Winter Games Read-a-thon is here!

Got the winter doldrums? Love to snuggle up on long, cold days? Have a hankering to try a new author? Appreciate a variety of genres (romance, mainstream, suspense, poetry, memoir, thriller, paranormal, historical, fantasy…)? Like to chat with authors and other bibliophiles? Oh, and want to enter to win oodles of prizes?

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If yes to any of the above, check out this year’s annual Winter Games!

Sign up to read books from over 50 authors from Feb 14 to March 14 We’ll have giveaways (small and big!), twice weekly Facebook chats/Q&A/meet the authors, and so much more.

Simple concept: sign up to read. Write reviews. Meet with authors and other book lovers. Enter contests to win lots of goodies! We even have special prizes for the speed-readers in the group.

Join here.

Don’t forget to also

SIGN UP here.

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Join here.

Don’t forget to also SIGN UP here.

I’ll be spotlighting Soul of the Storm in the Winter Games this year!

I’ll be spotlighting Soul of the Storm in the Winter Games this year!

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Whatcha waiting for? Sign up today!

See you at the games!

Ready, Set, Revise!

Oh yes, the revision stage. Some love it. Some loathe it.

I myself have a definite love-hate relationship with it. This week, for my homework with the monthly #5amwritersclub zoom (yes, you read that right — 5 a.m.….), I was tasked to create my revision checklist from broad to defined. I revise. A lot. Ask my critique partner. I usually send her a very messy-must-get-the-words-down first draft. Then I revise the heck out of it.

I’ve talked about revision, outlining, and my Great Word Purge. But what is my actual revision process? Hmm. Good question.

What is your Revision Shape?

Do you make a checklist and go down the line?

Do you funnel down with broader/big picture aspects first (plot, characters, GMC, scenes) working toward more specific (voice, copy edits, word purges, sentence structure) ?

Do you hop all over in no set format?

Is it a circle with spokes out?

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Some (of many) questions to ask when you revise:

  • What darlings should be killed?

  • Does this scene progress the story forward and support a goal, motivation, or conflict?

  • Are urgency and stakes addressed? How’s that tension?

  • How is the character arc?

  • Chapter endings: “but, therefore…” technique

  • What do I want the reader to feel? Care? Remember?

  • What promises have I made to the reader?

  • Have I answered all the questions?

  • How is this story read only from opposing POVs (e.g. read just the parts in one character’s POV, then another)?

  • Do I read aloud? Print? Give to a critique partner or beta reader (and at what point) or developmental editor? Copy editor?

  • Do I randomly open to a page and read (or revise)? Do I revise backwards?

  • How is the chapter length, dialogue?

  • For romance, is there a HEA? Are endings positive but unexpected? Or predictable?

  • How do I know I am done?

My Revision Style

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I would love to say I do the funnel method, but I think my shape is more like a bullet list meets those pink blobs everywhere. I start with the bigger picture and work toward refining. Steps 3 to 7 can be out of order, a jumbled mess of things I am trying to tackle all at once. Here is my rough play by play…

I drop that manuscript into my CP’s inbox and chill for a month. She comes back with every type of edit under the sun: soggy middle, word weirdness, punctuation infatuations, lackluster character, plot holes, red flags, voice, dialogue…the works. Note: If I did not have her help at this step, I would still proceed with the following steps.

I make a list of the BIG things (cut scenes, move them around, flesh out a character, fix a plot hole, tighten the saggy middle). I then do one read through addressing these as I go. Next comes an outline to see if I hit all my beats (check out beat sheets). I write a one-page synopsis to make sure I have created a full story (GMC). Now comes analyzing characters: more GMC, urgency, stakes, positive and negative traits, fears, flaws & strengths, hobbies, ticks/mannerisms/voice, their emotional longing and shielding, how they deal with conflict, their warped perception of the world, triggers. Now to cut scenes (though this may come along earlier in the process). Add scenes. This helps pacing. Then on to the more refined revision: dialogue, cadence, description/details, grammar, crutches. Finally, the tedious word purge and copy edits.

Last but not least, some resources to help with revision. Feel free to include your favorites in the comments!

Books –

GMC: Building Blocks of Fiction (Debra Dixon): (goal, motivation, conflict, characters, scenes):

Kindle: https://www.amazon.com/GMC-Motivation-Conflict-Building-Fiction/dp/0965437108

Buy directly from press (it’s cool, I did it): https://www.gryphonbooksforwriters.com/product/sku/1/Goal-Motivation--Conflict-Dixon-Debra

Emotion Thesaurus (Ackerman and Puglisi) AND the entire Thesaurus series: for developing characters https://www.amazon.com/Emotion-Thesaurus-Writers-Character-Expression-ebook/dp/B07MTQ7W6Q

Save the Cat (writing style book series by Jessica Brody; also has website): https://www.amazon.com/Save-Cat-Writes-Novel-Writing/dp/0399579745   

Eats, Shoots, and Leaves (Lynne Truss): everything punctuation https://www.amazon.com/Eats-Shoots-Leaves-Tolerance-Punctuation/dp/1592402038

Elements of Style (Strunk & White): for grammar/punctuation https://www.amazon.com/Elements-Style-William-Strunk-Jr/dp/1989862004

Self-Editing for Fiction Writers by Browne & King: https://www.amazon.com/Self-Editing-Fiction-Writers-Second-Yourself/dp/0060545690

For romance, Romancing the Beat by Gwen Hayes: https://www.amazon.com/Romancing-Beat-Structure-Romance-Kissing/dp/1530838614

New book, Revise your Draft (Joan Bouza Koster): https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B08MFQ64CD

Programs –

Story Grid: https://storygrid.com/ for the whole suite of Story Grid stuff, but for people who are new: 

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=y3-dw9cIx2o&list=PLN9df6jf_yAvWPCA3CKuhZhoDdQIWgiFq has the five video lessons, or the podcast (especially going back to the early episodes) is helpful. 

https://smile.amazon.com/Story-Grid-What-Good-Editors-ebook is a link to the Story Grid book

Websites – 

Writers Helping Writers: https://writershelpingwriters.net/

Grammar Girl: https://www.quickanddirtytips.com/grammar-girl (and her books)

WordArt.com: https://wordart.com/  (for making word bubbles/lists to purge weak words)

Beat Sheets and Writing Worksheets by Jami Gold: https://jamigold.com/

                Also: https://jamigold.com/2015/06/revising-without-tears-guest-rachel-funk-heller/

https://susandennard.com/for-writers/: Great writing resources generally,

But scroll down to the "On Revising" section for tools and PDFs.

Podcasts/YouTube –

Writing Excuses (by Brandon Sanderson): https://writingexcuses.com/

Alexa Donne video on Revising your Novel: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lAKvUwrhCr0 

 

Feeling Merry: A TRIPLE giveaway!

Yes, you read that right. I’m getting to the short and sweet of it on this holiday eve….

A triple book giveaway!

Enter here to win ANY one of my books in any format! That means paperback, e-book, or an audio code.

I will choose 3 winners on New Year’s Day!

Disclaimer: if you choose a paperback, the postal mailing address needs to be in the United States.

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What are these books about? Hop over to my BOOKSHELF page to read more or listen to an audio snippet.
A quick summary…

The Hundred trilogy is an historical (medieval) romance trilogy with a paranormal sprinkle. The books can be read as standalones or in order. If you like Scotland, Vikings, mystical lore, developed secondary characters, suspense, and devilish villains, this is your book/series.

Soul of the Storm is a contemporary romance novella set in a rustic town in Vermont. If you like hiking and outdoorsy things, this is your book.

Will Rise from Ashes is contemporary women’s fiction set against a natural disaster backdrop. If you like stories of heartache, healing, and hope, parenting journeys, and adventure, this is your book.

What’s next for me?

A contemporary mainstream novel with romantic elements. Hopefully out in the end of 2021 or early 2022!

Medieval Monday, Week 12 - final week!

Medieval Monday, autumn-style

WEEK 12

We made it to the end of Medieval Monday, fall edition. And guess what? It went out with a BANG of a Nor’Easter here in central MA, with about 10-12 inches of snow yesterday. Instead of my usual fall palette, I’m offering up the winter dish I got this weekend.

Check out Medieval Romance Lovers as we share in the fall theme of "Nature" in our excerpts from our medieval stories. You’ll see weekly snippets each Monday on our blogs. And since I live in New England, home to memorable fall foliage, I will continue to try to post some photos! This week, though, is a map from my book. The trilogy spans across northern England, the Highlands, and west to the isles.

I encourage you to follow along with all the other Medieval Monday authors on the Facebook page here. You will find the links to their blogs where they are sharing their snippets. There may be even be some giveaways on the page…

You can also find us on Twitter at #MedMonFall20

This week’s snippet…

Set-up:

Domhnall is a Seer who descends from powerful Ancients with mystical abilities. He suffers from terrible visions of the Sight, an affliction that comes with each touch, except with Rosalie. He is taking Rosalie on a stroll through the village. They come upon the loch shore and he suggests they collect pebbles for her necklace-making. Rosalie is a crafter and fortune-teller, scrimping to make ends meet and support her uncle and aunt, but she is also on the run from a vengeful noblewoman not pleased with her readings. She tells lies for a living. Domhnall believes her to be a true seer.

This week’s snippet…

“Disturbance was here before your arrival. Lady Brantingham just added to the unrest.” His stab at humor did not work.

She clutched the bag of pebbles against her stomach. “Os is almost done. We should take our leave.”

“No. We can offer you full protection. How can you return south now, with her men about?”

She grimaced.

“I have an idea.”

He wrapped a hand around hers, guiding her from the loch toward the castle. The idea had, admittedly, entered his mind a few times, but he thought it rash.

Now…now not so much.

(end of scene…)

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Tres the kitty…

Fun story fact: Rosalie names her cats after Latin numbers (she has 4), so Tres is #3. Eerily, I had decided on this naming convention before I found about a foster cat named Tres (who’d had 3 kittens) that my friend was watching (along with her babies), who I then went on to adopt! 🐈

Universal Link ~ Amazon ~ Barnes and Noble ~ iBooks ~ Bookbub ~Goodreads ~ Kobo ~ Google ~ coming out in audio book format on Audible and iTunes soon!

Universal Link ~ Amazon ~ Barnes and Noble ~ iBooks ~ Bookbub ~

Goodreads ~ Kobo ~ Google ~ coming out in audio book format on Audible and iTunes soon!