Author Haven

To All Readers of Author Haven

2011-10-16T17:00:00.000-07:00

First let me say how much I appreciate your support of this blog. It's been a pleasure to serve you. If that sounds like a goodbye, well yes it is one.

I started this blog as a place where writers, many of them wounded in the fray that is the publishing world today, could heal, learn and grow. Over the past several years, with the help of three wonderful co-bloggers who shared my vision, Author Haven has truly become an online writing retreat. I intend to leave it up indefinitely and hope you will continue to access its many helpful posts. I'll continue to update the bookshop.

Read on to learn where you can find the regular contributors of Author Haven.

Marlene Anderson, MA, LMHC, NCC

Marlene Anderson now maintains an active forum where she helps the hurting. Here's a word from Marlene to you: It has been a privilege to write articles for Author Haven, sharing what I have learned in life both professionally and personally. If you have found my blog posts encouraging and motivating, please join me on my website, Focus with Marlene Anderson, as I continue to speak to and about the challenges we face today. My website is currently under renovation, but will soon be going strong with blogs and thought-provoking conversation starters. Blessings, Marlene Anderson, MA, LMHC, NCC.

Michael Duncan

Michael Duncan has just celebrated the release of his debut novel, Shadows, first in the Book of Aleth fantasy series. From Michael: To all those who have found their way to Author Haven, I want to thank you for your kindness and support. This blog has been a delight. Truly the title has been deserved: a haven for authors who seek to fulfill their call to write.

It was the ministry of Author Haven that kept me going forward with my desire to become a novelist. The words and wisdom that I found here (and those tidbits that I offered) provided the needed impetus for me to press on. Now, with my first novel in print and a second coming in the summer of 2012, I look back and know that being a part of Author Haven was integral to this accomplishment.

To Janalyn, Marlene and Kathryn, I want to thank you for allowing me to be a part of this and giving me a platform to voice my heart. Thank you to all who have followed this blog and encouraged me with your comments and blessed me with your faith. And, though we sign off here, I invite you to find me at my new address: Michael Duncan. I pray that the mercy and grace of our Lord and Savior fill your lives in abundance.

Janalyn Voigt

Kathryn C. Lang

Kathryn Lang has followed her path deeper into the world of inspirational speaking. She may be found at: her website: Kathryn C. Lang

As for me, Janalyn Voigt, I'm working on Tales of Faeraven, my epic fantasy series, and a historical romance while blogging from Live Write Breathe, my author blog. In addition I offer book giveaway drawings, author interviews, expert book reviews, and reader fun at Novel Books: Creative Writing. I've enjoyed the time I've spent with you here at Author Haven, and I hope you'll follow me over to my other digs.

Write This Way: Take Your Writing to a New Level

2011-09-28T04:30:00.000-07:00

Posting today is author and editor Suzanne Hartman, who has just released Write This Way: Take Your Writing to a New Level. I've worked with Suzanne and highly recommend her advice.

Thank you for the opportunity to write a guest post here at Author Haven. You all do such a wonderful job of writing articles to help authors improve their writing. That’s what my new e-book, Write This Way: Take Your Writing to a New Level is about too. I learned so much from other authors when I first started writing, and as I progressed through the laborious rigors of revision after revision, so I am thrilled to be able to pass along the many lessons they taught me—lessons that helped me take my writing to a new level, and eventually to a contract for publication.

Once I got some editing experience under my belt, I began to notice a pattern. Certain issues repeatedly cropped up in the manuscripts of new authors. Most of them were issues I had to deal with in my first draft as well. So I started my first Top 10 series of articles, Top 10 Mistakes New Fiction Writers Make.

Over time, I accumulated over one hundred articles, but they were scattered throughout my blog and it takes effort to sift through them all. This realization birthed the idea to consolidate the articles into an easy-to-use e-book so authors could have the information at their fingertips as they write and revise.

The following issues are covered in Write This Way: Take Your Writing to a New Level. It is my hope and desire that authors will grow and learn from the advice they find in this book, and that they too will make their way to publication.

PART ONE – BEFORE YOU START WRITING
Chapter One – Evaluate and Outline
Chapter Two - Dialogue
Chapter Three - Punctuation
Chapter Four – Comma Rules
Chapter Five - Point of View
Chapter Six – Show Instead of Tell

PART TWO – WRITING THE FIRST DRAFT
Chapter Seven – Writing Chapter One
Chapter Eight – Start Chapter One With…
Chapter Nine – Don’t Start Chapter One With…
Chapter Ten – While You Write

PART THREE – REVISE, REVISE, REVISE

REVISION ONE: GRAMMAR ISSUES
Chapter Eleven – Uses of “Was”
Chapter Twelve – Participial Phrases
Chapter Thirteen – Filtering
Chapter Fourteen – Weak Words
Chapter Fifteen – Weasel Words/Phrases

REVISION TWO: STRUCTURAL ISSUES
Chapter Sixteen – Evaluate Where the Story Should Start
Chapter Seventeen – Make Sure Every Scene Has a Purpose
Chapter Eighteen – Details, Details, Details
Chapter Nineteen – Is Your Middle Sagging?

REVISION THREE: FINAL CONSIDERATIONS
Chapter Twenty – Check Your Goals, Motivation, and Conflict
Chapter Twenty-One – Final Polishing

PART FOUR – LEARN FROM OTHERS
Chapter Twenty-Two – Join a Critique Group
Chapter Twenty-Three – Read Books on the Craft of Writing
Chapter Twenty-Four – Attend Writing Conferences

For more information about Write This Way: Take Your Writing to a New Level, or to purchase the e-book, please visit my website: Write This Way.

Keeping with the spirit of helping authors improve their writing, I am offering free copies of the complete checklist from Write This Way, which lists each issue to watch for as you write the first draft and guides you through the revision process. I will send a copy to each person who leaves a comment with an e-mail address. This offer is valid until October 10th, 2011.

About the Author

Suzanne Hartmann is the author of the e-book, Write This Way: Take Your Writing to a New Level . She is also the author of The Race that Lies Before Us , a Christian suspense novel available next year through Oak Tara. On the editorial side, Suzanne is a contributing editor at Port Yonder Press and operates the Write This Way Critique Service.

Shadows: Book of Aleth, Part One

2011-09-27T14:58:00.000-07:00

Enjoy the video trailer for my debut novel: Shadows: Book of Aleth, Part One. It comes out on Saturday, October 1st. You can find it at my website: http://www.michael-duncan.net/ or go to the publishers website: http://www.pelicanbookgroup.com/ec/harbourlight/763-shadows-book-of-aleth-part-one. It is also available at all online retailers such as Barnes & Noble and Amazon.com. Thanks!

Strength for the Heart

2011-09-12T10:19:00.000-07:00

The silver cord of life
Untouched by human strife
Is little more than a spider’s web
And has no strength in the flow and ebb
That comes to every life

Through pain and grief and sorrow
There’s hope for all the ‘morrow
For iron strength will come at last
To those in Christ who will hold fast
And bear up under sorrow

Trust not to human hands
Or the glint of silver strands
For God alone will be your strength
If through life you go the length
And hold His nail-pierced hand

Don’t walk through life alone
And falter at God’s throne
For Christ will be your saving grace
Just trust in Him and seek His face
You’ll never walk alone

©2011
Rev. Michael Duncan

(Scriptural references: Ecclesiastes 12:6; 1 Peter 5:10; 1 Timothy 6:17; Mark 13:13; Psalm 30:5)

Listening to our children

2011-08-25T07:38:00.000-07:00

You have had a hard day at work, you rush to pick up your kids from their after school activities while wondering what you will fix for dinner. On the way home the kids start asking permission to do this or that or start fighting in the back seat. You have a headache and all you want to do is scream at them to shut up and settle down.

It becomes harder and harder to find time with our kids that don’t involve rushing from one place to another or meeting this or that deadline. We struggle to eat breakfast and dinner together as outside activities and work schedules collide. We bring our work home with us and we struggle to find some quiet time by ourselves to recuperate and prepare for the next day. It is even more difficult if you are a single parent. Listen to our kids? It seems that all I do is listen to them complain, whine, demand, insist, nag or tell me they are the only kids in the whole world who don’t get to do this or that.

That is not listening. That is losing control as a parent. Demands, whining and complaining are not permissible. Asking for things and giving your point of view is okay when done respectfully. It doesn’t mean kids can’t be excited and even show their disappointment but it is done within respectful limits. Respect is taught and modeled. Disrespect and disobedience is not tolerated and is rewarded with a time out without toys, TV or conversation in a boring setting, such as sitting on a chair without any attention for five to ten minutes.

If you find more and more of your family time is spent in a revolving door, sit down and draw up a daily routine that will work for your family. That means a regular bedtime and a regular time to get up. It means a set time to do homework before playtime. When kids are involved in extra activities such as sports or music lessons, adjust the schedules without sacrificing homework time or family time. Establish some family rules that include required chores for every member in the family and a regular dinner time. While there will be exceptions, when family members consider dinner a time when the family will spend quality, fun time together, they will be less resistant. Use that time to listen to your kids and encourage them. Choose interesting topics to talk about.

Listening involves looking at your child as they tell you about their day and responding with appropriate comments of praise or motivation. If you are in the middle of making dinner or some work project, stop what you are doing and give them your full attention while they are speaking or set a time in a few minutes to talk with them. Schedule a purposeful time every day with your child to ask about their day. That could be part of a bedtime ritual. Children sleep better when they are not going to bed feeling angry, discouraged or anxious.

Take some time each week and spend it alone with each child, doing something they like to do that also allows interaction. Encourage them to talk and be prepared to listen about their concerns and fears without over reacting or preaching. Help break down their problems and brainstorm possibilities. Let them know you are there for them as they struggle with the challenges of life. As children learn how to implement options in a safe way, they will be able to use those skills as they mature. As children know they will still be accepted and loved even when bringing up the worst scenario, they will be more open to discussing difficult and maybe even dangerous situations with you. Develop a trust that you do not break.

Listening to our kids does not mean we allow them to do whatever they want to do or even agree with everything they think is okay. Children don’t want us to be their friends; they want us to be parents. Kids want and need structure and limitations. When you set boundaries for them, they learn how to do that for themselves as they get older. Kids want to know someone is there helping them make good choices. They want to know we will listen to them even when they are unhappy, angry, or have grievances.

©2011 Marlene Anderson, MA, LMHC, NCC

The Writing Spirit

2011-08-21T04:30:00.000-07:00

This video contains inspirational writing advice from Gary Zukav, Richard Bach, Ken Robinson, Yann Martel, and more. Enjoy!

Listening to Your Spouse

2011-08-17T19:45:00.000-07:00

He said – she said – and around and around you go. Why can’t we have an intelligent conversation? Why does she always have to blame me for everything? Why does he never listen?

We get married because we love someone and want to spend the rest of our lives with that person. Yet when the happy glow of the honeymoon begins to disappear, we look at the other and wonder what we ever saw in that person. Did we make a big mistake?

We are attracted to another for a variety of reasons. Sometimes they complement us in some way. Sometimes we are drawn to someone who likes to do all the things we like to do. Or so we think. At some point, when the other person no longer meets our expectations they appear selfish or self-centered and we feel hurt and betrayed. Oh, we still love them, but don’t understand why they no longer see the world as we do.

We are all aware of divorce statistics and the side effects of it. If we grew up in a divorced home we may be determined not to repeat the same mistakes. Yet, here we are, deadlocked in our own relationship and it seems we are slowly sliding down that same slippery slope as we come face to face with the fact that while we may share the same core values we hold different beliefs about how to implement them. Suddenly the expectations, obligations and responsibilities we hold are making it difficult to resolve problems and differences. These deadlocks can even revolve around fundamental beliefs about religion and how that is expressed in our daily lives. Add to that the hectic pace of life and we have a recipe for trouble.

Once again, when we are passionate about our beliefs and views, we are often reluctant to listen to an opposing viewpoint – instead, we aggressively defend our own while attacking the other – and communication grinds to a stop. Without getting into the specifics of learning how to fight and negotiate within a marriage, let’s just consider some simple rules about listening that we can apply right now to our conversations.

First, be honest with yourself. We bring to our relationships our expectations, assumptions, and past experiences that color and distort our perception of reality. Communication often breaks down because we don’t focus on the real issues, because we keep our fears of inadequacies and rejection hidden while arguing pseudo-problems. Acknowledge and accept your own personal fears. Acceptance allows us to be vulnerable and still be okay allowing us to accept the other with grace, compassion and love even when you disagree. This creates a safe environment where sharing can occur.

Second, listen without judging, evaluating, or defending your position. Focus on what is being said and not about a response. Validate feelings. Listen and clarify what you heard with feedback. Did you understand what the other person is trying to tell you? Refrain from offering advice or quick solutions. Pay attention to your own feelings. If you find yourself getting upset and angry, accept responsibility for how you feel, ask for a time out and schedule a time to return to the discussion when your anger is under control. Keep that return appointment.

Perhaps the most important thing we can do in our is to apply our listening skills. In fact, it is the most important thing we can do in any relationship, because it is in the listening that we begin to connect with the other person.

In a later blog, I will share some suggestions given by experts in the field of marriage about negotiation and asking for what you want. But just for now, practice hearing what your spouse is trying to say.

©2011 Marlene Anderson, MA, LMHC, NCC

Novel Craft Editing Workshop: Proofreading Checklist

2011-08-14T04:00:00.000-07:00

By the time you've combed through your manuscript using content editing, technical editing and copyediting techniques, you may wonder how there can possibly be anything left to fix. And yet, if you've ever read a published novel with sentences containing missing words, misspellings, duplications, typos and the like, you understand that errors can slip past the keenest of eyes.

If you plan to submit your work to an agent or editor you'll want to ensure you've done all you can to present a professional manuscript. It would be a shame to win the editing battle but lose the submission war with a manuscript that reflects poorly on your attention to detail.

If you plan to self-publish, proofreading is essential. While some readers take mistakes in stride, others will abandon a book because of them. At best, errors throw the reader out of the story and make it harder to engage.

Enough said.

Proofreading Checklist

Print out your manuscript so you can see it in a fresh way.
Go through the text backwards, starting with the last sentence and ending with the first. Reading out of context disconnects your mind from the natural flow of the story and causes you to catch more errors.
Search for flaws you are aware of in your writing. For some reason, I want the word "led" to be spelled "lead," so until I get this straightened out in my mind, I run a search for "lead" while proofreading my manuscripts. Maybe you overuse "was" or certain favorite words.
Read your manuscript out loud to help you discover problems you might otherwise miss. Listen as you read for problems like unintentional rhymes, sentences that end abruptly or sentence fragments. You might want to take this a step farther and have someone else read your manuscript to you. Or you can do as I do and use the text-to-speech functionality found in Adobe Reader.
Microsoft Word underlines grammatical errors within sentences. Sometimes it doesn't know best, but you do want to go through your manuscript and check for underlined sentences. It's saved me more than once.
Run spell check, but don't automatically change anything. Spell check has a nasty way of doing unexpected things when you use its automatic feature.
For that matter, don't rely upon spell check, which will skip over valid words. For example, in a manuscript I'm reading at the moment I found the word "feinting" used in place of "fainting." If you have trouble spelling (and even if you don't), consider having someone else proofread your manuscript.
The more eyes checking your manuscript at this point, the better. Just make sure you enlist people you trust to give you good advice.

If you follow these steps with care, you should minimize errors in your manuscript. I welcome your suggestions for proofreading.

Posted by Janalyn Voigt, author of novel books

Passionate Points of View

2011-08-11T07:21:00.000-07:00

Perhaps you are like me; when I hold a passionate point of view, I can’t wait to express it. I just know in my heart of hearts that I am right and the other person is wrong. So, they should listen to what I have to say, right?

Unfortunately, the other person also feels as passionate about their points of view. So how do we get beyond the need to convince the other of our strong opinions and have any kind of dialogue that goes beyond attack and defense? Is it possible to listen to another person’s viewpoint and still maintain our own belief?

Part of our reluctance to listen is that we don’t want to be wrong. Our views and beliefs define who we are. Our identity is wrapped up in them. We teach our children not to listen to radical information and to walk away from kids or teens who want to convince them to do things that are wrong. So, if we listen to someone who has a strong opposing view, will we be swayed away from our convictions?

Remember when we used to have debates in school? In high school speech class we were asked to research a subject and then debate it – not in terms of how we believed, but in the potential merits of the subject. Sometimes that meant we had to argue a point of view we didn’t believe or agree with. I believe such assignments taught us to speak to the subject matter itself. It taught us we needed to know our subject matter before speaking about it. It also taught us to listen because there was more than one point of view.

In a time when we grapple with such issues as drug addiction, gangs, promiscuous and easy sex, political ideologies, abortion, divorce, and the demise of the family unit, it is important to hold valuable beliefs, stand up for them and be able to defend them. However, we often become reactionary when listening to an opposing view while emotionally defending our own. Part of the reason for doing that is we haven’t defined our beliefs in a concrete and objective way where we can discuss the merits of such opinions in concrete ways. If we cannot articulate our beliefs to ourselves and others, we will respond emotionally when listening to another’s point of view.

Listening involves suspending our point of view so we can hear another point of view. We don’t have to agree. But each of us want to be heard. Listening gives us an opportunity to either strengthen our own convictions or gain some new insights into a subject. We can respectfully accept another’s point of view when we can articulate our own and listen to another’s.

The next time you are in a conversation with someone who has opposing viewpoints, focus on what is being said. Ask questions about their views and why they hold them. What is their reason for holding their views? How do they differ from your views? Suspend talking about your views and simply listen.

Next week, we will talk about how our listening skills can help our marriages.

Ray Bradbury on Writing Persistantly

2011-08-07T06:00:00.000-07:00

Focusing while listening

2011-08-04T08:23:00.000-07:00

When our heads are buzzing with constant chatter from our own thoughts, it is hard to listen and hear what another person is saying. When we are uptight and stressed, any conversation that increases that tension will reduce our ability to listen, let alone communicate our wants. Taking the time to calm our minds and reduce tension every day can improve all our interactions as well as our overall health. Spending time with God, putting aside all our demands and requests while simply listening to Him through His Word and being quiet, will give us a new perspective on what is important in life.

We bring to our conversations our past experiences, our passions, our beliefs and the values we hold. Conversations are affected by how we feel in the moment, the amount of stress we are experiencing, and lack of stability we have in our life. Our ability to listen is impacted by the passionate views and beliefs we hold. It is not that we can’t or shouldn’t hold passionate views and beliefs, but when they are not clarified and defined; we speak and listen emotionally, becoming judgmental and defensive.

In the business world, we expect diversity where options and differences are discussed and solutions negotiated. In our personal relationships, families and marriages, we often bring a different expectation. We assume that because we love each other, we will think alike and share the same opinions and views. We don’t. And conversations are often reduced to attack and defend.

Time is another factor that impacts all communication today. We live in such a fast paced and accelerating world, that communication is often reduced to instant texting, one liners and immediate responses. However, when emotional and knee-jerk responses are brought into personal relationships, communication breaks down. The need for immediate answers, immediate gratification and instant solutions prevents our ability to listen, clarify and assimilate information.

Here are some of the things that affect our ability to listen:

· Lack of time – taking time to focus on another person
· Unrealistic expectations and assumptions – we want everybody to be like us
· Past experiences that color how we look at the world – everyone sees the world from a different perspective
· Strong, passionate beliefs that are not clarified or defined and remain emotionally charged
· How we feel in the moment: tired, stressed, not feeling well, overloaded with problems
· Lack of stability in life – Without God our thinking and responses are often like shifting sands
· Interpreting messages without feedback for clarification
· Prejudging
· Focusing on the responses we want to make rather than listening

Learning how to focus on the person and what is being said is a crucial part of communication. Here is another exercise that can help us focus. Find ten or fifteen minutes within your week and spend it alone in nature. Go for a quiet walk in the woods, sit on a log away from people; go to the beach and quietly walk or sit near the water. Go somewhere where you will not be disturbed by the sounds of civilization or people. Become totally immersed in the nature around you. Suspend all thoughts and simply “be”. Tune into the sights and sounds of nature: the wind or gentle movement of the leaves, water lapping on shore, etc. Watch a butterfly flit about or a spider weave its web. Children lose themselves in the world around them. We have forgotten how to do that. Allow yourself to focus on a particular point of interest and become totally absorbed by it.

Allowing ourselves to focus attention on something as wonderful and awesome as the world around us, we learn how to suspend the busyness in our life. When we learn to focus our attention on something other than ourselves and our problems, we can place that same kind of focus on the people in our lives.

Visualization

2011-07-28T08:11:00.000-07:00

Okay, I have learned how to relax my body; I have listened to my internal dialogue. So now what do I do with it all. Here is one more piece to relaxing and listening to yourself and your body.

“When you have relaxed all the parts of the body and have returned to focusing on your breathing and heartbeat, allow your attention to flow over your internal organs as well. Allow your mind to create a visualization of everything working smoothly without tension and pressure of time.

“You are now very relaxed and your mind is quiet. With this quiet mind, place yourself mentally in a very pleasant and safe place. God has created so many wonderful places for us. Simply allow your mind to focus on a place where you have felt a deep peace and serenity. It may be out of doors. It may be in a church. It may be a time when you felt yourself lifted and held by your Heavenly Father. It may be a place where the quiet and serenity of the environment allows you to breathe in the wonderful scents of the world while you feast on the beauty that God has placed all around you. Feel the air on your skin. In your visualization you can reach out and touch things, feel sand between your toes and warm water on your skin. This is a time to allow your mind and body to soak in the wonderful things that God has created for us. It is a safe place, in that only you and your Lord are there together. You are ready to listen to Him and can allow your hearts to be filled with His love, grace, peace and serenity. This is a peace and love you have never experienced before. As it soaks into and permeates every cell in your body, you feel yourself becoming healed in spirit, body and mind.”

After you have spent some time in your safe place, focus your attention again on your breathing and as you do, slowly count from 3 to 1, becoming more alert and attentive to the space around you. Open your eyes and gradually stretch. Give yourself a moment before getting up as your muscles and body will be very relaxed and needs to have the blood flow again.

You will feel rejuvenated as never before when you do this relaxation/visualization exercise. I have a relaxation CD that is available on my website that will take you through this exercise easily and allows for a deeper relaxation. You can do this exercise each day by simply finding a quiet spot, shutting off all phones, and putting out a Do Not Disturb sign on your door. Each time you do this, you will become more aware of where you hold your tension and during the day you can take some deep breaths, visually do a quick relaxation as you tell yourself to let go of the tension. Your body quickly responds.

Knowing how to relax allows us to slow down and really “see” the beautiful world God has created. It helps us to relax during the day and it reduces stress levels. As you remain more relaxed, your conversations and relationships will be more relaxed as well. When you are uptight and your mind is racing with thoughts from the past and present, the stress affects everything you do including your ability to pay attention to anyone who is speaking to you. Listening is paying attention to what the other is saying so you can really hear what is being said. It focuses on what the other person is trying to convey.

Novel Craft Editing Workshop: Copyediting Checklist

2011-07-24T04:42:00.000-07:00

Copyediting a manuscript for punctuation, usage, grammar and style comes, of necessity, after content editing and technical editing. Because it requires great attention to detail, some writers dislike copyediting, but its benefits far outweigh its challenges. I hope you find my list of things to watch for while copyediting helpful.

Copyediting Checklist

Punctuation

· Are commas correctly used but not gratuitous?

· Do you need colons or semi-colons instead of commas?

· Are colons or semi-colons misplaced or unneeded?

· Have you left any quotes or brackets unclosed? Is punctuation placed correctly around quotes or brackets?

· Is there a period where a comma should go?

· Did you forget any question marks?

· Are dashes and hyphens used appropriately?

· Did you omit any apostrophes?

· Is spelling correct?

· Do you spot typos?

Usage

Do you find an over-abundance of participial phrases?
Are there passive-voice verbs that active verbs can replace?
Would pruning adjectives help ideas flourish? Beginning writers tend to load on adjectives, but with adjectives, less is more.
Are certain words or phrases overused?
Do you find duplications of specific words on the same page?
Does the imagery work? For example: the sentence, above, works because “pruning” and “flourish” both relate to plants. If I used “take flight” instead of “flourish” in this sentence, it wouldn’t have the same impact. Make sure your symbolism lines up.
Do ideas follow a cause-and-effect sequence to bring immediacy? For example: “He saw the girl as he walked the dog” has less immediacy than “As he walked the dog, he saw the girl.” Why? Because walking the dog is the event that causes the effect of seeing the girl.
Are there any words that distract by rhyming?
Does any usage devolve into cliché?
Do you detect any “weasel words” (overused, unimaginative and usually unneeded words)? I’ll cover this in a later post.
Is any phrasing awkward?
Are there any run-on sentences?
Do sentences contain correct parallel structures?
Are sentence structures varied?
Do paragraphs break logically and include transitions?
Does the story flow?
Are there unneeded attributions (he said, she exclaimed)?
Does extraneous matter (he smiled, she nodded) used in place of attributions slow dialogue?

Grammar

· Do you use participial phrases correctly? For example: “She ate a cupcake, licking the plate” seems to imply that she ate a cupcake at the same time as she licked the plate. Since that is a physical impossibility, this sentence is incorrect.

· Do any subjects disagree with verbs? For example, “He listened to the news and eats dinner.” The second verb should be “ate.”

· Are verb tenses correct? This is too big a subject for a simple example. I’ll cover it in more detail in a future post.

· Are there split infinitives? For example: “She went to often see the ocean” splits the infinitive: “to see” with “often.” The sentence reads correctly when cast, thus: “She often went to see the ocean.”

· Do you detect any dangling participals? For example: “Walking along the street, a car radio played his favorite song” seems to imply that the car radio walked along the street. Correctly cast, this sentence would read: “Walking along the street, he heard a car radio play his favorite song.”

· Do pronouns and antecedents agree?

· Are there any incomplete sentences that need correcting?

· Do any sentences end with verbs or prepositions?

Style

Have you followed your publisher’s or your chosen editorial style guide for use of abbreviations, measurements, treatment of numbers, spelling, italics, bolding, quotations, commas, and capitalization?

Don’t know the answers to questions that arise during copyediting? Research them, and you’ll strengthen your writing.

I’ve tried to be thorough with my list, however if you can think of something I’ve missed, please leave a comment.

Another Set of Eyes

2011-07-18T21:00:00.000-07:00

It has been a while since I’ve posted a thought here. I hope you’ve missed me. For several weeks I’ve been going through the process of editing for publication. My first novel will be released through Harbourlight Books. I will give you more updates as they come.

One of the realities I’ve discovered in this process is how critical it is to have another set of eyes looking at my work. My editor has poured through the manuscript, providing skilled and thoughtful revisions and corrections. Her efforts have added a wonderful quality to the story. At first, I must admit that I was leery. It was hard to believe that anyone else could understand my story as well as I could. I was completely, delightfully, wrong. Now I am very thankful for the partnership that has occurred in this process from submission to publication.

In light of this experience, I wonder if it is necessary to have another set of eyes that are willing to look upon my life, offering thoughtful insights into the areas that need some “editorial” work.

So often, people think that their own point of view is the single most critical point of view available. Yet (even as I learned going through the editing process) there are aspects of life that the individual might not see – aspects that will only be seen by someone who is objective and honest. Galatians 6:1 says, “Brothers, if someone is caught in a sin, you who are spiritual should restore him gently. But watch yourself, or you also may be tempted.” For this to happen requires a spiritual person paying attention, behaving like another set of eyes.

So, do you have another set of eyes upon you? Is there someone who is reading the script of your life and offering the critical edits that are necessary to bring you into conformity to the standards of Christ? Or do you ask the question that many ask, “Who are you to judge me?” True, no one on this planet has the capacity to sit in judgment over another – only Christ has that capacity. But this is not about judgment; it is about coming along side another person as a partner in their spiritual life to help them see those things that they may not be able to see for themselves.

Just as I needed the critical, yet faithful eye of the editor to bring my manuscript to a high standard, so all Christians needs faithful and truthful friends who will act as another set of eyes, who will speak the truth in love, and partner together to help each other develop the life and love of Christ.

©2011
Rev. Michael Duncan

Novel Craft Editing Workshop: Technical Editing Checklist for Fiction

2011-07-17T04:50:00.000-07:00

Every novel needs technical editing, although you may scratch your head over that idea, especially if you view technical editing as checking graphs and calculating totals. While the definition varies depending on the type of writing it covers, I've developed the following technical editing checklist for novels.

Check all facts your research missed against more than one source. Be careful when verifying on the Internet, however. Misinformation is often reposted.
Verify any quotes or poetry you may use in the body of your novel or to head chapters.
Do a continuity check. Are there any objects that disappear while being held? Or suddenly appear? Does someone mention an upcoming event that never occurs? Do characters vanish or appear without warning?
Check for consistency. Do you describe a character with blue eyes in one scene and brown eyes in another? Do your characters stick to their personal lexicons throughout the entire book? Does what you intended as a character's habitual action show up in one scene but then disappear?
Are logistics accurate? Is it really possible for action to take place within the time frame described in each scene? Do all characters have time to get from the location of a previous scene into a new scene? Do you allow too much or too little time for travel?
Verify that all events are plausible. Step back and, with as much objectivity as you can muster, ask yourself if you buy all elements of your story. If you're not sure, ask someone you trust to read your manuscript with believability in mind.
Check your manuscript against the stylebook your publisher uses for punctuation, grammar and usage. If you don't have a publisher yet, pick a stylebook to follow. The Chicago Manual of Style is a popular resource.

Technical editing is a small part of the entire editing process, but it can make a big difference in producing an excellent manuscript.

Do you know another item that belongs on a technical editing checklist? Have a comment or question?

Focusing and Re-directing

2011-07-13T15:33:00.000-07:00

Before we can listen to another person, we need to learn to listen to ourselves. What are we saying to ourselves about our world, other people in our lives, and about ourselves? When we communicate we bring to that conversation who we are, our perceptions, expectations, assumptions and beliefs. We look through the world through our own personal lens and our conversations reflect that as well. When you are having a bad day, that is reflected in your speech. Your past experiences in life color what you hear from other people. Your beliefs and biases will be reflected both in what you say and how you listen.

So getting to know yourself is very important. Listening to our own internal speech helps us become aware of the biases and beliefs that can bring discord and misunderstanding to our conversations. As we learn to listen to our internal dialogue, it will reveal the unconscious expectations we have of others, especially our loved ones. Attached to those expectations is the assumption that others believe and think the same as we do. When we come to a conversation with these perceptions, we hear only what matches our perceptions.

Another exercise you can do to unlock some of your beliefs and unconscious expectations is to do an early morning exercise that was created by Julia Cameron in her book, “The Artist’s Way”, designed as a course “in discovering and recovering your creative self.” It is also an excellent way in discovering more about who you are in general.

Every morning when you wake up, before conversing with anyone else, take your cup of coffee or tea and sit down in a quiet spot and write until you fill 3 pages of a notebook. Simply write down whatever enters your mind. It can be as inane as I am sitting here with a pencil and I am wondering why I am doing this, don’t know what to write, etc. The exercise is simply to put down on paper without any corrections or deliberation anything that comes to your mind. Once you start you will be amazed at what surfaces. Remember, don’t block anything – don’t try to initiate anything – just write whatever streams into your consciousness. This is for your eyes only. Do this consistently for at least a week.

Continue with your quiet times each day. This time, however, as you make yourself comfortable, close your eyes and begin breathing slowly and deeply, allow any thoughts that intrude on this relaxation process to simply float by. Imagine there is a balloon attached to each thought that simply floats it away. Most of these thoughts contain words such as “I should be…I have to… I must”. Do not try to stop or resist any thoughts. Simply allow them to come – then move on by. In your mind’s eye see them floating away. With each deep, even breath, your mind will become quieter.

Now focus on the parts of your body, starting with your face. As you breathe in, tighten the muscles around your forehead and eyes; and then release the tension and relax as you expel air out through your mouth. Do this with your jaw and cheeks. Continue with your neck, rotating slowly left, back, right and forward as you breathe in and out. Lift each shoulder, feel the tension and as you release, feel the tension drain away. Create a visual of this tension as it flows away. My mind creates an image of hard rocks melting like butter and I can feel the muscles relax. Remember to continue the process of breathing in and out slowly. After each tensing and relaxing, repeat the words, letting go and relaxing, deeper and deeper.

Continue by stretching each arm with outstretched fingers, then relaxing them and placing them comfortably in your lap. Moving down your back, tighten and release the muscles in your lower back, hips and legs. Stretch your leg, feet and toes, and then lower them comfortably.

At the end of the exercise, re-focus on your breathing and heart rate. As you tighten and release tension of the different muscles throughout your body, you will become aware of where you hold your tension. You are listening to your body that normally keeps adjusting throughout the day without your awareness. This tension affects everything we do, including our ability to converse with others.

Next week, I will continue this exercise by adding a visualization of a quiet, safe place where you and your Lord can meet uninterrupted by the hustle and bustle of the day.

Listen

2011-07-13T15:28:00.000-07:00

Listen! God is calling! “I’m listening, Lord. I just have a few more things to do. As soon as I finish this salad and get dressed and oh darn, there goes the phone again.”

Marlene, God is calling. Listen. “I’m listening, Lord. Give me a few more minutes. I have to call my daughter back. She called earlier; and I have to leave a key out for my friend; she will be taking care of my little dog, and . . . .”

Marlene, this is God calling. Be Still! “I’m almost finished God. I just have one more thing to do before I leave for church and then I will give you my undivided attention.”

Marlene, this is God calling. Be Quiet. I’m here Lord; I can still talk to you while I work. My hands and feet are always moving. It’s just my ADHD! Really Lord!

Marlene, this is God calling. Be still – be quiet – listen. “I’m trying, Lord, I’m trying! But I keep thinking about all the things I haven’t finished yet and must take care of before I leave this morning. But I’m trying, Lord, I’m trying!”

Do you identify with any of this dialogue? This was the beginning of an opening I delivered several years ago for a Women’s retreat. Our lives are so busy we don’t take the time to be still, be quiet and listen, to God or the people in our lives.

I want to begin this new series on communication, by focusing on the most important part of communication: listening. But before we can listen – really listen, we do need to stop what we are doing. When I grew up, busy hands kept you out of trouble. And our conversations are like that as well – they are sandwiched in between what we are doing. And then when we do talk, we spend most of our time in conversations thinking about what we will say, how we will respond, and/or defending our position. In the process, we really don’t listen, don’t hear, and don’t have a clue as to what the other person is trying to tell us.

To listen, we need to “still” the voices that are competing to be heard within our head. There is a constant chatter or dialogue that goes on in our mind all the time. Are you aware of what it is saying to you? Learning to listen to others begins with listening to ourselves.

Try this for one week. Find a time each day when you can be by yourself in a quiet place where you will be undisturbed for 15-20 minutes. It can be indoors or outdoors. You can lie down or sit. Take a pad and pencil with you. Make yourself comfortable and begin taking slow, deep, and even breaths, breathing from your diaphragm as though you were slowly filling up a balloon. As you body begins to relax, close your eyes, and continue the even deep breathing. As you shut out the environment around you, become aware of your thoughts. What are they saying to you? Are they telling you what you should or ought to be doing? After sitting quietly like this, open your eyes and write down the thoughts you had. Were they important? Were they instructive? Do they keep you from relaxing?

Practice this exercise throughout the week, each time allowing your mind to relax and focus as much as possible on breathing evenly and slowly. Write down thoughts at the end of each exercise. You might discover by the end of the week that your focus is more on breathing and relaxing than on thoughts. Next week we will learn how to focus and relax the parts of our body.

©2011 Marlene Anderson, MA, LMHC, NCC

Steven King's Tips for Writers

2011-07-10T03:00:00.000-07:00

I don't know why I thought I could write a post on editing in the middle of a family reunion. I offer, instead, Steven King's best advice to writers in this video.

"Home"

2011-07-07T08:09:00.000-07:00

Two and a half years ago on Dec. 2009, I wrote a short piece entitled “Home.” I had just returned from closing my son’s apartment after an unexpected and rapid death from pancreatic cancer. I wrote,

“Home. I have come home from a nightmare of critical activity, on-going crisis and death. This place of solace and comfort wraps itself around my aching heart and body like a sweater stretched and shaped with well-worn threads of softness. My thirsty soul drinks in the peace that God has placed here for me. I wrap my prayer shawl around my shoulders and know my God has been with me as I walked through that valley of death one more time.”

Once again, I have arrived home from a trip - only under more pleasant circumstances. After ten grueling days of rehearsals, concerts, walking guided tours over ancient ruins and uneven cobble stones in 98 degree heat and humidity, I have come home. I went to Italy as part of a group of singers who joined other singers from across the United States to attend an International Chorale Festival. Leaving home this time was a source of excitement and anticipation. And singing with 240 other voices in the beautiful old cathedral of S. Maria Sopra Minverva and for a 9 AM Mass at the Vatican in Rome was a thrill I shall treasure forever. Later our own group performed in two other cathedrals in Florence and Venice.

On the 10+ hour trip home, I thought about the trip we made together as a group and the memories each of us was bringing home. The schedule had been brutal, the heat at times almost unbearable, the intense pace of keeping together as a group as we followed guides on tours in a sea of people was at times frustrating; yet the experience of singing in places like the Vatican and centuries old stone cathedrals was worth the effort, energy and blisters on our feet. Our guides were extremely knowledgeable and the memories we would store from this trip immeasurable.

Home. As I reflect on what home means to me, I am aware that it is more than a place where I return to find solace to heal and rest. There is an internal longing in each of us for a home that is more than a physical place to reside or a time out from busy schedules. It is more than a place to sleep and retreat from the world.

While vacations and trips and experiences are great, we all long for something more than that perfect performance, the perfect song, the perfect job or perfect vacation. We travel around the world looking for the most ideal and relaxing spot on earth to spend days in quietude and tranquility. Along the way we search for the perfect someone to love and who will love us in turn. Our hearts and spirits hunger for love and peace, contentment and joy. We are looking for a place that money can’t buy. We are searching for more than a country or physical building. We are searching for “home”.

The home we long for cannot be created out of ancient stone or modern towers of steel. In fact we can’t create this home that our hearts long for - a place of safety, peace and unconditional love. No matter how far we roam, whether to the ends of the earth or the far flung vastness of outer space, we will only get glimpses of what our spirit yearns. Money can’t purchase it and we can’t create it. But that place already exists, created by our Heavenly Father who entreats us to return. It exists in Him and through Him. And to take possession, we only need to come to Him and accept the wonderful gift He has given us - the bridge that takes us home – Jesus Christ.

Surviving the First 6 Weeks of Writing a Novel - Advice From Joyce Carol Oates

2011-07-03T09:56:00.000-07:00

In this video, celebrated author Joyce Carol Oates shares from the heart about the difficulty of beginning a novel and gives her intriguing technique for characterization. I offer it to you as a special holiday treat. The Novel Craft Editing Workshop resumes next week.

Posted by Janalyn Voigt, author of novel books

Novel Craft Editing Workshop: Content Editing Checklist

2011-06-18T10:00:00.000-07:00

Content editing, also known as substantive or developmental editing, involves reading through your work, while ignoring the small lapses you see, in order to evaluate its structural soundness. While content editing, you should ask yourself if your novel is coherent, logical and complete. Here's my checklist:

Plot

Is it believable?
Is it predictable?
Are all needed elements included in your first chapter? (I'll go into detail about this in a future post.)
Are there plot holes?
Could you tighten tension and pacing?
Have you included twists?
Does your story evolve naturally?
Have you included enough subplots?
Does everything weave together smoothly?
Does it resolve well?
Is something missing? If so, what?
Have you proved your theme?
Does it drag on too long or conclude too abruptly?
Have you tied up every thread?

Characterization

Are your characters' believable?
Do their motivations ring true?
Are their fears realistic?
Do their personalities have depth?
Do they speak differently or all sound the same?
Is all speech appropriate to the time period?
Is the dialogue natural?
Do they have distinguishing characteristics?
Does the plot flow from their desires and fears, and are these consistent in proving your theme?
Are your characters' reactions missing or implausible?
Have you made your main characters' deepest fear come true in the black moment?
Is there definite growth on the part of your main character toward a personal epiphany?
Do any other characters experience epiphanies? If so, do they grow toward them?
Does the climax and resolution evolve from your characters' motivations?

Setting

Is your story's setting dominant or nonexistent?
Is it believable?
Is there something missing? What?
Have you anchored well enough in the time period?

Areas to Revise or Delete

Instances of telling you should change.
Inconsistencies
Retellings
Back story dumps.
Scenes that don't take the story forward or that seem weak.
Anything that might work better at a different place in the story.

Content editing isn't the easiest part of the editing process. Bear in mind that how well you handle this first process determines the ease with which you'll go through the rest of the editing processes.

If you have anything to add to my list, by all means, leave a comment and let me know.

Take a Time Out

2011-06-15T15:43:00.000-07:00

As we struggle to find time to write, market our books and sell ourselves, it is important from time to time to step back and get in touch with the personal world we live in. Like you, I am challenged to set goals and follow through with plans of action. But I know that unless I make the people around me as important as my personal goals, my accomplishments will shallow. It is in our relationships that we find significance and meaning.

This summer, I extend a challenge to you as I do for myself.

· Spend one whole day with your spouse away from your home. Leave cell phones at home. Agree that for this one day, you will not talk about work, the future or home jobs. Instead, focus on each other. Walk. Talk. Be silent. But be together. Get to know each other on a deeper level.

· Spend a day with each of your children alone. Don’t sit on the park bench and watch them play. Become engaged with them. Create a safety zone where your child or teen can genuinely talk about their concerns and feelings without reprimand or sermons. Listen. Encourage. Validate.

· Find one person you don’t know very well and connect with them. Don’t tweet or write on Face Book walls. Put down your blackberries and laptops, take your face out of the computer screen and get to know someone in real time. Look them in the face and in the eye. Become interested in who they are. What do they like to do? What are they struggling with in life? What are their fears and anxieties? Connect.

· Practice communication skills. We often think communication is all about speaking and forget it is more about listening. Give that person your total and undivided attention. Give feedback, and ask questions to be sure you understand what the other is trying to say. Eliminate judgment, put downs or ridicule (which is often very subtle). Instead of offering solutions to problems, offer understanding, validation, and acceptance.

· Take a walk with God. Don’t limit the time, or try to create a special feeling. Don’t worry about what you are going to say. Allow Him to lead. Simply “be” with Him.

We get so mired in the urgency of life that we lose our sense of self and our connection to those we love. Stepping back and being mindful in the moment with God and others can help clarify what is really important in the overall scheme of things.

I will not be posting for two weeks as I am going on a singing trip. My next posting will be in July when I will start a series on communication.

Novel Craft Editing Workshop: 5 Ways to Edit

2011-06-11T13:33:00.000-07:00

Editing. We love it. We hate it. Few remain neutral on the subject. It takes time and energy to follow inspiration, develop plots, and create first drafts. But it doesn't end there. We get to tell our stories draft after draft, again and again. With that as a given, and in light of the need to produce excellent manuscripts to survive as writers, shouldn't we train ourselves to edit well?

Much as a vegetable garden takes the work of cultivation, planting, watering, weeding and harvesting; bringing a written work to the table doesn't happen without blood, sweat and tears. Expect it, and you'll be ready when an honest diet results in growing pains. You'll develop your author muscles as you work "in the field." And when that field is plowed and ready for its next planting, you'll sigh with contentment.

I once worked as a field laborer at an organic farm to receive a share of food from a community-supported agriculture (CSA) farm. The first morning that I showed up for work, I had no idea what to do. Someone had to teach me. I needed to know which crops in which field required attention on a given day, where the tools were, how to use them, and even how to apply different styles of weeding. And when harvest time came, it demanded even more finesse. Why do I bring this up? Because editing is a lot like farming. Just as my skills as a home gardener wouldn't see me through working on an agricultural farm, so do instinctive editing efforts become inadequate for refining a publishable work. It takes more. Good instincts give you an advantage, but conscious knowledge will take your manuscript farther on its way to becoming publishable.

How to Edit

Terminology varies, depending on the source, but editing can be divided into four categories, which I will call content editing, technical editing, copy editing, proofreading and hard editing. I've listed them, below, in the order you should work on them.

Content editing involves reading through your work while ignoring the small lapses you see in order to evaluate its structural soundness. Are all needed elements included in your first chapter? Are your characters' motivations believable? Is your setting nonexistent or dominant? Does your story evolve naturally? Are there plot holes? Inconsistencies? Retellings? How's the pacing? Could you tighten the tension? Where are there instances of telling you should change? What more could or should happen? Have you tied up every thread?
Technical editing is where you double check facts and historical details.
Copy editing your manuscript (also known as line editing) is when you go through your manuscript, line by line, to improve usage, punctuation and grammar; adhere to stylistic precedents; and check spelling. It's senseless to put this earlier in the process, when so much else is in flux.
Proofreading can be fun when you see it as a scavenger hunt for typos. You should proofread your own manuscript, but then get others you trust into the act. This is where multiple sets of eyes comes in handy.
Hard editing usually comes from an editor other than the author. Trust me when I tell you that you are too close to your work for objectivity. The fact that you wrote it means you may take certain details for granted and thus omit letting the reader in on them. You need hard editing even if others laud you for your critiques because it's hard to spot your own errors and vulnerabilities.

I'll cover each of these in detail in upcoming weeks. As always, I welcome your comments and perspectives.

What kind of World are you creating

2011-06-09T08:53:00.000-07:00

When we are young, we can’t wait to take the reins of life and live it our way. By middle age, we begin making excuses for our bad choices and lack of personal responsibility. And when we become senior citizens, we can’t wait to get off the work train, sit back and enjoy our entitlements.

As I reflect on the world around me, a world that seems to be going faster and faster, demanding more and more of us, I see the lives of people begin to unravel. Pressures lead to short cuts; which lead to excuses; which lead to subtle lies; which lead to blaming and shirking of responsibility. It is considered “cool” to get away with something; to live any way we choose. There is an arrogance as well as a sense of entitlement that has become pervasive in the world today. As technology makes our lives more transparent, there follows a bolder “so what” attitude.

As writers, fiction or otherwise, our words carry weight with those who read our stories. Whether writing books or blogging, we are challenged to consider the message we impart. As Christian writers we are mandated to share the love of God through Christ. I believe what we write must also reflect not only the struggle of mankind with good and evil, but the need for personal responsibility. As writers, our own lives are held to a higher standard.

At a time when we struggle to keep up with all the latest technology to market our books and sell ourselves, I propose that we also step back and get in touch with the personal world we live in. Have we deliberately set aside time for our families and with God? Or are those times sandwiched in between the busy schedule of sending in query letters, twittering, and finishing publication deadlines.

Like you, I am goal oriented and need a plan of action in order to accomplish things. But I am reminded constantly that unless my personal goals are secondary to the needs of the people around me, they will become meaningless. Am I available when a friend calls? Do the people in my life know that they are more important to me than my schedules? Do they know that I take seriously what it means to be a Christian and follower of Jesus Christ? Does my daily life reflect that walk instead of just the talk? It is a challenge I take as seriously as my writing.

Developing Your Character

2011-06-06T12:18:00.000-07:00

It may just be me, but I find that my lead characters in the fictional stories I devise always have at their core the characteristics I long to see in myself. I place in their persona the needed determination, the will to press on, the hunger for truth and a compassion for others that affect every decision they make. The “good guy” never uses foul, vulgar language. They never take advantage of another person and always seem to find the creative resources necessary to escape the ever present trap set by the “bad guy.”

This is not without trials, however. Dangers lurk and troubles loom as my “hero” presses further into his purpose. The story unfolds and their personalities deepen. They grow in wisdom, avoid earlier mistakes and overcome past failures. Finally, ultimately, they climb the final mountain, overcome the last obstacle, defeat the villainous foe and win that ever-elusive victory. As I write the final page, I look back to see the challenges my lead character had to endure to achieve the final triumph and I know that it was good.

Have you ever heard the statement: “Art imitates life?”

If we are willing to launch our fictional characters into situations that are necessary to make them who they need to be so that they can achieve the final, ultimate victory, how much more in real life does God send us through the refining fires of experience to shape our character into the image of His Son? Romans 5:3-4 says, “Not only so, but we also rejoice in our sufferings, because we know that suffering produces perseverance; perseverance, character; and character, hope.”

If we, as authors, know that our characters need to go through the cauldron of difficulty in order to become the hero of the story, where did we get that idea from? It comes from the fact that, in reality, God does the very same to us. Art does imitate life, for in life we all have to face trials of many kinds. It is through those very trials that we develop the character needed to face life heroically.

Do you believe that God wants you to be victorious? Do you believe that God wants you to overcome the failings of your past and the obstacles of your future? Do you believe that God has no “ordinary” children but has nobility planned for you? Victory, nobility and the power to overcome is all won through the crucible of circumstances that the Divine Author of life has purposed for His storied characters.

It may just be me, but I long to see those noble qualities of my lead characters mirrored in my own life. If we sent our “heroes” through difficult circumstances to develop their character then know that God will send us through the trials of life to develop our character as well. It is the only way we will ever see the qualities of Christ mirrored in our lives.

©2011
Rev. Michael Duncan