Outlining Your Book

It can always be a little tedious to outline a project you have, but its worth it if it helps you get your words out on the pages.  Some people don't need to outline.  They are better at free flowing everything, just letting things come to them.  Others really need outlines to keep them on the chosen path.  Some, like myself, are right in between.  We like having a general outline, but only so we have an idea of what needs to happen, but we let everything else come to us. 

For those who like to outline if you have every heard of Save the Cat, its a really good screenwriting book that works just as well with writing books.  It explains how to outline. 
There is also the How to write a book in the thirty days link from guardian.com
http://www.theguardian.com/books/series/how-to-write-a-book-in-30-days

Both are very useful and can be used anytime.  I didn't hear about Save the Cat until I was half way through my last book, and I was at a loss at where to go with it.  But then I read Save the Cat and was able to outline the rest of it and finish my book during Nano of 2013. 

Which ever type of writer you are, find out what you need to have help you, and hit it hard to get your work out on those pages so you can take the next step: editing.

Repetative Words

All of us, well maybe not some of the professionals, have repetitive words we have a hard time staying away from and later have to go back through it and change them to similar words.  Take for example, I have the hardest time getting away from looked and walked and when I am talking about certain things in a subject, I tend to say that word way too often.  It's like, Hey we get, there is a mountain, you don't need to say it seven times. 
The ML of the Idaho Falls Nano group just posted this cool way to help avoid the word very.  Very is another one of those words you want to try to stay away from if you can.  Obviously you might need it sometimes, but instead of say, "he was a very tall man." you could say something like, "The tall man turned to me," or "He was tall..." and maybe add some more description about being gangly, blond hair, or shape of his face or something.
This is not her work, she did not create it, but found it on Stumbleupon at http://www.stumbleupon.com/su/1xuHX5/:OzYZcQWB:DUgprGDj/writerswrite.co.za/45-ways-to-avoid-using-the-word-very/

I found it pretty helpful.  Just to give you an idea if you don't understand how it works, the black words are what people tend use very with.  Like "very afraid," or "very angry,"  You can say he was terrified, or furious to get rid of the very.  It's not something you have to use, but it's helpful. 

For me when It comes to my repetitive words, I look up WordHippo.com and I type in what word I need to find another word for and it tells me every noun, verb and other type of word that can replace the word "look" or any word you type in.  I have written down all the ones I know I repeat way to often.  I made posters with the word on it and put them around the wall in my writing area.  That way I can just look at it real quick to get a word I need.

 

This weekend is Memorial weekend.  I hope you all have a wonderful holiday.  Spend it with family if you can.  You never know how long they will be in your lives and you'll want to spend as much time with the as you can.    Happy Memorial Day!

Writers Group

Went to my writers group last night, had a blast.  I really enjoy going and helping each other critique our work. It makes a person feel good when you get comments that confirm what you wanted to portray to the ready.  I was able to edit 11 pages worth of my book in between work yesterday and the day before and I am happy to say there were only minor things that needed help like commas and apostrophe's.  Only a couple clarifications were needed. 

I wanted to share a couple of things to avoid when writing.  Most editors out there hate these words.  There pretty simple words that everyone finds they use and have to readjust there work to conform to the laws of editing. 

Begin,  Ex. "I began to see the mountain."  Better- "I saw the mountain."
Tried,   Ex.  "I tried to back away from him." Better- "I backed away from him."
Was, (This one can be spared here and there, but tends to be overdone.)  "I was playing with the         toys."  Better- "I played with the toys."
 Exclaimed,  "She exclaimed."  Better- "She said"  (I know we all want to put more detail in our work, but the description of the setting, people, clothes, surroundings are the important things to have detail on.  Straight forward dialogue is better than over detailing it and making it cheesy. 
Were, (Also like was, it is over done and very neutral) Ex. "We were going to the pond." Better- "Going to the pond, I saw the orange fall colors flow across the trees." or something like that.

There are more that editors don't always like, and you'll learn more about the different ones to stay away from.  These are just a few that can make a big impact on your work.  When I first learned about it, I could not believe how more active my work had become.

Hope you are having a great day, and I hope you have a great weekend.

Destiny

I love Surprises!

     I love surprises in ones own book.  I finished my novel last November and I have been editing ever since.  I have three children and I have a full time job, so editing is a slow task when i can find the time.  The other day I was looking ahead for some reason I can't remember, and i read the last couple pages of my book and WHAM!!, I found something in there that i forgot that I had put in there.  It took me by complete surprise.  I was like, "holy cow, I can't believe I did that.  Boy that is a great surprise."  It cracked me up.
     It's good when you can put surprises in your work for the readers, and still get surprised yourself.

Good Writing Advice

Everyone is looking for more advice on how to write a book, or be a better current writer.  We all need that little push in the write direction, right?

I get email updates from David Farland's Kick in the Pants  He sends out emails a couple times a week with a different piece of advice.  He has written tons of books so he knows what he's taking about.  He also does classes that anyone can join on his website.  http://www.davidfarland.net/members/login.aspx?ReturnUrl=%2fmembers%2fdefault.aspx

Another good place to get more information and advice is writters digest.  The only problem i have with them, is that you get a lot of emails from them and only half or less are actual writing advice and what not.  The rest are them trying to get you to buy tickets to seminars or there top favorited books.  If you are the kind of person who likes that, go for it.  I like the advice and the selling of emails.  You can find them on google search.

HabitRPG

A great site that helps people get into the habit of doing things, no matter what that habit is, can be very helpful.  Some of my Nano buddies told me about HabitRPG.  It is really cool, I have thoroughly enjoyed it.  I am only on level 8 and I have been a member of it for a month.  It is a great way to train you in habits. 
Instead of just a list you try to complete and check off through out the day, you also play a game at the same time.  You probably have heard of the term RPG.  It means Role Play Game.  Where you can pick your character and name and what you are and so on.  In this site you are you and you go on quests and as you do your dailies, which you will mark off, and get in the habits of checking things off because you have done them, you go up in level and gain animals, and clothes and stuff. 
The quests you go on aren't something where you have steer your person in certain directions.  They are like villains that you have to conquer by completing all of your daily's.  If you do all your dailies, you attach the villain with damage.  If you do not complete your dailies, he can fight back. 
It's pretty simple and it's  a fun way to help keep you going.
I have enjoy a lot.  You can find me on there under the name: Destiny Hampton and here is the link for it.  https://habitrpg.com/static/front

Hey, I just learned about a couple good places to research editors and publishers, to make sure they are legit.  When you are out there looking for your agents and more you want to be careful not get scammed. 
http://accrispin.blogspot.com/  and   http://pred-ed.com/peba.ht

It's not a lot, and I know there are more out there, but these are some of the newest I have heard of.