The joy of editing, and an amazing competition

When I do author talks in schools, I always spend a chunk of time talking about editing. I know it’s a popular topic for the teachers as it’s something they can refer back to in subsequent lessons (“Remember how Lexi talked about the importance of editing your work?”). It’s also useful for them to be able to discuss it with the pupil who is absolutely adamant that their first draft is flawless, perfect in every way, how long I spend on the editing phase before publication.

I usually start by asking them to define editing. Most of the pupils leap straight to the grammar, spelling, and punctuation stage, which sets the scene for a discussion around developmental edits (looking at the big-picture), structural edits (looking at the structure of the story), line edits, copy edits (the bit the kids initially latch onto), and finally proof reading.

Some authors struggle with the editing phase, but personally I enjoy it. Editing Your Novel’s Structure: Tips, Tricks, and Checklists to Get You From Start to Finish is a concise guide to the structural editing phase and, whilst there is absolutely no substitute for a professional edit, it’s always good to do a thorough run through yourself to catch as many issues as you can.

The checklists are particularly handy. For example, the one on settings has a very comprehensive 18 separate points! For this reason I prefer a paperback rather than ebook so I can flick through quickly, cover it in post-it notes, and annotate heavily, but that’s partly because I’m an old-school hard-copy girl. I also love the way it covers a wide variety of genres so it has prompts regardless of whether you are writing historical fiction or sci-fi.

I’m actually reading two books on the writing process at the moment, and they couldn’t be more different. This one is blunt and to the point (lots of “you must” rules). The other is a lyrical, philosophical approach. If you’re serious about improving your writing craft, I would recommend you consume as many different approaches as possible as everyone has different issues, and different aspects will resonate with the issues you personally grapple with.

Competition

As part of todays blog blitz, I’m ridiculously excited to be hosting this competition to win an introductory editing service, The First Five Package! Entries close on Sunday night, so don’t hang around! Enter here …..

https://kingsumo.com/g/xcysrh/win-an-editing-package-worth-150

Here’s a description of the service: https://theartandscienceofwords.com/thefirstfivepackage/ It’s worth $150. I wish I could enter myself!! #win #editing

Blurb

Editing Your Novel’s Structure: Tips, Tricks, and Checklists to Get You From Start to Finish

Before it’s time to check for commas and iron out passive voice, fiction writers need to know that their story is strong. Are your beta readers not finishing? Do they have multiple, conflicting complaints? When you ask them questions about how they experience your story, do they give lukewarm responses? Or have you not even asked anyone to read your story, wondering if it’s ready?

If any of the above is true, you may need to refine the structure of your story. What is structure you ask? Structure is what holds a story together. Does the character arc entrance the reader? Is the world building comprehensive and believable? These questions and more have to be answered by all of us as we turn our drafts into books.

In this concise handbook, complete with checklists for each section, let a veteran writer walk you through the process of self-assessing your novel, from characters to pacing with lots of compassion and a dash of humor. In easy to follow directions and using adaptable strategies, she shows you how to check yourself for plot holes, settle timeline confusion, and snap character arcs into place.

Use this handbook for quick help and quick self-editing checklists on:

– Characters and Character Arcs.
– Plot.
– Backstory.
– Point of View.
– A detailed explanation of nearly free self-editing tools and how to apply them to your book to find your own structural problems.
– Beginnings and Ends.
– Editing for sensitive and specialized subject matter.
– Helpful tips on choosing beta readers, when to seek an editor, and a sample questionnaire to give to your first readers.

Grab your copy of Edit Your Novel’s Structure today! Now is the time to finish that draft and get your story out into the world.

Author bio

Bethany Tucker is an author and editor located near Seattle, U.S.A. Story has always been a part of her life. With over twenty years of writing and teaching experience, she’s more than ready to take your hand and pull back the curtain on writing craft and mindset. Last year she edited over a million words for aspiring authors. Her YA fantasy series Adelaide is published wide under the pen name Mustang Rabbit and her dark epic fantasy is releasing in 2021 under Ciara Darren. You can find more about her services for authors at TheArtandScienceofWords.com.

Here’s to more fun in ’21

Christmas may be cancelled, but at least we’ve almost made it to the end of 2020. Congratulations! It’s been a particularly challenging year. I know each of us has had different experiences, and different stresses, whether we’re key workers, home educators, shielding ourselves or our loved ones, furloughed, seen our businesses closed for months on end… I can’t be the only person with a whole lot more grey hair now. Having only been to the hairdresser twice this year, if I hadn’t discovered my husband was actually quite handy with a bottle of hair dye, it would be a lot more obvious!

Anyway, here’s to a more fun filled 2021.

Whatever else 2021 brings, let’s fill it with books!

I wasn’t sure what book to wrap up the year with, but Alex Johnson has solved my problem! He has an eclectic range of books out with several quirky treats (e.g. The Book of Book Lists). Anyway, he has a new one out published by the British Library which ticks the boxes for my book club and parent hats, and I love the cover.

I asked him to join me for a chat.

What I remember about reading as a child is as much the pleasurable experience of it as the actual books. So while I have fond recollections of Noggin the Nog, Mumfie, Tintin, and Mr Rabbit and the Lovely Present, what is just as strong is the emotional memory of reading in bed (especially – cliché klaxon – under the covers with a torch), in the garden, on holiday, and especially being read to by my parents.

The only real rule about encouraging your children to read – and now that we’re going back into lockdown there will be even more time for doing so – is that it should be enjoyable. However you plan to encourage them, the most important thing is that reading doesn’t become a chore or, even worse, some kind of punishment. “Get off that Xbox and read a good book” is unlikely to lead to success.

Children turn into readers when they find a book they like, and as soon as books make them feel happy, they’re hooked for life. This means encouraging them however they read. Are they rereading an old favourite for the billionth time? Smashing, rereading is not only a key part of understanding a book but it’s also comforting. Are they engrossed in a Dandy annual? Great, reading comics/graphic novels is great fun – my youngest boy spent a large amount of the first lockdown alternating between Philip Pullman’s Northern Lights trilogy and my 1980s Tiger & Scorcher annuals. One is not better than the other.

Having said that, don’t keep encouraging them to read something you loved as a child if they’re not keen. Guide and suggest, but as far as possible, let them make the choice themselves. I (still) love Anthony Buckeridge’s series of books about the schoolboy Jennings (less magical than Harry Potter, less mischievous than William Brown). My three children swiftly decided against. That’s absolutely fine.

An important way to keep children reading is to encourage them to read all kinds of things. So whether it’s a novel or a poem, a history book or a science guide, a travelogue or a comic, diaries or jokes, a biography or a picture book, variety is the spice of reading life. Although library visits are down on last year for obvious reasons, think about using e-lending services which have seen a massive rise in use in 2020. As well as ‘traditional’ books, ebooks are well worth considering. There’s a lot to explore online too. For example, try Poetryline run by the Centre for Literacy in Primary Education at clpe.org.uk/poetryline or search for the work of performance poets such as Kate Tempest and Caleb Femi.

And don’t forget that audiobooks are books too. People not only learn in different styles but they also enjoy stories in different ways. Traditional books don’t suit everybody and audiobooks should certainly not be seen as some kind of fraudulent replacement for a ‘worthy’ hardback in the hand. Storytelling, after all, is far older than reading a printed book.The biggest commercial player in the audiobook market is Audible, owned by Amazon, but do search out other options too such as Listening Books (www.listening-books.org.uk).

As I mentioned above, one of the nicest ways of encouraging your child to read is to do it together and read to them. This is important to do when times are normal, but now everybody is unsettled this is a particularly excellent way of comforting your child. You absolutely don’t have to be a professional actor to read out loud, but do put plenty of emotion into it (I’ve always rather enjoyed doing ‘voices’ even though they are often rather mixed up – my sons gleefully pointed out that the dwarves in The Hobbit appeared to change which part of the country they came from every other reading session) and don’t go too fast – everybody tends to read too quickly. Older children who have not been read to for a while might also now enjoy this again.

As well as reading, it’s good to discuss the books your child is reading. Chatting about books is a huge part of the reading experience and enjoyable for both you and your child. Ask questions which make them think about what they’re reading or encourage them to look for answers in another book, rather than simply lobbing information at them (but remember they’re not doing a school test on it so don’t turn it into an interrogation!). If you’re reading something together, don’t whizz through it as fast as possible, but pause regularly to discuss issues that it raises and connections to other books your child may have read. Think of yourself as a ‘reading mentor’ rather than a broadcaster.

Lastly, don’t let your child have all the fun. You should read too. Not only is it enjoyable, if your son or daughter sees you reading then they are much more likely to follow your lead.

Thanks Alex!

Parent/ teacher alert

You can get your book wall off to a nice start in January as Alex has offered to send a personalised postcard to anyone who shares a picture of them with their copy of his book on social media and tags me. [UK only – sorry]

Before I log off now until the new year, I want to wish you all a very happy holidays, stay safe, take care, and see you in 2021!

There’s never been a better time to start writing!

Hands up, how many of you are looking at self-isolation and thinking, “I’m actually going to write that book“? We’ve also got Camp Nano coming up in April (a wonderful supportive writers community), so, if I may set aside all the worries and difficulties, perhaps there has never been a better time to pick up your pen. I love a journal, and use a student planner myself because as a kids author that aligns with my planning. This journal is more focussed on creating a strong writing habit, giving you a clear structure and prompts to keep you going and I absolutely LOVE it. It’s a big beast (400 odd pages), so don’t be tempted to get a soft copy – you’re definitely going to need a printed version.

52 Weeks of Writing Author Journal and Planner

Are you ready to become the writer you were always meant to be? 52 Weeks of Writing will get you cracking by making you plan, track, reflect on, and check in with your progress and goals an entire year long. It will help you dig deep by offering questions and writing prompts designed to unravel whatever truths about your writing you’re ready for, and keep you inspired by delivering a thought-provoking writing quote every week.

Do you struggle with setting goals that reflect your daily reality?
Do you want to practise breaking goals down into manageable chunks?
Would you like more insight into your writing habit(s) and figure out why you keep getting in your own way?
And do you want to create a sustainable writing practice that honours your needs and desires as a writer?

Then the 52 Weeks of Writing: Author Journal and Planner is for you. This book brings together every lesson Mariëlle S. Smith has learned as a writing coach and writer. Wary as she is of comparisonitis and unhealthy competition, this author journal and planner was designed to help writers develop and fine-tune a practice that works for them. If you’re ready to get out of your own way and become the writer you’re meant to be, pick up your copy of today.

Competition time!

If that sounds good, wait until you see these prizes – Enter here! https://mswordsmith.nl/en_GB/giveaway/
THREE paperback copies of the 52 Weeks of Writing Author Journal and Planner,
TWO paperback copies of Tarot for Creatives: 21 Tarot Spreads to (Re)Connect to Your Intuition and Ignite That Creative Spark, and
ONE coaching session.

Author Bio

Mariëlle S. Smith is a coach for writers and other creatives, an editor, (ghost) writer, and custom retreat organiser. In 2019, she moved to Cyprus, and island in the Mediterranean Sea, where she organises private writer’s retreats, is inspired 24/7, and feeds more stray cats than she can count.

Writing groups, research and news!

Some of you will know I’m a big fan of writer support groups, both online and in person and am a member of several. My local group is called Chindi and I’ve benefitted from all their support and encouragement.

Today, I’m delighted to be interviewing one of my Chindi buddies, Patricia Osborne, who is celebrating the publication of her new book, The Coal Miner’s Son, this week. Since we write in different genres there is no direct overlap in our books, but the writing process has many similarities and we focussed on the research process here. Over to her …

Firstly, thank you to Lexi for inviting me over to her blog during my ‘Chindi Author of the Week’ which happens to coincide with publication of my second novel, The Coal Miner’s Son.

When it comes to writing family sagas, my favourite era is the 50s and 60s. This is partly due to the fact that my late mum would have been a similar age to my protagonist Grace Granville in House of Grace (Book 1 of the trilogy) which meant that I already had a fair grasp of what life was like in Britain during those decades. My mum inspired my character, Grace Granville, and Jack Gilmore, Grace’s first love, was based on aspects of my dad. On my regular visits to Mum, I’d quiz her on details such as what Dad was wearing when they first met and where they went for their first date.

Reading family sagas, non-fiction books, and watching television series played a big part in my research. For example, I researched mining accidents, and coal miners’ wives’ communities. George Orwell’s Road to Wigan Pier aided the latter and it was from this I was able to create a coal miner’s wife.

Mr Selfridge and House of Elliott were particular inspirations for House of Grace while a villain, Reverend Osborne Whitworth in Poldark inspired my villain, Sir Gregory Giles, in The Coal Miner’s Son.

Facebook memories of Bolton sites were really good sources for research in the fifties and in particular the FB Palais site. The members were so helpful in providing details right down to what the furnishings were like in the dance hall in 1950, how all the youngsters would meet their boy or girlfriends under the clock, and even how much a cup of coffee cost. I’m pleased to say that when these members read House of Grace they felt they were back all those years in the Palais.

One of my aunties helped me choose an illness in the early sixties that could be a childhood killer at that time which I was able to use in House of Grace. I followed this up with research, making my first port of call the internet, and at that time I was also lucky enough to have access to Brighton University online library, in particular searching academic sites such as JSTOR.

Researching the sixties was easier for me as I was able to build on my own memories. For instance, poor Mum dragging a tin bath in from the backyard and filling it up with water boiled in buckets on the stove. And the dread of having to go outside in the yard to the toilet, especially when it was cold and wet – these recollections enabled me to enact scenes in The Coal Miner’s Son when George bathes in the tin tub by the fire.

To heighten these memories and fill in any gaps, I studied non-fiction books such as: “A 1950s Childhood: From Tin Baths to Bread and Dripping” and “A 1960s Childhood: From Thunderbirds to Beatlemania” both by Paul Feeney. And “The ’50s ’60s: The Best of Times: Growing Up and Being Young in Britain” by Alison Pressley.

The internet is a great source too and Google was my friend. For example there are quite a few weddings in the House of Grace trilogy so sites like Pinterest were a great help. Here I looked at pictures of different dresses and took details from a few of them to come up with a beautiful gown for each of my brides. I’d search to see what fabrics were around in a specific era, satin, silk, etc, then I’d look at designs on Pinterest and maybe take something from three or four different pictures to come up with a unique gown, adding netted petticoats, broderie-anglaise bodices etc. I’d go through a similar regime for flowers and cars too.

Growing up in Bolton as a child aided my research too, particularly for Part I of House of Grace as most of the story is set there. My visits to the townhall and museum with mummies and famous lion sentinels outside proved a valuable use of time. I was able to use these places in scenes in House of Grace when Grace stayed with her best friend, Katy, in Bolton.

When I’m not questioning relatives or memories of Facebook groups I find Facebook friends in general are always accommodating in answering questions. In fact they love it, they feel like they are having input in the book. It’s a great feeling. For instance I may ask what the most popular toy for a ten-year-old boy was in 1962. The answers will come back in floods.

So I suppose for me, for research, I like to wherever possible, write what I know, develop it using research, and then embellish and fictionalise to create extra drama. I love the idea of learning something new while writing.

Blurb for The Coal Miner’s Son

After tragedy hits the small coal mining village of Wintermore, nine-year-old miner’s son, George, is sent to Granville Hall to live with his titled grandparents.

Caught up in a web of treachery and deceit, George grows up believing his mother sold him. He’s determined to make her pay, but at what cost? Is he strong enough to rebel?

Will George ever learn to forgive?

Step back into the 60s and follow George as he struggles with bereavement, rejection and a kidnapping that changes his life forever. Resistance is George’s only hope.

About the Author

Patricia M Osborne is married with grown-up children and grandchildren. She was born in Liverpool but now lives in West Sussex. In 2019 she graduated with an MA in Creative Writing (University of Brighton).

Patricia writes novels, poetry and short fiction, and has been published in various literary magazines and anthologies. Her first poetry pamphlet ‘Taxus Baccata’ is to be published by Hedgehog Poetry Press during 2020.

She has a successful blog at Patriciamosbornewriter.com where she features other writers and poets. When Patricia isn’t working on her own writing, she enjoys sharing her knowledge, acting as a mentor to fellow writers and as an online poetry tutor with Writers’ Bureau.

The Coal Miner’s Son is the second book in the House of Grace trilogy.

Script writing tips for kids, and a new book

I’ve previously reviewed Starchild #1 by Vacen Taylor and the sequel, The City of Souls, is out now. Vacen is an interesting author because her background is in scriptwriting and I think this comes through in her fiction. She has very kindly agreed to have a chat and share some secrets, plus her tips for getting youngsters started with screen writing AND there’s a giveaway to win all four books (but you’ll have to scroll down for that).

How does your scriptwriting background influence your fiction writing?

Writing scripts requires a very different style of writing and requires different formatting. The other thing to remember in scriptwriting is there are no internal thoughts, so sensory details need to be found in the character’s actions but also be found in visible and audible emotions.

In screenwriting the writer would be working to reduce the details but be visual and emotional, writing as succinctly possible. Remember a feature-length screenplay is 110-120 pages in comparison to a novel which could range from 40, 000 to 100,000 pages depending on the age group and genre.

This understanding can be great for learning how to write tightly, but it can also encourage a writer to write so tightly that it fits into the reduced amount of pages. I often feel that this is a reason why my novels flow so fast because I have learned to write so tightly. So, it can be negative in some aspects.

When you write scripts, a writer is also thinking about budgets and settings. Both make a massive difference in whether the film or television series would be feasible to produce. When I participated in a short course in screenwriting, I quickly learned there was a lot more to think about when writing a script. I had to develop a script from a source text and on a tiny budget. These parameters played a significant part in my reasoning for everything; for example, the time of day or night, due to lighting cost, the sun is free!

Alternatively, when a writer is creating a novel, it is not essential to think about the cost of a budget or setting that might be a condition in filming. This freedom means when a person is writing a novel there is more room to be super creative with creating worlds. That doesn’t mean fantasy concepts don’t end up on the big screen, but they are more expensive to make, and budget considerations will drive the film’s end product. Whereas if I were writing a fantasy script, I would have to be continuingly thinking about budget and setting costs amongst other things.

Which character in Starchild are you most like and why?

These days I would say Mia, a resilient, self-confident and independent woman. Working with young people in my day job in the field of alcohol and other drugs, I believe a vital skill in supporting young women and men is to be resilient and independent myself. Role modelling is an important part of this work alongside a sound education and understanding how to link theory with practice and in many cases real life lived experiences. It’s also vital to maintain empathy for others around us and in the community. Which is part of the reason some of the characters are empathic to others, but I would hope people see the contrast between the empathic characters and those who lack empathy in the series.

What do you include in your character profiles?

I use a character profile sheet. Each sheet has everything from necessary information on it like, name, age, birthplace, gender and nationality. In another section, I concentrate on hair colour, eye colour, height, tattoos, scars etc. The next section includes information on a personality like, best and worst trait, secrets, enemies, what they like or don’t like. I also have a part for family, parents, siblings, boyfriends, partners and pets. Other information I include is a friends list, jobs, standing in the community or school setting.

You’ve built a very detailed world. What was the inspiration?

I have always been interested in energy. But the type of energy I am referring to within the series is found in the body. In the back of the book the powers of the nations are divided into 7 types from a particular source spot on the body. This is based loosely on the Chakra or energy points or nodes in the body. Forming the powers from this source inspired me to write the story. I gave each spot a strength, but with that, I realised I would be dividing the nations. It’s something like how the world of today is divided into countries and the country’s people. Which also inspired me to bring children from different nations together and along with that a mysterious child attached to a prophecy. From then on, it would be about friendship, courage, change and doing what is necessary to help each other. The Age of Akra is only a glimpse of the whole story. By the end of the third book, Long has changed a great deal and so has Akra.

What are you working on now?

I am working on three YA novels. One has been adapted from my short story, The Returning which was published as a shortlisted entry for the Queensland Writers Centre. The other two, first, being an apocalyptic and the other a paranormal both still requiring the ability to create unique spaces and settings that surround the characters.

Other than your own (of course), what are your favourite MG fantasy reads?

Song for a Whale by Lynne Kelly. And I’m looking forward to reading Far Away by Lisa Graff

There are lots of creative writing competitions for children, but do you know of any that specialise in scripts?

I am aware of many here in Australia. Here are a few.

ATOM Awards http://atomawards.org/ for Primary and Secondary students.

CinéfestOZ Short Film Competition https://cinefestoz.com/festival-program/cinesnaps/short-film-competition/ Encourages South West [WA] Western Australia n students 13-18 years old to explore the medium of film and use multi-media formats for production.

FlickerUp https://flickerfest.com.au/how-to-enter-flickerup/ National competition for primary and secondary school students or film-makers under 18 years old.

Sydney International Festival of Films by Children https://www.bardicstudio.com.au/festival-information

Thank you for inviting me to answer your questions. J

Back to the book. Here’s the blurb …

A gripping forest adventure full of mystery, betrayal and courage.

When a new sealer boy joins the journey, Mai, Long, and Akra are confident their challenges have come to an end. But as they embark on their journey once again, they find themselves having to escape from the clutches of dangerous enemies.

They travel to Naroan – the forest lands of the soulbankers, the regulators of life and death. Against the backdrop of rules and suspicion, the children are challenged with unravelling the mystery of the Silvershade, which has been calling to Akra from the moment he arrived in the forest city. But Long is tormented by his doubts – he must face a deadly power from the Underworld before it takes him into the darkness.

Will the dark pebble take Long along a road of no return? Or will his friends find a way to help him?

Giveaway

Win a set of all four books …

http://www.rafflecopter.com/rafl/display/33c69494320/?

If you can’t wait for the competition, here are the purchase links

https://www.odysseybooks.com.au/titles/9781922200129/

https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B07GPRK289

https://www.amazon.co.uk/gp/product/B07GPRK289

Author Bio

Vacen Taylor is a children’s author with a portfolio of screenwriting and stage play achievements. A selection of her poetry has been published in Art and Literature Journals. One of her plays was selected to be part of the Playwrights Program 2017 and then directed and performed as a performance reading at HOTA (previously the Gold Coast Arts Centre).

Her feature film script received a special commendation for Best Unproduced Screenplay titled Grandfathers at the British Independent Film Festival in 2018. The logline can be found under Special Commendations for Unproduced Screenplays here.

Her TV pilot for a series (teleplay) was selected as a semi-finalist in the Hollywood Just4Shorts Film and Screenplay Competition in Los Angeles, CA. This pilot was listed in the top 50 for the Cinequest Screenwriting Competition in 2018.

She presented the first mental health panel at OZ Comic-Con in 2017. This panel was a fantastic opportunity to discuss openly and honestly about artists and their mental health to help support wellbeing, foster connectivity and provide a culture of support.

In 2018 she presented the panel, ‘An artist’s guide to creative happiness: How to strengthen your creative performance’ at Oz Comic-Con in Brisbane. Her panels are extraordinary opportunities to explore ideas with people who are currently working in the industry. She aims to discuss subjects like individualism, the community, mental health, wellbeing, happiness, creativity, co-creating and self-awareness which often leads to interesting questions from the audience.

What else does she do? Vacen is also a creative workshop facilitator and proficient in, teaching, speaking and concept creation. Guest Speaker. Workshop Presenter. Creative Panel Facilitator. Mentor. Support Worker. Counsellor. Social Welfare Advocate.

AND IF YOU”D LIKE TO SEE WHAT VACEN LOOKED LIKE AS A CHILD, YOU”LL NEED TO SIGN UP TO THE #KIDSCLUB Join the free #kidsclub

Social Media Links –

Facebook – https://www.facebook.com/Vacen-Taylor-Author-233611656699562/

Instagram – https://www.instagram.com/vacentaylor/

Pinterest – https://www.pinterest.com.au/vacentaylor/

Twitter – https://twitter.com/VacenTaylor