I promised her I would, I did. Some cool stuff on there, but I sent a comment the other day that I knew was probably going to be a little too close to home for the Snark. She didn't publish my comment, which threw me for a loop. How can someone who is so "brutally honest" about the publishing biz exercise censorship? I guess she really does want to crush writers under her fucking heel. I was blown away. I even sent a "watered-down" version of the comment, to no avail.

I think what pissed me off the most is that I know she knows what I had to say was true, but she still chose not to publish it. That's assuming (which I don't) that Snark is a single person. I honestly believe it is a group of agents who developed the blog as a way to lure in new talent so they can create job security for themselves. Pay attention to the way the voice changes in "her" replys. You've heard the old saying, "Those who can't, teach"? Well, in publishing it's, "Those who can't are agents."

From what I have read, the posts Snark allows to be seen are the ones that keep blowing air up her ass...typical of the biz. The blog does have some great things to say from time to time, but after going back and looking at comments over the last year, they seem to consitently be "pro Snark." That is not what a rebel literary agent should be about, in my opinion.

For those of you who visit there, keep it up. It is a great place to meet other writers, and pick up some nuggets of truth. Just be aware of what the Snark's motives may be...trolling for newbies who will sign with her so she can keep a job for a little while longer. Independent literature is coming faster than anyone expected, so watch out for these cats who fight the winds of change by telling everyone that they are the only way to find success.

Go Read These Blogs

This a cool blog by a fellow Nashville cat. Her blog is called Nik Cubed. Yes, her name is Nik...duh!

This is one of my regular morning stops. Nik is a real talent, and her blog is full of witticisms and honest explorations of a writer trapped in the body of a working mother. She is destined to be famous soon, and won't have time for blogging like the rest of us proletariats, so check her out now while you still can. Here is her link:

http://nikcubed.blogspot.com/

Another great place is the Write Snark. This Oklahoma writer is super creative and has a lot going on. Her blogs are inspirational, as (like Nik) she is brutally honest about her trials and tribulations. She has a market place to buy some cool writer-friendly merch, and is running a writing competition as this is being written.

Here is her link:

http://relliott4.wordpress.com/

I have a few more places I tend to lurk around at, and I will post them later. For now, go visit these two fellow ink slingers and enjoy some fresh perspectives on our crazy creativity.

Have a productive day.

Finding Your Voice, and How to Use It!

Okay, here is another lesson for you writers out there to keep me from kicking your asses!

"Voice" is probably the most difficult aspect of fiction writing (or any writing, for that matter) to keep a handle on, yet it is the first irregularity that will have your readers putting your novel in their "maybe read later" pile.

All authors want to have a distinct, authoritative voice when they write. But it ain't something you can run to an editor for, TRUST ME! The trick is to write "like yourself" without thinking about what "yourself" sounds like. WTF, you say? Read on, my disciple.

Voice is something that separates the "Pros" from the "Week-end warriors" in regards to writing. I remember reading The Da Vinci Code by Dan Brown and commenting to myself more than once, "This dude has a serious voice going on!" That novel from page one to the last keeps its readers in exactly the same position as far as "listening" is concerned. After the first few paragraphs, the tone (look it up) is set, and Brown is one of the few I have read in a while who keeps it consistent until his story's conclusion.

Why is Voice important? Because it determines the way your words "sound" on the page when someone "listens" to your writing. For example, I tried to write in a somewhat lofty tone when I first decided to pursue this gig. I thought that a novelist must find all these fancy-ass words to use, or no one would even care. I quickly learned, however, that I couldn't write that way because I wasn't familiar with the "sound" of that kind of communication. I'm a damn biker who grew up on a cattle ranch in the middle of nowhere, for christ's sake! I sure as hell wasn't going to churn out a bit of "James Joyce" anytime soon!

I have found the best way to develop your voice is to self edit. Yes, that means you are taking money from my pocket, but I don't give a damn. I am tired of working on manuscripts that read/sound like ten people authored the thing. Think about it. If you were reading a novel and you suddenly found yourself flipping back a chapter or two to make sure you didn't "miss something," wouldn't that piss you off?

Two-thirds of the reason I read a novel to begin with is to find out what someone else has to say in this crazy world. Fiction is a great place to voice opinions and convictions without dealing with a bunch of bullshit and backlash (except for the critics...). But if I am going to take the time out of my schedule to crack your book, you had better not trick me or I am going to find you and thump your ass!

Practice, edit, practice, edit, practice, edit, practice, edit...get the picture?

Any aspiring (and published, for that matter) author sould read every Dr. Suess book they can find, and "listen" to his voice. Oh, the places you'll go! Oh, the political messages you will hide! Oh, the McCarthyism you narrowly escaped!

@!#?!

One broken editing pencil: $1.25

Fifteen Starbucks coffees: $60.00

Ten pints of Jack Daniels: $100.00

Deciding to bid this project
by the hour: PRICELESS!

Solving the "Period, Comma, and Quotation Marks" Mystery

I think it's time I give a little "pep talk" on some style issues before I go off on someone. These are the corrections that take up WAY too much time, folks. As a disclaimer to any and all who wish to challenge me, I use the Chicago Manual of Style (fifteenth edition) as my style standard, unless a different style is requested by a publisher (which has not happened to me in my entire career).

Chicago Manual of Style says:

"Periods and commas precede closing quotation marks, whether double or single."

CMS goes on to quote the revered Elements of Style by William Strunk Jr. and E.B. White:

"'Typographical usage dictates that the comma be inside the [quotation] marks, though logically it often seems not to belong there."'

The next sentence in CMS says, "The same goes for the period."

If an author's subject matter or scholarly integrity is being compromised, the "British style" or rephrasing may be in order. Look it up.

Other punctuation, such as question marks, exclamation points, etc., depend on the meaning. For example:

"What time do you have?"

Whas it Kennedy who said, "Ask not what your country can do for you..."?

He asked me for my "license and registration"; I have neither a license nor do I own a car.

"Watch out, dumb ass!"

Bottom line: Follow the house style of your publisher. If there is none available, ask your editor about the opportunity (you do have an editor, right?). But whatever you do, pick ONE STYLE and stay with it through the ENTIRE manuscript (see An Editor's Irony below).

There. I feel a little better. Now, where's that bottle of Jack?

Damn it All to Hell!

So my bud in Cali sends me this picture of me in a former life. It's six in the morning, and I have been up since three. Couldn't sleep. The pic makes me a little sad, 'cause it reminds me of how much I miss playing in a rock band. I turned to a couple of pages in my "A Thousand Paths to Happiness" book, but no help there today.

Life is funny, ain't it? Just when you think you know where you're going--BAM--change of plans. Back when this pic was taken, editing was probably the last thing on my mind (I wonder what the hell I was thinking about...oh, yes...beer). Here I am, though, updating my blog, and loving every minute of my literary gig.

If any of you have lived a former life before the writing thing, let me know. I bet there are other "former rockstars" out there, among other things. Hope everyone is having a great weekend so far. If you haven't been over to Snark's blog lately, go check it out...there is some funny shit on there today!

Uh...Excuse Me?

So after a long, hard day of redlining, I go upstairs to get some reading done and guess what I find? If she wasn't so damn cute...

After a short conversation, she moved over and let me lie down. At least she's willing to compromise!

An Editor's Irony

Webster defines
"Irony" as:

"The frustration of hopes."

No shit! See what you writers put me through!

The drink on the right is for those manuscripts that insist on randomly placing periods outside of quotation marks. The drink on the left is for when I realize that doing a "global replace" cost me twice as much time than if I would have manually corrected the errors. AAAAAAGGGGGGHHHHHHHH!!!!

Wouldn't trade it for the world, though.

Mornin', Creative People!

Hope everyone is doing well this fine, January day. I want to say thanks to all of you who have visited my '07 blog, and especially those who took time to leave a comment. There is some good stuff on here already, and I can't wait to see what comes next.

Everyone have a super-productive day, and take a moment to throw a positive thought out into the musing pool for someone else who really needs it today. Yeah, I'm still angry...just tired. Trust me, though--the day's just gettin' started!

Maybe This'll Help...

Hey, look what Santa brought me! Damn, that list of his must be magic! I'll start readin' it tomorrow and we'll see what happens.

Hey, did you know if you mix the signifiers up in "Santa," you can spell "Satan"? Pretty cool, huh?

Nailing the Defensive Writer

C'mon, guys! It's only the second day of the new year, and the demons of insecurity and arrogance are already causing havoc in my world of analytical creativity. I'll let you in on a little secret, though...this year, I am going to kick their impish asses!

I returned from holiday vacation to find nine e-mails from writers interested in having me work on their manuscripts, which is always a nice thing to come home to since you know I LOVE my work. Really. No sarcasm, I promise. All but two of the manuscripts were pretty tight mechanically, but all nine needed help with exposition and voice, those common oversights we writers tend to always commit.

Well, I spent most of New Year's Eve day (yes, I am truly addicted to my work) redlining the first two, and e-mailed them back before heading out for a little imbibing. After tending to my hangover the next morning, I opened my e-mail to find them--those two little bastards from hell--reminding me that I am viewed as the enemy of creativity...the killjoy of writing...the grim reaper of musings. What ever!

Writers, listen up: EDITORS ARE YOUR GREATES ALLIES IN TAKING YOUR WRITING TO THE MASSES! Yeah, we suffer from the "God Complex" from time to time, but who in the hell wants someone working their manuscript who can't make a solid decision? Remember, readers are an intelligent group of people, and insulting them with poor writing will kill your career before it ever begins.

Long story short, I have booked both writers after several reassuring e-mails that my first goal was to help them create a marketable manuscript, and not to hijack their stories. I don't mind the extra effort, but it still baffles me how much I sometimes feel like a doctor telling a family that their loved one didn't make it.

I am excited about 2007. I think the world is going to become a better place this year, and I hope to be a tiny part of that process. I am thankful I make a living doing what I love, and when a writer wants me to work on a second project, it lets me know I am heading in the right direction.

Thanks for letting me vent. I would love to hear what you have to say, whatever that may be. Write on, writers...right on!