Tuesday Tips: Do you have the right time?

(Repost from July 2018 because I am finding it relevant yet again for a handy tip)

Are you sure?  Because quite a number of manuscripts that cross my desk don't.

• Characters are noted as preparing for a birthday party in two weeks, but a month passes before the actual event happens.  
• A court date is set for Monday, but the characters meet to discuss it the next Thursday.
• The characters meet on Thanksgiving, kiss under the mistletoe on Christmas Eve, then sleep together a week before Christmas.  

Sure makes readers scratch their head and think, Huh?

One of the best things you can do for yourself and your manuscript is to print out a blank calendar page--weekly or monthly, even yearly depending on the time frame of your story--and keep it beside your keyboard as you write.  Jot down a quick reference note on the day the story opens and every time a day goes by or a time lapse such as "a few weeks later" are mentioned. Underlining, highlighting, or making main events bold also helps. (If you are anything like me, you'll have a cupful of colored pens beside your monitor, too 😍) 

Having a calendar to make notes on not only gives you a visual of the timeline and pacing of your story, but you will quickly find the holes that can happen, the gaps needing to be filled or validated to make the story flow appropriately.   As you revise, keep track again, maybe in a different color, to ensure new details, added scenes or pages, stay on target or show you where you need to revise again to ensure the timeline makes sense to your readers.

And if your story is to happen in a certain time frame, even better.  Jot down the start day and the end day, which now gives you a direct timeline to play with.  Fill in the main events, scratch them out, mark the days up again, and keep playing around with it until you find the natural flow of events necessary for an accurate time frame.

But what if I write by the seat of my pants, you ask?  Pansters unite--because having a calendar doesn't mean you have to know every detail right away, that's why you keep the page beside your computer, so as the creative juices flow and you twist and turn your plot and characters, you can make quick notes on the calendar page, too.  Then, when you look at it after the first draft, you have the perfect visual reference guide to assist you in making those decisions needed for revisions, those fine-tuning details that really bring your story to life...and on time.

A search on Google for free calendar pages will produce loads to choose from, or simply draw up a blank template of your own.

Whether you are a planner or a panster, it's a good idea to have blank calendar pages in your writer's toolkit to pull out before beginning each new manuscript.


©bystacydawn

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How I Write by Janet Evanovich with Ina Yalog

Writing is a learning curve that never ends, and continued study of the craft only makes your writing stronger. So I thought I would share an occasional reference book here for you.

First up, I want to share How I Write by Janet Evanovich with Ina Yalof.

For fans, you will recognize the main author right away. For others, Janet Evanovich has written many books from romance to mystery, one of her most famous being the Stephanie Plum bounty hunter series (One for the Money, Two for the Dough, etc.)

This book is a bit different than most because, as shown by the title, it is not a how to write book, but rather, her interpretations on various topics through a question and answer type format.

I found the book entertaining and inspiring. Because of the format, it was like sitting down to a cup of coffee and a box of donuts with your favourite author and hearing all the ins and outs of how she makes a living. Often funny, occasionally serious, and with a few more specifically craft oriented notations from Ina Yalof, the book was an easy read with the simplest of lessons woven through: Nothing will happen if you don’t just sit down and write.

There were a number of pages I marked for future reference and other areas that, though I may not have totally agreed with her perspective on, I did respect her explanations and was still able to take bits from those areas, too.  And this is the one thing you want to remember when reading reference material: We are all unique and have different perspectives whether through life experiences and/or educational experiences, and therefore, you may not agree with everything you read. One craft book can’t tell you exactly how to write a perfect story, but continuing to expand your knowledge base by taking the bits and pieces which speaks to you from each, gives you the inspiration and drive to write more, are what makes each book beneficial whether you liked it or not.

How I Write gave me a lot to think about and, most importantly, inspiration in my chosen careers, so for me, I'm glad I read it and recommend it as one of the more entertaining reference books.

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

Spell Check is not a proof-reader

Spell Check is a wonderful device. The problem is, too many people trust it to be their proof-reader--if there are no red squiggly lines under the words, then the spelling must be correct, right?

Wrong.

the is the correct spelling....unless you meant them

accept is the correct spelling....unless you meant except

he is the correct spelling...unless you meant she

And as with the last example, mixing up simple genders might not make the best impression on an editor reading your manuscript LOL.

Perhaps this is your first submission, or perhaps you don’t know all the ins and outs of Point of View or Goal-Motivation-Conflict; that is all part of the learning curve and feedback an editor can give you. But one of the comments you don’t want from an editor is that your manuscript was sloppy with a lot of spelling errors that could have easily been avoided by a good proofing. You don’t want an editor thinking you’re lazy; you want them thinking you are a diamond in the rough that they can’t wait to help shine.

Proofing your manuscript is one of the simplest things you can do to ensure a good read by an editor. But don't leave it up to your program's spell checker. One of the best ways to proof is to simply read your story out loud--you will be AMAZED how many things you can discover when reading aloud, everything from spelling to sentence structure to paragraph beats (Paragraph beats? What's that? you say--don't worry *wink* I will be talking about that topic soon. )

Just to be fair, though, Spell Check can be a good friend to international writers submitting to American publishers for instance--IF you make sure the dictionary on your Word program is set to the proper dictionary (ie: US). It is a good catch for words that you have used your whole life according to the country you live in. Canada for instance: colour vs color, favour vs favor etc. Both are correct--depending which country is publishing the book.

So, I guess there is another good tip for you...remember to research the location and background of the publishing company you want to submit to along with their submission guidelines😉.

And come back Friday for my very first Friday Special Edition!

©bystacydawn 2018