Tag: #Writing

Texting While Writing #OpenBook Blog Hop #Grammar

  By Open Book

Nov 7, 2022

There don’t seem to be any universal rules for indicating texting in books and short stories. How do you handle it?

I’ve looked for the rules, and everyone is like me- we’re winging it. I’ve experimented with several ways of showing text messages in my stories. Here are the two variants I’ve used:

Annabelle had texted me back. “*#&* Broke down near Clarksburg. You?”
“Rest stop near the border. Jake and three more.”
“That’s one too many.”

from The Baron’s Cufflinks

Here’s the second version:

All three of our cell phones buzzed in succession. I got to the text first, a group message from Eli.
Big Steelers game tonight. The roads are a disaster. I’ll find a hotel to hole up in. See you tomorrow.
My phone buzzed again with a second text.
I’ll call you when I get settled. Love you. I hoped that hadn’t gone to the guys, too. But they were putting their phones away, so it came to only me.
Be safe. I texted back. Love you too.
“You guys want to help me put the food away?” I asked, pushing myself out of the chair. I needed to stay awake until Eli’s call.
Lando stuffed his phone into his pocket. “Sure, if you help us kill off some zombies afterward.”

from The Contessa’s Brooch

In both versions, I’ve indicated the use of text messages by the characters. I also used italics in both, but in one I used quotation marks. I’m torn about which is better.

The first one, with the quotation marks, is a better indicator of the idea that a conversation is taking place. It’s the same thing as talking to someone, but doing it with a modern version of passing notes in class. The second style, with no quotation marks, looks ‘cleaner’ to my eyes.

I’ve seen some authors use standard style letters for texts, which makes sense if you consider it a form of conversation. It’s a matter of making it clear to the reader how the communication is happening.

That’s why I mostly stick to the italics and quotation marks style. I’d love to hear what you think- tell me in the comments. You can find out how the other authors on this hop show text messages by following the links below.

And, as always, please stay safe until next time.

Nov 7, 2022

There don’t seem to be any universal rules for indicating texting in books and short stories. How do you handle it?

Rules:
1. Link your blog to this hop.
2. Notify your following that you are participating in this blog hop.
3. Promise to visit/leave a comment on all participants’ blogs.
4. Tweet/or share each person’s blog post. Use #OpenBook when tweeting.
5. Put a banner on your blog that you are participating.

You are invited to the Inlinkz link party!

Click here to enter

Happy NaNoWriMo! #IWSG

  By IWSG
 
Purpose: To share and encourage. Writers can express doubts and concerns without fear of appearing foolish or weak. Those who have been through the fire can offer assistance and guidance. It’s a safe haven for insecure writers of all kinds!November 2’s optional question – November is National Novel Writing Month. Have you ever participated? If not, why not?

 

The awesome co-hosts for the November 2 posting of the IWSG are Diedre Knight,Douglas Thomas Greening,Nick Wilford, and Diane Burton!

I first took part in National Novel Writer’s month back in 2011- maybe? It was my second attempt at writing a book and I got to 49,000 words and ran out of story. (The goal is 50,000 words.) I did go back after the month was over and edit the story to try to get more words, and make it a better story. I even rewrote it in a different tense and then switched it back again. But I eventually realized the story was too derivative of someone else’s work and gave it up.

That story also hooked me on writing novels. I’d been writing poetry up to that point, and the new form let loose a flood of creativity.

That wasn’t my only attempt. I have ‘won’ a couple of years. And I’ve gotten a couple of decent stories out of it. There have been others that were backburnered because they didn’t satisfy me, but they were good practice.

NaNo is not for everyone. It’s a lot of work-writing that many words can be stressful. You have to turn off your inner editor and let the words speak for themselves. It can also be a lot of fun, watching your story take shape every day.

I’m not participating this year because I’m 50,000+ words into my current WIP and I don’t want to stop and lose my flow. (At 48,000 words, the story took a twist I wasn’t expecting and I’m enjoying where it’s leading me.)

So for those of you trying to meet the 50,000 word goal this year, good luck and congratulations!

Don’t forget to checkout some of the other entries in this blog hop by following the links below.

And, until next time, please stay safe!

 
 

Talking To People Who Aren’t There #OpenBook Blog Hop

  By Open Book

 

October 31, 2022

Do you do podcasts? Either as the host or as a guest? How do you prepare for them?

It’s perfect timing for this topic! I didn’t plan it this way, I swear I didn’t!

Check out the link below. It’s to the interview I did with SapphireJBlue a week ago. (The link just dropped today.)

Jeanette SapphireJblue Best Charrette on Instagram: “The Barron’s Cufflinks by Author PJ MacLayne”

It isn’t the first interview I’ve done with Jeanette. We are working our way through the Harmony Duprie Mysteries, and have talked about Wolves’ Pawn. We’ll be chatting again on November 8th, and I suspect we’ll be dissecting The Contessa’s Brooch.

I’ve done other podcasts and have enjoyed all of them. Each host is different and the subjects may vary. Whether it’s talking about one specific book or writing in general, with one host or a panel, I love the exchange of ideas.

Preparation for a podcast can be as simple as re-reading one of my books, or as complicated as researching the difficulties women authors face trying to be published in certain genres. There’s also technical and physical considerations. I always look around my workspace to make sure nothing is in sight that I don’t want to share with the world, and that all of my books are within easy reach. I check to ensure my camera is aimed where I want it. One thing I learned through technical problems is that Instagram only works on my phone-my tablet will allow for audio but not video, no matter what settings I use.

Some people are uncomfortable talking to a camera. Not me. Once the technical aspects are working, I ignore them and focus on the face or faces at the other end of the connection. I gained a lot of experience doing that for my day job through the Covid years.

I’ve considered starting my own podcast. Now that I’ve retired from my day job, I have the time. I’ve also got a comfy writing space I could use without interfering with my family’s daily life. The idea is still on the backburner and I don’t promise it’ll ever happen. I need to figure out an angle to make it stand out. I could start with interviews with the other authors in this hop.

By the way, if anyone reading this hosts a podcast and has an opening, I’d love to connect! 

You can find out how the other authors on this hop feel about podcasts by following the links below.

As always, until next time, please stay safe.

October 31, 2022

Do you do podcasts? Either as the host or as a guest? How do you prepare for them?

Rules:
1. Link your blog to this hop.
2. Notify your following that you are participating in this blog hop.
3. Promise to visit/leave a comment on all participants’ blogs.
4. Tweet/or share each person’s blog post. Use #OpenBook when tweeting.
5. Put a banner on your blog that you are participating.

You are invited to the Inlinkz link party!

Click here to enter

 

One Genre To Bind Them All #IWSG

  By IWSG
 
It’s time for another post for the Insecure Writer’s Support Group. 
 
The awesome co-hosts for the October 5 posting of the IWSG are Tonja Drecker, Victoria Marie Lees, Mary Aalgaard, and Sandra Cox!

This month’s question:
What do you consider the best characteristics of your favorite genre?

First off, I would like to protest. I’m only allowed to have one favorite genre? That seems totally unfair to the wide variety of books I read. I have to pick one? Well, okay. I pick science fiction.

Here’s why. I love me some well-written, old-fashioned, world-building science fiction. But I also love that it has become the base for many genres. That may be its best characteristic. It’s used as the backdrop for everything from romance to mysteries to suspense to fantasy. There are even stories centered around pets in space. But I haven’t seen an Amish romance in a science-fiction setting yet. Someone tell me in the comments if I’m wrong!

(By the way, I’m not forgetting that fantasy used to be a sub-category of science fiction. Full circle and all that.) 

What about you? What’s the best characteristic of your favorite genre? Tell us in the comments. Don’t forget to check out some of the other authors on this hop by following the links below.

As always, until next time, please stay safe.

 

A Writing Style For The Moment #OpenBook Blog Hop

  By Open Book

October 3, 2022

Does your writing style change depending upon what you are writing?

Daryl Devore, another writer in this group, mentioned in a post a few weeks ago how her writing style changes based on what she is writing, and it got me thinking. Does mine?

Easy answer, yes. The Free Wolves books are written in third person, but the Harmony Duprie stories are in first person. (We’ll get to Jake’s story later.) I know not everyone enjoys reading first person, but it was what the books needed to be. I tried writing what turned into The Marquesa’s Necklace in third person, but it didn’t work.

Other differences? The Free Wolves books mostly center on one or two characters. Harmony, however, in telling us her story, gives credit to the friends that support her and give her strength. The real hero of the series is the ‘village’ that she is a part of.

How about the Jake books? (The Fall of Jake Hennessey and my WIP, The Resurrection of Jake Hennessey) They are also third person, but I tried to dive deeper into Jake’s thought process and motivations. He’s a bad guy in sheep’s clothing with a hero complex-an interesting mix of characteristics. Unlike the Free Wolves, which were story-driven books, the Jake tales are more personality-driven, which meant I had to move the action along without dialogue.

Speaking of dialogue—my style of writing dialogue can switch between characters, depending upon their personality and the situations they are in. Harmony is a great example of this. She’s a laid-back person, but when the need arises, her style of speech changes. It becomes stiffer, more formal. I don’t plan it ahead of time: it comes naturally. Here’s an example I wrote yesterday. (Unedited, so please forgive any mistakes.)

“Is that how you want to play this game? My lawyers will request that any files the agency has backing up the request become part of the record. Which means I will have access to them. If I feed my media contacts a story about a secretive government group harassing a grieving widow, how will that look? And I can’t imagine any judge in the area siding with that agency over a local girl coming home to heal after a tragedy in her life. Think carefully. You may believe you have me cornered in a game of checkers, but I’m playing chess. Checkmate, Agent.”

So yes, my writing changes with the story. I don’t think about it; it comes from knowing my characters. How about other authors? I think I know what Daryl is going to say, but I’m not sure about some of the others. Follow the links below, and we can find out!

As always, until next time, please stay safe.

October 3, 2022

Does your writing style change depending upon what you are writing?

Rules:
1. Link your blog to this hop.
2. Notify your following that you are participating in this blog hop.
3. Promise to visit/leave a comment on all participants’ blogs.
4. Tweet/or share each person’s blog post. Use #OpenBook when tweeting.
5. Put a banner on your blog that you are participating.

You are invited to the Inlinkz link party!

Click here to enter

 

The Horror Of It #IWSG

  By IWSG

 

Welcome to another month of the Insecure Writers’ Support Group, whose purpose is to share an encourage. The awesome co-hosts for the September 7 posting of the IWSG are Kim Lajevardi, Cathrina Constantine, Natalie Aguirre, Olga Godim, Michelle Wallace, and Louise – Fundy Blue!

September 7 question – What genre would be the worst one for you to tackle and why.
 
The one genre I have no interest in reading and would never tackle writing is horror. The why is simple-I do most of my reading for entertainment, and I find nothing entertaining in stories about humans getting joy out of hurting other humans. Sure, I know there are lots of other aspects of horror, but I just don’t like the genre. And, since I write for personal fulfillment and enjoyment, I’d never use my limited writing time on a subject that I don’t appreciate.
 
I also wouldn’t try science fiction, but that’s because I don’t feel up to the task. I just don’t feel I could do a good job with the genre. My current WIP is set twenty years in the future, and that’s tough enough. I don’t have a crystal ball to reveal what subtle changes we might see in our daily lives by then and am trying to project based on what had changed in my lifetime.
 
There’s one genre I’ve tried unsuccessfully and I may try again – romance. Sure, I write with a touch of romance in my stories, but action is the primary component. My few attempts at writing a full-length romance have been unsatisfactory and I have shelved them. But who knows, I might try again.
 
That’s it for me. But there are plenty of other authors on this hop. Check out the list below. And, until next time, please stay safe.
 
Note: I lost track on myself and posted this last week- way to early! So if you are here again, it’s not your imagination, and thank you! 
 
 

Exploring Short Stories #OpenBook Blog Hop

  By Open Book

August 29, 2022

Do you ever write short stories? What do you see as the biggest difference in the writing process between a short story and a full-length book?

Novels are my primary form, but I have explored and published a few short stores. I wrote two of them for collections that are no longer available. But for every book I’ve written, I’ve reached a point where I’ve wondered if I’d get enough words to call it a novel. (50,000 words is the figure often used to denote a full-length novel, but that number can vary by genre.) Short stories have the opposite challenge—fitting the plot and characters into few enough words. (Usually between 1,500 and 10,000.) Considering my longest book, the Ranger’s Dog Tags, is about 90,000 words, and the shortest, The Fall of Jake Hennessey, ran 52,000, you can understand the difficulty I have writing something much shorter.

What’s the difference? The writing has to be tighter. Descriptions need to be hints and not long strings of flowery phrases.  Same for the characters—there’s no room for lengthy speeches or action scenes to build their personalities. Everything has to be compact.

But creating those short stories helped me become a better writer. They forced me to show, not tell, and made me reach for the thesaurus to find the exact word instead of settling for one that was close enough. Those changes slow down my writing speed, but also translate to less editing. One of the short stories took me almost six months to complete. I’m currently writing at the non-breakneck  speed of one book a year. (Compare that to authors who strive to complete a book a month. Every month.) They also forced me to do more plot development before I put words on paper, although I remail a pantser (writing by discovery.)

While I don’t expect to ever adopt the short story as my default writing style, I wouldn’t object to writing another one if the right opportunity presented itself. I enjoyed the experience.

How do the other authors on this hop feel about the short story form? You can find out by following the links below.

As always, until next time, please stay safe.

August 29, 2022

Do you ever write short stories? What do you see as the biggest difference in the writing process between a short story and a full-length book?

Rules:
1. Link your blog to this hop.
2. Notify your following that you are participating in this blog hop.
3. Promise to visit/leave a comment on all participants’ blogs.
4. Tweet/or share each person’s blog post. Use #OpenBook when tweeting.
5. Put a banner on your blog that you are participating.

You are invited to the Inlinkz link party!

Click here to enter

Top 5 Gotta-Haves #OpenBook Blog Hop

  By Open Book

August 15, 2022

What are 5 must-have things you keep on your desk, and how do you use them?

When it boils down, there are only two things I really need to write. A pen or pencil and paper. But that wouldn’t make for much of a blog post, so I’ll share some other things that make my desk a friendlier writing place. I haven’t settled into a new routine since we moved, and still don’t have my office set up, so I haven’t done much writing and all my answers are subject to change.

  • A beverage. The choice will vary depending upon the time of day and what mood I am in. Mornings often start with a cup of fruit tea – peach or white pear. The rest of the day, it’s cold water. Now that I’m retired, adult beverages have joined the lineup.
  • Music of some sort. Often it’s classic rock or John Denver. This evening I’m sitting on our deck, so it’s bird songs and crickets. (I’m not sure what kind of birds.)
  • A dictionary and a thesaurus. I suppose that should count as two things, but for this list, I’m going to clump them together. I have both physical copies and use what is available on the internet. I prefer my physical thesaurus over a virtual one. Wandering through the nearby listings of related words expands my choices and sends me down related paths to stumble across the perfect word.
  • A fidget spinner or something else to fiddle with. The older I get, the harder time I have concentrating for any length of time. (Or maybe it’s a symptom of the stress of the last year as I prepared to retire and move.) Having something to toy with as I try to come up with the next sentence keeps me from wandering off to some interesting distraction on the internet.
  • And my top need? It’s not a thing at all. It’s being alone. All my to-dos done, no one interrupting me, no guilt about taking time for myself. It’s a rare luxury. 

There you go. My top 5 must-haves. But other authors may have different needs. You can find out by following the links below. 

As always, until next time, please stay safe.

August 15, 2022

What are 5 must-have things you keep on your desk, and how do you use them?

Rules:
1. Link your blog to this hop.
2. Notify your following that you are participating in this blog hop.
3. Promise to visit/leave a comment on all participants’ blogs.
4. Tweet/or share each person’s blog post. Use #OpenBook when tweeting.
5. Put a banner on your blog that you are participating.

You are invited to the Inlinkz link party!

Click here to enter

 

On Your Mark, Get Set #OpenBook Blog Hop

  By Open Book

August 1, 2022

Do you have any tips on controlling pacing in your stories? How do you manage it?

I plead guilty. More than one reader has noted in a review that my story was slow at the start, but once they got into it, they couldn’t put it down. I’ve worked to correct that, but it’s hard to know if I’m been successful. I don’t consider myself a master of technique, but what have I done?

First, I’ve tried making my openings start with a bang. We’ve discussed that on this blog hop previously – getting the beginnings right. It’s hard to do. I’ve rewritten the beginning of my work in progress probably ten times, paring it down from 3000 words to about 250. (I’ll get back to writing the rest of the story soon!)

You’ve all heard the advice about “show, not tell.” No need for me to expand on it. Or about using dialogue when possible. There is truth in both statements, but sometimes a story will demand the rules be broken. Neither will resolve the issue of pacing; making sure the story doesn’t drag in spots.

When I think of pacing, I usually consider the overall ebb and flow. I like to give readers a “breather” after a major scene to allow them to take in what just happened. But how slow or fast an individual moment takes is what keeps the reader involved. 

Pacing isn’t only the the way the action flows. I’m not a fan of long sentences and paragraphs. Just seeing a block of text that takes up an entire page can be daunting. It’s also an indicator of slow pacing, in most instances. (Depending on genre. Non-fiction plays by different rules.) But having a lot of short, one sentence paragraphs can also make a reader lose interest. As always, the trick is finding the right balance.

I’ve also worked to improve my word choices. (See show not tell.) This is the area I need to work on the most. A lot of those changes happen in editing, as I try not to let finding the exact word I need slow down my writing flow. I also try to get rid of ‘filler’ words in my editing. (So, but, and similar words.) They will slow down the pace of a scene. 

What do the other authors have say about pacing? You can find out by following the links below. As always, please stay safe until next time.

August 1, 2022

Do you have any tips on controlling pacing in your stories? How do you manage it?

Rules:
1. Link your blog to this hop.
2. Notify your following that you are participating in this blog hop.
3. Promise to visit/leave a comment on all participants’ blogs.
4. Tweet/or share each person’s blog post. Use #OpenBook when tweeting.
5. Put a banner on your blog that you are participating.

You are invited to the Inlinkz link party!

Click here to enter

When Is It Not Enough Or Too Much? #OpenBook Blog Hop

  By Open Book

 

July 25, 2022

How do you avoid giving readers TMI (too much information) about a character? How do you decide what to share about a story’s characters?

I am still getting moved in to our new home. Today we hung three pictures and I put away most of our souvenir mugs.

You don’t care, right? What if I told you if I told you we found the perfect place of honor for a picture that was my mother’s, an aerial view of our hometown, mounting it on the wall above her cedar chest in our new dining room? Are you a bit interested?

Now what if I told you we installed the hangers 18 inches from the ceiling and centered on a 56 inch wide blue-gray wall? Have I lost you again?

Writing is a balancing act, walking a tightrope between not enough detail and too much. The challenge is finding the pivot point. How does an author know when they’ve gone too far?

The answer changes based on genre and target audience. A home decorator will key into different details than a mathematician. Fantasy requires different details than cozy mysteries. Authors need to look at their writing thru their readers’ eyes and decide what is needed. More important questions are – do the details enhance the story? Help develop the plot? Give insight into the character? (Or too much – there may be things a reader should wait to discover.) There’s also the question if the details slow the pace of the story.

A trap that some authors fall into is repeating the same information in the story. Does the main character have brown hair and wear glasses? The reader doesn’t need to be reminded of those facts each time he or she enters the scene. In most cases, once is enough.

So, how much is too much? That’s up to the readers to decide. Do you really care that I unwrapped a mug from Yellowstone and put it in the kitchen cupboard today? And one from Daytona Beach Bike Week 1997? And from Kennedy Space Center? And – okay. I’ll stop now.

But don’t forget to check out what the other authors on this hop have to say about the fine art of not giving too much information. Just follow the links below.

As always, until next time, please stay safe.

July 25, 2022

How do you avoid giving readers TMI (too much information) about a character? How do you decide what to share about a story’s characters?

You are invited to the Inlinkz link party!

Click here to enter