All Write Already: Year Of Your Book

by Gena Showalter

  Stated emotion is often a sign of telling instead of showing.

  Your assignment: Write roughly 250 words for your novel.

  Day 263

  Grammar Basics: Affect vs Effect

  When used as a verb, the choice is usually ‘affect,’ which means to influence, impact or change.

  Effect is most often a noun, and points to the thing that was influenced, impacted or changed.

  How did All Write Already affect your writing?

  What effect did All Write Already have on you?

  If you can’t recall which to use, see if “impact” “influence” or “change” work in your sentence.

  Your assignment: Write roughly 250 words for your novel.

  Day 264

  Grammar Fact: Which vs. That

  We’ve all done it. We’ve written a sentence only to pause and wonder whether we’re supposed to use “which” or “that.”

  The short and sweet answer: The clause preceding “which” or “that” is the determining factor.

  The basic rule: If the clause clarifies the meaning of your sentence, use “that.” If the clause can be deleted and the meaning of the sentence remains the same, use “which.”

  Your assignment: Write roughly 250 words for your novel.

  Day 265

  Write Like A Champion

  JILL: I grew up watching sports (not playing—yuck) and you can’t find better motivational sayings than the ones in athletics. The advertisements around sports can be pretty amazing, too.

  Of course, you need a ton of motivation when there’s a good chance you’re going to fail. Two teams meet; one will win, one will lose. Those are terrible odds. Only one team takes home the championship trophy after March Madness. The rest have a sad ride home. With those kinds of stats, self-doubt creeps in, so coaches and players need some stellar motivation.

  Both the University of Oklahoma and Notre Dame have a sign in their locker room that they take to away games. It simply states—Play Like A Champion Today. Players touch (or often smack) the sign on their way out to the field to remind them why they are there.

  I have never met a writer (or anyone for that matter) who doesn’t have at least a little self-doubt. When you first begin writing, phrases like “You’ll never be as good as XX” or “Do you really think anyone will ever want to read this?” float through your mind the moment you pick up the pen. As you become more seasoned, you might experience the always pleasant “This will probably get rejected, too”.

  It doesn’t stop when you become published. Then it’s “This won’t be as good as your last book” and “Your agent will drop you.” Every 1 or 2 star review or bad comment you stumble upon will add fuel to the fire.

  And that’s your internal editor acting up again, being the worst kind of jerk. I used to get up at 5:30 every morning because I believed the internal editor just wasn’t awake that early.

  Why does self-doubt have to creep into everything? Cobbled together from dozens of articles I’ve read over time, my personal view is insecurity is survival at its most basic. Your mind is preparing you for all that can go wrong so you can be aware, plan, prepare and survive. (Thank you, self doubt!) You’ve seen the danger, now it’s fight-or-flight time.

  Only our project isn’t a charging mastodon, so sometimes that fight-or-flight instinct doesn’t engage and we’re stuck in self-doubt. Here are a few things that have worked for me:

  1. Recognize doubt for what it is–part of the process–and move on.

  2. Remember what made you excited about your project in the first place, harness that joy.

  3. Create a motivational ritual.

  Now normally, I’m against having writing rites because we can use them as excuses. “Oh, I can’t write today because I didn’t drink my special coffee.” But I have a little sign near my computer that says ‘Write Like A Champion.’ If I’m writing in a notebook, I usually jot it down somewhere. Today I will fight the mastodon. I will write like a champion.

  Now go WRITE LIKE A CHAMPION!!!

  Your assignment: Write roughly 250 words for your novel.

  Day 266

  Reflect and Catch Up

  If You Build It, Will They Come?

  If you are constructing a whole new otherworld, you can utilize SEARCH and RANGE to help, by treating the world like a main character. Because it is!

  Ask yourself questions about the world. Create a detailed history. Wars, famines, trials and tribulations coupled with celebrations, victories, and holidays. Relatable events, both good and bad.

  Think beyond the physical and what is seen. What is the beating heart of this world?

  Currency? Dress? What is revered? What is despised?

  Day 267

  Today Is The Day: Hard Choices

  Earlier in All Write Already, we challenged you to create hard choices for your characters. Let’s do a checklist.

  Have you given your main characters a choice?

  What about the villain/antagonist/monster?

  Did you show the ramifications of those choices?

  Your assignment: Write roughly 250 words for your novel.

  Day 268

  The Body Functions

  Bodily functions are real, y’all!

  Characters need to brush their teeth and shower just as much as they need to eat. But how much do you tell/show and how much do you leave out? A lot of times, a simple mention will do.

  GENA: One of my personal pet peeves—characters who kiss when they first wake up, without brushing their teeth. Yuck! The thought of morning breath can rip me out of a story faster than anything. I mean, I know what my mouth tastes like, and I would NEVER share it with another. In my books, if there’s a reason the characters can’t brush their teeth before I need them to kiss, I come up with a method for pre-cleaning their mouths. Magic. An immortal ability. A hero and heroine who got out of bed an hour before to sneak brush their teeth. There are many ways to circumvent a pet peeve and remain in the story.

  JILL: In The Wrong Bed: Naked Pursuit my characters wake up handcuffed together with no memory of what happened. I wrote a fairly elaborate scene on how they went to the bathroom while bound. My editor suggested I touch on it briefly instead and then move on. She was right. If I hadn’t moved on, my readers would have wondered how they were jumping over railings and running down the sidewalk, rather than staying in the scene. It didn’t have to be a whole big thing.

  Your assignment: Double your daily word count! Write roughly 500 words for your novel.

  Day 269

  How To Tell if Your Book is a Snoozefest?

  How can you tell if a scene you’ve written is boring? We have some tried-and-true tips!

  After you write the scene, read over it. Did you want to gloss over anything as you read? If so, take another look and see if those snippets can be cut.

  Did you expound on a topic that has no real bearing on your plot or characters? Consider cutting.

  Have you repeated the same information in several places? Which references can you cut or shorten?

  Does the scene further the plot? Does it teach the characters anything? What about teaching the reader anything about the characters?

  Was the dialogue stilted and boring and mirror elevator conversation. “Good morning.” “How are you?”

  Did you over-share? While we need details to set the scene, knowing if the characters had eggs or cereal for breakfast might not be a necessary one.

  Don’t be afraid to cut or trim when necessary.

  Your assignment: Write roughly 250 words for your novel.

  Day 270

  Emotions Affect Productivity

  A quick internet search yields dozens of articles on how emotions affect performance in the workplace. Feeling unsupported or anxious can make writing more difficult, decreasing your productivity.

  Identify who or what is toxic for you and your writing.

  Consider creating a writing nook, a private space where you can decompress
and focus. For some, this is a completely clean surface. For others it involves pictures and scattered mementoes.

  Your feelings and emotions are important. Celebrate the good stuff and be sad about the disappointing stuff. Seek professional help when needed.

  When you can, use your emotions to your advantage. Experienced road rage on the drive home? Now’s the perfect time to dictate that argument scene. Just watched a commercial with puppies that made you cry? Grab that notebook and jot down how your skin felt, how your body reacted, and what you did to quiet or encourage the emotion. This is why writing can be so emotionally wrenching.

  JILL: I wrote SEALed and Delivered (soon to be rereleased as Sworn to Duty) during one of the most difficult times of my adult life. To this day, whenever I look at the cover, all those emotions come crashing back. Yet, readers tell me it’s the book that made them pick up the next.

  Your assignment: Write roughly 250 words for your novel.

  Day 271

  Going...Going... Gone!

  Buy your domain name as soon as possible.

  JILL: I actually have two domain names: jillmonroebooks.com and jillmonroe.com. When I first began writing, someone had already purchased jillmonroe.com and kept it parked for several years while doing nothing with it. Eventually it went up for sale and I grabbed it as soon as possible.

  Purchasing your domain name means you have money in the game now. Things just got real. Well, realer. Finish your book and don’t let that money go to waste!

  GENA: Start posting now to help build your audience reach. Post updates about your writing progress. When you finish a rough draft, slap up a picture of the words “The End” on Instagram. That's inspiration for another writer! Make connections now.

  Use hashtags such as #amwriting and #amwritingromance (or whichever genre you’re writing).

  Don’t forget about possible pen names. Grab your social media pages there, too.

  Your assignment: Write roughly 250 words for your novel.

  Day 272

  Today Is the Day: Fate

  Have you ever been on a picnic when someone says, “Good thing it’s not raining?” Argh! Why would they tempt fate that way? It’s for sure going to rain now. That’s just science.

  Fate loves to twist and intervene, right? That’s why we have phrases like “As fate would have it” and “Don’t tempt fate.”

  Have your characters tempted fate yet? Should they?

  Have they left something to fate? Should they?

  Do they believe something is a fate worse than death? Should you give that something to them?

  In real life, no one’s fate is sealed…should your character’s?

  Your assignment: Write roughly 250 words for your novel.

  Day 273

  Reflect and Catch Up

  Signing up for Instagram, Twitter, and Facebook I expected. Creating author accounts on Bookbub and Goodreads I forgot about until a reviewer reminded me. Don’t make my mistake.

  —Molly Jarrett

  Day 274

  Applying Learning Styles To Your Writing Methods

  JILL: As a former educator, I’m fascinated by learning styles. While research is mixed, there is some belief that identifying and understanding a child’s learning style helps them excel in the classroom. Touching base with your own style may create an environment that helps you get words on the page.

  According to Howard Gardner of Harvard College, there are 7 learning styles. Most of us use a combination of them, but usually end up favoring one over the others. There are many online quizzes you can take to determine your style, but for our purposes, ask yourself these questions:

  Do I get inspiration from looking at images online or out of a magazine? Do I create collages of my characters? (Visual)

  Do I create a playlist that inspires my scenes and/or characters? Do I like music playing in the background as I write or must it be completely silent? (Auditory)

  Do I speak aloud as I write? Does overhearing a conversation spark ideas for me? (Verbal)

  Must I touch everything? Do I like to feel the silk before I can write about it? Or physically visit the park or museum to fill in the gaps? (Physical)

  Do I enjoy creating elaborate storyboards, breaking down and piecing together every part of the story with loads of research, grids, character charts and outlines? (Logical)

  Do I prefer collaborating with others, bouncing ideas off a partner and working together to produce a project? (Social)

  At my core, do I believe alone time is the best time, and I’m at my most productive by myself? (Solitary)

  You can read more about the theory of multiple intelligences in Howard Gardner’s Frames of Mind: The Theory of Multiple Intelligences.

  Your assignment: Double your daily word count! Write roughly 500 words for your novel.

  Day 275

  Visual Learner

  If you are a visual learner, you probably prefer your office area to be attractive, neat and clean. You might also really enjoy color-coding things like plot and characterization as an organizational tool. White boards and highlighters are your friends.

  When setting a scene, describing objects by sight and color may be easiest for you. Challenge yourself to describe the texture of an object, too. Instead of focusing on the brilliant blues of a flower, try to notice how your other senses respond, such as scent and touch.

  As descriptive imagery might be most important to you, be sure to pay attention to your character’s internal thoughts and narrative, and balance your descriptions with characterization and plot. Index cards can act as visual reminders for these things.

  If you’re trying to conquer a new-to-you concept like marketing or world building, you might be better served seeking a video to reinforce what you’ve read.

  When you are not a visual learner: Collect color descriptions by looking at the names of paint colors on swatches at the paint store. You can get clothing ideas from catalogues. Online photos might spark the perfect words to describe your character’s physical appearance.

  Your assignment: Write roughly 250 words for your novel.

  Day 276

  Auditory Learner

  Reading your manuscript aloud, especially the dialogue, might be your favorite thing to do. You may also catch things more easily if your computer is the one to read back your words. Music might help you get in touch with your emotions more easily than simply thinking about it. Keep a running list of songs that put you in a happy mood or remind you of that broken heart so when you need to dig in a particular well, the titles are at your disposal.

  On the flip side, you may need total quiet or a fan to block out distracting noise.

  If you are trying to learn a new-to-you writing or career concept, listening to a podcast might be the fastest way you digest the information.

  You probably love titles and playing around with words in fun and unique ways. Alliteration? Pile that on! If you come across a plot problem, consider removing that plot device altogether.

  When you are not an auditory learner: The tone of a character’s voice conveys a lot of information to the reader. Remember to describe voices and the sounds around your character when they first enter a scene. Pay attention if you’ve accidentally written sentences that rhyme.

  Your assignment: Write roughly 250 words for your novel.

  Day 277

  Verbal Learner

  For you, speaking out loud as you write might be the key to getting words on the page. When learning a new concept for your hobby or career, listening to an audio book or talking to a professional might be best for you. Jotting down the concepts in your own words or creating outlines will help. Teaching someone else the material might seal the idea in your mind.

  Like an auditory learner, if you come across a plot problem, try removing that plot thread from your story. Does the book work without it? Tell yourself all about your characterization and plot: the main character goes to the bank and this happens and then this happens.
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br />   Dialogue might be your favorite thing to write, so make sure you take time to add any necessary speech tags and physicality into your scene. When editing your manuscript, remember to include description and narrative. Clothing and quiet moments might not be important to you, but they can be to certain readers. You love words, but sometimes your vocabulary can be arresting. Make sure your word choices enhance the story and never draw the reader back to reality. Sangfroid? Uh, what the what?