Tag: drafts

Categories
Time Management

Get Ready, Get Set, Go! It’s NaNoWriMo!

As most of us know, this month (November) is known to writers as “NaNoWriMo” or “National Novel Writing Month.” I’m actually giving a NaNoWriMo workshop at my local library on Nov. 6 so I thought I’d tie it into my time management blog here and share on the subject since the two are integrally related – and help you (whether or not you participate in NaNoWriMo, or would just like to start, finish or publish your next book as soon as possible) focus on churning out some pages and getting them published!

First a Little History

NaNoWriMo is a creative writing project and was started in July, 1999 by freelance writer Chris Baty in San Francisco Bay with 21 participants. It was moved to November in 2000 to “to more fully take advantage of the miserable weather” and launched an official website. Participants attempt to write a 50,000 word manuscript between Nov. 1-30. By the 2010 event, over 200,000 participants wrote over 2.8 billion words. In 2013, January and February were deemed NaNoWriMo’s “Now What?” Months, designed to help novelists during the editing and revision process with a goal of getting published.

It’s All About the Numbers

To win NaNoWriMo, which focuses on quantity or length and awards those who finish, participants must write an average of approximately 1,667 words per day in November to reach the goal of 50,000 words.  Let’s see, my newest novel, The Jealous Son, due out next year, is 80,270 words (before editing). I actually was working from home primarily as a full-time author during the time I wrote it (between Jan.-April 2017). I was lucky, I had quit my day job and I could focus on my writing. I learned that a “system” that worked for me was to write during my “prime time” of day – from the time I woke up, coffee in hand, at 7 am until I felt worn out from writing and needed to work on my other “jobs,” (marketing my other books, teaching writing at my local college and as a book coach) – which was typically around 1-2 pm. I figured I could write 3 pages in 2 hours…which meant about 9-10 pages a day. One day at a time I got it finished, edited and submitted to a literary agent by July…and it’s being published in June, 2019!

When you focus and concentrate your best time to a project, you achieve the quickest and best results. Of course you can only do what you can do. But the bottom line is to schedule writing time into your week and stay focused!

Decisions and Deadlines

Organizers of the event say that the aim is to get people to start writing, using the deadline as an incentive to get the story going and to put words to paper. As a former news reporter, I’ve always worked best with a deadline. But you also have to make some choices in advance of putting pen to paper.

Make those choices as soon as possible so you can be free to write. Come up with a good catchy title (narrow your selection to two or three and Google said titles to see if they are unique (or close). Come up with your character outlines too so you “know” your characters and they can flow along with your plot (see below). Do as much research up front as possible. Also devise a timeline for your narrative so you don’t lose track of your characters’ ages, birthdays, etc. And know your readers (or audience) which will help determine your genre.

Put the Finish Line First

How does your story end? You need to know before you start! Decide on your storyline or plot and write it down in a chapter outline. I am a firm believer (as a marketing expert) in the need for a plan. If you have a chapter outline, you will have a road map to get where you’re going much faster and easier than if you don’t.

Do you know where you want your novel to end up? In the hands of friends and family? On the New York Times Bestseller List? In the hands of movie producers for adaptation? This will be important when it comes to making more choices down the line such as finding a publisher, marketing your book and setting goals for yourself. Finally, what message do you want to leave for your readers? (I also believe the best books and movies leave a message – be it educational, informational, inspirational or transformational – behind. Decide what you want your readers to get out of your book so you stick to the main message.

Save the Editing for Later…but Still Use Good Style

You don’t want to have writer’s block too soon in the game, which is why you want to edit your work at the end – after you’re finished writing. If you get too bogged down in word choices and proper grammar, you may lose your motivation, creative genius or writing zest – and it may take ages before you’re done. BUT, do use all of the recommendations of those who know the craft (and if you don’t know, read books on it like “Elements of Style” by Strunk & White, take a writing course, go to a good writers conference or email me). Show not tell, use strong nouns and verbs, don’t use clutter, etc. etc. The more effort you spend in writing well up front, the less work you’ll have to do later.

Now go forth, write, write, write! And make sure you celebrate when you’re all done – let me know and I’ll celebrate too!

Michele Chynoweth is the award-winning author of The Faithful One, The Peace Maker and The Runaway Prophet, contemporary suspense/romance novels based on Old Testament stories in the Bible that get across God’s messages to today’s readers through edgy, fast-paced fiction. Michele is also an inspirational speaker, college instructor on book writing, publishing and marketing, and book coach/editor who helps writers become successful authors. A graduate of the University of Notre Dame, she and her husband have a blended family of five children.

Social Media/Website Links:

Website: michelechynoweth.com

Blog: michelechynoweth1.wordpress.com

Facebook Author Page: ModernDayBibleStories

Twitter: AuthorMichele

You Tube: MicheleChynoweth

Categories
Polishing Your Message Uncategorized

Don’t Do Dat – or That

Today’s tip on Polishing Your Message is . . . Don’t Do That.

Do What?

Overuse the word that.

The overuse of  that is one of my pet peeves when grading college essays. (Did you hear me students?) And as expected, many editors feel the same way. So don’t be surprised when you read this in more than one place. Fellow A3 writer Lori Hatcher also shares the same advice in a recent blog about “How To Drive Editors Crazy – Part 2.”

stop that

Overuse of the word has become acclimated in our speech; thus, we easily overlook it when we write it. Most of the time that used in an essay, article, or blog can easily be removed without harm to the sentence or the message.  Simply read the sentence without it and see if it changes the meaning. If not, omit it. When used incorrectly, the word that is as useful as those empty modifiers we also try to avoid like very, really, totally, truly, etc.

Now I am not saying to remove the word that every time. Many sentences will need the word to show the reader important information will soon follow. Most of the time our ear will tell us if that is needed or not. The goal for this post is to suggest you be more aware when polishing your drafts and looking for unnecessary words which can be omitted.

If you would like to read a more thorough source on when to leave that in and when to leave that out, I’ll share with you Grammar Girl’s discussion for your reading pleasure. She has much more to say on the topic. You will be amazed how much there is to think about when considering that little four letter word.

So ,add that to your proofreading checklist, and have fun polishing your message.

[bctt tweet=”Add that to your proofreading checklist” username=”BobbiBushWriter”]

(Photo credits belong to Cat Branchman and Leonard Matthews)

 

 

 

 

Categories
Polishing Your Message Uncategorized

A Shell of a Draft . . .

Shell of a Draft

Shortly after moving to the Islands, a new habit easily became walking early on the beach. On one particular morning, something unlikely happened. (Unlikely from my beach experiences . . . ) I found a big beautiful shell— a whole shell. Do you understand?  I found a large complete shell five inches tall and four inches wide.  Feeling stunned, amazed, and thrilled, I instantly knew I was meant to find this particular shell, on this particular day, in this particular way.

How do I know that? Because it was God showing off again in my world. See, before my walk I had just read how God uses our SHAPE for his purpose. SHAPE being an acronym from Rick Warren’s book A Purpose Driven Life (236).  His SHAPE acronym represents the following words and how God uses them in our life:

S – Spiritual Gifts

H – Heart

A – Abilities

P – Personality

E – Experiences

The SHELL I found is a symbol for the devotion I had read and a gift to remember the lesson. Believe me, I have walked beaches many times, and I have never found such a big unbroken SHELL. On this particular day, He reminded me he has made us all for a special purpose and wants us to use all the above traits for his purpose.

A couple months pass and again I’m walking the beach contemplating inspirations for a new blog, and again I am still thinking about that SHELL. (Now anytime I see a shell, I think of that shell.)

As I continue walking the pastel carpet of broken shell pieces listening to the crunch of each step, I ponder Warren’s acronym and think about how our first drafts for short blogs, essays, and articles form a shell for our final written work. Getting that first Shell of a Draft is sometimes the hardest part of writing. Coming up with ideas is not difficult for writers– it is giving the idea shape. Ask around and discover, most writers keep stashes of ideas tucked in shoe boxes, notebooks, electronic files, and the sandy corners of their minds to develop one day. Discerning what direction, what purpose, and for what audience an idea best agrees often forms its shape when we write that First Shell of a Draft.

[bctt tweet=”Getting that first Shell of a Draft is sometimes the hardest part of writing.”]

While walking and enjoying the formation of birds standing at attention, a new ACRONYM for the word SHAPE came to mind. An acronym to help writers create a first SHELL OF A DRAFT.

How to SHAPE a Shell of a Draft:

birds8

S – See it

H – Hear it

A – Ask it

P – Perceive it

E – End it, Edit it, Edit it, Edit it,  .  .  .  and END IT.

[bctt tweet=”Write to see what’s on your mind. “]

See it:

One of my favorite quotes to share is by E.M Forster, “How do I know what I think until I see what I say?” The heart of our drafts often originates when we free write those first initial thoughts and ideas. Sometimes we are surprised by what appears on the blank screen or notebook and we discover, learn, and grow when what is deep within our heart is revealed.  So for step one, when you have a topic or idea,  just write. Write to see what’s on your mind. Write to see what’s on your heart, and write to see what’s in your Spirit. Just get it down on paper.

Hear it:

Do my thoughts flow smoothly for the reader? Reread the draft repeatedly listening for areas where words may be missing or thoughts are not connecting smoothly. (Perhaps some transitions will help.) Listen for opportunities of adding parallelism with list or alliteration to catch a reader’s attention. These are all writing elements, tools, or techniques a wordsmith enjoys adding to his or her work. Pay attention to word choice when rereading aloud. Look up words if needed and use a thesaurus to reduce redundancy. Finally, say a little prayer and trust your ear; trust it as an assistant to your writing.

Ask it:

Are there any areas of confusion? Are the examples and support all supporting the main idea of the message? If not, some may need to be omitted. Writers often have lots of ideas on how to reveal a message, but determine which details and examples best reveal your purpose and audience and omit the rest. This question is a key factor in helping writers decide what to leave in and what to take out. If it does not support the purpose, consider leaving it out.

Perceive it:

This is the time for peer review or reader feedback. Can the text be misunderstood, unclear, or offensive to readers? How might others interpret the prose? When asking someone’s perspective, you may want to share a past blog on how a friend can offer confident feedback.

End it: 

This may be the hardest decision, but deadlines and goals help encourage the process. End it, then edit it, end it again, let it rest, and edit it again. Embrace the process and accept revision, revision, revision is required to get that draft into shape. Continue the process until you feel peace or your time has expired. Say a little prayer and let your message go.

Today, when I hold the shell I found, it symbolizes for me the SHAPE God is molding me into and how my spirit, heart, abilities, personality, and experiences SHAPE my writing. In addition, the shell is a marker of answered prayer (for years I’ve wanted to live back near a beach).  It represents my current life transition from single motherhood to empty-nester and the SHAPE for which my heavenly father sees me and cares about every detail in my life– even a walk on the beach.

I hope these suggestions will help new writers develop their ideas into drafts and then on to a final message.

(I am ending here because it’s now time to go walk on the beach with a friend.)

Below, I invite you to share what gifts God reveals to  you while enjoying nature.

Categories
Polishing Your Message

Three Steps to Confident Feedback

Ever ask a friend’s, relative’s or colleague’s opinion on something you’ve written? You wait patiently, trying not to stare, interpreting each facial expression as a sign or clue. Finally a reply, “I like it,” or “It’s good,” is uttered with no additional words following.  You think to yourself, That’s it? That doesn’t help me.

Perhaps on occasion you have been the person responding above not knowing what to say.  You didn’t feel confident offering your thoughts. You’re not an expert or a published author. You still have trouble calling yourself a writer.

Well, “It’s good,” doesn’t say anything.  To a writer the phrase is too vague, too meaningless. He or she is seeking feedback more specific.

Whether asking for feedback or offering feedback, here are three steps to help readers share responses to a draft.

Before you start to read, let go of the pressure to catch every error or mistake. There is a difference between editing/proofreading and reader responses. Don’t be afraid. You are qualified to respond. You are an experienced reader, and writers need to know how their message is being received or interpreted. You are qualified to offer your reaction and thoughts to something you read.

Next, keep it simple. Keep it nice, and remember three things by ReadWriteThink.org:

PQP: Praise-Question-Polish.

Step 1: PRAISE.   Always find something positive to say about the piece you have been asked to read. Perhaps you like a particular phrase or word choice that lingers in your mind after reading, or you like how the writer describes a scene which easily forms in your mind’s eye. Always find something big or small to praise within the work.

question mark

Step 2: QUESTION.  As you read make notes of any questions that enter your mind. Maybe you wonder why the author doesn’t mention something you would expect to be included on the topic, or where the baby was in the scene when the mother went to the store. Any questions while reading can offer insight the author may need to improve or revise the current draft or work.

Step 3: POLISH.   Finally, offer specific ways you think the writer could polish the piece. These comments cannot be too vague. When you offer an idea to polish, the writer cannot be wondering what you mean. He or she needs a starting point or direction to act on your comment. Read-Write-Think suggests three types of comments: vague, general/useful, and specific. Below are examples of each:

Vague:  “Revise the second paragraph.” or “It’s good.”

Useful/general: “shiny engiveI don’t see enough background information or support for your idea.” or “Can you describe the kitchen scene better?”

Specific:  “I like how you give the points to remember, but can you add an example to help readers better understand what you mean?” or “The title doesn’t seem to convey the topic.”

If grammar and mechanics are your strengths, by all means offer comments and corrections. If you think something doesn’t look right, but you are not sure, you may suggest the writer double check a concern. The main thing about “Polish” is to give the writer a starting point or direction to consider changes.

Writers know what they intend to say in the message, but the receiver of the message does not always hear it as intended. If you are asked to offer quick feedback on a draft, just remember PQP. You can always find something positive to say, did you have any questions, and offer a specific comment the writer may consider to polish the piece.

You don’t have to be an expert or published author to provide helpful feedback to a writer. And as a writer, what you do with the feedback is entirely up to you. Some suggestions will spur new ideas, and some will lead to a dead end and remain left behind.  Nonetheless, diverse readers, diverse backgrounds, and diverse worldviews will encourage your message to be received differently. Stay focused on your message and meaning, use feedback to clarify and polish, then send your message out trusting the Holy Spirit to handle the rest.

[bctt tweet=”provide helpful feedback to a writer #writers #readers #polishing”]

[bctt tweet=”asking for feedback #writer #reader #drafts”]

Source acknowledged:  www.readwritethink.org,

ReadWriteThink.org is a nonprofit website maintained by the International Literacy Association and the National Council of Teachers of English, with support from the Verizon Foundation.”

Image Credits: Colin Harris, Dave Wilson   https://www.flickr.com/photos/