Your Mission Is...

I know, you were expecting me to explain your mission right away, don't worry, I'll get to that.

I just started another round of revisions on Branson Falls. I'm almost to the point where I use the FIND feature in Word to locate all the words in my manuscript that end with "ly." Why in the world would I take the time to do that you ask? Because as Stephen King says, "The road to hell is paved with adverbs," and most words that end in "ly" are adverbs.

*Cue the "Mission Impossible" theme music now*

When I get to the point that I feel a manuscript is close to querying, I always go through it to see if the adverbs I've used add to the sentence and if they don't, I try to get rid of them. There's no way to take all of the adverbs out of a manuscript, and they're not all bad. The adverbs I'm talking about are the ones that stick out like a sore thumb...the ones that make a reader want to scream because the constant use of adverbs in place of descriptions makes it hard for the reader to connect to the story. The ones I notice the most when I read are adverbs used as part of dialogue tags.

I'm not sure why, but adverb overload seems to be common in the YA genre. Before Amazing Ashley got her red pen out to edit Eternal Starling, I had a lot of lines of dialogue ending with things like, 'she said, obviously,' and 'he said, frantically.' For me, the adverb dialogue tags were a result of my inexperience as a novelist and I was able to learn from that mistake and improve my writing skills.

Ashley gave me some good advice for how to fix the problem in later drafts and other WIPs. She told me I need to write how a character's emotions are reflected in their actions and show how the character is feeling instead of telling it. The show, don't tell line is one I've heard a lot, but no one has ever been able to explain to me as well as Ashley did when she suggested I watch the TV show "Lie To Me." I couldn't believe how much it helped to watch the show and see how facial expressions and body language were analyzed to figure out how a person was feeling. Now I'm a lot better at descriptions and as I write, I can see how the character's body is reacting in my mind. Here's an example...

Instead of saying:

"Who do you think you are?" she asked, angrily."

I think of the character and envision how they would really react in the situation, then I try to write that.

She folded her arms across her chest, her fingers digging into her skin like she was trying to hold back a punch. The muscles in her shoulders tensed as she pulled her brows into a dark glare and asked, "Who do you think you are?"

See the difference? Unlike the vague first example, the second example offers a physical description to explain how the character is feeling instead of just telling the reader the character is angry. You can go into a lot more detail than I did but to me, the second example is much more interesting and gives the reader a better idea of the character, her actions, and her feelings. The detail in the second example creates an image in the mind of the reader, and helps them identify with the character. It also makes the character more believable.

So, your mission, should you choose to accept it, is to go through your manuscript and get rid of the adverbs that aren't needed.

Speaking of characters...I better get back to my revisions. Drop me a line in the comments and tell me what you think about adverbs. :)

Sex and the City 2

 When the first Sex and the City movie came out, I forced my husband to come with me to see it (this was my version of punishment for him wanting a BIG wedding and making me plan the whole blasted thing with no help). This time he hadn't done anything worthy of making him sit through a 2 1/2 hour chick-flick, so I went to Sex and the City 2 with some girlfriends instead. Let me first say that Liza Minnelli dancing and singing to Beyonce's "All the Single Ladies" was worth the ticket price all by itself. The movie had a lot of funny moments and I enjoyed the interaction between Carrie, Miranda, Samantha and Charlotte. The reappearance of Carrie's Dior newspaper dress made me fall in love with the dress, and show, all over again. I liked the woman-empowering theme of the movie and despite having to suspend belief a bit (especially about some of the situations in Abu Dhabi), the movie was a lot of fun and perfect for a girls night out. However, as my husband and several other people pointed out, the movie got horrible reviews. And I have to say, the critics had some good points. The dialogue was silly in spots and there was no real plot to speak of. I definitely see the complaint that the movie seemed to focus on fashion and shoes (but when hasn't Sex and the City been about those things). Usually bad dialogue and lack of a plot turn me off regardless of the medium (TV, movies, books)--but Sex and the City is different. I've been trying to figure out why that's the case and I think it's because I'm much more forgiving of characters I've already spent time getting to know and falling in love with. I think the same is true for anything in a series, whether it's a TV show, movie, or a book. I don't always like every book in a series, but just because I think some parts of a story fall through the cracks, it doesn't mean I want to give up on the characters. I've already developed a love for them and committed my time to becoming a part of their world. I want to know what's going to happen to them and continue watching them grow...even if there are stumbles along the way. I'm sure another Sex and the City movie will come out and regardless of whether critics think it's good or bad, I'll be there on opening night because I love the characters, the stories, and I enjoy seeing what will happen to them next...even if they do end up on a camel in the middle of the Arabian desert wearing $500 shoes.

Preface / Prologue Part 2

Now that you know whether you have a preface or a prologue, you have to decide if you really need it.

If you read ANY agent blogs or follow agents on Twitter, you will see that a good majority of them HATE prologues and prefaces. A lot of them even say it turns them off of the manuscript completely. Many of the agents I follow say they can't gauge your writing, your voice, or the tone of the book based on a preface or prologue. Also, think about one of the cardinal rules of writing. You never dump backstory into your first chapters. You always want to craft the backstory into the plot throughout the book. But, by using a preface or a prologue, you're essentially dumping backstory on the agent in the first few pages.

My personal opinion is that I don't mind prologues, but I despise prefaces. A prologue serves a purpose for the story. You need the information from the prologue to understand the rest of the book. But a preface is just a retelling of something (usually part of the climax) that happens later in the story. I've had so many authors tell me they included a preface because they felt like they wouldn't be able to pull a reader in with their first chapter. If you can't grab a reader with the first few pages of your first chapter, you're certainly not going to be able to get an agent's attention. I've even read that some agents completely disregard prologues/prefaces sent to them. Agents are trying to get a feel for your writing style, voice, and the plot. They can't do that from a prologue/preface. If you're worried that your first chapter, or even your first few paragraphs won't keep a reader's attention, you need to rewrite.

Now I know you're thinking that if prologues and prefaces are so unpopular with agents, why do so many books have them? I've wondered that myself and this is my theory...I think a lot of editors like what a prologue or preface can do for a book. Most people buying a book like to scan the first few pages of the book before they buy it. If there's something interesting in those first few pages, a reader is much more likely to buy the book so they can find out what happens. My day job is in marketing/advertising/PR and from a marketing perspective, the preface prologue strategy makes a lot of sense. I’m sure there are other reasons as well--like maybe to help the audience understand an important part of the book or something intense or emotional the character is going through--but like I said, from a marketing perspective, it’s a very good idea. So while agents may not like prologues and prefaces, it's smart marketing on the side of the editor and publishing house.

So where does this leave you? Well, if you already have a prologue or preface, take a serious, unbiased look at it and ask yourself if it's really important enough to your book to risk the possibility of turning an agent off by sending it with your query. If you choose not to include your preface or prologue, it doesn't mean you have to give it up. Keep it around because an editor might want it someday. :)

Is it a Preface or a Prologue??? Part 1

Whew!!! I finished my Branson Falls revisions!!! *Happy Dance*

I started this post about prologues and prefaces a while ago and as I've been working on it, it just keeps getting longer. I decided to split it into two posts, so for the first, I offer you a definition.

Prologues and prefaces seem to be all the rage lately--especially in YA books. Since Eternal Starling was YA, I seriously debated whether I should put one in. I mean, lots of other YA writers were doing it, should I do it too? The problem is that I'm not a preface or prologue fan. And I found out most agents aren't preface or prologue fans either (more on that in post #2). I had to decide what I wanted to do with Eternal Starling, but first, I needed to find out what the difference between a preface and prologue actually was!

There are SO many conflicting ideas out there about this--everywhere from mywriterscircle.com to absolutewrite.com. I finally found an answer that made sense to me and then found the same answer over and over again as I researched. Though, like I said, the opinions are conflicting, so feel free to do your own research and decide for yourself. You can also check this link from writersandeditors.com for a more detailed prologue and preface definition summary.

If you're confused like I was, read on for a definition and example.

A prologue is used to give the reader critical information that happens before the story starts. The reader will need that information later to understand what's happening in the book. A good example of this is the prologue in Hush, Hush, by Becca Fitzpatrick. The prologue happens in a completely different century than when the book takes place, but the information in the prologue is important to the plot of the book.

A preface is a retelling of something that happens later in the book and is often used as a way to hook a reader. A good example of this is the preface for Twilight. A lot of YA books use this tool as a way to get the audience immediately interested in the book and make them want to keep reading.

Now you know the difference, you can check your own preface or prologue and figure out what it actually is! In the next few days I'll post my take on why so many agents seem to hate prefaces and prologues, but editors seem to love them.

Editing Cave

I know my posts have been sparse lately. Some of you probably thought I accidentally mud and taped myself to the basement wall. While I have no doubt that could, and probably will happen, we are still hanging drywall and haven't gotten to the mud and tape stage yet. (FYI, did you know they have self-adhesive mesh tape now instead of the paper tape that attacks you as you try to put in on the drywall? The mesh tape might just save my life!).

The real reason for my lack of posts is that I'm in my editing cave. I'm about half way through my revisions on Branson Falls and hope to finish them in the next couple of days! Then I'll send the ms. off to my crit-partners for comments and more revisions. Ah, it seems like it never ends. At least the query is done though, and I'm still planning to start sending out queries at the end of May.

I'm actually pretty excited to finish, not only because I love having a shiny new manuscript to query, but also because I have many topics I want to blog about including a question that many writers seem confused on: the difference between a preface and a prologue. And because I'm a little bit opinionated (my husband literally laughed out loud when he read that), I'll give my take on prefaces and prologues, as well as why agents hate them, but editors seem to love them.

So, keep checking back because I'll be out of my cave soon! Thanks for reading!!!

Vacation and Revisions

I just got back from visiting my brother and sister and my grandparents in beautiful Florida! And we were there at the perfect time...it wasn't even humid! We were gone for a week and as soon as we got home my dad picked us up from the airport and we started working on the basement...again.

It's been a great learning experience but I think we'll make sure the basement in our next house is finished before we move in. We started hanging drywall today and I don't think I've ever been so excited in my life!!! I also rolled my ankle while I was trying to hook up our trailer so I could take it to Lowe's and exchange a door. Here's a tip: don't try and hook up a trailer by yourself when the trailer is sitting on a slope. I can still hobble along though, so I don't think I broke anything. I should probably go to the doctor and find out, but I have an irrational fear of hospitals and usually won't frequent them unless I think I'm dying.

Since I'm not much help in the basement with my maybe-broken ankle, I decided to read through the Branson Falls edits I got in the mail from Amazing Ashley while I was in Florida. I seriously don't know what I'd do without her. If you don't have someone in your life who will point out all the crap and inconsistencies in your manuscript, you HAVE to find that person. Amazing Ashley reads my manuscripts like an editor or agent and her help is invaluable. I've already told her I'm in debt to her for at least one Corvette, but she's worth A LOT more than that!

I haven't started revisions yet because Amazing Ashley wants to go through her comments with me page-by-page before I start rewriting. Yes, that's right, page-by-page because that's how fantastic Amazing Ashley is. Revisions always kick my butt and I know I have a lot of work still to do on Branson Falls, but for now, I'm hoping I can start to query in a month. I feel really good about the book though and I'm keeping my fingers crossed that an agent will like it as much as my beta-readers do!

Thirty!!!

First, let me say that there's no real reason for the Brandon Routh picture except that I wanted to post a little eye candy to celebrate my 30th birthday! And let's be honest, eye candy is never a bad thing. Since it's now after midnight, I'm officially 30!!! And unlike many of my 30-year-old friends, I'm so excited! I'm not sure why, but I've always felt like good things would happen the year I turned 30. And...as a testament to that, I got the best early birthday present ever a couple of days ago and I'll post more about it soon! In other news, it seems like I've been in my basement-finishing cave with my dad and husband every spare moment for the past month, but occasionally I poke my head out and work on edits for Branson Heights (which I've recently re-titled Branson Falls). Incidentally, Brandon Routh looks so much like one of the characters in Branson Falls that it makes me wonder if my subconscious had a hand in writing the character. Amazing Ashley finished editing for me a few days ago. She said she was harder on me this time...which makes me a little concerned since I told her to be brutal with Eternal Starling. But, it will just make the book better so I'm excited to get her edits back and start improving the manuscript before I give it to readers and send out queries. Since it's late, I think I'm going to end this post and continue celebrating 30 by reading a good book before I go to bed. I hope you all have a wonderful weekend and I'll post more soon!