What Have You Done to Improve Your Writing Lately?

Writing is a skill that improves, like most things, the more often you do it. I work in IT, and we are always striving for continuous improvement in our software and the ways that we work, and that applies to the writing world, too. Here are some things you can try to help you hone your skills.

• Read anything you can get your hands on in your genre. Look for trends, tropes (patterns or expectations of that genre), and what is new. How do writers describe things? How do they use dialog tags? How do they move the story along? How do they end their chapters?

• Take a class. Many libraries and writing groups have free or low-cost courses and workshops.

• If you haven’t been in school for a while, take a refresher course on grammar and punctuation. Things have changed over the years.

• Join a writing group. Many offer programs and special events for members. There are mentorship programs, critique groups, and other opportunities for writers. I was able to get my first writing credit for a short story that was published in my Sisters in Crime chapter anthology.

• Find a critique partner or a critique group to help you hone your craft. I have learned so much from my groups over the years. They have lots of suggestions and ways to improve.

• Learn to use some of the not-so-obvious features of your word processor. There is a read aloud function in Word that helps you hear incorrect word usage in your manuscript. Use the search/replace feature to find overused words and other inconsistencies.

• Hire a developmental editor to help you polish your work, especially if it is a manuscript that you plan to send out to agents and publishers. This is a pricey option, but it is a good way to refine your work and make sure that it’s ready to be queried.

What would you add to my list? How do you continue to improve your writing?

How do You React to Feedback?

There is nothing like that feeling in the pit of your stomach when you receive critiques or edits on your work. All those mark-ups. That’s when self-doubt and loathing set in. Should I just give up and quit now? Maybe I’m not really cut out to do this.

It is very hard to offer your creation to someone and then to review their comments. When I started with my first critique group, I would have to wait a day or so after the discussion to go back through the written comments to be able to look at the comment without letting emotions take over. While many were positive, my brain tended to jump right to the criticisms and all the things that were wrong.

Receiving feedback became a lot easier when I changed how I thought about it. This is not personal, and it’s not an attack on me. Feedback is actually a gift to make you a better writer. You can learn so much and improve your craft.

I appreciate my beta readers, critique partners, agent, and editors. Writing is a business, and if you want to sell your writing, it needs to be the best it can be. Writing and revising are hard work.

My critiquers have provided ideas to make story lines better, they’ve explained what worked (and what didn’t work) in a story, and they helped me learn techniques and tricks of the trade.

One of the biggest things I learned was that you don’t have to list out every mundane thing that your character does. I come from a technical writing background where you detail every step in precise order. That’s necessary for software and process manuals, but not so much for fiction.

I read through the feedback and the notes from our discussion. I make the changes. If there’s something I don’t agree with (because it alters the character or story too much or it removes a vital clue to the mystery), I may choose not to make the edit.

Writing is a business, and you need to hone your skills and constantly make improvements. Critique groups, writing partners, and editors are the best way to do this. You learn more from doing than you do from reading craft books.

What has been your experience with receiving feedback on your work?

My Revision Process

I think revising and editing are the hardest (and maybe the most important) part of the writing process. Here is what works for me.

1. The First Draft - I write the first version, and I typically don’t edit during this stage. Depending on what’s going on, this takes me about two to three months.

2. First Read Through - I print the book and do a complete read through. I look for spelling and grammatical issues and plotholes.

3. Check the Chapters - I change the view in Word, so I can see a full page. I make sure the chapter lengths are reasonable (so one doesn’t have three pages and the next one has thirty-two pages). Then I read the last paragraph of each chapter. I want them to keep the reader reading past his/her bedtime. You don’t need to give a reader a convenient place to put a bookmark.

4. Dialog Check - Read through all the dialogue to make sure you didn’t leave off any quotation marks. Are there any dialog tags that can removed? Are there any paragraphs that need dialog? Eliminate the chitchat and the boring.

5. Search for the Overused Words - I keep a list of words that I use way too much. I search for each one to see if I can find a better way to say the same thing.

6. What’s in a Name - I search for any names that I change during the writing process to make sure there are no traces of the old one still lingering. I also have multiple series. I do a search to make sure none of the protagonists accidently end up in another’s book.

7. Continuity Issues - After each major revision session, I print a new copy. I do a read-through to make sure that things that are supposed to, stay the same. I keep a big spreadsheet for each series/book for a reference for hair color, eye color, preferences, type of car, etc. Look for places where your character does things out of order (like eating before ordering). Make sure names have consistent spellings throughout the entire manuscript.

8. Read aloud - Read your manuscript out loud or have Word read it to you. You’ll hear words that are used incorrectly that you may not spot on the page.

9. Spell Check - I check the spelling after every major revision.

   I usually read the manuscript at least six to eight times before it goes to my critique partner and critique group. Then it goes to my agent and editor for more revisions.

   What is your favorite part of the writing process?

Organizing Your Website

Whether you’re creating your author website or overhauling your current one, here are some things you may want to consider.

• Determine what you want your visitors to see first.

• Decide on the number of pages that you need for your content.

• Figure out what you want on each page and where you want to put them. The easiest way to do this is to storyboard your pages. Sketch out your design on a whiteboard or a sheet of paper. It can be full of stick figures. This is a way to organize your thoughts and ideas.

• Use the site-builder’s templates. There are lots of designs that are already created. You can use these or modify them to fit your style.

• Use colors to match your branding. Figure out what you want to project and represent. Do you write dark thrillers or humorous cozies? Your colors and fonts should give your readers/visitors an idea of what to expect in your writing. To get ideas, look at other authors’ websites (in your genre).

• After you build your website, make sure to check all links and forms that you have on your site.

• Check your website on a variety of devices to see how it presents. Most web services will optimize your site for the device your visitor uses. It’s a good idea to make sure all the pictures and forms look correct. People who use a computer, will see a wider picture than those on a cell phone that tend to render websites in a tall format.

What would you add to my list?

What an Author Needs to Get Started

It’s often difficult for authors to figure out where to start building their social media and internet presence. There is so much out there. It can be overwhelming. Here are the key things I think new authors need to have to get started.

Heather’s List

• Professional Headshot – Selfies aren’t the quality you want for print and digital - This is one of the first investments I made in my writing career.

• Your Biography – This should be written in third person. For your website, you may want to have a short one and a longer one that can be used when you do events and presentations.

• A Short Description of Your Book/Work – Have a short summary of what your book is about. This could be as short as an elevator pitch or a couple of paragraphs long.

• A URL and a Site to Host Your Website – You need a URL and a site to host your website. Try to get your name or penname if possible. The website is the hub of your author platform. You want readers to be able to find you.

• A Newsletter/Email Marketing Service – You will need a hosting service to maintain your list of followers and to create and distribute your ne3wsletters. Many services are free, and others have fees based on the number of followers you have.

• Book Cover Images – You will need clear images for your website and socials. If it’s the original (giant) file, you may want to think about reducing the size to make it more optimal for mobile users. Large files take a while to load.

Here are some other things you need to consider as you start creating your author presence.

• Your Budget – Determine what your budget is for your website, tools, URL, and author photograph. Start small. You can always add on to what you’ve created.

• Who Maintains Your Sites? – If you pay someone to maintain your website and socials, it can get expensive. I like the freedom of being able to update my site whenever I want without waiting for someone else to do it. Youtube and many of the hosting companies have tons of videos to show you how to create and maintain your site.

• Your Tools – I invested in two subscriptions to help me create my graphics. You will need to include a visual with your posts on social media. There are lots of free and for a fee products out there. Do your research and check to see which ones you're most comfortable with using. I use Canva and BookBrush.

What would you add to my list?

Recent Writing Gems

I’ve attended a bunch of classes and seminars lately, and here are some of the gems that I picked up that can help writers…

Writing Dialog with Andrea Johnson:

• Johnson reminded writers that dialog is more than just a conversation. It advances the plot and establishes the tone.

• Dialog is faster for readers to process than narrative, and it’s a way to show the point of view and personalities of your characters.

• She suggested that authors avoid long physical descriptions of characters in dialog.

• Johnson also suggested that writers avoid having characters having long philosophical discussions with themselves.

Podcasts to Add to Your Favorites’ List:

• Pick Your Poison

• Dark Predators

• Murder in the Hollywood Hills

• Missing in America

• Check out Sarah E. Burr’s post on Writers Who Kill about her favorite true crime podcasts.

Book Marketing:

• Book Funnel is a way that authors can distribute their ARCs (Advance Reader/Review Copies) and book giveaways to readers.

• It does require a subscription, and several tiered options are available. Make sure you review the features available with each plan.

• Some plans have options for authors to join newsletter swaps, email builders, and book sales with other authors. This is a way to expand your audience and add followers to your email list.

Getting the ROT out of Your Writing

I finished a seminar at the day gig on document management, and the focus was removing ROT - Redundant, Obsolete, and Trivial documents from your files. I would argue that you can do the same thing to improve your writing. Print out your manuscript, grab your editing pen, and read like a critic.

Redundant - Look for:

• Places where you’ve repeated descriptions

• Overused words and phrases (I have a list that I always check for.)

• Too many uses of the character’s name or too many he/she pronouns

• Dialog tags (he said/she said) that you don’t really need

Obsolete - Look for Outdated References to Technology:

• It’s rare that anyone tapes or videotapes anything. Faxes are ancient unless it’s going to someone’s email. And people with electric car windows don’t roll or wind the window down. Old habits are hard to break.

• I wrote myself in a corner one time with inked fingerprints. Most departments use a fingerprint scanner these days unless the computers are down.

• Most people use their phones these days for just about everything. It’s rare if you see a camera, calculator, or a videorecorder. It’s also a lot of people’s only flashlight.

Trivial - Look for:

• Chit chat. It’s nice to be friendly, but you don’t need a lot of the greetings and thank yous. Try to find spots where you can eliminate unnecessary chatter.

• Descriptions or dialog that doesn’t relate to the action or the story. If it’s filler, get rid of it.

• Big data dumps in your writing. These are usually detailed descriptions, too much backstory, or long narrative paragraphs. Eliminate what doesn’t move your story forward. You don’t want to take your reader outside of the story’s action.

What would you add to my list?

20 Ideas for Blog Posts

Does your blogging ever get in a rut or do you have trouble coming up with new ideas? Here’s my go-to list of ideas.

1. Interview Other Authors

2. Make Playlists for Your Books

3. Write about What You’re Doing

4. Write about Your Pets and Include Lots of Pictures

5. Talk about Your Hobbies

6. Look for Nonfiction Hooks in Your Books

   1. Delanie Fitzgerald lives is a Sears Catalog House, so I did some research and shared information about these types of houses.

7. Talk about What You’re Reading

8. Write Posts for Special “Holidays” or This Day in History

9. Share a Recipe and Photos and Videos of you Creating it

10. Show Pictures of Your Desk or Office, and Talk about Your Writing Space

11. Talk about Things You’ve Learned Recently

12. Go for a Walk and Document it in a Video or Pictures

13. Play Tourist in Your Own Town and Share Your Adventures

14. Share What You’ve Watched or Binged Lately

15. Share Your Favorite Inspirational Quotes

16. Go to Places in Your Stories and Write about What Inspired You to Use it as a Setting

17. Describe Your Writing Process

18. Do a Blog Swap or Blog Take-over with a Writer Friend — You write a post for her site, and she is a guest on yours.

19. Pick a Favorite Movie or Book and Write a Post about What You Learned from It (e.g. What I Learned from Nancy Drew)

20. Blog about What You Wished You Had Known as a New Writer