At a recent Writers’ Group meeting, we went around the table and introduced our work-in-progress, genre, and what we hoped to achieve in the group. There we were chatting about our “stuff” and I overheard one writer make a comment, “I realized my character went through the entire book and never changed clothes.” We all had a good belly laugh at this but then – you know me – I turned that into a discussion about what characters have to have or do to be relatable, for the story to actually live and breathe.

And yes, your character needs to change clothes. More, your characters should do what you do, eat, sleep, go to the bathroom, shower, drive, be ill, burn food, shovel snow, etc. There should be food and dining — sleeping, relaxing, sex (do not have to have scenes but couples do mention it), accidents, arguments — well, the list goes on forever.

The reason for these “life events” is twofold. First, these real events give truth to your characters (even ones on odd, new worlds). Second, they can be the catalysts for moving your story forward.

I am particularly aware of my “scenes” when I write. How do you show and not tell when your character is listening to others? Maybe it is in the food. Does it remind your character of something unpleasant? Maybe the smell of Lysol from the kitchen brings back a hospital stay, so your character cannot eat because the smell drives him/her from the room. Remember you don’t have to outline every nuance for your readers; hopefully the subtle meaning will be enough.

Everyone is good at sights and sounds. What about the way a person speaks? Are characters’ voices clearly understood? Maybe a drawl gives a false perception to your character that causes them to jump to conclusions or say something untoward to the other person. Let those things happen and suddenly you have a much richer moment and your character has character (good or bad). Church bells, car alarms, screaming, laughter — all are important aspects to character but can also move action forward with purpose, too.

Do you use touch in your moments? Perhaps the silk of a flower against a cheek or the rough skein or a woolen scarf in winter reminds a little boy of being wet and cold and scolded by his mother. Or a single finger tracing over a woman’s knuckle by a reticent lover enlarges her pupils. Often these activities tell more than any dialogue could. Use them to advantage and let the action explain the character (he was a romantic man is better understood through the touch of a rose to her lips).

Back to that character who never changed clothes during the entire book. Of course, the writer is going back to fix this, but when the fixing is happening, so much more will result because of the change! Nakedness can have an important voice (mind out of gutter now) for babies, surely, but for adults the bare necessity holds a myriad of possibilities. A dress chosen instead of a pantsuit by a pants-wearing character. A pair of jeans and a Henley instead of Mr. Wall Street’s usual Armani suit. Hmm, casual Friday, weekend getaway or…something more nefarious afoot? Maybe an allergy to silk can lead to murder or laughter. How you need to develop the tale can depend on how your clothes feel to your character. Maybe she changed her hose because it wasn’t her skin color or there was a hole in the sock.

Sometimes, the senses can let your character down, and you should allow it to happen. What about the guard dog that failed to pick up a critical scent, the speeding driver who didn’t hear the fire truck for the loud music in the car with the screaming pregnant woman in the back seat, the little child who holds a first dandelion (stares at it and promptly eats it), the plastic surgery gone awry and the moment a patient gets that first look? The failures can be critical too. Use them but use the sensory part of it to tell your tale. Don’t simply tell us about it. That’s so boring and not nearly as fun.

So, you ask, why didn’t the character change clothes? Did the writer lack the talent to do this? No, the writer spent more time on the surroundings instead of the intimacies of the character. The writer made a lush, active sci-fi world but forgot to let the character live fully within it.

That’s why you need to let your character use all the senses and become a real person. Change the clothes; maybe do the laundry. Notice the stinky socks. Your story will thank you for it and we, the readers, will be begging you for more stories that we can’t forget or stop reading.

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Coming in April, I’m going to do a series on understanding poetry. So be sure to tune in for a perspective that I promise you have not seen!

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I’M RUNNING A BAR/CLUB NAMING CONTEST!  Are you clever? I’m running a contest to find a very cool, not cliché, name of a vampire bar/club in New Orleans. This establishment belongs to my redheaded vampire Drahomira from my urban fantasy novella, Midnight Assassin – A Tale of Lust and Revenge.  There will be permanent name recognition to the winner and signed books too. Contest ends on March 19.  So ENTER HERE!  And Good Luck!  Winners will be announced on March 21.

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LOOK FOR A LIVE CHAT ON FACEBOOK COMING AT THE END OF THE MONTH!

As always, thanks for dropping by. Leave a comment and say hello.

Yours Between the Lines,
Sherry

When speaking to writers’ groups or other authors, I always end up in debates about sharing our work.

• “I don’t want others to know what I’m working on.”
• “No one needs to see this drivel before it’s ready.”
• “I don’t want my ideas stolen.”

Do any of these comments sound familiar?

Writers, seriously, let go of the fear and embrace the concept of sharing. The word means “to give a portion of something to others” and “to use, occupy, or enjoy jointly with others.” In our case as writers, we give, use and enjoy. Or, we should. Why?

First, let me debunk a myth about if you share your work before it’s copywritten, it will be stolen and you’ll be out of luck. Really? Are you that good? If so, why are you worried? Get that superior thing to your agent and publisher right now! What’s that? You don’t have either one? Then listen up. There is nothing left to write that’s original. Like music, everything’s been done. Your job is to find a way to make what’s been done, unique. You change characters, change settings, change time periods, change the ending, etc. All the plots have been done, it’s what YOU do with your idea that makes your story yours. No one can tell your tale like you, even if they try to do it before you. They can’t write what you write, the way you write it. So, relax and share.

Now, why share?

• First, sharing your work build confidence in your abilities. I was very insecure when I started writing and it took all my bravery to offer my work to someone. What if they hated it? What if it turned out I couldn’t write? Sharing builds confidence in self. No matter what is said, you will learn to trust in your ability with time. The confidence you find in feedback and in connections will prove to be invaluable.
• Next, sharing toughens you. Building on the first reason, writers have to develop confidence but along the way, the criticism toughens the emotional skin and allows the writer to actually learn from mistakes. Hearing what you’ve done wrong is hard but continuing to do it wrong because you’ve never been told is worse!
• Following with the criticism, sharing gives you invaluable feedback. How well is your work received? Do your readers like your characters? Is your genre hitting the mark or falling flat? Is this something others would buy? This kind of feedback is critical to your future success.
• Sharing can also be inspiring. As you offer your work, others will offer to you. You see what they write and how. You read new ways to approach subjects and maybe are inspired by exciting new characters. Perhaps you discover a new genre or a new approach to an old one. Maybe the quality of someone’s writing sparks your muse. Those discoveries don’t happen without sharing.
• Finally, sharing means entering competitions. Start small if you feel insecure. Local or regional contests. Then branch out as your writing improves. Collect feedback from teachers and judges. Learn to revise and compete again.

One last point of sharing that experienced writers and authors know is the value of the beta reader. You must use beta readers if you want to be published. Beta readers are people who look over your manuscript and are those extra eyes reading for content mistakes, plot holes, grammar and punctuation misses, oddities (like missed hyphens and oxford commas), and overall appeal. Beta readers tell you what works and doesn’t and why. They are critical to a book’s success. And if you don’t share, they can’t care and you don’t win.

I’ve been writing and sharing for a long time and I still get shivers when I hand writing to someone else for a critique or a cold read. Nerves mean you care about your work and it matters what is said. That’s good.

Remember that nervous feeling when someone asks you to read something they have written. Be understanding and thorough because they are depending on you, just as you have on others.

Sharing is caring, folks, about your work and the responses to it. That kind of caring will only make for wonderful improvements. For writers and authors that’s money in the bank. For readers, that’s great books! And that’s win/win for everyone. So be not afraid. Share!

Thanks for stopping by,
Yours Between the Lines,
Sherry

PS Next time, sneak peek into the new novella!

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****The following items will always appear to keep you posted on activities.*****

WIP (Works in Progress):

– Writer’s Workbook – Learning to Write Everyday – Beginners Volume  (expected July 2017)
– first novel in the Evening Bower series, about vampires and other supernatural creatures (Nov 2017)
– prequel novella to the Bower series (May 2017)
– four-part fairy story (part one complete) (Christmas 2017)

On the Desk: (next reading): nothing yet

Off the Desk (book just finished): A Conjuring of Light by VE Schwab

Coming Soon: More tips while writing that novel/Interviews/Odd Thoughts/Book Review

Award season is upon us! The Director’s Guild, the Screen Actors’ Guild, The Emmy’s, the Oscar nominations…awards galore.

Indie Authors, take notice. Awards aren’t just for Hollywood or Broadway. You need to be interested in them too.

Now, I’ve heard the outcries: They cost too much so they must be a scam.  I don’t write to win awards. Who cares?

First, yes, applying for awards can get expensive. What are you paying for? The judges who participate and review hundreds of applicants’ books. You are also paying for the time to collect the information and do the administrative portion of the website and winners packets. Money is used to give every applicant a fair shot and to manage the rewards afterwards.

Second, you don’t write to win awards. Agreed. You do write to be seen and heard. And one of the ways to be seen is to be an award winner. Those who do win awards elevate themselves into the second layer of writers. Imagine when your readers see, “award-winning author.” Once you win an award (from an established competition) that tag line is yours. And even small awards count. For example, one day I hope I might land a bestseller title (Amazon, USA or NYT), but until then I keep trying to win a prestigious award for each of my books. It helps my readers see that I’m a chance worth taking.

And that goes into the “who cares” category. Readers do care. When they are scanning for a new book and they see you are an award winner, they will stop and give you a second look. Maybe you don’t care because you are a bestseller. Why not add to your recognition with an award that screams quality on top of your sellability?

I’m going to give you an EXTRA REASON to apply for an award. When a librarian is looking at two books and one has award sticker on it and the other doesn’t, your award sticker may be the deciding factor to be carried or not by that library. I’ve seen it in action. Additionally, at book signings, people will stop when they see award stickers and will ask about the book(s). So, go for the visual and be seen!

For what awards should you apply? There are lists upon lists out there for the Indie author. I’ll give you my favorite and the reputable ones. You can google Indie Author Awards and see if there are others you want to look into. Do vet them before applying though, ok?  I’m not going to give you the requirements here but I will tell you that I know these are good and the links work.

Next Generation Indie Book Awards – Deadline Feb 17 – ACT NOW

The Independent Publisher Book Awards – Deadline Feb 25  – ACT NOW

Independent Press Award – Deadline Mar 31

National Indie Excellence Award – Deadline Mar 31

Global Ebook Awards – Deadline Apr 30

Readers Favorite International Book Awards – Deadline Jun 1 (early registration Apr 1)

Kindle Ebook Awards – Deadline May 1

(You’re too late this year for Eric Hoffer and eLit Book Awards but make a note for next year!)

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I encourage every author to consider a couple award entries every year for each newly published work.  Check the categories and eligibility requirements and then go for it!

And the award goes to…..?

You could surprise yourself and end up an award-winning author, too.

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****The following items will always appear to keep you posted on activities.*****

WIP (Works in Progress):

– Writer’s Workbook – Learning to Write Everyday – Beginners Volume  (expected April 2017)
– first novel in the Evening Bower series, about vampires and other supernatural creatures (Nov 2017)
– prequel novella to the Bower series (May 2017)
– four-part fairy story (part one complete) (Christmas 2017)

On the Desk: (next reading): waiting on my next book

Off the Desk (book just finished): Prince Lestat 2 by Anne Rice

Coming Soon:  Interview with new folks and more about upcoming giveaways, plus more commentaries.