Continued Learning, by Allison Brennan

Here's an excerpt from an excellent blog post by romantic suspense and thriller writer Allison Brennan, posted today over at Murder She Writes blog:

Last week, I shared a link on Twitter to Jodie Renner’s terrific blog post about writing tense action scenes. I found the way she shared the information to be clear and helpful, particularly because she provided examples (much like MSW friend Margie Lawson does in her workshops!) Since I learn by example, I love this approach.
I particularly liked Jodie’s article because I was in the middle of editing a fast-paced novella and reviewing her checklist helped me remember the important aspects of thrillers. I’ve written 20 books and sometimes, while I subconsciously know what to look for in edits, I can have tunnel vision and miss big picture problems. I also think that no writer is perfect, that every writer is (or should be) learning on a regular basis. Does this mean taking classes? Maybe, maybe not. I rarely take classes, though there are some where the presenter is particularly strong or the subject matter something I need help with, where I’ll sit in at ThrillerFest or RWA. But I love reading articles that speak to the way I learn (i.e. examples.) Since I don’t have time to take a lot of on-line workshops or go to every conference and sit in on all the interesting panels or workshops, I read a lot.
Jodie seemed surprised that I read craft articles, but honestly, I think every writer can benefit from continued learning — articles, workshops, brainstorming sessions with friends, classes, reading the masters — every other profession does it, why not us?

Teachers have continuing education; realtors; doctors; etc. My physical trainer has continuing education to keep her certification, and she constantly reads about nutrition and exercise programs so that she can provide her clients with her up-to-date expertise. It just makes sense that writers don’t lock themselves in the room and think they know everything or the best way to do something.
I suspect, as an author grows in their career, they need less craft guidance–but that doesn’t mean we need NO improvement. I’ve learned so much about writing from my two editors that I hope I’ve applied what I’ve learned to my manuscripts. Does this mean I don’t need to be edited? Hell no. I expect to be edited. I expect to continue to learn not only to write sharper, cleaner copy, but to learn how to tell better stories.
Sometimes, I get annoyed with aspiring authors, who are frustrated by the slow publication process (which is, sometimes, needlessly slow) and say they’re going to self-publish. Or,...

For the rest of this excellent article, click here:

http://www.murdershewrites.com/2013/03/25/continued-learning/

Jodie Renner is a freelance fiction editor who specializes in thrillers, mysteries, and other fast-paced fiction. Jodie publishes her craft-of-fiction articles here and on several other blogs. For more information on Jodie’s editing services and her books, please visit her website. Jodie has published two books to date in her series, An Editor’s Guide to Writing Compelling Fiction: Writing and Killer Thriller, a short e-book, and Style That Sizzles & Pacing for Power, which is available in paperback, as an e-book on Kindle, and in other e-book formats. And you don’t need to own an e-reader to purchase and enjoy e-books. You can download them to your computer, tablet, or smartphone.

How (Not) To Kill Your Story in its Cradle

How (Not) To Kill Your Story In Its Cradle February 14, 2013 

by Dr. John Yeoman  

Ever driven a car round a bend and seen another one heading straight at you? At 60mph? It happened to me last week. I swerved into a ditch and it clipped my wing mirror as it bulleted past. Not a good way to start a day but a great place to begin a story…

Why do so many writers get their opening paragraphs wrong?

Here are five big mistakes new authors make - and how to avoid them - based on my experience of judging 3500+ entries to date in the Writers’ Village story contest.

Mistake #1: A start that has too many characters

Good opening passages typically involve just one or two main players. Don’t bring in a cast of thousands or tell the whole history of Renaissance Florence before the action begins.

The UK crime writer Ruth Rendell typically has more than 30 named characters in every novel. Too many? Yet her novels are successful. Why? She limits her characters to just three per scene and makes each character highly memorable the moment she introduces them.

Slip in your minor characters and details of back story naturally, a fragment here and there, as the story proceeds. Limit the cast list at the start!

Mistake #2: A long-winded opener

 Keep your introduction short. The best opening lines are no longer than a tweet on Twitter, say, 140 characters at most. And they pose a question.

To read the rest of this excellent blog post, down to Mistake #5, at The Wicked Writing Blog, Writers' Village, click on the link below:

 

http://www.writers-village.org/writing-award-blog/how-not-to-kill-your-story-in-its-cradle 

 

And for more tips on writing compelling fiction, see Jodie Renner's book, Style That Sizzles & Pacing for Power - An Editor's Guide to Writing Compelling Fiction, available on Amazon, both as an e-book and in paperback.

Tips for Creating Sentences That Flow

by Jodie Renner, editor & author 

In my book, Fire up Your Fiction, I give lots of tips with before-and-after examples on topics like avoiding style blunders, picking up the pace, fixing awkward phrasing, dodging info dumps, showing character reactions, and streamlining your writing.

Another easy way to amp up your fiction-writing style is to simply look at the length, variety, and structure of your sentences.

In general, it’s best to vary your sentence types and lengths, not only to avoid monotony and amateurish writing, but also to enhance the impact, mood and effect you’re striving for in any given scene.

A few quick tips for adding oomph to your sentences and paragraphs:

~ VARY THE LENGTH AND STRUCTURE OF YOUR SENTENCES.

Within a paragraph, it’s usually best to combine short, long, and medium-length sentences of different forms.

In general, avoid too many short, choppy sentences. Several short subject-verb-object sentences in a row can often seem amateurish, like grade-school writing.

At the other extreme, break up long, convoluted sentences that force the reader to go back and reread the whole thing to get the meaning, like: “Inasmuch as I’d hoped for a reconciliation, circumstances dictated that other factors and other family members played a decisive role in the ongoing…” blah, blah.

As Gary Provost says in 100 Ways to Improve Your Writing: 

"Vary Sentence Length.

"This sentence has five words. Five-word sentences are fine. But several together become monotonous. Listen to what is happening. The writing is getting boring. The sound of it drones. It's like a stuck record. The ear demands some variety. Now listen: I vary the sentence length, and I create music. Music. The writing sings. It has a pleasant rhythm, a lilt, a harmony. I use short sentences. I also use sentences of medium length. And sometimes when I am certain the reader is well rested, I will engage him with a sentence of considerable length, a sentence that burns with energy and builds with all the impetus of a crescendo, the roll of the drums, the crash of the cymbals--sounds that say listen to this, it is important.

"So write with a combination of short, medium, and long sentences. Create a sound that pleases the reader's ear. Don't just write words. Write music. . ."

For tense scenes, it’s usually more effective to use short, terse sentences, rather than long, meandering ones. 

And one- or two-word sentences, used judiciously, are excellent for emphasizing a point. A one-word sentence is like a stop sign for the reader. But don't overuse it, or it will lose its power.

(Some of the "before" examples below are exaggerated to get the point across quickly.)

Don’t start several sentences in a row with “He” or “She,” or even alternating with a name, or “The man” or “The woman,” etc.:

Before:

The girl was wearing a short leather skirt and a tight tank top. She had long shapely legs that seemed to go on forever. She turned to him and brushed a few strands of blond hair away from her eyes. She flashed a smile, but didn’t walk toward him. She went the other way.

After:

The girl was wearing a short leather skirt and a tight tank top. Her long shapely legs seemed to go on forever. She turned to him and flashed a smile, brushing a few strands of blond hair away from her eyes. But instead of walking toward him, she went the other way.

Don’t start sentence after sentence with a gerund (ing verb):

Creeping to the office door, Eileen stood listening. Hearing nothing, she opened it and peeked out. Seeing no one in the hallway, she headed for the door near the entrance to the showroom. Entering the room, she turned on the light and closed the door behind her. Expecting to see a room filled with stolen artwork, Eileen was disappointed.

(Above example is exaggerated for effect.)

And for fiction, feel free to ignore that old rule about not starting a sentence with “And,” “But,” or “So.”

Rearrange the ideas for a more sophisticated feel:

Before:

His headlights found the driveway leading to the rear of the duplex. He parked in the darkness. He closed the car door carefully after him. He drew his gun. He was relieved to see no lights in the windows. He walked quietly up the path to the back door.

After:

His headlights found the driveway leading to the rear of the duplex. He drove around, then parked in the darkness. Closing the car door carefully after him, he drew his gun and crept forward. As he walked quietly up the path to the back deck, he was relieved to see no lights in the windows.

Change up “and” sentences, which can seem clunky and amateurish.  

Before:

He was tall and thin with a long narrow face and looked exhausted.

After:

Tall and thin with a long narrow face, he looked exhausted.

Before:

The bag lady wore a ragged overcoat and she trudged along, pushing a shopping cart full of junk.

After:

The bag lady, who wore a ragged overcoat, trudged along, pushing a shopping cart full of junk.

Or:

Her ragged overcoat hanging on her thin frame, the bag lady trudged along, pushing a shopping cart overloaded with junk.

Combine sentences and reword for better flow:

Before:

Ben Cross was a top-notch investigator. He was at a table drinking coffee and eating a donut when Shelley walked in.

After:

Ben Cross, a top-notch investigator, was at a table drinking coffee and eating a donut when Shelly walked in.

Or: Shelly walked in the café and looked around. Ben Cross, a successful, well-connected security contractor, was at a table drinking coffee and eating a donut.

Avoid run-ons:

Watch out for run-on sentences or comma splices, like “Her son was an athlete he played all sports.” Or “He doesn’t play football anymore, he injured his back." Fix these by inserting a period, dash, or semicolon, or a conjunction like and, or, nor, but, for, so, as, yet, since, because, etc.  "Her son was an athlete--he played all sports." (or period or semicolon) "He doesn't play football anymore because he injured his back." (or "since")

To add emphasis, isolate the significant word, phrase or sentence on its own line:

For a critical idea you want readers to ponder, move the pivotal sentence down to a new line, with a space below it. This pause for significance alerts the reader to the full impact of the sentence.

Before:

Sheryl was worried. If the coroner ruled the death suspicious, that would lead to a full-scale investigation. Detective O’Reilly would turn over every stone searching for answers. What he might find could put an end to all of Sheryl’s dreams.

After – Note how the last sentence below gains significance because it ends the paragraph and the chapter:

Sheryl had difficulty breathing.

If the coroner ruled the death suspicious, that would lead to a full-scale investigation. Detective O’Reilly would turn over every stone searching for answers.

And what he found could put an end to all her dreams.

How the Experts do it:

Here’s an intriguing chapter ending by Harlan Coben in his bestselling thriller, Play Dead:

But of course, he could not tell Laura any of those things. She would never just accept his word. She would demand to know how he knew so much about David’s drowning.

And that was something he could never tell her.

Partial sentences can also be excellent for emphasis, especially at the end of a scene or chapter, as in this chapter ending from Robert Crais’ The Sentry:

... he told himself the violence in his life had cost him everything, but he knew that was not true. As lonely as he sometimes felt, he still had more to lose.

He could lose his best friend.

Or himself.

Jodie Renner is a freelance fiction editor and the award-winning author of three craft-of-writing guides in her series An Editor’s Guide to Writing Compelling Fiction: WRITING A KILLER THRILLER, FIRE UP YOUR FICTION, and CAPTIVATE YOUR READERS, as well as two clickable time-saving e-resources, QUICK CLICKS: Spelling List and QUICKCLICKS: Word Usage. She has also organized two anthologies for charity: VOICES FROM THE VALLEYS – Stories and Poems about Life in BC’s Interior, and CHILDHOOD REGAINED – Stories of Hope for Asian Child Workers. You can find Jodie on her Amazon Author Page, at www.JodieRenner.com, and on Facebook.