Writerly Ways
Feb. 27th, 2022 09:52 pm![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png){kind=small}
cornerofmadnessBefore I get into that, in case something happens with LJ I've long been at DW as my main, same user name. Feel free to friend me.
So I'm almost through a 450 page book that I would love to give 4 stars but I can't because there are such issues with worldbuilding? pacing? both. So let's talk about this. in the case of the book, there is magic but it's mostly used for performances ala Las Vegas. 350 pages in we find that it used to be used for war and women used to wield it but now it's all but forbidden on stage for women (they're relegated to the circus) the whole point of the book is basically American Idol with magic but not learning of it's importance, why women can't use etc until nearly the end of the book is majorly distracting for me.
How do you know about your pacing? Sometimes you can feel it. I know I can at least. I'm pretty sure I have pacing/world building issues in the new nano novel. Certainly having outside eyes helps. Having an alpha or beta reader is great. But how do you get them?
I've asked others. They often said they get theirs via their newsletter but that leads me to how do you get a newsletter out when you have no publications? Who wants to join that mailing list? I wish I had some for the nano novel but at the moment I do not. And I get that. It's harder to commit to a novel.
I have a short story i could use one for too. Speaking of which I DID send out my Welsh monster story for consideration today. If they say yes, yay, if they say no I hope it's in time to send it to another folk horror open call next month (or I could send the aforementioned short).
Speaking of open calls, I finally signed up for Horror tree's newsletter. It's mostly horror and/or spec fic tons of open calls
Here are my two favorites that whispered stories in my head even before I finished reading the call
There Used to Be a House Here (raises money to combat homelessness in the UK)
From the Ashes: An Anthology of Elemental Urban Fantasy (for Burn Survivors) only 1000 words to work with
Links from around the web
Delilah S. Dawson: Ten Ways To Torture People (In Fiction)
Rob Hart’s Research Toolbox.
Managing Your Editor When You’re Writing On Assignment
Why Is Editing So Expensive? Indie Author Minute.
From Betty
9 Ways to Approach Relationship Dynamics in Fiction.
How to Survive Book Marketing Burnout
Tools of the Trade
5 Tips for Social Media Detox
5 Fresh Ways To Interact With Your Readers
Plan your content with an email marketing calendar (free template included)
Five Common Weapon Mistakes in Speculative Fiction
Using Animals for Transport and Labor
How to Realistically Depict Evil
Five Ways to Make Multiple Viewpoints More Engaging
How to Write Three Types of Friendship Arcs
When to Kill a Character
Spinning a Yarn out of History: How to Craft a Plot from your Historical Obsession
Fear Thesaurus Entry: Leading
Know your rights as an author
George Saunders on Overcoming Uncertainty in Writing
How to craft a great mystery in a novel
So I'm almost through a 450 page book that I would love to give 4 stars but I can't because there are such issues with worldbuilding? pacing? both. So let's talk about this. in the case of the book, there is magic but it's mostly used for performances ala Las Vegas. 350 pages in we find that it used to be used for war and women used to wield it but now it's all but forbidden on stage for women (they're relegated to the circus) the whole point of the book is basically American Idol with magic but not learning of it's importance, why women can't use etc until nearly the end of the book is majorly distracting for me.
How do you know about your pacing? Sometimes you can feel it. I know I can at least. I'm pretty sure I have pacing/world building issues in the new nano novel. Certainly having outside eyes helps. Having an alpha or beta reader is great. But how do you get them?
I've asked others. They often said they get theirs via their newsletter but that leads me to how do you get a newsletter out when you have no publications? Who wants to join that mailing list? I wish I had some for the nano novel but at the moment I do not. And I get that. It's harder to commit to a novel.
I have a short story i could use one for too. Speaking of which I DID send out my Welsh monster story for consideration today. If they say yes, yay, if they say no I hope it's in time to send it to another folk horror open call next month (or I could send the aforementioned short).
Speaking of open calls, I finally signed up for Horror tree's newsletter. It's mostly horror and/or spec fic tons of open calls
Here are my two favorites that whispered stories in my head even before I finished reading the call
There Used to Be a House Here (raises money to combat homelessness in the UK)
From the Ashes: An Anthology of Elemental Urban Fantasy (for Burn Survivors) only 1000 words to work with
Links from around the web
Delilah S. Dawson: Ten Ways To Torture People (In Fiction)
Rob Hart’s Research Toolbox.
Managing Your Editor When You’re Writing On Assignment
Why Is Editing So Expensive? Indie Author Minute.
From Betty
9 Ways to Approach Relationship Dynamics in Fiction.
How to Survive Book Marketing Burnout
Tools of the Trade
5 Tips for Social Media Detox
5 Fresh Ways To Interact With Your Readers
Plan your content with an email marketing calendar (free template included)
Five Common Weapon Mistakes in Speculative Fiction
Using Animals for Transport and Labor
How to Realistically Depict Evil
Five Ways to Make Multiple Viewpoints More Engaging
How to Write Three Types of Friendship Arcs
When to Kill a Character
Spinning a Yarn out of History: How to Craft a Plot from your Historical Obsession
Fear Thesaurus Entry: Leading
Know your rights as an author
George Saunders on Overcoming Uncertainty in Writing
How to craft a great mystery in a novel
![[community profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/community.png){kind=small}
no subject
Date: 2022-02-28 02:54 pm (UTC)(One of my regular betas gets frustrated by some standard romance stuff, some of which I do and some of which I don't, and regularly goes "This is a me thing, not a book thing, the book handles it fine.")
I think it helps that I am open to any level of comment: most of them flag small stuff as they spot it, and do some degree of comments in the Google Doc or a few paragraphs of email, but I'm honestly fine with any level of comment, and aggregate the "what's not working" from what they say. So while reading hte novel takes time, obviously, I'm not expecting anyone to commit to a long questionnaire or something, like I've seen some people do.
The trick for me was figuring out what information I wanted, what's nice to have, and what I'm going to look at and go "Okay, that's not working for you, that's good to know, but I think the reason it's not working is different than that."
no subject
Date: 2022-02-28 04:17 pm (UTC)Generally I don't actually want line edits and things like that. I'll check some of that on my own and whatever editor I'll be working with will do the rest.
I'm more interested in does it read right, is there a hole I'm not seeing, are the characters engaging does some sentence not make sense.
I couldn't imagine giving someone a long questionnaire (though I've seen those)
At least I do have a slow critique group so I'm not 100% on my own.