How Do You Write?

How do you write? No, I don't mean with pen and paper or typewriter or computer keyboard. I mean the process of composing a manuscript for sale.  I have heard of writers who submit their manuscript without editing it. Wow! How do they do that? Unfortunately, I'm definitely not one of those writers.

I'm the world's worst at editing and editing and editing ad nauseum. It's a disease. LOL I try to pound out the pages without stopping to correct typos, but I can't help myself. Even with this, I have learned that I write in several stages or layers.

I've already finished my research before I start the manuscript. When I first begin writing, I get in the main details--the plot, the characters, the dialogue--especially the dialogue. Next I go back to layer in the setting--the mood stuff. You know, layering is like the layers of an onion. You build up details and emotions one layer at a time.

Is it daytime, is it raining?  What color dress is the heroine wearing? All the nitpicky details. If I did miss something in research or something new pops up, I research or ask my daughters to help me find answers. Both Darling 1 and Darling 2 are excellent at research.

I check the dialogue to see if there's difficulty discerning who's speaking. I add some action to the dialogue so I don't have pages of talking heads. This also helps let the reader know who's speaking without using tag lines. Not that I believe tag lines are bad, you understand. Many authors believe "said" is invisible. I prefer action instead.  I want to know what people are doing while they speak.

The last layer I check is emotion. This is hard for me. Readers have told me that they like the emotion of my scenes, yet it seems to me I am always layering in more. I view the scene through the Point Of View (POV) character's eyes as I write. Sometimes I forget that even though I know what the POV character is feeling, I have to write it down. LOL

My critique partners are excellent.  They let me know when they feel I've skipped an important chance to deepen a character or strengthen a scene. Thorough critique partners are a writer's best writing tool. I mean this.  Your family and your best friend may say your work is the best they've ever read. Sure, their opinion is important to you! But the reader who buys your book and pays hard cash for it expects more.  Dependable critique partners help a writer deliver a better product. The great editors at The Wild Rose Press are also invaluable. They spot problems and point them out graciously.

By the time I'm ready to turn in a manuscript, I've gone over it a gazillion times. Hmm, "gazillion" might be a slight exaggeration, but it doesn't seem that way when I'm finishing a book.  All that's left then is to sprinkle on a little fairy dust to send the manuscript on its way.

Every writer has his or her own process.  Above is what works for me--okay, maybe I don't really use fairy dust. Maybe I just pray a lot.  I say whatever method works for you is the one you should follow.

What does work best for you?

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Joy Of Writing

I'm excited about a new WIP (work in progress) and am fortunate to have friends whose encouragement propels my enthusiasm. I love writing my stories,escaping into someone else's life, and creating the appropriate outcome for each character--depending on whether it's a hero, heroine, or villain. When I'm writing, it's as if these are real people whose life I'm recording, not something plucked from my imagination. Other days, writing requires delving deeper and a fair share of daydreaming.  I love the quote from Meg Chittendon that goes:

"Many people hear voices when no one is there. Some of them are called mad and shut up in rooms where they stare at walls all day. Others are called writers, and they do pretty much the same thing."

Along the same line, I've saved a copy of the Sunday funnies that shows the character Shoe sitting at his desk staring off into space for several frames. When someone speaks to him, he says, "Can't you see I'm writing?"

It's true that along with the joy of creating, writers face times of planning and plotting. We arrange parts of the story in our minds so that the ideas will flow to our fingers. One of my critique partners, Jeanmarie Hamilton, and I tease one another that we have to keep our fingers flying across the keys. Many days that's more easily said than practiced.

I try to write at least five pages each day. Some days I far exceed that--my all-time record being 48 pages in a very, very long day. Other days, life jumps up and grabs me by the throat. Those days are lost for my stories with zero productivity. I try not to dwell on the interruptions life presents--and there are a lot of those. The important thing for me is to keep my tush in my desk chair and my fingers flying across the keys.

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My time travel romantic suspense OUT OF THE BLUE is now available from The Wild Rose Press and Amazon. Please let me know if you enjoy it. Okay, also let me know if you do not enjoy reading it.

Critique Partners

Several times in posts I've mentioned a few of my critique partners. I must say I have an exceptional group of romance critiquers to help me: Ashley Kath-Bilsky, Gigi Sherrell Norwood, Jeanmarie Hamilton, Sandy Crowley, and members of my Yellow Rose RWA chapter. I also have a mystery critique group called Raven Mavens.  I critique by email with Jeanmarie and Sandy while Ashley and Gigi and I meet on a Sunday evening at a restaurant that is a mid way distance between Ashley and Gigi (Gigi lives near me). Our Yellow Rose RWA chapter has numerous qualified members willing to do a quick critique when asked.

When arranging for others to critique your work, there are several guidelines. Don't choose randomly. If you must do so, try a little pre-critique to see how you fit. Here are some pitfalls to watch for:

1. Does the other person have skills that will enhance your weak areas? For instance, if you are weak in grammar, perhaps you need a person who is very good at grammar and spelling. You might be great at emotions, where someone else is weak in that area. Try to mesh talents so you really help one another.

2. Is the other person trustworthy to keep your writing confidential? You don't want someone who will show your work around. No matter how good the person thinks you are, you should have control over who sees your prepublished work.You certainly don't want someone who will tell others, "You won't believe the stupid writing of (insert your name)."

3. Are you a good fit personality-wise? If someone is demanding and insists her/his way is the only possible way to write, you won't enjoy being bullied. Conversely, it's no help whatsoever to have someone who is so sweet they won't point out any weak areas or mistakes. You need an open-minded, honest person to help you.

4. Is this person a serious writer who produces at a rate similar to yours? If you write ten or so pages a day and the other person writes that much every month or two, there's no equality in your exchange. (However, you may enjoy critiquing with this person if you do so face-to-face and enjoy the fellowship. Sometimes it's nice just to talk to other writers about writing.)

5. Does this person know enough about craft and technique to assist you? A person who gives bad advice can damage your work.

Before I found the critiquers above, I had mixed experiences. One person stole my ideas. Each week, something from my last chapter would show up in hers. I finally challenged her on this and she admitted it, but didn't think it was a big deal. I did, and quit critiquing with her. I learned later that she had done the same thing to others. A multi-published friend had a similar experience from someone who stole her book ideas.

Another critique partner never wrote more than a chapter. Each time we met, she would have rewritten the same chapter. She was a good writer, but lazy and lacking in confidence. She's not even a member of a writer's group now. It's a shame because she had a good plot and knew how to tell a story.

The point of this blog article is to caution you to choose your critique partner carefully. A bad critique partner can hurt your writing. One friend quit writing for a year because of scathing comments made by one of her critique partners--now a former firend. Here are some guidelines to being a good critique partner yourself:
1. Constructive criticism is the key.
2. Never tear down another person or make it personal.
3. When you point out something that needs changing, also mention something good.
4. Never say, "Oh, this is wonderful" and leave it at that. Mention good and bad. What did you like/dislike?
5. Don't tell someone his or her idea is wrong unless you can back up your statement with evidence.

I hope all your critique session are productive.