Showing posts with label Camy Tang. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Camy Tang. Show all posts

Friday, April 10, 2015

Freebie Friday!

Check out these freebies by some amazing authors!


Welcome to Last Chance by Cathleen Armstrong
 

She's learned you can't count on anyone--but she didn't count on landing in Last Chance.

The red warning light on her car dashboard may have driven Lainie Davis to seek help in the tiny town of Last Chance, New Mexico, but as she meets the people who make this one-horse town their home, it's her heart that is flashing bright red warning lights. These people are entirely too nice, too accommodating, and too interested in her personal life--especially since she's on the run and hoping to slip away unnoticed.

Yet in spite of herself, Lainie is increasingly drawn into the small-town dramas and to a handsome local guy with a secret of his own. Could Lainie actually make a life in this little town? Or will the past catch up to her even here in the middle of nowhere?
Click to link to freebie download


 
Shattered Rose by Tammy L. Gray

“For any girl who has struggled to love herself.” –Tammy L. Gray

Avery Nichols knows how to wear the mask. Perfect student, perfect daughter and perfect friend. Nobody would ever guess that inside Avery is a prisoner to her own self loathing.

Then she meets him…and everything changes.

Handsome, charming and self assured, Jake Matthews sweeps Avery off her feet in an effortless fashion. Avery knows that Jake is everything she needs and all she has ever wanted.

She would destroy herself to be loved by him…until he walks away.

Broken and lost, Avery meets Parker. His genuine, caring nature reaches past the mask and the shattered pieces of her heart slowly begin to heal. But just when Avery starts to feel whole again, she faces the impossible truth.

Jake never really left.
 
 
With Every Letter by Sarah Sundin


They know everything about each other--except their real names.

Lt. Mellie Blake is looking forward to beginning her training as a flight nurse. She is not looking forward to writing a letter to a man she's never met--even if it is anonymous and part of a morale-building program. Lt. Tom MacGilliver, an officer stationed in North Africa, welcomes the idea of an anonymous correspondence--he's been trying to escape his infamous name for years.

As their letters crisscross the Atlantic, Tom and Mellie develop a unique friendship despite not knowing the other's true identity. When both are transferred to Algeria, the two are poised to meet face-to-face for the first time. Will they overcome their fears and reveal who they are, or will their future be held hostage by their pasts?

Combining a flair for romance with excellent research and attention to detail, Sarah Sundin vividly brings to life the perilous challenges of WWII aviation, nursing--and true love.
Link to freebie download



Three Little Words by Melissa Tagg

Ava Kingsley and Seth Walker might be the most unlikely friends ever. The only thing these two polar opposites have in common is a knack for wordsmithing. Back in college, they were known for their written sparring in the campus newspaper's popular "He Says/She Says" column.

At their ten-year college reunion, they pick up right where they left off. Except this time their squabbling leads to a surprising turn: friendship and a year-long exchange of emails. So when Ava approaches a crossroads in her athletics department career in Minnesota, Seth is quick to offer the open apartment above the restaurant he's been remodeling in Maple Valley, Iowa.

Ava doesn't know where her career will lead her next, but she's starting to suspect she might see Seth as more than a pen pal. Which would be exciting...except for the fact that he only sees her as a friend.

As Maple Valley grows on her, Ava wonders if there might be something here for her even though Seth is unavailable. And maybe, just maybe, after all the words the two of them have exchanged over the years, they'll finally be able to say the three that matter most.

Link to freebie download



 All for Anna by Nicole Deese 
 
 

If guilt is a prison; Victoria Sales has given herself a life sentence.
Held captive by regret, 23 year-old trauma RN, Tori Sales, has seen the reality of many nightmares. But there is one nightmare she will never wake from—her last memory of Anna.


Her efforts to save the little girl were not enough; she was not enough.
After a year of living alone, Tori is forced to return home—a place where heartache, loss, and broken relationships lurk around every corner. Isolation is her only solace; running is her only escape. But she cannot outrun the truth forever.


When a handsome, compassionate stranger enters her world, Tori is inspired to deal with her past and focus on the future—one she never believed possible. But before her quest for closure is complete, a new revelation surfaces, tainting her world yet again.

 
 
 
The Unveiling by Tamara Leigh
 
12th century England: Two men vie for the throne: King Stephen the usurper and young Duke Henry the rightful heir. Amid civil and private wars, alliances are forged, loyalties are betrayed, families are divided, and marriages are made.

For four years, Lady Annyn Bretanne has trained at arms with one end in mind—to avenge her brother’s murder as God has not deemed it worthy to do. Disguised as a squire, she sets off to exact revenge on a man known only by his surname, Wulfrith. But when she holds his fate in her hands, her will wavers and her heart whispers that her enemy may not be an enemy after all.

Baron Wulfrith, renowned trainer of knights, allows no women within his walls for the distraction they breed. What he never expects is that the impetuous young man sent to train under him is a woman who seeks his death—nor that her unveiling will test his faith and distract the warrior from his purpose.


 
 

Eyes Wide Open by Ted Dekker

Who am I? 

My name is Christy Snow. I'm seventeen and I'm about to die. 

I'm buried in a coffin under tons of concrete. No one knows where I am. My heart sounds like a monster with clobber feet, running straight toward me. I'm lying on my back, soaked with sweat from the hair on my head to the soles of my feet. My hands and feet won't stop shaking.

Some will say that I m not really here. Some will say I'm delusional. Some will say that I don t even exist. But who are they? I'm the one buried in a grave. 

My name is Christy Snow. I'm seventeen. I'm about to die. 

So who are you? 

In a return to the kind of storytelling that made Black, Showdown and Three unforgettable, Ted Dekker drags that question into the light with this modern day parable about how we see ourselves. 

Humming with intensity and blindsided twists, Eyes Wide Open is raw adrenaline from the first page to the last pure escapism packed with inescapable truth. Not all is as it seems. Or is it? Strap yourself in for the ride of your life. Literally. (Young Adult)




Jenna's Cowboy by Sharon Gillenwater
 
Can you ever get a second chance at your first love?

Jenna Callahan Colby thought she was content. A partner on her father's successful ranch, she is surrounded by family and friends. But she never expected to see Nate Langley back in town--the first guy she ever noticed, the one her father sent away all those years ago.

And she never thought the attraction they felt would be as strong as ever.

Jenna's cowboy has some healing of his own to do, though, after two tours of duty in the armed forces. With the help of good friends, strong faith, and a loving family, he hopes to put the horrors of the past behind him--and become the man Jenna deserves.




Necessary Proof by Camy Tang
 

After opening his heart to Jesus in prison, Alex Villa has left his criminal past behind him. However, his efforts to take down a gang producing meth in Sonoma have made him a target. Set up to look like he's being bribed by the gang, the police blame him for the death of a cop. Only the evidence on an encrypted laptop can prove he's innocent.

Software engineer Jane Lawton has been betrayed by the men closest to her, including a God she thought would protect her. She won't let Alex down, because she knows what it feels like to be disbelieved and abandoned.


However, the men after them have orders to repossess the evidence and make sure Jane and Alex take their knowledge to the grave. Can they prove Alex's innocence before time runs out for them both?
 
 
Happy Friday! Feel free to share any freebies that I've missed! Read on.

Wednesday, October 26, 2011

On Being Mentored-Our Responsibilities

As a young married person (several years ago), I decided to cook a fabulous dessert for my husband from scratch. I flipped open a cookbook and turned to a recipe which called for ingredients I already had in my kitchen. I chose banana bread. Yum

Ignorant and green as can be in the kitchen I followed every detail, assumming the outcome would be good, (c'mon the recipe was in a BIG cookbook!).

The sweet aroma filled our tiny apartment and made our stomachs growl. Yes! I AM CHEF.  After my creation cooled, I proudly presented my prize winning, delectible dessert.

My husband and I took one bite--wrinkled our noses, choked down the bite,and threw the rest away.  I think the powdered orange Kool-aid ingredient might have been the problem.

Duh, you say? Well, yeah, I know that now. But I didn't then. I assumed the expert who compiled the cookbook gave perfect advice. 

Lesson learned: Regarding advice, I must reseach, think, practice, not assume--the list trails for miles.

Have you ever had a well meaning friend, family member, or crit partner give you advice for your WIP? I have.


I have a world of mentors. Each, bless their hearts, has taken time to correct my novice mistakes and direct me back to the road of publication. I so appreciate them.  Unfortunately, not all advice is good. Let me repeate that--not all advice is good. (think orange Kool-aid in banana bread from a BIG cookbook)

This last month I talked with published writers, unpublished crit partners, family, co-workers, friends, online sites, anyone who would listen to my plethorea of questions regarding my WIP.  I felt like a little puppy excited to please each helper by implementing their advice into my work. Puppies can do crazy things when they want to please.

My mistake: choosing to please rather than do what is right. (sometimes right means to follow advice given even when you don't want to, FYI)

At the 2011 October ACFW Montana chapter meeting, Sharon Dunn, author of Night Prey (Love Inspired Suspense) and 2011 Carol winner, chatted with me about this topic. She said, "It's important to know the perspective each crit person brings to their comments. Perhaps one crit person's passion is description, another plot, yet another grammar. These same crit persons often add additional suggestions that may seem inappropriate. Thats when caution is wise."

Lesson learned: don't disregard a crit when incorrect advice is detected (add grammatically incorrect words, backstory components, and etc.) Instead, search each comment for possible golden nuggets which might enhance the product. One golden nugget could make a difference between publication and dust.


Contrary to my banana bread flop, let me share a FAB advice session:
 

At the 2011 ACFW conference my registration slip indicated my time slots for three mentor appointments would be Friday morning. I chose to start my morning at Jeff Gehrke's class "Plot vs Characters rather than figit in the waiting area.  
Thirty minutes into the class I left for my first mentor appointment. Gayle Roper, kind and gracious as can be, listened to my pitch, asked a few questions then tipped her head  and said, "Well, Mary, did you consider..." She found a hole in my story! I thanked her and went back to class.


Oddly enough, the next point Jeff discussed addressed the issue Gayle mentioned. He spent the next 30 minutes teaching the class how to solve the problem! I modified my pitch in time for my next mentor appointment.


A half hour later I met with Tracie Peterson, intuitive and compassionate as can be. Aha, I thought. I'm ready. The hole Gayle found has been filled. Tracie listened to my pitch, asked a few questions then folded her hands together and said, "Well, Mary, did you consider..." Really? Another issue?  I thanked her and returned to Jeff's class.

I kid you not, Jeff's next point addressed the problem Tracie mentioned. He spent the next 30 minutes teaching the class how to solve the problem. Once again, I modified my pitch in time for my last mentor appointment.

Moments before Jeff's class ended, I went to my third appointment. Camy Tang, delightful encourager and passionate author listened to my modified pitch. Her eyes went wide and she laughed. "Mary, this is a great story."  She liked my one sheet, and couldn't stump me with any question. The conversation ended after five minutes. Well, I wanted to use up my whole fifteen minutes so I asked for suggestions. She taught me a new idea then we chatted.



Advice from mentors educated, experienced, enthusiastic,and enlightened in the writing craft coupled with a technique class sped me back to the road of publication--unlike orange koolaid advice.
Lesson learned: I am responsible to glean wise advice from those God sends my way.
So-how about you--share wise advice you've received--don't be shy, I don't want to learn it on my own:)

Saturday, September 3, 2011

What's Up The Street For Next Week?

Here at the Alley we like to celebrate. And lately the Alley Cats have been exceedingly blessed on their writing journey. They have taken their work seriously, worked hard, perfected their craft and now we get to shine the spotlight on some of their successes.

AND we get to celebrate ANOTHER success this weekend! Last weekend it was Wendy's agent news and...

THIS WEEK

It's SARAH'S AGENT NEWS!!

Sarah is now the proud client of Books and Such literary agent, Mary Keeley!!!!

Pass on your kudos in the comments section, we are SO PROUD of our Alley Cats here!! : D

Coming up...

You're headed to that conference. Big or small. And there are editors you want to meet, agents you want to chat with and friends to bump into. Angie has a great post on networking at a conference on Monday


Middles are so easy to get stuck in. On Tuesday, Julia will share her post on moving past that troublesome sticking place in our manuscripts.


Sarah continues into Part 2 of her series on pitching at a conference on Wednesday.


Bring that troublesome ending on Thursday, newly agented Wendy will have tips for us.


Writers love to read books they love, but can you strengthen your writing by books you don't? Cindy discusses this topic on the blog this Friday.


*~*~NewsStand:~*~*

To celebrate the Alley's 400 followers (YOU!) and so much agent news going on around here, leave a comment and I'll draw two names to pick a book from my swap list.

See the Alley notice on the right hand side bar?? THREE of our Alley cats are now agented!! Big news for our blog AND these writers! It's only a matter of time now before a first sale. I just know it.  ;-)

BE SURE and check out the Seekerville Weekend Edition tomorrow (Sunday) for some exciting news!

Pepper has a conference series of tips from authors all this coming week on her blog. Don't miss it!

Casey has Julie Lessman on her blog with a giveaway of Julie's very latest release,  A Heart Revealed. Hurry, giveaway ends soon!

Celebrate in Wendy's big news on her blog post from this Friday!!

Did ya miss it? Here is SARAH'S big news post on her blog.

Going to the ACFW conference? Check out this check list from Camy Tang for all that should be in your bag.
Courtesy of discountpartyshop.co.uk

Monday, June 6, 2011

The Pitch & Blurb


Jesus was really great at being direct - to the point. Breaking down a big idea, like God’s grace, and putting it into a concise form. For example, in only a few paragraphs he gives the entire beauty of God’s grace in the story of the Prodigal Son. A BIG idea summed up in a way we can understand.
That’s HARD. To. DO. 
Pitch and Blurb are ways writers do the same thing. (Hmm… Pitch and Blurb - sounds like the name of a pub in the U.K J
Lots of times as writers, we’re expected to create elevator pitches and book blurbs (compressing 95K words into a 50 word summary....AHHHHHH!). It can be a stress inducing activity - especially for those of us are particularly 'talky'.
In fact, last week Casey and I exchanged pitches and blurbs with our good pals, Carol Moncado and Michelle Massaro  It was a great learning experience. I came out with some wonderful tips and ideas. (Thanks so much, ladies).
Casey’s a much better pitch & blurb writer than I am. I think it has to do with my propensity toward long-windedness, but making it short is a key factor in pitch & blurb writing.
Here are a few general tips:
Pitch:
-          Usually 25-30 words

-          Basically sets up the conflict/motivation of the story

-          Strong verbs

-          Power words

-          No names necessary
Here are a few examples I’ve written about famous books/movies.

After a Kansas tornado traps her in a magical land, a young girl must find her way back home before a wicked witch kills her. (25)
An orphaned boy discovers he’s the only wizard who can rid the world of an unnamed evil before it destroys everything he loves. (23)
A disrespected historian seeks to save the Declaration of Independence from international thieves and in the process discover a thousand-year old Templar treasure that will restore his family’s reputation. (29)
Now, what is a blurb?
It’s one of the most important selling features of a book. We walk into a bookstore, pick up a book off the shelf, maybe notice the pretty cover, and…then what do we do?
Flip the book over and read the back blurb.
Blurb
-          Typically run between 100-250 words.
-          Intrigue is usually increased through questions.

-          Spoiler free.
-          A first sentence hook to GRAB the reader’s attention.

-          Try to exhibit the voice and uniqueness of the book.
-           Keep it simple, no complex storyline at this point.

-           Direct.
-          Your main goal is to ‘hook the reader’.

-          Some people pull out a great line from the book and place it here.
Janalyn Voigt has some great tips at Author Haven about pitch/blurb writing.
  • Desire -- What does your main character want? This desire drives the plot toward a specific goal.
  • Problem -- A shift or change in your protagonist's life causes a problem.
  • Cost or risk -- What will the solution cost? What are the risks?
  • Solution -- How will your story resolve? Will your main character realize his or her goal -- or not?
Use your story problem and theme to create a pitch sentence. Be sure and add a hook -- something that sparks interest in learning more. Examples:
Story Problem: A grieving widow longs to find happiness again (desire). When a suitor presses her with his attentions (problem), she must let go of the past (cost or risk) in order to realize her goal (solution).
Theme: Is it possible to find happiness by letting go of the past?Pitch Sentence: A young widow wants to take a chance on a new suitor but what will it cost her to let go of the past?”

Isn’t that a great summary? I thought it might be helpful for getting our minds in ‘concise’ writing mode J
Another FANTASTIC site for pitch & blurb help is on CamyTang’s Story Sensei.
Here’s Camy’s example:

Character--Sydney Bristow, secret agent
Situation--Discovers she's been tricked into thinking she's working for the CIA when in truth it's a terrorist agency
Objective-- To topple the powerful organization called the Alliance by working as a double agent
Opponent--her boss Arvin Sloan, who has been a family friend for years, who lied to her about her job
Disaster--Sloane suspects her because she told her fiancé, and he had him killed.
Summary:
After discovering she was tricked into thinking she's working for the CIA, agent Sydney Bristow becomes a double agent, determined to take down the terrorist group called the Alliance. But can she fool her boss Arvin Sloane when he kills her fiancé and suspects her enough to kill her?
Here’s another great link to read related to pitch & blurb:
OKAY now it’s your turn!!

Any brave people out there?
I’m not great at these, but here are my examples (and you’re welcome to pick them apart to your heart’s content. I’m a lifelong learner ;-):

25-ish word pitch: A speech therapist determined to leave Appalachia must reform a cattle farmer and develop a new speech pathology program without losing her heart in the process. (25)
or
To escape her bruised past and a professional dead end, a speech therapist must transform an Appalachian cattle farmer into corporate-world material by Christmas. (24)

50-ish word pitch: To escape Appalachia, Dr. Adelina Roseland makes a daring wager to transform a rustic cattle farmer into corporate-world material before Christmas. But getting involved with this single-dad thrusts Dee into a world she’s spent fifteen years trying to forget, which may change not only her mind, but her heart. (49)

Blurb (100-200 words):
 The language of love doesn’t have an accent
To escape Appalachia, speech pathologist Dr. Adelina Roseland makes a daring wager to transform a rustic cattle farmer into corporate-world material before Christmas. If she succeeds she can present her research at the national convention, launching her career beyond her bruised past and the professional dead-end of a small town.

But Adelina didn’t plan for the faith and friction of single-dad, Reece Mitchell. Drawn into a culture she’d been trying to forget for fifteen years, Adelina finds the warmth of faith and family healing the wounds of her heart. When Reece discovers that he’s been a mere pawn in her step up the corporate ladder, will he forgive her deceit or will their miscommunication end in two broken lives? (128)
(It's My Fair Lady meets Andy Griffith) :-)

YOUR TURN!

Wednesday, May 18, 2011

Self-Editing Checklist: Point of View

Do you ever have too many characters talking in your head at once? It's time to take charge and make them wait their turn.

This week we're looking at Point #7 in my self-editing checklist: Point of View. (For Points 1-6, click here.)

When analyzing Point of View in your scenes, consider the following items.

a) Have you chosen the best viewpoint character for each scene? Usually this is the person with the most to lose or the most at stake.

b) Do you stay in one POV throughout the scene? Do you see only what your POV character would see? Hear only what they would hear? Notice only what they would notice? Think only what they would think?

c) Is the language in the scene right for your viewpoint character? If your POV character is a 90-year-old grandma, she probably wouldn't think, "Dude, that is one sick iPad," unless she's the hippest granny in the universe. I'm not just talking about dialogue here...This encompasses the entire scene.

d) Look at descriptions. Can you tell how your viewpoint character feels about what you're describing? Do you have them interacting with the setting and fusing that with their thoughts and actions?

e) How deep do you go in the POV? Most books being published today put us right in the character's skin and emotions, eliminating distance words like "realized", "wondered", etc. This concept also ties in with showing versus telling. For instance, instead of saying, "She wondered when he would return," you could say, "Good gravy, he was taking forever to get back." By eliminating the word "wondered" and dumping us right in the character's head, we get a feel for her personality and feel as if we are that character.

Resources: Camy Tang has some uber-helpful articles on her Story Sensei blog. Some of my points above are summaries of her material. To get more in depth, check out these articles on basic point of view and deep point of view.

And of course, the primary foundation of my self-editing checklist is always Self-Editing for Fiction Writers by Renni Browne & Dave King.

Your homework for the next two weeks, should you choose to accept it: For each scene you've written, write down the POV character and analyze whether they are the best character for that scene. Comb over your scenes to make sure you're staying in the POV characters' skin and thoughts, and analyze word choices to ensure they keep the POV deep while also revealing who the character is.

Which POV do you typically write in? 1st person or 3rd person? With multiple viewpoints? What are your best POV tips for our readers?

* Text bubble photo by Renjith Krishnan / FreeDigitalPhotos.net
** Grandma photo by Ambro / FreeDigitalPhotos.net

Wednesday, April 6, 2011

Self-Editing Checklist: Consistency (Plus a Dynamite Giveaway!)

No, I'm not giving away dynamite...That might get me arrested. But I am offering a fabulous giveaway for people who want to propel their writing to a dynamite level. Curious? Keep reading. :)

Remember that self-editing checklist I've talked about in my previous posts? We're moving on to Point #3 this week. I call this one Consistency. (For points 1 & 2, click here.)

Under consistency, consider the following items for each of your scenes.

a) Have you left any dangling subplots or story lines? If so, is it intentional or do you need to fill in the gaps? In my last post, you may have gathered that I'm a spreadsheet nerd. So how do you suppose I track my subplots? That's right...in a spreadsheet. :) Whether you're a plotter or a pantser, I highly recommend you keep track of your scenes somehow, whether it's in Excel or on index cards.

In Excel, I create a column called Plot/Subplots. In my latest book, I have the primary plot of the romance between my main characters Brogan and Ivy, but I also have subplots of Ivy's troubled relationship with her dad, her struggle to get out of debt, and her job for her ex-boyfriend, to name a few. Next to each scene, I indicate which plot/subplots are addressed. It's not foolproof, but it does help me recognize if I've ignored the debt subplot for 20 straight chapters.

Resources: Camy Tang talks about subplot threads in this Story Sensei post.

b) Does the character's emotional or spiritual arc flow? Does your character hate her father in one scene and then give him a big old hug in the next? If so, there'd better be a reason. Jerking the reader up and down with willy-nilly character emotions will just unsettle them. Make sure the emotional arc picks up where it left off in the previous scene and move it forward from there.

Resources: For a quick hit on emotional arcs, check out this article. If you want to take your character's emotional arc (and your writing) to the next level, I highly recommend Margie Lawson's AMAZING course, Empowering Character Emotions. In case you didn't sign up after Casey's post last week, you can buy Margie's lecture packets (over 280 pages!) for only $22. It's seriously the steal of the century when you consider the AMAZING (yes, I used that word twice in one paragraph) things you'll learn.

Your homework for the next two weeks, should you choose to accept it: Read the articles I've referenced. And if you're ready to learn like crazy, buy Margie Lawson's lecture packet and gobble it up like your Thanksgiving turkey. Then analyze your scenes for consistency.

But wait! (Do you feel like you're watching an infomercial yet?) Remember that dynamite giveaway I mentioned? For one lucky commenter, I'm offering the choice of any one of Margie's lecture packets! The winner will be announced in our weekend edition.

Do you keep track of your plots and subplots? If so, how? How closely do you pay attention to the character arc?

*Rock climbing photo by Bill Longshaw / FreeDigitalPhotos.net
** Curve photo by Filomena Scalise / FreeDigitalPhotos.net

Wednesday, March 23, 2011

Self-Editing Checklist: Scene Analysis

You've got a completed manuscript and you're ready to self-edit, right? So now the big question: Where do you start?

My answer: a self-editing checklist. (If you're just jumping in, check out my post from two weeks ago where I introduced the why behind a self-editing checklist as well as some ground rules.)

Once you feel pretty good about your overall story and characterization, it's time to start in with an analysis of your scenes. Now this can be done however you want. I usually take out my 4-page checklist and work through the entire thing on one scene at a time. If that doesn't work for you, do whatever does.

Here are the first two points on the checklist.

#1 - Scene or Sequel (as coined by Dwight V. Swain in his book Techniques of the Selling Writer). Does my scene have a clear goal, conflict, and disaster? If it's a reaction scene (aka sequel), does it have a reaction, dilemma, and decision that propels it into the next scene? I track these items in an Excel spreadsheet (the CPA in me never dies). :) It helps me make sure I don't have an aimless scene.

Resources: For the full description of the concept behind Scene and Sequel, I highly recommend Dwight's book. Or if you want shorter article-sized summaries, check out Randy Ingermanson's website or Camy Tang's Story Sensei blog.

#2 - Does the scene enact a tangible change, both inwardly and outwardly? This is a direct quote from a Donald Maass post on Writer Unboxed. To read the entire post, click here.

Your homework for the next two weeks, should you choose to accept it: Read the articles I've referenced. And if you have a few extra dollars and some time on your hands, buy Dwight Swain's book (or borrow it from your local library) and read Chapter 4. Then analyze your scene for these two points.

Do you tend to get in the trap of writing aimless scenes? What's your best advice to ramp up a scene and make it meatier?

* Book photo by winnond / FreeDigitalPhotos.net
**Flower photo by Filomena Scalise / FreeDigitalPhotos.net

Thursday, March 17, 2011

You've Got the Manuscript...


...And you don't know how to take it to that next level.

You're swamped with options for freelance editors, classes and the "next best thing" to happen to you and your writing. Every time you turn around you see MORE information!

You need to know what is the best option for YOU and your writing.

I have a list of freelance editors I have used (and many more I haven't) and classes you can take to further your writing. But first a short list of tips...

**I have not used all of these editors or taken all of these classes. Most of this information you will have to decide for yourself. Which is the proper protocol anyway, considering that each of us have different talents and abilities that are better combined with different editors.**

One: If you go with a freelance editor that has been published, read their work. Do you like it? Is it along the same lines as what you are writing? You're going to want to find someone who not only is GOOD at what they do (and you often won't know until you try), but also there is no point asking a speculative author to edit your womens' fiction.

Two: Don't jump at the first chance. Chat with the editor, even ask if they would be willing to read one to two pages before you commit. Most freelance editors are fairly inexpensive, but don't spend money until you're sure. Read their recommendations. Talk to others who have worked with that person. It'll be time worth spent.

Three: Be willing to take instruction. Don't go into such a working relationship with the idea that your work is perfect and you are expecting a pat on the back. Look at the editor is saying. Does it make sense? Do you see the validity in what he/she is saying? Then make the changes. DO be aware of completely changing your work until it doesn't sound like you. If you see this happening, the editor is probably not for you.

Christian Freelance Editors:

Tiffany Colter (freelance editor)

Gina Holmes (published author/ freelance editor)

Kaye Dacus (published author/ freelance editor)

Christina Berry (published author/ freelance editor)

Mary DeMuth (published author/ freelance editor)

Rachel Hauck (published author/ freelance editor)

Susan May Warren (published author / freelance editor)

Tracy Ruckman (freelance editor)

Camy Tang (published author / freelance editor)

WIES Editing Service

Meredith Efken (published author / freelance editor)

Writer's Online Classes


Margie Lawson (HIGHLY recommended! I can't TELL you how wonderful she has been for my writing)

ACFW member's only monthly classes

WIES Workshops (taught by different Christian authors in different months)

Christian Industry Help Sites

Literay Agent Rachelle Gardner  (blog)

Literay Agent Chip MacGregor (blog- no longer active, but archive posts are up for review)

Literary Agent Steve Laube (blog)

Author Jody Hedlund (blog)

Seekerville (blog)

Author Camy Tang (blog)

Author Mary DeMuth (blog)

My Book Therapy Blog

What sites or editors do you have to share that have been helpful?

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