Write Fast: How to Finish Your Novel

Last weekend, I attended a one day writer's conference where the keynoter was someone I knew before she ever published a word. That was 20 years ago. Today, Melody Carlson has published well over 200 books and is considered the queen of YA Christian fiction.  It was great to see a friend and catch up, and even greater to hear her best writing advice: write fast.
Writing Tip for Today: What does it mean to WRITE FAST? Here are some suggestions:

• Only Reread a Few Pages. Have you ever sat down to write and then were caught up in your last drafted chapter? Before you know it, you're busily editing that baby, perhaps even until the bell rings and you must end your writing session. Melody advises only re-reading the last page or two from your last session. I might expand just a tad and say read the last scene you wrote. This can and should launch you back into your fictional world and get your next scene going. But NO EDITING on the same session as creating.
• End Sessions in Mid-Scene. A trick I use is to stop my writing for the day in the middle or before the scene ends. This way, I know exactly what to do before I go on, and it works better than to start with that blinking cursor, wondering what happens next in the story.
• What if Your Finished Draft Stinks? Well, you'll be revising. But you'll be revising a finished story, not letting another novel sit half-dressed in the drawer. The feeling of accomplishment is a huge boost. Most writers never finish that novel. By typing THE END, you'll have a much better idea of how the story should go--even if it's kind of a mess right now. Revising is part of writing, not merely a way to fix "bad writing" or correct mistakes. Remember: Words are like Doritos: we can always make more. Now go write fast!

Want to know more about Melody Carlson? You can find her at her website here.

Revising Made Simple: Start Where You Are

The revision process, new writers tell me, is confusing, long and really really difficult. Think of it this way: when you rewrite, you're in essence taking that lump of clay (in this case, a finished draft) and shaping it into the story it needs to be. Yet many writers have trouble with this part of writing.
Writing Tip for Today: How can you get started with revisions when you don't know where to start?

• Go for the Stuff You Know. Yes, if your story is structurally weak those line edits (changing words instead of the story) may eventually get cut. So what? You have the ability to write more words. If you don't have access to a trained manuscript evaluator, just dive in and do what you can. Start with too many modifiers and those pesky "LY" words, or adverbs. See if you can substitute a more particular or specific VERB for what you have written. If you can, the "ly" is generally not needed. EX: He walked slowly. He strolled. She moved quickly. She darted. If you see a pattern where you consistently use two descriptors (EX: He was a withered old man, living in a brown clapboard house with his sick mangy dog and elderly calico cat.), consider eliminating some of the modifiers. Remember, Less is More!
• Reach for Those Verbs! As long as we're talking about verbs, look for "was ings" and switch them to simple past tense. EX: He was walking. He walked. The more "was ings" you keep, the slower the story reads. Tighten up with simple active verbs. If you see a lot of generic verbs in your work (move, put, place, look, talk, walk) see if you can liven them up with more specific verbs. EX: move (sidle) put (slam) place (set) look (glance, glower) talk (yammer) walk (amble, trot, dash). Use a Roget's Thesaurus if necessary.
• Identify and Kill Off Redundancies. Do your characters nod in agreement? Does he shake his head no? Does she put her hat on her head?  These "explainers" aren't necessary. In our culture, a nod is yes and shaking the head is no. And where else would you put your hat? Remember: Resist the Urge to Explain. Wherever you are on the writing learning curve, you can begin to add to your revision skills by practicing them. Strengthen your verbs, toss excess modifiers and axe redundancies for a solid revision start. Your lump of clay may end up as a beautiful statue.

Don't Teach, Tell a Story!

Many of my novel writing students tell me they hope to educate readers about a topic they feel passionate about. I always cringe when I hear this! I want to yell, "Don't write with the aim to teach me something! Just tell me a good story!"
Writing Tip for Today: What are some of the unhappy complications of trying to educate your audience through fiction?

• The Moral of the Story Is . . . Today I was reading PORT YONDER PRESS editor Chila Woychik's article on writing for middle grade readers. In the article, Chila warns against assuming that "mom or Dad" voice that only comes off as lecturing. She advises, wisely, that writers embed (DEEP!) the lesson in an exciting story filled with action and unforgettable characters. In my little opinion, adults don't like being lectured any more than kids do. Fill your story with action and unforgettable characters instead of encyclopedic stuff.
• Which Way to Dullsville? A novel with even slyly added info can bog down easily. I once had a student whose time travel novel was all about natural fibers, weaving and natural dyestuffs. My background is in this same area, so at first I was intrigued. But alas, the novel was chock full of long descriptive paragraphs with little action. Even the character didn't care as much as the author--I say this because instead of being character thoughts or dialogue, the descriptive bits were in exposition, like an encyclopedia. Hmm, encyclopedia again. See a trend here? Exposition like this is usually just stated as if there was an unseen narrator. But it's a story-killing INFO DUMP. At least work the info into the character's POV.
• Let the Reader Beg for More. Instead of force-feeding a history lesson on the Indian wars, give the characters the same passion you possess. Light your character's heart on fire, make this person ready to die for what she believes in. Make her want the very thing you wish to teach and it's far more likely your readers won't even know they've been taught something. Like a spoonful of sugar, weaving the info into the fibers of your character's being will help the medicine go down.

Novel Company: Get Another Character on Stage--Fast!

Your story opens. Here comes your heroine, in all her glory. Then she proceeds to wander around, telling us all about how she got here--for several long pages, until you're tempted to nod off. But wait! How can you keep your story alive long enough to get it started?
Writing Tip for Today: One of the simplest ways to keep readers reading is to PUT ANOTHER CHARACTER ON STAGE. A telltale sign that your opening isn't working is this single character, alone on stage. The fix for this problem, I call the WILSON PRINCIPLE.

• Get a Wilson for Your Story. In Tom Hanks' movie, "Castaway," he's marooned on a desert isle for a lot of the film. Alone on stage, he will either have to talk to himself (which might get a little creepy) or find someone to talk to and interact with. The solution? WILSON, the volleyball that floats up. Hanks' character talks to Wilson, dresses Wilson and uses Wilson to keep his sanity and keep the movie from total boredom. You can do this too. Instead of letting your character languish alone as he explains everything, START THE STORY. Get a second character on stage as soon as you can do so. Preferably in the first couple of pages. Then, learn to weave in back story on a need-to-know basis. 
• Dialogue is Energizing. Another good reason for employing the Wilson Principle is that if there's a conversation, there's dialogue. Dialogue energizes the reader. But be careful. Avoid talking heads by cutting back and forth between "camera shots" of the setting and the characters body language.
• But My Character's LONELY! You say you must keep your heroine isolated to illustrate her alienation? Think again. Have you ever felt lonely in a crowd? Or even worse in a hostile meeting with your nemesis? Use the characters in your story to build tension, introduce conflict and keep the story moving. Use the Wilson Principle and you'll be far more likely to show, not tell.

See the Forest: Writing a Solid Lead

Journalists write lead sentences/paragraphs on a daily basis. They know it's as crucial as a first introduction to pique the reader's interest, to get them interested in reading more. What about book-length projects such as novels and memoir?
Writing Tip for Today: How can you write a lead (opening) that not only dazzles the reader, makes him curious and captures her imagination, but also faithfully represents the book as a whole?

• See the Forest, Not the Trees. Go ahead and draft chapter one anyway you can--some writers feel background stuff is necessary, others jump into a scene. Later, when you revise (meaning the whole book draft is complete) evaluate the opening for how it reflects the book as a whole. Is there something you can write that hints at the overall theme? Take a look at several of your favorite novels or memoirs. See if in the opening couple of paragraphs, you detect any hints that will reveal the theme, motif or metaphor for the book. Stories with staying power tend to be loaded with these hints (also known as promises) although you may not know it as you read for the first time. Go back to your WIP and rewrite until you have an opening that sketches out what is at stake, what the character's goal is or the overall theme.
• Ease Into Dialogue. As a judge for a national fiction contest, I often see writers who take the "in media res" rule (start in the middle of the action) to heart. But they lead off with a line of dialogue. What's wrong with that, you ask? If no character has been identified, the line has less meaning and actually confuses the reader. For instance, if you put a gruff male character on stage and you lead off with, "I told you she wasn't going to show!" you know the voice is male but the reader must wait for the attribution (said the gruff captain) and then reread the line in that character's voice. Any time you force a reader to go back, you're asking for trouble. Put the character on stage first before you open his mouth. Even better if instead of an attribution (said) you insert a tiny character sketch. EX: The gruff captain scratched at his two-day beard stubble and tossed down his cap. "I told you she wouldn't show!"
• Wait for the Right Time. Your lead is the first thing an agent, editor or reader sees. And it's true that you never get a second chance to make a first impression. But my advice is not to torture yourself rewriting your opening pages while you are still drafting. Over the course of writing your story, it is going to change. YOU as a writer are going to change. If you spend your time and energy polishing an opening that may change too, you'll be (in my little opinion) liable to waste time that you could spend finishing the draft. You'll have plenty of opportunities for revision--and once in a while the lead comes to you first and doesn't need to change. For the rest of us, finishing the first draft is job one. Save working on that lead for a time when you can see the whole story.

Writer Jealousy: When Your Friend Writes a Bestseller

OOOh. I'm so green with envy, if I was single and on Match.com, they'd pair me up with Kermit the Frog. One of my writer friends seems poised to break out into the BIG time with a BESTSELLER. As we stagger down our writing paths, once in a while fame brushes against us. It's not fame for us, mind you, but for someone we know and love. Well, OK, we used to love, until envy and coveting overtook us.
Writing Tip for Today: How can writers handle their feelings when someone they know hits it big?

• The Green-eyed Friggin' Monster. Our natural tendencies are to get swallowed by jealousy. After all, writing success comes to so few of us as it is. Most writers never get to quit the day job, find a top flight agent or sign a contract with an advance with more than two zeroes. Nope, most writers labor year after year, honing their craft, writing stuff that goes nowhere or else writing copy or product that feels like prostitution. Go ahead and privately turn green, but then remember: This writer who bursts upon the Bestseller list most likely has drawers full of efforts that didn't make it as far. Amanda Hocking, who made a mil from a self-pubbed book? She had written 12 other novels before the one which hit it big. We're all in the same boat, see?
• To Belittle or Not to Belittle. One of my favorite ploys (so as to avoid facing my lustful nature) is to counter my friend's success with, "Well I can't write so no wonder I'm not successful like he/she is!" This kind of self abasement only results in one thing: discouragement. Do you really want to work on your manuscript when it's clear you should have stuck with a hobby like knitting? As we know when we're not crazy with jealousy, comparisons seldom help us have a positive and/or healthy attitude. Compare yourself only to the authors whom you admire most, and only as a way to keep learning your craft. You'll always be a better writer than someone, and someone will always be better than you are.
• Keep Your BIC and WRITE. If you keep producing word count, learning your craft and editing ruthlessly you won't have time for Envy. You may say it's all luck or "who you know." This is partly true--especially the LUCK part--and you can either gripe about it or accept the way it is and work on writing your best work. The successes out there wanted it enough to work very hard, and not give up. Do you?

Introducing The Heart Stone, by Sherry Kyle

Welcome to my fellow Abingdon Press author, Sherry Kyle! I'm pleased to feature her new release, The Heart Stone (Abingdon, 2013).

Sherry's debut novel was Delivered with Love, also from Abingdon. She sets her stories on the California coast and writes women's fiction as well as children's books.

TWO WOMEN. TWO JOURNEYS.

A SEASON THAT MAY CHANGE THEIR LIVES FOREVER.

When the alcoholic father of Jessica MacAllister’s son reappears in their lives, Jessica and her son go to her Uncle George for advice and refuge.

Following a year of grief, Evelyn Sweeney is finally ready to move on. As she ponders her new path in life, her mind drifts to her first love, George MacAllister.

When the lives of these two women cross, they discover that one heart-shaped ring binds their stories together. But will the results be a rekindled faith and new hope? Or will it lead them both back into the darkness they’ve fought for so long?

One thing that struck me about The Heart Stone was its general theme of forgiveness, set against a tough situation: child custody issues following the breakup. If this challenge hasn't touched you personally, chances are you know someone who has had to navigate these often tempestuous waters. And if you're a Christian, the expectations can be overwhelming. Kyle does a good job of treating the miscommunication, hurt feelings and even paranoia that often arises when someone you thought you knew changes during a custody battle. Against the backdrop of this decidedly touchy issue, Kyle hangs the power of love to heal and to forgive.

You can contact Sherry on her website at www.sherrykyle.com. You can also find her on Facebook and Twitter.

Find The Heart Stone on Amazon and if you like it, leave a review! Thanks, Sherry for dropping by!