Trust your Readers--Part 3

Over-explanation is at the heart of non-subtle writing.  It takes many forms, such as showing and THEN telling (see part 1) and beating your readers over the head with big themes (part 2).

Another issue is leading your readers step by step through obvious realizations or mundane actions, as if they can't imagine these for themselves.  Life is full of boring tasks.  Don't make your readers suffer though them.  Read on for examples. 

Problem #3:  Spelling E-V-E-R-Y-T-H-I-N-G Out

She pulled on her socks, one by one, tugging them over her heels.  Then she slid her right foot into her right shoe, took the laces in both hands, went right over left, made two loops, and pulled them tight.  She moved on to the next shoe. 

This shows all right, but it's boring, and doesn't advance the plot. 

If your character is so deep in depression that putting on her shoes is a major victory, go ahead and show it.  If she's headed out to face a firing squad and is trying to delay, the scene could work.  Otherwise, give your reader credit for knowing how to put shoes on. 

Another example:

He turned right on State Street, then left on Haley, continuing on for nearly a mile.  At the stoplight at the intersection of Haley and Grimes, he turned left again.  Finally he reached the post office.

Unless you pepper this with atmospheric descriptions (He passed the abandoned Woolworths where John Haley had fought his last battle against corporate America) or add some sort of drama, consider going straight to the post office scene   As Elmore Leonard says, " Try to leave out the part that readers tend to skip."  Of course, if your character's specific route makes him miss the scene of the accident where he might have been able to save his wife, keep some of it in, but try to add interest and/or foreshadowing.

He hesitated for a moment at the stop sign.  First street or Haley?  If he took Haley, he might catch a glimpse of the new blond waitress at the diner.  What could it hurt?  His wife would never know. 

One more example:

Susie added two plus two on her paper.  Four!

Only if she gets five or twenty-two or the last number in the nuclear detonation sequence do you really need to include the answer.  

This pace-killing tendency of repetition and careful explanation may come from the high school thesis-body-conclusion rule:  "tell readers what you're going to say, say it, then tell them what you said." This works for a five paragraph essay, but it doesn't work for fiction.

Solution to Spelling E-V-E-R-Y-T-H-I-N-G Out

Practice looking for this pattern in other people's work.  You'll find it.  As with any writing rule, nothing is ever wrong in all situations, and sometimes step by step descriptions and explanations work well.  Analyze the books you like, trying to pinpoint when it works and when it could be trimmed.  Soon it will become easier to see and evaluate in your own work.

Then, get ruthless.  Cut out excess explanation.  And trust your readers to fill in the blanks.

For more:

Problem #1:  Showing and then telling

Problem#2:  Beating your readers over the headwith big themes

Melinda Brasher is the author of Far-Knowing, a YA fantasy novel, and Leaving Home, a collection of short stories, travel essays, and flash fiction.  Her short fiction appears in THEMA Literary Journal, Enchanted Conversation, Ellipsis Literature and Art, and others. Visit her blog for all the latest:  whttp://www.melindabrasher.com

Special WOTM Post: An Updated Award-Winner Is Help for Anyone Who Writes

Writers on the Move subscribers, visitors, and fellow participants have been an important part of my network for a long time now. You can read "network" as "friends," if you like for that is networking should be. 

Naturally, our trusted leader Karen Cioffi-Ventrice offered me a special spot to let our Writers on the Move principals and audience know about my new book because we're both convinced that reading is one of the best ways to further our professional careers.  It's friends like you that qualify me to give others advice on editing. So here goes! 

 The Frugal Editor: Do-it-yourself editing secrets for

authors:From your query letter to final manuscript to the marketing of your new bestseller is a New! Updated! Expanded! Second Edition of the multi award-winning first edition. It has a new subtitle, a new cover by Chaz DeSimone with a new 3D sensibility by Gene Cartwright. 

I am including “Seven Editing Myths” in this post. I hope it will highlight the idea that most writers can use a little updating on our editing skills. And it never hurts to brush up on some great new editing tips like formatting your ellipses the quick and professional way, or letting Word rid your copy of those pesky two spaces between sentences. Or leaning why I believe great editing is also great marketing.

Have a wonderful 2014 including great editing and great marketing!

Carolyn Howard-Johnson

http://howtodoitfrugally.com
Blog: http://SharingwithWriters.blogspot.com
Editing Blog: http://TheFrugalEditor.blogspot.com

Seven Editing Myths Waiting To Trip Up
Your Campaign To Sell Your Work

Your submission to contest judges, agents, publishers, producers, and editors may never get read if your query or cover letter violates professional expectations. Here are seven editing misconceptions that can lead you astray:

1. 

Agents are a cantankerous lot. (Nope! In The Frugal Editor twenty of the nation's best agents tell you their pet peeves and they do it in the best of spirits.)

2.      If your English teacher told you something is OK, it is. (No! Language rules have changed since you were a sophomore.)

3.      If a manuscript or query is grammar-perfect, you'll be fine. (No! Lots of things that are grammatically correct will annoy publishers, agents, and editors.)

4.      Always use your Spell and Grammar Check. (No! Some suggest you don't use it at all but The Frugal Editor will help you make this tool your partner instead of your enemy.)

5.      It's easy to avoid agent and editor scams. Just ask around. (The Frugal Editor tells you how to avoid being taken.)

6.      Your publisher will assign a top-flight editor. (Maybe, but don't count on it. Besides, you can be a better partner for an editor if you know about the process.)

7.      Formatters and editors will take care of the hyphens, ellipses, and all the other grungy little punctuation marks that English teachers avoided teaching because they didn't know how to use them. (Chances are, you'll catch even great formatters and editors in an error or two if you know your stuff!)

-------

Carolyn Howard-Johnson’s brings her experience as a publicist, journalist, marketer, and retailer to the advice she gives in her HowToDoItFrugally series of books for writers and the classes she has taught for UCLA Extension’s world-renown Writers’ Program.

The first edition of The Frugal Book Promoter was named USA Book News’ “Best Professional Book” and won the coveted Irwin Award. Now in its second edition, it’s also a USA Book News award winner and received a nod from Dan Poynter’s Global Ebook Awards. Her The Frugal Editor: Put Your Best Book Forward to Avoid Humiliation and Ensure Success was also honored by USA Book News and won Readers’ Views Literary Award. Her marketing campaign for that book won the marketing award from New Generation Indie Book Awards.

Howard-Johnson is the recipient of the California Legislature’s Woman of the Year in Arts and Entertainment Award, and her community’s Character and Ethics award for her work promoting tolerance with her writing. She was also named to Pasadena Weekly’s list of 14 women of “San Gabriel Valley women who make life happen” and was given her community’s Diamond Award for Achievement in the Arts. 

The Evolved SEO Marketing – Content Discoverability and Socialization (the top 3 strategies)

By Karen Cioffi

SEO marketing has evolved significantly over the past couple of years. While the fundamentals are the same, it now includes socialization and organic inbound content marketing that promotes discoverability.

Search Engine Watch describes the new SEO as “web presence optimization.” The site goes on to note that it’s “an all-encompassing approach to optimizing an entire web presence for organic search including the website, social channels, blogs, articles and press releases.” (1)

Of the many elements of SEO, there are three strategies that are at the top of the content discoverability popularity list and the ones you should be most concerned with.

The 3 most popular SEO marketing strategies:

1. Blogging with Effective Keywords, Content, and Socialization

One of the basics of the ‘evolved’ search engine optimization strategy is organic inbound content marketing. It’s the process of bringing traffic to your website through discoverable content, such as blog posts.

A major element of your content should be the ‘tried and true’ use of keywords. Keywords will drive search traffic to your website and ultimately drive conversion.

Conversion is the process of getting visitors to become subscribers, customers, clients or say YES to some other call-to-action you have in place.

It’s the combination of effective and targeted keywords and quality content that will produce the results you want. It delivers visitors to your site and motivates them to share your content with their networks.

Part of this optimization process that brings traffic to your site is sharing your content with your own social networks as soon as it’s published.

2. Guest Blogging

Spread your wings. Research sites that are relevant to your niche and that have high authority and query the owner or follow the site’s guidelines if available.

Guest blogging helps you take-it-up-a-notch. This content marketing strategy brings you to the attention of the high-ranking website you’re guesting on and to the attention of that site’s readers.

Guest blogging has a two-fold benefit. It helps you develop a connection with the site owner, possibly leading to other things, and it broadens your visibility.

To make your guest blogging gigs worth the time and effort, you need to create an effective ‘About the Author’ for the end of your articles. It’s important to make the author tag focused on the reader, not about you. Let the reader know what she’ll get if she clicks on your link.

3. Article Directories

While article marketing via article directories has been around a while, it’s still a top SEO marketing strategy.

As with guest blogging, it’s about using relevant keywords that will allow readers to find your article and it’s about writing quality content that other blog owners will find of value and ‘shareable.’ Other blog and website owners will read your quality content and want to share it with their own audience. This will prompt them to post it to their own sites, especially since it’s free content.

And, as with guest blogging, you need to have an effective ‘About the Author’ with a call-to-action, usually leading to your email list opt-in. Make your Bio count. An effective Bio will let the reader know that if he clicks on your link, he’ll get even more helpful information.

Summing it Up

The evolved SEO marketing strategy is all about discoverability and shareability. The means to this end is optimized content that is driven by organic inbound marketing strategies.

In other words, if you write it using optimization strategies (keywords and valuable content) they will come. And, they will share what you’ve written. This will please the ‘search engine powers that be,’ which in turn will give you higher ranking and authority.

Higher ranking and authority = more perceived value and more traffic, resulting in more conversion.

How About You?

What SEO marketing strategies do you use?

Reference
(1) http://searchenginewatch.com/article/2288392/Time-for-a-New-Definition-of-SEO

Like this article? Please share it!

~~~~~


MORE ON ONLINE MARKETING

Marketing with Newsletters and Blogs – Your own and Others
Book Marketing and Beyond Book Sales: Marketing and Diversification
Email Marketing – Your Opt-in Landing Page

Breast Cancer - Do You Get Checked?

Today's guest post is a 'topic stretch' for this site, but since we are all concerned with living a healthy life and it's a topic that everyone can relate to, we have it here for you today. We hope it reaches as many people as possible, and we especially hope it reaches those who will benefit the most from it. It's a must read.




This special guest post is by Robby Howard (niece of Carolyn Howard-Johnson). We are honored to share it:


Well. Ahem. I’ve had an interesting couple of months, in addition to the holidays. (And don’t anyone be yellin’ at me for not telling them earlier, please, I’ve really been rawthah BUSY.)

So. Um. I’ve had a go around with this wee bit o’….breast cancer. Yeah. And when I say “wee bit,” I mean it, because it was caught so early and dealt with so easily in comparison to all of the breast cancers, and subsequent deaths thereby, that I have been through with my friends and family, that it doesn’t even seem appropriate to call it cancer, tho’ cancer it was.

I do my self exams (as all women should), though I admit, not every month. But I try to stay on top of it, hell, my Mom died of abreast cancer at 64 (BFFs Copper at 37, Tree at 48….). When October rolled around this year and I got my notice from my doc saying it was time for my annual mammogram, I was really surprised, a year already? Well ok. Scheduled it and ’twas done (did my first colonoscopy too, same day of fun & games, and welcome to your 50’s!). The following week, right before my 50th birthday, I got a notice saying they wanted me back in for a recheck. Not unusual for me, my left girl is a bit cystic, but this time it was for the right. Went in, did the squish, had it read and was somewhat surprised to have a biopsy recommended. Ok. I had my first one when I was 40 for the same thing, “micro calcifications,” which are usually benign (and were) and the needle biopsy is a piece of cake, compared to the old days. Scheduled the biopsy for my SLC trip at Thanksgiving. All went well, doc, radiologist, me….we all figured that my “micro calcifications” would once again prove benign, but I’ve lost so many near and dear to this disease, yes, please, give me a local, stick a needle in the boob and DO A BIOPSY ON ME, thank you!

Surprise. There was malignancy in the main/largest (there were three) calcification. This thing had been invisible a year previously and had grown to 1 centimeter in one year. However that’s still very small, and  it was deep, it wasn’t a lump that could be felt by me, my doc, the radiologist or the surgeon. Fortunately, DCIS is THE most benign of the breast malignancies, though it can become more invasive and dangerous if not caught (and there are stats on re-occurances being more challenging down the road). Mine was caught so early and was so low grade, that after my very smooth and easy lumpectomy, they aren’t even requiring me to have the fairly standard radiation protocol. If it had gone….? months more? Radiation: 5 days a week for 5 weeks standard, my nearest available provider a 120 mile round trip. But that was still a great deal, compared to other options, I would have figured out how to make it work, and I have a small but fantastic support group.

So. In short: Calcifications: gone. Biopsy: at this stage, was easy as pie (and certainly comparatively). Surgery: outpatient, slick as shit, with no residual malignancy in the removed tissue (that means that they actually got almost all of the cancer cells during the biopsy, but you can’t tell that until the area of tissue is removed). And a very small amount of tissue needed to be removed, due to the small size of the calcification. Pain: I took a total of 4 percacet (and frankly that was more about trying to ease some unrelated muscular pain so I could sleep). Otherwise, advil. My monthly cramps have been far more ghastly.

I’m doing absolutely fine, with the teensie exception of being two months behind with critical projects due to this little life-interruption.
 
But I’m now standing on a BIG-ass soapbox. WOMEN: GET YOUR FREAKIN’ MAMMOGRAMS! Do your self exams, yes, but do the preventative screenings regularly!  MEN: MAKE SURE THEY DO!! (And have some fun, be a Booby Buddy and help with those monthly exams!) I have five loved ones, all dead from cancer at far too young of ages. Four of them, possibly five, would very likely still be alive today if they’d just done their screenings on time. Seriously. They’d still be ALIVE. And even the fifth, with a very terribly aggressive cancer, what would she have gotten if she’d gone in for her yearly and the cancer  was found, instead of finding it herself a mere 18 months after a clean mammogram, a lump the size of a brazil nut. What would finding the monster six months earlier have gotten her?

There’s been a lot of debate over the effectiveness of mammograms. The old stats (being revised, thank god) are a mishmash of badly collated information. The standard has been “80% of breast cancers are found by the woman, and merely verified by mammogram.” Think about that. How many women are “finding” their lumps through regular self exams? Not a lot. The women I know personally “accidentally” ran onto their, once discovered, very detectable lumps, they had NOT had regular mammograms. The lumps were big enough to FEEL. And my but they went through utter hell trying to stay alive. And they did not succeed.

Now Poster Child Rob: mine couldn’t be felt. It was found long before that was possible, tested and removed. Two months and done, could’a been faster, but I had scheduling conflicts. And you can believe I’ll be staying on top of my screenings, because this is seriously the way to go. Catch the bugger EARLY! We have the technology. But we are undereducated about the real statistics and risks. And we have too much fear if we feel that something’s not right to JUMP ON IT IMMEDIATELY.

One woman in eight will get breast cancer, regardless of whether it runs in the family or not. Yes. Others will ignore changes (breast tissue gets more cystic with age) due to that reason. Or to fear. Dig this:

Myth 8: A Lump Is Probably Harmless If There's No Breast Cancer in Your Family
Many women think they're not at risk for breast cancer if no one in their family has had it. But that's not true.

Less than 15% of women with breast cancer have a relative who's had the disease, according to the American Cancer Society.

Get all lumps checked by a doctor, whether or not breast cancer runs in your family.

And lecture and update now complete. 

Please? Seriously? Everybody? Screen for things we can actually screen for? It’s getting kinda lonesome around here….

May we all have a Healthy and Joyous New Year!
Love
Rob

~~~~~
P.S. To keep up with writing and marketing information, along with Free instructional webinars, join us in The Writing World (top right top sidebar).

~~~~~

My Purple Notebook: Resource for Story Analysis

A funky purple notebook goes everywhere with me. Collected in it are new ideas for future stories and ways to improve my WIP. But, that's not all. Over the years my solitary notebook has blossomed into a digital and paper library chock full of information and advice from experienced and successful authors.

Today is a look at a set of guidelines to help in analyzing popular literature, a tool first recommended to me in the "Special Publishing Course," a correspondence course I took at the Institute of Children's Literature, ICL, in West Redding, CT. My notebook has become a resource that I turn to over and over again.


How Story Analysis Can Help

When I first began writing mysteries for children I needed a blueprint, guidelines to cover the bases. The Step Outline, from an article in ICL's "Rx for Writers," has been an invaluable tool. The article is by Kristin Wolden Nitz, author of Suspect, Defending Irene, and Saving the Griffin; in addition to books about sports. Nitz shared this valuable tool that she learned from her editor, Lisa Mathews.

Act I: Set-Up
 Turning point/story takes new direction/challenge revealed
Act II:
 Problem intensifies
 Temporary Triumph
 Reversal
 Darkest Moment
 Decision Time
Act III:
 Final Obstacle
 Climax
 Resolution

Though in the article Nitz covered many aspects of writing a mystery, the outline was not explained fully. So, I interpreted it for my own use. Information from other sources filled in what I needed to know about the various parts of the outline. Then I split paper in half and under the outline steps, I analyzed several published mystery books that were similar to my story. On the left I jotted down a few words to describe the steps in the published book and on the right I took note of the steps from my WIP. When I studied the comparison, I could see the parts of my story that didn't move the story forward. I took them out. It was also a good way to make sure my story had structure, which is what the next section is all about.

Story Deconstruction

Larry Brooks, an author who offers advice to writers, has taken lit analysis to a whole new level for me. Larry's analysis of the book The Help by Kathryn Stockett, and the movie, offers a thorough approach to view one's own work. Two of many topics Larry covers on Stockett's work are touched on here: Four Parts of a Story and Subtext.

Four Parts: Shane Arthur, a guest author on Larry's blog, conducted a fascinating study of the four parts of The Help, in his July 5, 2011 article, "The Help - Seeing the Structure in Living Color. Literally." Briefly summarized, he highlighted each of the four parts of the novel with different colors; each part is about the same length. Arthur says, "Story unveiling in quartiles, each with a unique and separate contextual mission to fulfill. Coincidence?" Arthur thinks not.

Part 1 in yellow: Set-up
Part 2 in pink: Response--protagonist is reactive but unsure
Part 3 in red: Attack
Part 4 in green: Outcome

Subtext: Another article by guest poster Donna Lodge, "The Help" - A Guest Post About Subtext," on July 18, 2011, Lodge uses what she learned from Linda Seger's book, Writing Subtext: What Lies Beneath," to dig into the subtle messages in The Help's dialogue. Subtext is defined in Seger's book as: " . . the true meaning simmering underneath the words and actions. It's the real, unadulterated truth. The text is the tip of the iceberg, but the subtext is everything underneath that bubbles up and informs the text . . . and conflict exists at this intersection of text and subtext . . ." Lodge offers Seger's  "simple but powerful idea: write the subtext under the text or in the margins (a second draft undertaking):

AIBILEEN

"When I get around to Miss Walter, she don’t take but one little old half a sandwich for herself.”

Subtext: Miss Hilly isn’t taking care of her mama. Miss Walter knows her daughter wants to move her to that nursing home, out of her own home. Miss Walter is afraid, and that makes her loose her appetite.

MISS HILLY

“Mama, take another sandwich. You are skinny as a telephone pole. I keep telling her, if that Minny can’t cook she needs to just go on and fire her.”

Subtext: Mama won’t cooperate. It’s Minny’s fault, not mine. Minny’s a bad cook and that’s why Mama won’t eat.

To read Arthur's and Lodge's articles and the others in Larry's series on deconstructing The Help, please visit Larry's Deconstruction Series. To find more information on The Help, browse through Larry's archives from May 2011 to August 2011.  Here is Arthur's article and Lodge's.

Please visit The Institute of Children's Literature for information on ICL and the institute's terrific program.

Next month: Tips on Writing Humor

Linda Wilson, a former elementary teacher and ICL graduate, has published over 40 articles for children and adults, six short stories for children, and is in the final editing stages of her first book, a mystery story for 7-9 year olds. Publishing credits include seven biosketches for the library journal, Biography Today, which include Troy Aikman, Stephen King, and William Shatner; Highlights for Children; Pockets; Hopscotch; and true stories told to her by police officers about children in distress receiving teddy bears, which she fictionalized for her column, "Teddy Bear Corner," for the Montgomery County Sheriff's Office Crime Prevention Newsletter, Dayton, Ohio. Follow Linda on Facebook.

Handling Rejection Letters

The best way to grow stronger is during a struggle. 

Who likes this process? But if we work through it, we will come through it, and discover things about us we didn't know were there.

Chicago Man / Foter.com / CC BY-NC

Since seriously beginning a freelance writing career almost 2 years ago, I have had 4 magazine submission rejections and 1 acceptance. With each rejection, I've learned this about myself: 

• Discourages easily
• Takes criticism too personally
• Sees rejection of my work as a rejection of me
• Impatient with methods

The fact that I can list those 4 things means I have worked through some weaknesses in me! I've embraced the process of discovering myself at a deeper level, which will only help me be a better writer.

In the months I've networked with other writers, I have learned that rejection is part of the package. Not everyone is going to like what I write. Knowing that and how I feel about it are two different things. I had to set aside my feelings and accept the cold hard fact: move on to the next submission. 

So, after receiving a rejection email this morning, I did what any good writer would do. I typed in my search engine: "handling rejection letters from publishers".

I landed on a wonderful site, full of rejection but devoted to inspiration! The first thing I read: "Rejection is an imperative test of one's character".

True. Good character is important to me. My feelings are real, but they would be set aside in order to keep writing and not give up. 

But there was more:

• After 5 years of continual rejection, the writer finally lands a publishing deal: Agatha Christie. Her book sales are now in excess of $2 billion. Only William Shakespeare has sold more

• Louis L'Amour received 200 rejections before Bantam took a chance on him. He is now their best ever selling author with 330 million sales.

• The Tale of Peter Rabbit by Beatrix Potter was rejected so many times she decided to self-publish 250 copies. It has now sold 45 million.

http://www.literaryrejections.com/best-sellers-initially-rejected/

Wow.

As I've been allowing my rejection letters to teach me, I've discovered their worth. The writing process has not only helped me be a stronger, mature individual, but they have helped develop my writing voice.

Do you have any rejection stories to share?

~~~

After raising and homeschooling her 8 children, Kathy has found time to pursue freelance writing. You can find her passion to bring encouragement and hope to people of all ages at When It Hurts -http://kathleenmoulton.com

The Writer's Challenge

As writers, we know the importance of having a platform. We court  followers on Twitter, fans on Facebook and blog weekly or monthly as if our lives depended on it. And up to a point they do--our artistic lives that is.

Without an audience for our works, we create alone, our talents born to die unseen.

Thousands of great blogs appear on the Net every day. Every day new bloggers join the throng vying for attention. How can writers ensure their blog will stand out from the crowd?

The marketers tell you content is king. But hundreds of thousands of blogs have great content. You need something more.

Writing Challenges

When Nanowrimo.  the world famous National Novel Writing Month, started, it had six or seven participants, all friends. Now  thousands of writers clear their desks ready for a writing sprint in November. The website and forums buzz with global activity and everyone has heard of Chris Baty and his book No Plot No Problem.

Last year I discovered Nina Amir's Nanofimo--and Tara Lazar's PiBoIdMo. Again both sites started quietly with one of two participants and now are famous through word of mouth for their outstanding content and helpful challenges.

Our own Writers on the Move all have helpful blogs. Joan Y Edwards has created PubSubWeek encouraging writers to submit a new proposal on the third week of each month. Again her support and helpful advice encourages loyal supporters who follow her blog regularly.

Writing Challenges can be free--and most are until they build up a strong following--or supported by donations or run on a paid-for platform when their value is proven.

Challenge Yourself

What would most appeal to you? Why not organise it? 

• Choose the challenge.
• Decide on the time frame--will it be week-long? month-long? Annual or one-off?
• Find followers to help the start-up, to write encouraging and/or advisory Web posts.
• Find sponsors to donate gifts and/or edits or reviews/ or whatever would be the ideal gift for your challenge.
• Add a forum to your website to provide a home for participants' tasks and comments.
• Decide whether this will be open or visible only to those who register.
• Advertise your challenge, time and place on FB and Twitter.
• Update your content daily throughout the challenge.

So what if only one person signs up? If your idea is good, it will grow year on year bringing you more fans and followers than you ever anticipated. Start by leaving just one challenging idea in the comments and see who might be interested.

 Anne Duguid is a freelance content editor with MuseItUp Publishing and she passes on helpful writing,editing and publishing tips at Slow and Steady Writers