Quick Tip Tuesday: Mom versus mom

A confusion I see a lot of in manuscripts is the capitalization--or not--of Mom/Dad/Mother/Father.

The general rule is that if you can use a proper name to replace the word, then it should be capitalized.

A) “Hey, Mom,” he yelled.
or
B) “Hey, mom,” he yelled.


Try: “Hey, Susan,” he yelled.

So, in this case, A is correct--capitalized.


A) Jenny took her Dad to the grocery store.
or
B) Jenny took her dad to the grocery store.


Try:  Jenny took her Frank to the grocery store.

LOL, nope, that doesn’t sound right at all. In this case, B is correct--not capitalized.


So, for a quick reference whether to capitalize or not, simply read the sentence out loud using a proper name in place of the parental term of choice.

Don't Make This a Passive Year!

Let's start Writing Wednesdays this year on a strong note...by getting rid of those passive verbs that make your manuscript Telling.

The trick is to let your character Show the scene through his/her specific experience of the moment, and part of this is using stronger verbs to mirror the tone so as to pull the reader into the experience with your main character.

Now remember, the first draft is just that, a first draft....let it all out and who cares how it reads or what specific words you use. THE most important thing about the first draft is that you get the story out of your head and onto the paper/computer screen--because there is a good chance it won’t ever get written if it stays in your brain while you try to get it “perfect.” Trust me, I know because I am sooooo bad at doing that.

“The first draft is just you telling yourself the story.” 

~ Terry Pratchett

It is when you are revising that you want to start layering in details for the reader, choosing specific word that will paint a vivid picture, deepen your characters, and bring out a fully rounded story.

"Was" before an "ing" word is the biggest red flashing light you want to look for to revise the Passive out of your manuscript. To be clear, it is not wrong to have some of these type of verb phrases; you just don’t want to only have them, or have a large percentage of them, as it will lend to a Telling read. You  want to make sure you have sought out and assessed each instance to ensure if they are valid or could be stronger.

Let’s see a few examples in three different ways—Telling/Passive, the Better choice, and a Stronger version, which could Show more specifically the experience of the character in that moment:

Telling/Passive: was walking
Better: walked
Stronger: strolled, meandered, hurried, scurried, strutted, sashayed—each one gives a very different experience of the moment, and using the right word to mirror your character’s mood/perception at that time will strengthen the overall tone of the scene.

Telling/Passive: was eating
Better: ate
Stronger: gulped, chewed, chomped

Telling/Passive: was thinking
Better: thought, considered
Stronger: studied, mused, contemplated, worried

Again, occasional use of the passive can work, but when the goal is to draw your reader into the moment, a more descriptive verb that mirrors the tone of the scene  paints a moment they can experience with your character.

Try it in your own manuscript by doing a Find search for "ing" on a few pages at a time and see how many passive verbs you can strengthen.

Keep passive writing back in 2018.  Let's make 2019 a strong and active writing year! 😉

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Visit me on social media and at my website ~ links on the side ➹💟

Keep your goals close

I recently made this goal poster and stuck it right to the side of my computer (a couple weeks ago now I guess, as you can see I have changed the look of my blog again 😁)

Goals themselves are very important--you need something to work toward, a way to measure your progress, and hopefully inspire forward momentum.

But over the last few months, I have been trying to figure out why I always seem to circle in the not-quite-productive-as-I-could-be patterns over and over again, and it occurred to me that, though it is good to have goals and better to write them down, when too much gets in the way--family, work, health, life in general--it is easy to lose track.  Not necessarily forget, but sort of shuffle the ideas and even notebooks to the side, piled under the bills and report cards, newspapers, and grocery lists.  Know what I mean?

And that brought me to the realization that goals need to be VISIBLE, somewhere they can be seen EVERY day.

So, one of the big "ah ha" moments came when I remembered seeing this type of sheet on an Instagram feed sometime last year. (If you know where it originated or are the originator, just let me know and I will happily shout out credits and links!)  I liked the sticky-note idea so as each goal is accomplished, new ones can be added, to keep progressing and growing.  And this time, I set it front and centre.

I am at my computer more often than not six out of seven days a week as I edit at night after the day job.  Having the goal poster right in front reminds me of what I am working toward, reminds me not to overwork one area (usually editing) but instead stop and give my own goals twenty to thirty minutes a night, too.  It is not about spending gobs of hours on your goals, but simply doing something toward them every day--writing for twenty minutes while the chicken is in the oven for dinner, or for the last twenty-minutes before I shut my computer off for the night.  Getting up halfway through editing to take a walk in the lovely evening rather than "powering through" and not leaving the seat for three hours straight--my knees are NOT happy when I do that!  The goal sheet is a great reminder to put on a timer so I don't get lost in the work or in my own head, which are two of my worst habits where self-care is concerned.

And don't think you have to have something like the picture above, that's just the need of the artist part of me.  Even a simple sticky note with your goal(s) in big letters and tacked to your computer will benefit you, remind you physically of what you are working toward, and get you there sooner rather than later.

Practice makes progress, right?

Give it a try, and feel free to let me know how it works for you😉


©bystacydawn

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🙋Check out my links at the side to visit me on social media and at my website! 💟

Black and White

I prefer to live my life in colour, but sometimes it is simply black and white...do or don't, yes or no, black letters on a white manuscript page after page after page. 

Even so, there is ALWAYS positives, even in the monotonous...like feeling accomplished when an edit is complete and I can send an excited author her manuscript back to work on, to fine tune, to really bring her characters to life and her story to completion.

I wish it was a lazy Peace Love Lattes Sunday...and maybe that isn't today, but it will be, just like the picture above will someday get colour, too.  Life is lived one day at a time, sometimes they are black and white, and sometimes they shine with colour, but either way, each one is special, each one is a gift, and each one is yours to make with it anything you can imagine!

©bystacydawn

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🙋Check out my links at the side to visit me on social media and at my website! 💟

Monster or Mentor?

- E D I T O R -

...the one word that can cause chills to run down the spine of a writer.

The thought of the “all powerful editor” holding your precious manuscript in their hands to shred to pieces or, hopefully, see a creative, unique diamond, has led to many sleepless nights for those awaiting their fate in the publishing industry.

Does this sound like you?

Well, I’ll let you in on a secret that might give you just a little more sleep tonight. We are not “all powerful” (I still can’t fly or make the dirty dishes disappear with a snap of my fingers), and it is definitely not our goal to shred your dreams. We are not faceless monsters, or even remotely inhuman for that matter—in fact, we are all too human, only proven if you could see how we struggle with having to tell an author their manuscript is not ready for publication, that they aren’t quite as far along in their dream as they hoped.

- E D I T O R -

Instead of picturing the top floor of a brutishly tall office building, clean, crisp skirts and suits behind goliath desks, outboxes piled high with manuscripts riddled with big red slashes, picture your favourite teacher from school, or the coach who made a difference in the way you played and enjoyed your favourite sport.

At least, that is the way I hope my authors look at me. Not as some be all and end all of their manuscript, but as a coach who stands beside them, works with them, shows them where they can improve and encourages them to make their story the very best it can be. And, like with any sport, practice furthers your development and effort brings accomplishment.

~ M E N T O R ~

Whether you are submitting to a publisher or using an independent editor, think of them as a mentor, someone waiting for you to submit, ready to assist you, excited to help you achieve your dreams.

Changing the way you think about editors can help get you a bit more sleep at night, because there is honestly no monster on the other end of the SEND button. In truth, if not for writers, there would be no need for editors. YOU are that important to us.

Now, that’s not to say you should be disrespectful or too casual in your correspondence to editors. As with a teacher or coach, respect and listening skills go a long way with how they will treat you.  At the same time, most editors should also earn your respect by their actions and guidance whether through an encouraging rejection letter or during the editing process. 

So, don't be afraid of the word "editor" because, personally, I love when authors ask questions, whether simple or complex, because it shows me they WANT to learn and better their craft.  And that is what I'm here for--to coach, encourage, and inspire you.

From this Mentor:
Embrace the unknown and conquer the fear by asking questions and finding the answers, because answers can light up a whole new path you never even knew was there.



©bystacydawn

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🙋Check out my links at the side to visit me on social media and at my website! 💟

Check your Format

Every publisher has their preference, so it is very important that you do your homework and read the submission page of the publisher(s) where you are interested in submitting.

Though it might look cool and impressive to you, most publishers don’t like fancy fonts, spaces between paragraphs, extra wide margins or fancy header/footer or chapter sections.

If you cannot find specific instructions from the publisher, best to go with the general industry standard:

Double spaced
One inch margins
Times New Roman 12 font
Paragraphs beginning .5 indent in
Each chapter beginning on a new page

Most important: Use your computer program to format! 

When you use the Tab key to indent every single paragraph or space down to a new page after the end of each chapter, it can be a nightmare to fix everything for publication formatting purposes. Most programs have a Help section, or simply Google instructions to format per your specific program.

One more good tip...make sure the partial and or full manuscript is all in one file. The only thing worse than getting a partial submission with each of the three chapters (and sometimes prologue) in three or four different files attached to an email, is fifteen or more chapters of a full manuscript in fifteen or more individual files attached to an email.

So once again, I repeat one of my favorite writing tips: Do your homework...both in learning your program's formatting features AND publisher requirements.



©bystacydawn 2018

Submission Tip: Do your homework to pass the test

Though it is FINALLY looking like spring LOL, and we can finally get outside, the kids are still in school, which is a good reminder to authors in general, especially newer authors...don't let the fresh air make you forget to do your homework, too!

This is a good life lesson, especially in the publishing industry. Study your craft constantly. Learning never stops (even for editors 😁).

Most importantly, do your homework before you submit. Most publishing houses have their submission guidelines on their websites.

FIND THEM.

STUDY THEM.

ABIDE BY THEM.

In reality, this is your first test as an author. Are you able to follow simple guidelines? Can you do what is asked of you in the general form?

You may be quirking your brow and saying, "What? A test? Seriously?"

Yes. Maybe not a serious, sit down, use a #2 pencil type one, and maybe not in the terms any actual publishing house would use, but there are editors on the other end of that submission email who roll their eyes at someone who sent multiple attachments when it was specifically asked that no attachments be sent with a query, or when you use a really weird and fancy font when a simple Times New Roman 12 was asked for in their submission guidelines. No, you aren't physically graded, but not adhering to simple guidelines can start you off on the wrong foot with someone you really want to impress. The editor first looks to see if you can follow simple directions, which lets them know that when it's time for the more indepth directions of edits on your manuscript, you are someone who pays attention to details, someone who is willing to do the work.

Show them you are someone they want to work with; show them you are someone they CAN work with; show them you are serious and took the time to research their site, and they will know you are someone who is willing to learn and willing to work for their craft.

And I'll let you in on a secret, those are the answers to that first test....Submission Etiquette 101.

©bystacydawn 2018

Working it...

Things are moving along, slowly but surely.  I am thinking that on Sundays I will post some fun stuff like illustrations or random things--you'll just never know what until you stop by 😊

"Downward (with) Dog"

And in the next few weeks, I will start making Wednesday Writing Days...anything and everything from editing tips, to grammar explanations, how-tos, etc.  As it moves forward, I will make a call out for topics or questions--because usually if something is confusing one writer, it will be confusing others, too. 😉