Newbie Manuscript Mistakes

Please note this article was originally published in the Romance Writers of Australia Heart's Talk magazine and has been expanded for this blog.

One of my books had a very interesting journey to publication. Some books get written and find a home quickly and before you can even blink, revisions are done and the book is edited. That was not the case for one of my books. The story was originally written early in my writing career, back in early 2013. In fact, it was my second manuscript. Ever.

I sold the book in 2014, but due to some delays (as are so common in publishing) I completed the revisions in 2016, three years after it was written. Let me tell you, going over something from so early in my journey was a humbling experience to say the least. There were tears of frustration, slabs of deleted text, plenty of ‘oh dear god why did they buy this book?’ moments and a whole lot of cleaning up—both in terms of the writing and the story.

I’ll be honest, it was brutal.

But it did get me to thinking about how my writing has changed from book one to book eleven (and beyond). I thought it might be helpful to share my top 3 newbie mistakes with you:

1. Cliché-driven plotting – I think the biggest item I noticed what the characters were propelled through the story by things outside their control. Chance meetings, meddling secondary characters, coincidences and gratuitous disasters all made a showing in the old version of this story. The characters themselves and the decisions they make should drive the story forward. As an editor once said to me ‘you get one coincidence at the start of the book if you need it to bring the characters together, but that’s it.’ If the characters don’t start to take control of their actions, it won’t feel like they’ve earned their happy ever after moment.

2. Arguing in place of actual conflict – My characters bickered. A lot. Now, it’s not to say that having your characters argue is a bad thing, but an argument in itself is not conflict. Conflict is what holds your characters apart; the barrier between them their happy ever after. But it needs to be rooted in something real and concrete within the character’s fears/hopes/backstory/personality etc. If your characters are arguing in a scene, ask yourself why. If you can link it to their GMCs (Goals, Motivations or Conflict) then you’re on the right track.

3. Echoes – I’m talking about the echo or repetition that occurs when a character says or does something that’s then repeated in internal thought. For example, the heroine voices her frustration to the hero and then she thinks about how frustrated she is. These echoes occur because the writer might not have confidence that the character’s feelings were conveyed strongly enough in the dialogue or action. All of that internal repetition was deleted and in some cases the dialogue/action strengthened to make sure the echo wasn’t necessary.

 

But what other mistakes can newbies make?

Those were the three biggest errors I made with that manuscript in it's original version. Since then, I have learned a lot about crafting a compelling story. I've also read a lot of unpublished work by judging competitions for several writers groups and mentoring aspiring authors. So, to expand my original list (as published in the RWA Heart's Talk magazine) here are a few extra things to look out for:

4. Cliché openings - you know the ones, the girl looking out of a car window while she contemplates what brought her here. or how about the one where the character is brushing their hair in the mirror and describing themselves? The character walks in on a cheating spouse... and there are so many more! A unique opening is necessary to grab the attention of the person reading it, and compel them to keep reading. If you've got a manuscript with one of these openings, try to think of a new scenario that will showcase your unique storytelling abilities and demand that your read keep turning the pages.

5. Overuse of character names - if you listen to the way people really speak, we don't often use a name to address someone unless we're making a strong point or introduction. Or if we're trying to get their attention. Repetition of the character names can really slow the pace of a scene and cause the reader to get bored. The same goes for using character names in dialogue tags: less is more. The dialogue should be strong enough that we know who is talking without each line being identified with a name

6. Too much or too little backstory - this is definitely one of those Goldilocks things. Too much backstory and you're not allowing the reader to be invested in the "here and now" of the story, and too little will leave them feeling lost. You want to tease the reader with the character's past, give hints that leave them wanting to keep reading so they can find out what happened.

This is a good place to start if you've written a story and can't figure out what's wrong with the opening. And if you have made any of these mistakes, don’t worry. That’s what revisions are for.

Writers Conferences for Introverts

I LOVE attending writers conferences. I always come away feeling inspired having met new people, excited to implement a new technique I've learned and feeling as though I've "refilled my well" spending time with other creative people. 

Over the years, I've made many friends in the industry and travelling to a conference is often the only time I get to see them in person.

There’s only one problem with conferences: I, like many writers, am an introvert.

When I use the #hermitlife hashtag, I do it without irony. I built a corporate career on my ability to appear out-going and extroverted, but I can promise you it’s all a lie. Meeting new people scares the crap out of me. Big crowds…no thanks. Walking up to a group of people I don't know to join the conversation? Not going to happen. 

So, if you’re coming to conference for the first time or if you’re a seasoned conference-goer but you struggle with the social aspects, here are a few tips that have helped me not be a total wallflower over the years:

• Find someone to meet up with (my version of a life raft). It might be someone you chat to on Facebook or Twitter, or someone from your writers group. Having a designated person to meet can help make ease the stress of day 1 jitters. This person can be your ‘conference buddy’ but don’t let them be the only person you speak to.

• Set a goal of making at least one new acquaintance per day. An easy way to do this is by introducing yourself to the person sitting next to you at a workshop, riding the elevator with you or standing in line at the Starbucks counter.

• Find someone who is standing by themselves and say hello. Chances are they’ll be grateful that you took the pressure off them having to make the first move.

• Smile.

• Approach an author you love and tell them which of their books if your favourite. Trust me, this never goes down badly.

• Talk about books. That’s why you’re all there, so it’s the easiest topic of conversation. Authors are often voracious readers and even the most introverted writer will get fired up about their favourite book.

• Take an "introvert break" break in your hotel room if you feel overwhelmed. Know that you can always sneak away to call your husband/boyfriend/bestie/Mum if you need to. Then get back out there and tackle something else on this list.

• If you're attending a big conference for the first time, often there's some kind of "newbie induction" session at the beginning of the conference where you can meet other people attending for the first time.

• Remember, you're there to learn and have a good time. If you try talking to someone and they brush you off, no big deal. It's their loss! And it won't have any lasting impact, just dust yourself off and say hi to someone else.

If you ever get the chance to attend a writers conference, do it! I've made some amazing friendships over the years and had invaluable experiences speaking with other writers and industry people that make any little bit of discomfort totally worth it. Good luck!

My Top Writing Craft Books

When you’re learning the craft of writing (and really, no writer should ever stop learning) the subject of books on writing often comes up. There are the usual suspects, such as Stephen King’s On Writing. Debra Dixon’s GMC and Blake Snyder’s Save The Cat and I whole-heartedly recommend them the latter two (I haven't gotten around to On Writing yet, so I really must fix that.)

I wanted to share my recommendations for practical craft books that have helped me and that I go back to time and time again..

1. The Emotion Thesaurus by Angela Ackerman and Becca Puglisi

This is a fantastic book to help you better show your characters emotions, rather than tell. Each emotion has a page dedicated to it (e.g. Anger, Fear, Gratitude, Insecurity etc.) with a description, the physical signs, internal sensations, mental reactions as well as tips for writing emotion. This is not a book you need to read back to front. It's intended use is as a reference to have on hand for use either during drafting or revisions, to help you flesh out your scenes with life-like emotion.

I love this book so much I have both the physical and ebook copies.

2. & 3. The Positive Trait Thesaurus & The Negative Trait Thesaurus by Angela Ackerman and Becca Puglisi

Similar to The Emotion Thesaurus, these two books help you to create life-like 3D characters by deepening your characterisation. Set out in a similar fashion, these two books have a double page for each character trait (e.g. Funny, Creative, Bold, Hostile, Apathetic) with a definition, possible causes, associated attitudes and behaviours, thoughts, emotions and examples from film. The examples from film are fantastic and they include a lot of films that people of any age would know (Die Hard, Harry potter and The Wizard of Oz all get mentions).

Again this is a permanent on my desk when I am planning a story and I have both the paper and ebook version.

4. Romancing the Beat by Gwen Hayes

A plotting book designed specifically for romance novels!! *cue crowd cheering*

So, for anyone who's battled to fit a romance plot with two (or more) protagonists into a traditional plot structure, this book is for you. Gwen is both a romance writer and editor herself, so she knows romance novels. It's simply written, easy to follow and has the right level of detail for those of us who are still one foot in the "pantser" camp. Highly recommend.

5. The Emotional Craft of Fiction by Donald Maas

This is a great book to help you really dig deeper or If you've sent your manuscript out and are hearing that agents or editors "didn't connect with the character." Pull more emotion out of your characters and their worlds, create stories that reach in and grab your readers heart. It's more of a "food for thought" kind of book rather than a step by step guide.

6. Grammar Girl (quirk and dirty tips)

OK, so this isn’t a craft book but it IS one of my most used writing resources. I have my illustrated version of Strunk and White’s Elements of Style but this site is so quick and easy to use. Want to know the difference between further and farther? Or whether or not you should capitalise the F in French Fries? Grammar Girl will tell you quickly, sharply and without fuss. Plus she has a short snappy podcast in case you prefer to listen to your grammar lessons.

There you have it, my 5 writing craft recommendations for romance writers! Have you used any of the above? Any that you would add to this list?

How Writing Changed My Life

Please note, this post was originally published in 2014...

As anyone who’s ever been labelled a ‘good girl’ would know, playing by the rules (other people’s rules) can be a suffocating and unrewarding experience. I’ve been following the rules my entire life.

I always did well at school, I studied what I was told was the ‘sensible choice’ and I worked hard to get a career in what I thought was the ‘right thing to do’. Nearly seven years later I was burnt out, unhappy in my job and feeling that my creativity was all but extinguished. Except I was still the ‘good girl’ – I performed well, was rewarded and was chasing a promotion because I thought that’s what I should be doing.

Then I started writing.

No matter how stressful my work day, no matter how unsatisfied I felt, sitting down to write made me feel free. I’ve had a lot of people ask how I managed to fit writing in while working a full time job, running a house etc. The answer is that I love it so much I simply can’t think of anything else I’d rather be doing. When Harlequin called me in December 2013 to offer me a two-book contract, I was in shock. I’d been told that hardly anyone sells their first manuscript, I’d been told that it could take years to get a publisher to pick up my work. It took seven months from the time I submitted.

Now, I don’t say this to brag. I say this to encourage aspiring authors. You CAN do it. I started the same way many writers do: with a passion for reading and a desire to tell a story. I don’t have any qualifications in creative writing, I don’t come from a family of writers. I just sat down and started with Chapter One.

Now,  I have three books coming out with Harlequin Mills and Boon and I’ve recently signed a contract for a novella with Entangled Publishing. I’m also moving to Canada with my husband. I’ve quit my day job and I’m going to concentrate on my writing for the next two years. Sure, I’ll still have to work a part time job for a little financial certainty. But my work won’t be my first priority, my writing will be.

I had to stop being a ‘good girl’ and start being me.

I was lucky enough to work with an mentor in my office job who gave me some life-changing advice. She told me that I needed to stop apologising for going after the things I want. I listened to her, and it was possibly the best thing I’ve ever done. If it wasn’t for my writing I would never have had the confidence in myself to break away from what I thought I should be doing. Now, I’m about to embark on a scary and exciting new life adventure, all because I sat down one day and let the words flow.

Someone asked me recently what steps I took to make these changes and there’s no real easy answer to that. It was a multitude of factors, but the following is a list of things that I felt were key in helping me get to the point where I could go after what I wanted:

• Firstly, I needed to let go of the idea that my family would be disappointed in me if I chose an alternative path in life. Their love for me isn’t defined by my professional success.
• I had to zero in on what was most important to me and be honest about it. Was making a lot of money important or was the chance to have a creative, fulfilling job more important? That's a tough one. It’s easy to say ‘money doesn’t matter’ but I was giving away a very well paying job and this impacted no only me, but my husband. We still have to pay the bills. I needed to find a practical solution.
• That leads me to my third point, I had to talk it out with my husband. It was a decision that affected us both. He needed to be involved.
• I had to ask myself if I truly believed I could do it. I’ve never been a super confident person and over the years I’ve doubted my ability on many things. But I wasn’t going to take a leap unless I could look myself in the eye and say ‘I believe in you.’
• I was willing to deal with the challenges of someone following their dream: being self-reliant, dealing with people who are not as happy for you as you expect, dealing with people who criticize your choice/what you write/how you live your life. It’s all worth it to do what makes me happy.

The steps leading up to making the switch were emotional and mental changes rather than physical ones. These are often the hardest to make, but they have the most impact. Be honest with yourself, are you following your plan or someone else's? What do you need to do to change your life and put it on a course toward your goals? Have you settled by ticking other people's boxes?

They're not easy questions to ask. But they are worth it, because change won't come without a long hard look in the mirror.