National Novel Writing Month

Last year, I participated for the first time in NANOWRIMO. I worked on my second manuscript. I can’t say I’ve looked back at When Thunder Rolls because I have concentrated most of my efforts on the first manuscript in this series, When Rain Falls. At least I have a good start and feel for the characters. The character I write about in the second book, has a small role in the first book.

I decided this year to try my hand at a cozy mystery that has been stirring in my head for a few months and see how far I go with it. This plot has nothing to do with the book series I’ve been working on for well over a year now. As I’m still discovering my niche, I’m going to try to write this one using the first person point of view.

If you are interested in participating in NANOWRIMO, read some info I pulled from the Web site below.

National Novel Writing Month is a fun, seat-of-your-pants approach to novel writing. Participants begin writing November 1. The goal is to write a 175-page (50,000-word) novel by midnight, November 30.

Valuing enthusiasm and perseverance over painstaking craft, NaNoWriMo is a novel-writing program for everyone who has thought fleetingly about writing a novel but has been scared away by the time and effort involved.

Because of the limited writing window, the ONLY thing that matters in NaNoWriMo is output. It’s all about quantity, not quality. The kamikaze approach forces you to lower your expectations, take risks, and write on the fly.

Tomorrow is the day! To sign-up, visit nanowrimo.org.

Self-Editing for Fiction Writers

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Self-Editing for Fiction Writers
by Renni Browne and Dave King

If you think you can write a novel and let the publishers worry about the editing process, you might want to rethink that strategy. It’s important to submit your BEST work, that means catching editing mistakes that could out your manuscript on the slush pile.

Self-Editing for Fiction Writers by Renni Browne and Dave King is a favorite among writers. — Ty

BOOK DESCRIPTION: Hundreds of books have been written on the art of writing. Here at last is a book by two professional editors to teach writers the techniques of the editing trade that turn promising manuscripts into published novels and short stories.

In this completely revised and updated second edition, Renni Browne and Dave King teach you, the writer, how to apply the editing techniques they have developed to your own work. Chapters on dialogue, exposition, point of view, interior monologue, and other techniques take you through the same processes an expert editor would go through to perfect your manuscript. Each point is illustrated with examples, many drawn from the hundreds of books Browne and King have edited.

Edit Yourself

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Edit Yourself: A Manual for Everyone Who Works With Words by Bruce Ross-Larson

I found this book at the Lifeway bookstore when I went to the Blue Ridge Mountain Christian Writers Conference this past spring. The cover caught my attention among a stack of books. The more I flipped through it, the more I thought this is a great little book. Sometimes when writing, I use too many words. This book shows you how to tighten your writing and think about your wording.

BOOK DESCRIPTION: In the first part of this useful book, the author shows how to solve common problems of writing. The reader will learn how to recognize common problems of writing. The reader will learn how to recognize words and phrases that should be cut; how to shorten cumbersome sentences; how to arrange the elements of pairs, series, and compound subjects and predicates; how to recognize and rectify mismanaged participles; and how to be on the lookout for the better word. The second part of the book consists of more than 1500 recommendations for cuts, changes, and comparisons that editors make to produce writing that is concise and effective.

What Kind of Writer Are You?

What kind of writer are you is the question Lisa Mondello asked on one of my favorite blogs to visit. Lisa lists four writing profiles on Craftie Ladies of Suspense blog.

So far I think I’m a Linear Writer. Here’s what Lisa says…

"Linear Writer -This is the type that I always admired. A linear writer writes an outline, starts at the beginning of the story on page one and writes chapter by chapter. After each chapter, she revises, gets the chapter in good shape before moving on to the next chapter. When she’s done with the book, all she has to do is a read through to tweak words here and there and she’s done."

I think this is why it takes me so long to write!

BTW I still have my goal of finishing When Rain Falls by the end of the year. I purchased something recently that has improved my writing time tremendously over the past week. I’ll talk more about it in a future post.

Have a blessed weekend and read the other profiles at Craftie Ladies of Suspense.

BOOK REVIEW | All I’ll Ever Need

All I’ll Ever Need
Harry Kraus, MD

All I’ll Ever Need is the third book in the Dr. Claire McCall series. This book can easily be read as a stand alone, but like any book series, it maybe helpful to read the preceding books.

Dr. Claire McCall is ready to move on with her life as well as her upcoming nuptials. There is only one problem. Claire is still trying to recover from a recent assault in her home, choosing to sleep with a gun nearby for protection and trying hard to hide her fears from others including her fiancee. While her fiancee, John Cerelli tries to be understanding, Claire knows she must move over this hurdle in order to prepare for marriage.

BOOK REVIEW | Over Her Head

Over Her Head
Shelley Bates

During her morning run, Laurie Hale discovers the body of young girl. She becomes more shaken later when she finds out the dead girl’s mother is the newest member of her bible study group.

People around town are growing uneasy as the events of the girl’s last night alive come to light. Several teens were in attendance when the girl either fell or was pushed off the bridge. No one is talking or those that are talking seem to want to point the finger at Laurie’s daughter, Anna. According to Anna, she was no where near the bridge that night. Laurie chooses to believe her daughter despite their strained relationship.

BOOK REVIEW | Finder’s Fee

Finder’s Fee
by Alton Ganksy

A Martha Stewart type, Judith Find is a successful business woman at the top of the interior decorating market. Life as she knows it changes drastically when a special package is delivered to her office. Inside the package is a cell phone with a cryptic message for her. Someone knows something about Judith that could destroy her reputation and everything she has built over the years. She has no choice but to follow the instructions, not knowing who sent the package.

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