The Finer Points of Great Dialogue

Dialogue is one of the most important functions of any good story.

“Tell the story between the quotes.” These wise words from Rachel Hauck always make me stop and pause and consider what all is being said through the words of our characters. Dialogue should be magnified by body language, interaction with setting, and even sometimes by what is not being said.

 How do we go about creating great dialogue?

1: Remove everything you and I would say in everyday life. Unless it speaks for what the character is not saying, dialogue such as “are you doing” shouldn’t occur in a novel. You want dialogue that drives the plot forward. There are exceptions to every rule, but as a general idea anything you or I would say in normal everyday conversation shouldn’t be included in good dialogue.

2: Go for the zingers. Those pops of dialogue you wish you had come to your mind at the perfect moment…but instead showed up three hours later. This is the great reality for every author. We have the opportunity to let our character say it! With that being said, be careful to avoid dialogue that is stilted and overdone. So how do you create those moments where your character has the best comeback? It has to fit with their characterization. If you have a sassy and sarcastic character give them all the zingers you possibly can. But if your character is more demure and quiet, their words need to have the most impact for when they speak. (Perhaps this is the character that is your voice of reason for your other characters.)

3: Make sure your dialogue fits your character. It's important that what you write fits your characters. To learn how to best do this, I would suggest the ever socially unacceptable option of eavesdropping. Airport eavesdropping is great for this, as you really can’t help but overhear, so you might as well take notes (wink). Listen for how people talk. The tone of their voice, the inflection, the words that 

they use. How would you put that into a story?

Dialogue is an opportunity for our readers to view your character from a different angle. To see their knee-jerk response and reaction.

Dialogue should be accompanied by a few key elements: the tone of their voice, the inflection they put behind their words, and their body language.

4: Body language is a huge asset to every author—and not just in dialogue. How is the character standing-- what direction are they facing? Who are they looking at? Are their arms crossed? Is their

breathing labored? Are their hands extended in supplication or plea? All of these things paint a picture for how the reader will visualize the character.

5: Much can be said by what you're not saying anything at all. By leaving a question or statement unanswered or unfinished, you speak for that character’s thoughts and emotions more than words ever could. Don't underestimate the power of a nonverbal.

6: Subtext. This is one of my all-time favorite uses for dialogue. Subtext is not what is being said, but what is being understood through the dialogue that is being spoken. This is a tricky concept to nail and even harder to write. Think of subtext as something you are trying to communicate, but will not be overtly mentioning to the other character. Subtext is a natural way to create tension, as what is unsaid is also left open to interpretation by other characters. Which can lead to false understanding and even discord between characters.

 A great way to hone your dialogue is to find some of your favorite books and read only the quotes. 

By studying your favorite authors’ dialogue, you are able to see what techniques they are using, the length of their sentences, their word choices, etc.

Who are some of your favorite authors that do dialogue well? Share in the comments who they are and why you love them. Or share some techniques you have found that you really love for your own books. I would love to hear your take on what aspect of dialogue you love to read or write.

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Casey Herringshaw is a homeschool graduate and has been writing since high school. She lives in colorful Colorado where she gets to live her dream stalking--er--visiting with her favorite CO authors. 

   

   

The changing publishing landscape

Early last week, Love Inspired Historical announced that their line would be closing in June of 2018 after their final contract has been fulfilled.

This rocked the publishing community that is LIH—and it’s readers. We’ve seen a lot of shaky foundations in our Christian publishing world in the last handful of months and to have one of the major publishers of such a high volume of Christian fiction decide to close one of their branches, we all felt the guillotine looming that much closer.

This has followed on the heels of Family Christian Stores shutting their doors—for good.

Harvest House closing down their fiction line, following in the steps of Abingdon Press, Moody’s River North and B&H.

We’re seeing more and more displaced editors turn to agenting and more and more of the remaining houses, trimming back on their acquiring lists and their volume/output.

It’s hard, as a newbie writer to not become discouraged and wonder if traditional publishing is in the cards for them.

And it’s hard for the published author with the contract in hand, to wonder if this is the last time this house will publish their book and when they will get the news that their house is throwing in the towel.

It’s a discouraging business when looked through the lenses of numbers, production, and opportunity. And it’s easy to get wrapped up in writing for the market, striving, crunching the numbers and wishing upon a star that you’ll get that all-elusive publishing contract and keep it.

It’s discouraging to live your dream at times, isn’t it?

Publishing is all about production and in the midst of the changing landscape, we forget and lose

sight of the fact that we’re dreaming and driving towards a dream that is too important to give up.

And we absolutely shouldn’t.

You might be shaking your head as to why I’m telling you not to give up.

And here’s why: this dream is bigger than you. It’s bigger than the changing publishing world. It’s bigger than what feels like one more damning flaming arrow against the fortress that has always been our beloved goal.

And it still should be your beloved goal.

Why?

Because God’s idea of this publishing dream for you is not defined by what publishing is or is not doing at this point. What houses are or are not publishing fiction. What genres are hot and which ones are ice cold.

What I’m saying to you might seem a stretch and like irresponsible planning, but I’m here to tell you: if you write for the market or the remaining publishing houses or any house that decides to make a go of it, you’ll write without purpose.

Because those opportunities fade. Another writer who’s better and published more than you will take the spot you’ve been aiming for and you’ll grow discouraged and beaten down.

Here’s the thing with writing for publishing: trust that God’s got this. He’s got you and your book—wherever that leads you. It doesn’t matter what the publishing world is doing around you, because when the time is right and the story is ready, you’re going to be published. I promise you that.

Here’s the thing: your dream is God breathed and God doesn’t follow the rules of publishing. He’s got His own blueprint and it’s a sight better than anything we strive to create on our own.

So that story you’re writing? Keep at it. It might not be on your specific timetable or what you thought were your specific expectations, but I promise if you surrender this story to God, it’s going to flourish. And so will you.

Take heart, dear writer. Yes, these are interesting and uncertain times, but we absolutely and irrevocably serve a certain and true God. 

CLICK TO TWEET:

It doesn't matter what happens in #publishing. If you're meant to #write this story, you should: http://bit.ly/2qqfzpr @C_Herringshaw 

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Casey Herringshaw is a homeschool graduate and has been writing since high school. She lives in colorful Colorado where she gets to live her dream stalking--er--visiting with her favorite CO authors. 

   

   

Just What Makes STORY for You?

What makes a good story?

Is it the plot?

But a plot without characters is floppy at worst and a really great word-painted scenery at best.

Is it the characters?

But characters without plot is a monologue dragging without purpose or end.

Is it the dialogue?

But dialogue without characters to speak it and a plot to give it purpose is just dialogue for the sake of meaningless dialogue.

What truly makes a good story?

What makes it for you?

I’ve been mulling this fact over the last couple of weeks as I’ve read books I’ve enjoyed…and some I haven’t. Or watched a movie I really loved. Even as I talk with friends about classic stories I could consume over and over again, I’ve paused to consider the talking points that keep bringing me back.

It’s about ordinary characters that are thrust into extraordinary circumstances that demand they rise to the occasion.

That’s really all it’s about, isn’t it?

We see that in ourselves. We project our lives onto these ordinary characters and hope that if we were in their shoes, that we would rise to the occasion. That we would be rescue the damsel in distress. 

That we would speak those words of truth or anger or love. That we would get the prince. That we would stand up for truth and fight for what is right.

Think of your favorite movie.

Got a title? (Share it in the comments so others can explore what you’ve discovered.)

What is the quality in that movie that keeps you watching it over and over again?

For me, it’s Last of the Mohicans. A fairly violent movie that I only watch about once a year, but a

film that keeps me coming back—and for many reasons.

But the main one?

I admire Cora.

An ordinary woman, who within the first twenty minutes of the movie, receives a marriage proposal that she doesn’t accept.

She’s normal. She’s average. The daughter of a British colonel.

And yet, in the face of extreme danger, the loss of a perfect and safe world, she stares danger straight in the face, raises her one shot pistol, and defends her ground. Her safety. Her sister. She’s strong. She’s gentle. She’s just seeking the right place to land. And yet, there are moments of open vulnerability where the viewer sees she is absolutely frightened and at a lost. But she is not overcome.  

I can relate to her. And I want to aspire to her strength and courage. Because I don’t know if I could do what she did in the face of such vicious brutality. But I hope that I would. That I would rise to the occasion like she did.

What makes story for you?

Take that. Weave it into the dialogue. The plot. The characters. Focus on that. Let it become what drives your passion and your story. And it will drive the readers’ as well.

Leave a comment…let me know your favorite movie and why. Besides, my Netflix queue is looking kinda sad right now. ;-) 

CLICK TO TWEET:

Story is nothing without plot & characters & that secret element that makes it all work. http://bit.ly/2po1Csg #amwriting @C_Herringshaw 

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Casey Herringshaw is a homeschool graduate and has been writing since high school. She lives in colorful Colorado where she gets to live her dream stalking--er--visiting with her favorite CO authors. 

   

   

NO GUILT ZONE: Will You Take the Pledge?

I’m a striver.

(Is that a word? It is for today, just roll with me)

I’m someone who has to make a goal and press hard into making that goal happen. Whether it’s personally or professionally, I am an extreme perfectionist and I’m not satisfied until everything is done right—or rather, to what I perceive as “right”.

And we all know that standard is a subjective line that will never truly be attained to perfect satisfaction.

In other words: I don’t give up easily. And I don’t let go very quickly.

And if I do either of those above two things? Well, just cross stitch me a sampler with “Guilt” as the focal point and I’ll magnet it to my fridge.

I have a question for you. One that I had to ask myself and one, that if I were honest, I could not answer right away.

Do you guilt yourself into writing?

Now, before you scoff at me and click out of this post because I would dare to ask you such a thing, when you’re obviously created within the very fabric of your DNA to be a writer, I want to urge you to think about this question.

Not in a condemning way.

Not in a way to make you feel guilty.

Just in a way that makes you pause and consider your day.

Do you feel guilty when you sit down to write because you’re ignoring your family or the laundry that needs to be folded?

Do you think about your book and the next chapter you need to bring to critique group and the fact that you haven’t written in two weeks and thus have nothing to show up with?

So instead of sitting down and writing that next chapter, you put it off. Shoving it to the side, because let’s be honest, there’s more pressure now. And no one likes to write under pressure.

Do you look at other writers as they glory in how much they love to create and look forward to spending time in that story world and realize that you have to pull teeth to find the motivation?

Maybe this isn’t you every day. Maybe this is only you once a month.

But is there a small part of this that you find relation to? A small part of yourself that wants to sit

down, grab a cup of your favorite hot drink and swap war stories?

Pull up a chair, my friend, I’m ready to listen and unburden a bit of my heart as well.

You’re a writer. It’s woven into the fabric of your DNA. It’s your passion…or maybe it’s not. (Another post for another time.)

So why are you doing it? Why are you writing?

And why are you allowing yourself to feel guilty by it all?

Have you let expectations override your desire for craft? For time creating? For production instead of adventure?

These are pointed questions. I get that. I’ve asked them. Mulled over them. Chewed on the impact of my answers.

Are you striving for an end result that isn’t leaving you fulfilled?

Here is something that I encourage of you this week within your writing or maybe even your own everyday life: strive for what fulfills you. Fills you up and leaves you running over. Put the book aside if that’s not that project this week. Hands off.  (and I do mean, hands off)

Find that passion. Find that joy.

Find it.

Claim it.

Allow yourself to be filled up.

Because you can’t write from an empty well. And an empty well is an invitation to be filled up with things, emotions, guilt that only lead toward meaningless striving.

Don’t guilt yourself this week.

Who’s with me?

CLICK TO TWEET:

Do you #guilt yourself into #writing? @C_Herringshaw encourages you to stop striving aimlessly today on the Alley: http://bit.ly/2lfsMvv

 

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Casey Herringshaw is a homeschool graduate and has been writing since high school. She lives in colorful Colorado where she gets to live her dream stalking--er--visiting with her favorite CO authors. 

   

   

Keeping the Love of Writing Alive

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It’s easy to get sucked into a rut when it comes to writing. From there it’s easier to get sucked into a passive routine where we only sit down to write because this hour has been blocked out on the calendar and the kids are tied up—er—playing in the back room with Barney (only children and their parents from my generation will know this reference ;-) as a babysitter.

It’s easy to become complacent and do it because someone, or even ourselves, expect our backsides to be in a chair and our fingers clicking away on the keyboard. But writing shouldn’t be all about taking each step forward because we have to. We should take every step forward because we want to. It shouldn’t always have to be plodding, but should be filled with times of joy.

Even if we have to search out that joy.

One of the inspirations I saw on Pinterest (yes, I realize that most of my conversations has this word slipped into it) was a jar. A jar to be filled with slips of paper, with a simple note of something good that happened that day. Maybe it’s something as simple as someone made you feel special on Facebook or chatted with you on another social media site, but you really needed the encouragement. Or maybe it’s something big—an agent requested your full book or offered you a contract. Do it before you begin writing or maybe it’s something you do after your writing session is done… but take the time to be thankful. Find some joy in the day to rejuvenate and remind yourself why you started this journey in the first place.

Take the time to send a quick email to another writer friend. Not only will you encourage and uplift them, but you’ll reconnect with a friend and remind yourself of those connections you’ve made within this industry. I don’t have to tell you writing can become a lonely place and it’s these relationships that keep you going more often than not. This definitely the truth on my journey. :- ) Remind yourself frequently that you’re not on this path alone.

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Place an encouraging scripture in plain sight.

Spend time before each writing session in prayer.

Surround yourself with reminders of why you love writing.

Be purposeful in finding and putting joy into your writing journey.

Yes, writing takes a lot of work. By yourself. Spending time putting your fingers on the keyboard and clicking away, creating characters that are only in your head. But don’t let yourself become sucked into a trap of solitude. It’s a handhold for the devil to bring discouragement down on your head.

Sometimes you have to search. Sometimes it comes easy. But in being purposeful to find the joy in the journey, you’ll rediscover why you fell in love with story crafting in the first place.

How do you fall in love with writing day after day?   

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Casey Herringshaw is a homeschool graduate and has been writing since high school. She lives in colorful Colorado where she gets to live her dream stalking--er--visiting with her favorite CO authors. 

   

   

Criticism? Who Likes Criticism??

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Criticism is, unfortunately, part of the game when you put your words on a page and then submit them to a critique partner or a contest or a first reader or your mother (well, maybe not your mother… ;-)). It seems to be a dangerous business, writing. I don’t know why it has to be such a land-mine pursuit, but it seems the more we put ourselves out there and write more from our heart and fall harder for our stories, the more criticism we can get. And the harder it gets.

Being told you stink at something is never easy, don’t get me wrong. I’m not a huge fan of it myself. ;-) When you look at how hard you work and how many hours you spend alone pounding the keyboard, only to be told by a judge that your POV is a mess and your characters are flat and unlikeable, it’s enough to plant one’s head squarely in the middle of the keyboard/screen/desk/wall, etc, etc.

But criticism does not have to be all bad. Yes, I know. You’re scowling at me fiercely right now because I’m telling you to actually like being corrected. Well…maybe not like, because who likes that?? But there is much more to be learned from criticism than there is to be learned from praise. While all correction should be taken with a grain of salt, it might be an opportunity to see the big picture flaws we miss when we’re zoomed in too close in our stories.

What is the universal appeal of your hero and heroine? Did the judges or first readers find them fun and entertaining or flat and apathetic?

Look at what you’re aiming for and then see if what and where the criticism is coming from matches up or is moving in the same direction. If you’re aiming for a funny and light-hearted heroine, but you’re being told she’s moody and discouraging, maybe it’s time for an edit—or maybe a change of genre. ;-)

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Is the topic of your “voice” coming up in more discussions or disturbingly absent? Read the comments as one would who has no emotional attachment to your story. If this was your friend’s story or a random book off the shelf would you agree or disagree with the comments?

It’s easy to immediately disagree with everything the critique had to say, but stop for just a minute. Separate yourself from the heart-wounded part and pull up those muck boots to go in for another stomp around and discovery. (Yes, I just went all farm girl on you.)

While it’s never easy to volunteer for criticism or correction for anyone even when the criticisms are so far out in left field that’s it’s not even worth putting the time into reading! Novel crafting is one of the most subjective businesses out there—it’s not even funny how subjective it is. And yes, it’s a near constant lesson in the art of accepting criticism gracefully.

But it gets a little bit easier if you think in these terms: we’re in the place we love. God put us here. This is part of His hands forming our clay. Put’s a little bit different perspective on it, doesn’t it? J

CLICK TO TWEET:

Why you should be ok accepting criticism as a #writer in the 21st century. http://bit.ly/2gA7TMY @C_Herringshaw #amwriting

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Casey Herringshaw is a homeschool graduate and has been writing since high school. She lives in colorful Colorado where she gets to live her dream stalking--er--visiting with her favorite CO authors. 

   

Understanding the Importance of White Space

If you are human, you are bombarded on every side with things to do.

Tasks to complete. To-do lists to mark as to-done lists.

People to serve and/or please. A family to take care of. Chores that have to be done. Meals that have to be made. A roof that has to be kept over your head.

Oh yeah, and a book that you want to write.

But when do you find the time to do something you want to do in the midst of everything you need to do?

The practice of putting white space or margin into your life will become one of the most critical skills you can ever learn and put into practice, and for more than just finding the time to work on your story.

What is “White Space”?

It can best be defined as: a space of time, free of obligations or guilt and is purely set aside for the person in question to do what refreshes their soul at the deepest level.

So how in the world do you plan white space into your life, in a day that is already over booked, over worked and over promised?

You plan ahead.

You say no.

The only way to make white space happen is to create habits in your life that allow for white space to flourish.

Here is one example: I set my alarm thirty minutes early in the morning so that I can get up and get all of my extracurricular work done in the morning. This includes writing my blogs (if I have any), doing miscellaneous VA work, answering emails, etc.

This also means that I have to get to bed at least thirty minutes earlier the night before, which really for the sake of my day job, that needs to happen no matter what.

Don’t misunderstand me here either, I don’t do all of the tasks that I listed above in those extra thirty minutes that I have. But if I plan correctly, one day I can get the blog written while another day I do all the VA work. I don’t have to do all the tasks on one day, if I plan ahead accordingly.

So, when I get home from work at the end of the day, the only obligation I have is to do activities that feed my soul creatively.

For those of you with families…this strategy will look different and every day is not going to be a cookie cutter of the last one.

But the concept remains the same.

What do you plan ahead of time to then give you time that you wouldn’t have otherwise had?

If I leave my VA and blogging work until the end of the day? I’m exhausted. Easily distracted by social media and putter around for an hour before actually getting the work done which takes me twice as long.

Whereas in the morning, I’m motivated by a ticking clock that tells me I have to be at work on time.

What can you say no to? What do you need to say no to?

As humans we want to be goers and doers. A great thing to go and be. Until it becomes the worst thing that we can by over committing and under nourishing ourselves.

Here is my challenge to you for the next two weeks: pray and evaluate one or two things that you can say “no” to. Either end your obligation or don’t sign up for it in the first place.

Second: how can you schedule in white space? What can you rearrange to give yourself this time to breathe, rest and revitalize? Maybe it’s something as simple as what I did, in rearranging the order in which you do things.

White space is the greatest gift you can give to yourself. It’s an opportunity to connect with the Lord and partake in the gifts He’s giving to you to enjoy (ie: your writing).

Leave me a comment below…are you searching for white space? Have you learned a few tricks to help you grab hold?

CLICK TO TWEET:

The only way to make #whitespace happen is to create habits that allow it to flourish.  http://bit.ly/2dCIOva @C_Herringshaw #amwriting

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Casey Herringshaw is a homeschool graduate and has been writing since high school. She lives in colorful Colorado where she gets to live her dream stalking--er--visiting with her favorite CO authors. 

Writers: Are You Asking for Help?

We’ve talked a lot about writing with community. Surrounding yourself with a group of people that you can trust your heart and writing with. People that become your friends beyond this writing journey and support you in nearly every aspect of your life.

They are your warriors. Your champions. The people that hold you up in prayer when the going is rough and the people you in turn laugh and cry with when they are joyful or struggling.

This is your tribe. These are your people.

But I was challenged recently for how often I actually come to my tribe—my people—and ask for help with my writing.

Allen Arnold has talked and ministered to many, many writers about not writing in a vacuum. About not being the “orphan” that writes alone, creates alone, processes alone and instead invites the Creator into the creative. Instead, invites in the people that the Creator has given the creative to form this story that He has laid on their heart.

It’s shockingly few and far between that I ask for help.

I don’t want to inconvenience someone. Take away time from their projects they need to be doing. Make them obligated to say “yes”, when they just really need to say “no.”

But I’ve been stuck on my story now for about a month and a half. Only written about a thousand words between family being in town, ACFW national conference and then more family being in town. It’s been a great month of fellowship and reconnection, but also a month filled with the trepidation of the next thing I have to do: which is dust off that story and start writing the next scene.

Only problem is: I have no idea what that next scene is.

Minor detail is all.

So the other night, at my writer’s mentoring meeting, I decided to pipe up. Gulp back any feelings of worry that I would put something beyond their time in helping me, and asked for help in outlining my story.

See, outlining your story might not be a big deal to you. You might love it. Get inspired from it. See new plot twists and scene ideas.

I hate it.

I’d so much rather sit down with my laptop and just write. Except then, I write myself into a corner and oops, I don’t know what happens next.

It’s not a complicated project, this request that I’m making. A lot of the work has already been done

in a previous brainstorming session. This is just me, needing a friend to join in writing these scene ideas out on 3x5 cards and inspiring my love for this novel all over again—and putting me back on track to do the work.

Once the words are said, it’s not hard asking for help.

It’s hard getting to that place where you have to ask for it. Invite someone else into your story world; let them take your hand and journey with you in this process.

Don’t get stuck in your cave. The answers don’t all lie in what only you are capable of doing.

So invite someone in. Let them take partnership with you. Don’t be ashamed, but let yourself be motivated and encouraged.

Because remember that tribe of friends you’ve formed? Yeah, they are here for you in this too. And you’re not alone. By a long shot.

What are you needing to ask help for in your writing today? Have you done it? 

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Casey Herringshaw is a homeschool graduate and has been writing since high school. She lives in colorful Colorado where she gets to live her dream stalking--er--visiting with her favorite CO authors. 

Racing for the Finish Line

Several years ago I competed in the hardest race I've ever done. Six miles. Uphill. Starting at an elevation of 7200 feet and ending at over 9700 feet. This last Saturday my family and I hiked the Manitou Springs Incline--a shorter, but near replica of this 6 mile 10k. And I was once again reminded of the this metaphor we're about to "embark" on below.

But back to the Steens Rim Run.

The air is thin. My legs were cramping and contracting the first three miles. And I was pretty sure I should have hopped on the ambulance as it came down the mountain.

Racers only continued to pass me and I didn't look up near often enough to enjoy the gasp-worthy views.

Most of the race my mind was empty of all thought and processes, except getting. up. the. mountain.

The writing process is like our beautiful Steens Mountains.

It's a looooong hike.

And often times your legs are more sore than you think is possible to push them forward one more step. But the pain is greater in stopping than to just keep going.

Those first few miles of learning how to race, of pushing through the pain, seem like forever. Is it really worth the pain just to cross the finish line?

All your companions that started with you at the gun's bang are already yards ahead of you, climbing the hills as though they were mole hills. Some you've left behind, but it feels too much like you're the last one to cross the finish line as it only gets further and further away.

But then the three mile mark hits and your legs are used to the fast forward motion.

Your arms start swinging harder and your pace picks up speed. You're learning how to do this. You've got this and you can see the next mile marker around the next bend. The challenge of it all isn't quite so daunting.

Four miles. You're actually picking up speed, but still focused on putting just one foot in front of the other. That's all that matters. Not who is passing you. Not who you are passing. It's just one foot in front of the other.

Mile five hits and only 1.2 miles are left. Wow. This is the peak. You really can do this. There is a certain euphoric high that hits right about here and nothing much seems to matter but continuing toward the finish line.

Then you round the corner and see...see the finish line way, way, way up at the top of the final .2 miles. The hardest climb yet. The kind that pulls at your calves and tightens your muscles. You're nearly bent over and no hard swing of your arms is going to bring you up that much faster. But the spectators are cheering you on. Yelling to push forward. To make it. To finish STRONG.

And nothing else matters but crossing that finish line with everything you've got. You made a goal. You finished it. You made it.

With the writing life, the end result isn't often crossing that finish line. The finish line just moves toward a new goal, but don't we all have those mile three moments when we don't feel we can make it anymore and have to break through the pain and just keep going? We all have those moments when we crest that final long rise and see the big hill up ahead of us.

Maybe it's learning POV. Or character arc. Or marketing.

Or saving money for that big writing conference.

Or pushing send on a proposal.

My mom, finishing the race strong!

Or getting a book into publication.

It's a big hill.

People are passing us by, taking that big hill as though it were nothing, finishing before us. It's hard to watch everyone else getting to our goal before we do. But the time we are taking to climb those preceding hills are making us stronger. Preparing us for that final hill that could take all energy out of our legs and drain the air from our lungs.

Some walk (or run) at a faster pace than us. We can't sit and compare--as easy as that is-- to what others are doing better. It's an individual journey. An individual race. And our greatest competitor is ourselves. Embrace the battle from within and defeat the lies threatening to muddy your journey.

Because the finish line is just up ahead. And you're getting closer with every step you take.

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Casey Herringshaw is a homeschool graduate and has been writing since high school. She lives in colorful Colorado where she gets to live her dream stalking--er--visiting with her favorite CO authors. 

Does Your Writing Have Rhythm?

If you think in the economy of words, you'd probably use as few as possible, right? But how often do we actually think about how short we should write instead of how many words we need to make a novel?

Less is more. 

One hour was simply not enough to soak up all that Brandilyn Collins had to teach in this too-short class I sat through at ACFW national conference several years ago. I could easily sit through an entire early bird on what she had to tell. 

Words fascinate me. More than just stringing them together to tell a story, but words that evoke emotions. Develop a setting. Show the reader what is happening upon the screen we call a page. 

And I use too many of them. 

Click on the photo to see the changes Brandilyn made to a certain section of my manuscript.

One hour was enough to show me that so much more can be said in a stronger way if we use less words and more powerful words.

The key to this is the power behind the words. For example, take the before and after of these sentences I rewrote after Brandilyn's class:

Before:

A warm hand cupped Ellie’s elbow and guided her back to the spot where the brown-tinged grass caved under the press of her black shoes.

After:

A warm hand cupped Ellie’s elbow, guiding her back to where the brown-tinged grass caved under her black shoes. 

How about another one? One that is a little more dramatic in the changes.

Before:

She wanted to stop them. Grab their perfect black scarves, coats, gloves. Make them realize this wasn’t how it was supposed to happen. She was supposed to be able to learn how to be a good wife instead of a good widow. She would have planned better, tried harder had she known…

After:

Ellie wanted to stop them. Grab their perfect scarves and coats. Make them see this wasn’t how it was supposed to happen. She was supposed to have the chance to learn how to be a good wife. Not a widow. 

Do you see that not only did I use less words, but I also used more powerful words? The second one packed more of a punch right? And because I actually used less words your brain didn't have to dig through all the extraneous stuff just to find the meaning to the sentence and the paragraph.

Sentence length also dramatically affects the rhythm and communicates without words to the reader their emotions. If your sentences are filled with descriptions and are long languid run-on sentences, and your scene is a fight, what emotion are you going to evoke in your reader? Not fear. In fact (and this happens to me too often), I'll be reading (or rather skimming) something and realize two paragraphs in that this was a fight/kidnapping/disagreement/argument and I had NO idea because the descriptions, word choice and sentence length did not cue me into the fact that there was something happening!

Word selection in and of itself is not enough. Once I started thinking about the length of my physical sentences, the sound of my writing started to change. You want the overall flow to match the mood of the scene, so keep this in the forefront of your mind as you are editing and changing. So often I didn't so much rewrite what I had written, but cut the extra words that were only drowning the important pieces of information. Once I started looking at my story in this way, I found plenty of places to cut the extra verbiage! 

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Casey Herringshaw is a homeschool graduate and has been writing since high school. She lives in colorful Colorado where she gets to live her dream stalking--er--visiting with her favorite CO authors. 

Building a Dream Team Part 4

Over the last few months we have talked about building a Dream Team. We’ve covered the points of who makes up a Dream Team and how you find these people. We’ve talked about building strategy into your teams with their social media promotion. And we’ve talked about how to empower your team and provide them with the resources that they need.

But how do you continue to grow your team and how do you know when you should let someone go? 

What are the reasons you would let someone off of your team if they haven’t already volunteered to do so? We’ll be discussing those finer points today.

How do you grow your Dream Team and when should you let someone go?

·         Don’t just roll over the same Dream Team year after year. The pool will become stagnant.

The same team year after year will have enthusiasm for your books for sure and you should continue to keep the people on board that maintain their contagious excitement. However, bringing in “new blood” as it where, will remind your older members what they’ve always been excited about all along: your books. And telling people about your books.

·         Cull the members who weren’t able to commit time wise or didn’t have an interest once the promotional work started.

Not every member can fully participate. Some people you’ll know this going into it and this is your call to make whether you invite them back for another year. I work with several people on my Dream Teams that have other obligations, but still give 110% with what they can do. There is a difference between doing what you can and not doing anything. Look for the members who fall into the latter.

·         Ask the members left over if they want to continue on in the new book promotion. Make sure they understand the meaning of being part of your Dream Team and the commitment they are making.

Every year when I build the new team, I privately message or email each member with a quick note, thanking them for their awesome help and asking if they want to join next year. No pressure, ball totally in their court, but with a full understanding of what I’m asking you to do if you return. Most people will return. A few will be honest with their time and decline. I suggest adding these people to your influencer list so they can still help with minor promotion and writing you a review.

·         Ask new people you’ve communicated with, know that like your books, etc.

Each year I look at readers who have consistently contacted my authors, been involved on social media without asking or just have a natural contagious excitement about them. I love inviting people such as this to our teams!

·         Bringing in fresh blood will encourage and help fuel the old members and vice versa.

I’ve seen this truth proven many times over—keep this option in your back pocket as you look to grow your team and encourage excitement.

Finally: build a community. All of these people are joined by one common love: you and your books. This instantly makes them friends, build upon that. I have seen fellow Dream Teamers friend each other on Facebook, chat amongst each other and support one another outside of the structure of the Dream Team. This is a great and effective way to build cohesiveness and sponsor growth and camaraderie amongst your members.

Do you have any questions about building a Dream Team? Suggestions? Thoughts? I’d love to hear from you, so be sure to leave your comments below!

CLICK TO TWEET: 

Building a Dream Team? Who do you invite for the #promotion & do you bring in new people? @C_Herringshaw answers. http://bit.ly/29Q1Az1

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Casey Herringshaw is a homeschool graduate and has been writing since high school. She lives in colorful Colorado where she gets to live her dream stalking--er--visiting with her favorite CO authors.