Off I go, Editing

 

Edit of Death (Photo credit: Ric James)

 

Off I go, Editing

 

Traci Kenworth

 

 

 

The days have passed quicker than I thought. Editing time has arrived. I’m going to begin

 

with a read-through of LATWD and see what catches/problems I see. I began writing the book about March of this year. So I guess it’s been about a six-month process. From here on out, I want to concentrate on shaping it, making it better. I’m so hoping I don’t find it a big, jumbled mess but instead the awesome story I think it is. It’s taken a lot to get it to this point, and I thank my critique partners for helping me arrive here.

 

Now, the real hurdles begin. Are the characters strong enough? Is the plot riveting? Will

 

it maintain reader interest? All these questions and more need to be answered. The truth of the matter is though, I prefer this stage. What? Editing can be a preference? For me, yes. I like it because it’s like being an archaeologist and discovering a fossil. You have to carefully dig out the finished project. It’s not ready, till it’s completely unearthed. With your manuscript, at this point, you only have the bones. Now you need to flesh things out, bring to life the dinosaur.

 

It’s a scary thought, isn’t it? Trying to recreate something you imagined months ago into

 

something that’s going to hold your reader’s attention into the years beyond this hopefully? Of course, we want to imagine what we put down the first time is perfect, but the truth is manuscripts take work, lots of it. No one unearths an exhibit that’s ready for viewers overnight. It takes time, many plans, help from outside ourselves, and patience. In the end, you want things to be perfect when it takes the stage. So no hurrying. Step back and observe, lay the groundwork for success.

 

 

 

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The Monster Show

 

Promotional photo of Boris Karloff from The Bride of Frankenstein as Frankenstein’s monster. (Photo credit: Wikipedia)

 

The Monster Show

 

Traci Kenworth

 

 

 

Who didn’t go to a monster show at some point growing up? I remember sitting on the couch every Saturday when I was twelve or thirteen watching the local channel’s Scream Theater showing. Frankenstein’s monster, the she-devil, and BIG bugs reigned. Armed with a bowl of buttered popcorn (oh, those innocent, before I became weight-conscious days), and a group of friends, it was something I looked forward to all week. Perhaps because of these screenings, horror often topped the list of my readings growing up.

 

I loved to root for the characters, praying fervently that each would make it. I think this weekly ritual was the stepping-stone to my writing. It brought an eagerness to tell stories, even those heroes/heroines that didn’t make it, of my own. Writing just clicked with me. I could explore new worlds, the human psyche, and wrong decisions. I found myself at peace when I got it all down on paper (the way it was done before computers came along). At least, into my household. I didn’t own my first computer until I was married.

 

When divorce hit me, my next computer helped bring me through the rough patches, and pointed me back down the road toward writing. It wasn’t easy, raising two kids by myself, buying a house, and paying the bills, but I did it. I’m still doing it. I watch very little of what’s called horror these days (mostly because it’s become so much of a gore-fest), but when I do, I’m reminded of those Saturdays spent cringing from this week’s monster.

 

Oh, I have my favorite shows still to keep me tuned in. From Supernatural to The Vampire Diaries, I’ve learned that it truly is the protagonist/s in trouble that capture my attention and less the nameless ones that flee the masked murderer in the forest that capture my efforts. I like fear to count for something, I guess. When I get to know a character, their family, their hopes, their dreams, I want to see them survive. It’s what I try and do in my own stories. Capture the essence of who they are, where they’re going, and how they’re going to come through things. In short, I want people attached to my stories, not a body count.

 

All this has helped me make some recent cut-backs in my own work. I, too, went for the high amount of corpses versus the character, but I came to realize: less is more. If you want your reader to care about what’s happening, give them heroes/heroines to root for not walk-ons who are just there to get cut up by some psycho. It’s the story that counts, the truth behind what is happening, it’s the meat on the bones.

 

Yes, those Monster shows educated me on what’s important: the survivors. If you’re having trouble in your work-in-progress, it may mean that you need to step back and look at the people in your story. Are they fully-rounded? Do we care about them? Or is the boogeyman the main character? Readers want to read about people. What makes them tick, how they survived a day in hell, and what their future may look like. Concentrate on the protagonist/s and the curtain on your show will continue to go up every time.

 

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Writing in the Dark

Writing in the Dark

Traci Kenworth

 

I used to write religiously with an outline as I’ve said on here before but lately, I’ve been “writing in the dark” so to speak. Which is to say, I’ve thrown out my outline with my current project and what I’ve begun to do is to take each chap as one/or several long scenes and jot down notes before writing the chapter. Then I proceed to the next chapter and start the process over again. I’ve discovered a freedom in this type of writing and it’s really opened up the creative doors for me.

Part of why I’ve down so is reading several Stephen King interviews as well as going back over his The Stephen King Companion. He’s admitted he isn’t one for knowing exactly how a story is going to go, but with his writing, “finds what he needs, when he needs it.” I’m paraphrasing here, these aren’t his exact words, but I’ve found this to be true when it comes to my own writing. See, I was having a hard time getting enthused about a wip when I knew what was going to happen down to the ending. Writing this way lately, has multiplied the possibilities.

I’ve found new life in my story, my cps are enthusiastic about it, and it’s turning out to be one of the most complex stories I’ve written. So, it just goes to show, sometimes if you throw all the rules out, you find the will to go on, and what’s more, you’ll soar in your efforts. How about you? Are you an outliner or a pantser or a little of both? Any tips on how to do writing your way that you think might help others?

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Writing Goals

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Writing Goals

Traci Kenworth

 

What are yours for the new year? After reading a recent blog about diversifying your genres so that you don’t end up stuck in one type, limiting the type of writing you can do, I’ve decided to try my hand at something other than horror this year. I want to be able to write the novel I want to write and not be pigeonholed into writing what others expect me to. That doesn’t mean that I plan to give up writing horror. It just means I want to explore new bridges alongside the old.

I have a time-travel and a western waiting in the wings I will pull out sometime this year. As well as delve into something perhaps I haven’t tried before. A writer pal of mine has done this for herself this past year and she’s not only succeeded at this different genre, but excelled. SO proud of her. Her success (as well as that blog) inspired me to think outside the box.

My first love, believe it or not, was fantasy. So, it might be time to look into writing something on that behalf. Marion Zimmer Bradley once gave me the advice to wait to write fantasy till you’ve lived. I think I’m ready, at last, to do so. I have a MG (I think) on my mind that I might try my hand at writing. It would be a good departure for me and stretch my wings. Yes, I think I’ve decided what I’ll do after I finish editing my last book, and writing my current and see where the road takes me.

So what are your goals this year? Do you intend to try something new? Even if it doesn’t work out, it’ll be an experience to learn from. And so, I’ll end with a favorite line of mine: “Have fun storming the castle.”

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Starting Again

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Starting Again

Traci Kenworth

 

One of the hardest things to do, at first, is to concentrate on another book while the first’s out being subbed. Your attention span is centered on the former to the point of giving you little freeze episodes when you attempt to begin the next. But you have to push through that until the excitement of the new takes over and you can almost forget you have one out there.

I do this by picking out my cast. Seeing and focusing on each character involved in the new work helps to ignite the excitement of the quest to do it again, only better. Yes, it’s true. Finishing the first book is a great triumph. Most people don’t get that far. So pat yourself on the back. But the truth is, if you want to be published, and become an author, you have to write, write, write.

Your story has to become part of you. It has to enter your thoughts while your washing dishes, doing the laundry, running errands. You have to jot notes down on it while running through the day. Think of it while tuning into your favorite TV shows. Dream of it at night, even when you’re exhausted. In short, it has to become a part of you.

The more you write, the more experience you gain, the better your book gets. The material starts to flow, to pick up rhythm. Soon, it will gain that center place in your thoughts and help you ease through the waiting on the first. So, you see, that’s why the writing community (agents, editors, etc.) advices to begin a new work, because not only does it help buffer you from any rejections you receive, it feeds you with a new hope, a new chance to beat the odds. It also gives you something else to offer should an agent ask, “What else do you have?”

So get to work on your next book while subbing. It will only help you grow on your journey through a writer’s life. After all, you want this to be a career, right? So, make sure you dig into the next step with everything you’ve learned, everything you are learning right now, and you will go far in your career.

What are some of your tips to focus on a new book while the others out to agents? Editors?

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Where has the Year Gone?

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Where has this Year Gone?

Traci Kenworth

 

As I go through this week, waiting for the clocks to change back one hour, I’m reflecting on the year and thinking: where has it gone? It seems like it was just Spring yesterday and I was getting ready to plant, and enjoy the warm weather. Now, it’s blustery and cold and headed for that dreaded “S” word. I try and think back over my goals. Have I met them?

Not as I hoped I would, but I did end the year with two manuscripts to whip into shape, one to go out soon. So, it’s not a total loss. It’s not like I did nothing to advance my writing. A lot of hard work, researching agents, making sure things are fixed just right. It’ll pay off, just not as soon as I’d like.

This year saw the introduction of two new kitties to our household. They’re fitting in just fine. The kids and I survived another year and things are on their way. Sometimes, we’re filled with regret for what we don’t do, but we should focus on what we’ve accomplished. I know as a writer I’ve grown more in this year than ever before. I also know that my family is strong and my children make me proud. What more could I ask for on the home-front?

I don’t think I’m going to make New Year’s Resolutions this year, I think I’ll just let happen what will. I think if we work toward our goals without specifying that we’ll have A or B done at a certain time, we take the pressure off ourselves. It’s good to push yourself to succeed, just remember you’re human, and to try your best. You’ll see some improvement even if it’s just that you finally finished that book you’ve been talking about writing forever. Every little step counts. So maybe the year’s flown by, but we can still keep our chins up, content in the knowledge, we’re on our way.

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When it’s Okay

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When it’s Okay to be in Love with Your Writing

& when it’s not

Traci Kenworth

 

Okay, so you just know you’ve written the one. You’re trembling with excitement, on fire with ambition, ready to shoot past the stars. Hold on there. Have you ran your brilliant creation past your critique groups and beta readers and gotten their thoughts/pointers? Although you may be tempted to skip these steps, because you can’t possibly make it any better, do them anyway. That’s right. Resist the temptation to just hit send to that agent on your list.

Instead, step back, take a look, and breathe. Let the comments settle a while if you must, and then pare your work. Yes, that’s right, doing so will improve it further. I know how hard it is to put something you’ve sweated, cried, and driven yourself mad over, but it has to be done. And when you do so, keep in mind that the critiquer is not out to get you, someone who lives to cut others down, or tempted to steal your work. They’ve got their own.

Now, that’s not to say there aren’t some unscrupulous people out there. Do your research. Find a group that cares about you as well as your writing. Support is a major factor in winning the battle. I trust my cps. I’ve been the rounds with them, know when to listen, and when to stay with my vision. I can tell you one thing though: what they say carries impact because I know they really want the best for me.

I try to give that back as well. Are there times I don’t like what they say? Yes. Are there times when they don’t like what I say? Yes. But we get through it like a family does. The best advice I can give you is to put that manuscript aside and let what was pointed out sink in. Then when you go back, approach it with new eyes. Does that paragraph really border on telling? Tweak it. Is your character too passive? Go back and look them over. Are they doing their job? Is this really their story? Or does it belong to the poor boy, Jack? Is your prose overwritten? Weed, weed, weed.

It’s amazing how much we learn from book to book, if we let ourselves. One of the best compliments I’ve received was after advice to put what I was working with aside and go back to it. My cp simply told me, “Anyone can be taught to write, but you’re a storyteller. That’s a rare gift.” I treasure and hold onto that when the reviews don’t turn in my favor. This is the same person who gave me a key that I like to think will open the door to success for me one day. See, we are like a family. Support and constructive criticism.

Has anyone ever been hurt or put off by my comments in the past? Yes, I’m sure more than once. I tend to be honest and straight forward in a critique and that doesn’t always agree with some people. And some do take what I say the wrong way. I wish this wasn’t so, but it is. I’ve had relationships destroyed by the fact, and people ask me not to critique their work any longer. The hurt goes both ways. I was trying to help, they took offense.

Luckily, the ladies at YAFF (YoungAdultFictionFanatics) keep the communication lines open. Just remember to find someone to critique your work that doesn’t approach it as a tear-down session. They should compliment what you’re doing as well as point out the bad. It’s give-and-take.

Remember to digest what they say, and if it remains true to your vision of the story, or can improve it, go with it. If it deviates from how you want to go, weigh the pros and cons. Trust your gut. It’s hard to do at first, but the more you write, the stronger your belief in yourself will become. Eventually, you’ll learn which path to take. Don’t be so in love with your writing you’re unwilling to change it, but fight for what you believe in.

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Fingerprints across the Pages

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Fingerprints across the Pages

Traci Kenworth

 

What makes us toil at a job that is often beyond the limelight, looked down at by others with their snide off-hand comments, and generally takes our all? Love, plain and simple. If we didn’t care about what we put down on that page, the stories we have to tell, the driving inspiration behind them, we wouldn’t do it. Because we do face rejection after rejection, sleepless nights, scattered thoughts, shows us how committed to writing we are.

To an outsider, writing a book sounds easy enough. They don’t see us poised over our paper, computer, scratch notes, napkins even, scribbling away for just that right sentence or idea that will advance the plot. The starving artist has long been both a romantic and tragic figure though that’s not often the case. Nowadays, we work full-time jobs, raise kids, sneak a load of laundry and housekeeping in here and there to tame the mess, all the while tapping our fingers to the keyboard.

It’s a passion that drives us to crawl out of bed at 2 a.m. in the morning to write that latest scene. What would I do without this career? Be a lot less happy. To me, writing is an escape, my saving grace. I love to relay my stories to others, to bring a smile to their face, laughter to their lips, and terror to their hearts. It makes my day when I get positive responses. For years, I had to fight the wish to write because it wasn’t deemed “practical” or acceptable by society’s standards. But you can’t change the yearning inside.

Eventually, you find a way to stoke the flames even if only for ten minutes a day. I haven’t always believed in myself, but I’ve always known that what I put down on a page was good. Not great, at first, no, but there was a seed, a kernel, that told me what I was doing was right. True to myself.

Storytelling, I’m convinced comes from deep within us. If we don’t have the fuel to sustain it, we’ll wander away again. Listen to your dreams, those snippets of conversation that cause a spark, a billboard that catches your eye. They’re all kindling. I still study, study, study my craft. You have to, to keep up in this business. The more you learn the better chance you have.

I don’t have the answers to how to avoid the confrontations, glazed eyes, general contempt from others when you announce one day your intentions to write a book. But the longer you keep at it, the less those things will bother you. It’ll inspire you to write deeper, more in touch with yourself than before, if only to prove to the naysayers you’ve got a chance, what it takes.

So if you have the wish inside to write, but are afraid to pick up that pen, open that document, don’t bury it. Let it grow, build a fire inside. You can and will blaze a new path in your life, find the stepping stone that you needed to all along. Don’t doubt yourself. Writing can be a healing profession; it can also take you higher than the stars.

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Life-Lessons Learned from Writing

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Life-Lessons I’ve Learned From Writing

Traci Kenworth

 

 

1. 1.      Be confidant: One of the hardest things I’ve learned is to have confidence in myself. I felt lost in all areas of my life, struggling to find my way to the shoreline when it came to everything. But then I started to write and the pieces slowly came together. I could look at other places I thought I’d messed up and see that I hadn’t done half-as-bad as I thought. Writing made me happier too. My kids noticed it. My family and friends, even co-workers. I was in my element. With everything before me and nothing impossible.
2. 2.      Pride. Now this is a delicate one to handle. You don’t want too much of it to become overbearing to others. Just a tad is enough. But, yes, here was that piece I’d missed all my life when I turned around. A tragic marriage stole a lot from me. God gave it back to me in my words in a story. They stir my heart and make me see the dynamics in what I’m doing.
3. 3.      Hope. This brings us to the next stage of our career. Reaching out to others doesn’t seem that far away in the written word. I want to give back to my readers what I had taken from me. I want to show them they don’t have to live among lies and threats. I want to show them that there are caring, wonderful people out there who want to make a difference in their lives. Without hope, we’re lost. Let’s sprinkle that among our readers, dare them to believe the truths: that we can do anything through God that strengthens us. We are a country built on that fact. Let’s not lose it in life. Bring back the spirit of the survivors and the quest for a new life.
4. 4.      Faith. Now you might think it’s funny that I used that word when it comes to writing but faith is the companion of those above. When you have faith, you can do anything, succeed at anything, carry yourself through the heartaches and lean years. Our ancestors counted on such strength to push them through the hard times, we can do the same when it comes to the publishing industry. Just hang in there, do your best, and most important of all: send that material out.
5. 5.      Prosperity. I know, that’s sounds funny coming from someone with my income. But I’m talking about the urge to turn your bank account into a profit again, to save money, to cut your debts out. Writing has inspired me, even when things were bad, that they don’t have to stay that way. The challenge is to try and turn things around. And once you try, you set yourself up to succeed. So those are the lessons writing has brought into my life. They may sound strange to you, but every day I write I learn something new. Whether during my research, writing my story, or just taking notes, something strikes me and turns my life around. What are some of the lessons writing has taught you?

 

 

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How to Breathe Life into Your Characters Part VIII

How to Breathe Life into Your Characters

Part VIII

Endings: The All Important Stop

Traci Kenworth

 

Next to your beginning hook, your ending may very well be the most challenging to write. Readers want to be satisfied, to be carried through “the dream” they’ve been exposed to. And, no, I’m not saying here to wake your reader up to an, “It was all a dream,” storyline. What I’m getting at is that the all important stop has to resonate with the reader, to the point of them saying, “Yes, that’s the way it happened.”

In your end, you want to tie up loose knots. That’s not to say if you plan sequels that you have to tighten them all, some can remain unraveled. Even if a single story. For instance, we don’t need to be told a character’s future. We can leave that up to the reader to decide what happens, if they got their “happily-ever-after,” or if things just didn’t work out. How do we do this?

We give a little taste of what is to come. This is your shot, your chance to hook the reader into buying your next book and the one after that. Always leave them hungering for more. So how do you know you put the right ending on? You should feel it down in your bones. That this couldn’t happen any other way. It should capture the joy or sadness of the characters depending on the outcome. It should leave the door open a smidgeon for us to guess what happens next in their lives. If they survive.

Sometimes heroes go down on the job. It doesn’t happen very often, but it does happen. There are times when, no matter which way we look at it, the main character has to give their life in order for others/the world to go on. But along with all the grief, you want to leave the message that their life counted for something. That others will go on because of it.

An ending can make or break us. We can lose readers from a half-hearted effort, we can gain word-of-mouth from a glorious one. So pay as much attention to the ending as you do the beginning. Give us a teaser that will make us want to read more of your books. Good luck with your writing.

 

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