For Writers - Watch a Movie with Kristina McBride

Happy Tuesday, everyone. Today's tip is coming your way from the beautiful Wasatch Mountains. I'm in Utah this week, loving the scenery. Here's a bonus tip - if you ever need to feel inspired, find some mountains to fill you with awe. *Sigh*

(Picture courtesy of Utah is Awesome.)

Our real tip this week is courtesy of Kristina McBride, author of the gripping YA novel, A TENSION OF OPPOSITES (paperback edition just released this week!) If you have not read this book yet, you should. Seriously.

Kristina is a former high-school English teacher and yearbook advisor. She was inspired to write A TENSION OF OPPOSITES after reading about the safe return of a child who was kidnapped while riding his bike to a friend’s house. Here's the official blurb about the book:

Two years ago Noelle disappeared. Two long years of no leads, no word, no body. Since the abduction, Tessa, her best friend, has lived in a state of suspended animation. She has some friends, but keeps them distant. Some interests, but she won’t allow herself to become passionate about them. And guys? She can’t get close—she knows what it is like to really lose someone she cared for.

And then, one day, the telephone rings. Noelle is alive. And maybe, just maybe, Tess can start to live again, too.

A haunting psychological thriller taken straight from the headlines, The Tension of Opposites is a striking debut that explores the emotional aftermath a kidnapping can have on the victim, and on the people she left behind.

Publisher's Weekly calls A TENSION OF OPPOSITES "a well-paced story with... emotional punches that really connect," Booklist says it's "right on," and Jay Asher, author of THIRTEEN REASONS WHY says it's a "tense... must read." Here's the book trailer:

You can find Kristina online at her website, on facebook, and by following her on twitter. If you're in the Ohio area, you can meet her (and me!) in person at our upcoming Beachy Keen YA Book Bash event at the Joseph Beth Bookstore in Cincinnati, July 30th.

Kristina says:

"I’m a huge fan of movies. Aren’t we all? One of my favorite things about my agent is the homework she doles out, often in the form of “Watch this movie!” When I’m having trouble plotting a new book, I can be found in the movie section of my library, scanning the shelves for titles in the same vein and genre of my latest story. I analyze (read that as over analyze) how other storytellers put together great plots, and use that as inspiration for my own work. Remember, you character has to want something, and want it badly. Your job, as the author, is to throw as much in his or her way so that goal is not easily attained. The story ends as soon as the main character’s goal is reached. Or not. The fun part is that you get to decide."


This week's link roundup:

Writing is Hard (Beyond the Margins) Why we do it.
Writing is Scary (Stir Your Tea) More on why we do it.
Writing is Painful (Beyond the Margins) "Pain cannot destroy us; fear can."
Write Your Query First (Writer Unboxed) Great idea.
Hemingway's Writing Block Buster (Time to Write) Stop in the middle.
Editing (Creative Penn) Start with a "high level review" of your book.
Internet Perils (Greenhouse Literary Agency) Why it's not a good idea to blog about the process.
The Importance of Beginnings (Kidlit) Bonus! Call for submissions.
Why the Best Kids' Books are Written in Blood (Speakeasy) #YAsaves
Fiona Dunbar on writing, thinking and support (Absolute Vanilla) Writing Room series.
The Doctor is in! (The Character Therapist) Excellent character clinic series.
Training to be a Career Author (Kristin Lamb) Writing is more than writing.
11 Resources for Editing Your Novel (Publetariat)
10 Dangerous Pests (Blood Red Pencil) Don't let them destroy your writing.
7 Ways to Rev Up Your Writing (Words and Such) Is your motor running?
5 tips to make your book appeal to Teens (JoeDunco) About teens by a teen.
5 Common Mistakes Authors Make with PR (Publishing Basics) Eep.
5 Tips for Beating Your Deadline (Quips and Tips) Good timing for me #ondeadline
3 Questions for a Better Book (Nail Your Novel) Excellent.
3 Tips on Developing Subplots (YA Highway) Switching threads.
3 Ways to Avoid the Waffle in Writing (W.I.P. It) Avoid the fat.
The Thoughtful Pause & Keeping Pace (TheOpenVein) Pacing. Bonus: articles w/in the article.
How to Craft Mystery (Nathan Bransford) "Mysteries are the lifeblood of stories"
Conflict Box (Genreality) Excellent overview of a great writing tool.
Actions vs Choices (The Other Side of the Story) Crafting better plots.
The Underappreciated Cliche (Query Tracker) Own that cliche!
More on Cliches (Laura Pauling) Rising above them.
Editing Checklist (the Editor's Blog) great tips.
Chasing Trends. (KT Literary) Don't.
Villains; Empathy and Emotion (Let the Words Flow) Giving villains greater depth.

Now go. Write!

For Writers - How to Trick Your Brain into Writing with Jessica Brody

On today's special edition of Tip Tuesday, we are celebrating the release of Jessica Brody's latest novel, MY LIFE UNDECIDED.

Here are a few fun facts about Jessica Brody’s own life undecided:

• Jessica was born in Los Angeles, moved to Colorado when she was twelve, moved back to California after college and now indecisively splits her time between both states.
• Jessica graduated from Smith College in Massachusetts with majors in Economics and French because she was convinced she wanted to be an “important business woman.” After a brief stint as a strategic analyst for MGM Studios, she abandoned her business background to become a full-time writer. Now she uses her mad spreadsheet skills to build complicated outlines for her books.
• Appropriately, when writing this book, Jessica couldn’t decide on a title. So she polled 50 of her closest friends to finally come up with MY LIFE UNDECIDED.
  

The official book blurb:

PLEASE READ THIS! MY LIFE DEPENDS ON IT!

Okay, maybe that was a bit melodramatic, but I’m sorry, I’m feeling a bit melodramatic at the moment.

Here’s the deal. My name is Brooklyn Pierce, I’m fifteen years old, and I am decisionally challenged. Seriously, I can’t remember the last good decision I made. I can remember plenty of crappy ones though. Including that party I threw when my parents were out of town that accidentally burned down a model home. Yeah, not my finest moment, for sure.

But see, that’s why I started a blog. To enlist readers to make my decisions for me. That’s right. I’m gave up. Threw in the towel. I let someone else be the one to decide which book I read for English. Or whether or not I accepted an invitation to join the debate team from that cute-in-a-dorky-sort-of-way guy who gave me the Heimlich Maneuver in the cafeteria. (Note to self: Chew the melon before swallowing it.) I even let them decide who I dated!

Well, it turns out there are some things in life you simply can’t choose or have chosen for you—like who you fall in love with. And now everything’s more screwed up than ever.

But don’t take my word for it, read the book and decide for yourself. You’ll laugh, you’ll cry, you’ll scream in frustration. Or maybe that’s just me. After all, it’s my life.

Decisive reviews for MY LIFE UNDECIDED:

"Brooklyn is a sympathetic protagonist with whom teens will identify. Her journey is fun to read, and decision-challenged readers will learn an important lesson about self-acceptance along the way."--School Library Journal

"Brody taps into a universal human desire...An amusing coming-of-age story with many funny moments...[Brooklyn's] flustered, off-the-cuff narration should keep readers as invested in her actions as her blog followers are."--Publisher's Weekly

And the official book trailer:

You can find Jessica online at jessicabrody.com, facebook, twitter, and very soon at MyLifeUndecided.com, where you can post your own undecided questions, poll the community, and get some answers.

Jessica's Tip:

Writers are very good a coming up with clever ways to procrastinate. Ask any writer and they’ll immediately recite off the top of their head five useless things that they can easily do every morning before tackling that looming daily word count. Which is why I’m always trying to come up with new ways to trick myself into writing…as opposed to out of it.

Over the years, I’ve found that I tend to write most efficiently and quickly when I’m “in the zone.” Meaning when I’m fully focused on writing, the rest of the world has disappeared, and it’s just me and the story. But as a full-time writer with tight deadlines, I can’t always count on that zone to just magically appear and for me to just magically fall into it. For most writers I’ve spoken to (myself included), the “zone” seems to be this far-off fantastical place (like the pot of gold at the end of the rainbow) and we’re lucky if we happen to stumble upon it once in a blue moon (and always when we’re not looking for it) let alone every day.

Obviously that’s not the most effective way to write a novel…waiting around for a fantastical place that may or may not exist. So throughout the course of my six years working as a full-time author, I’ve come up with several methods that I use to literally “trick” myself into the zone. It may not be as wonderful as the real thing, but it’s worked for me. So I’ve decided to share. Here are my top three favorite:

1. Location! Location! Location!

Reserve a place in your house or a local favorite coffee shop that is designated for writing and writing ONLY. Nothing else can be done there. No emailing. No Facebooking. No TV watching. Just writing. (Oh and cell phones should ALWAYS be turned off in this space). It can be a spare bedroom that’s rarely used, a small fold up table in the corner, or even a linen closet! But it has to be RESERVED for writing. After a few days, just entering that space will automatically jump start your brain into writing mode. You’ll feel less prone to procrastinate because your mind and body will know it’s time to work. If you need to take a quick break, LEAVE the space and come back only when you’re ready to write again. Don’t take email or twitter breaks in your sacred space, only write there.

Living in LA, I don’t have a huge house with idle bedrooms to spare, so I use a coffee shop down the street from my house. I never go there with friends. I never go there just to read the paper. I ONLY go there to write! Now, the moment I step foot in there, I’m instantly in work mode.

2. The Magic of Food (and Beverages)

Along the same lines, I will always eat and drink the same thing during the course of writing a book. When writing MY LIFE UNDECIDED, every morning for three months I would eat the same two mini brioches and a cup of coffee while I wrote. And I never ate this UNLESS I was writing. This further helps in getting your brain into writing mode. Not only are you in your little writing “sanctuary” but now you’re eating your writing food. Your mind is tricked into thinking it’s time to write! And it is. It doesn’t matter what food it is, just make sure you only eat it when it’s time to write. And don’t cheat and start chowing while you’re finishing up that email to your mother! All other windows should be closed and your manuscript should be open on your screen and ready to be tackled before you take that first bite!

I also have a rule that I only drink coffee when I’m writing. Not when I’m blogging, emailing or doing any other work-related things (I usually drink tea then). Only when I’m chipping away at my word count do I allow myself a cup of joe. So now my mind automatically associates the caffeine buzz from coffee with working. And I get so much more done that way.

3. The (Artificial) Ticking Time Bomb

This third one, I actually found out the hard way. When writing MY LIFE UNDECIDED, I had this old laptop that only had three hours of battery life on it…tops! And my writing café doesn’t have any plugs. So I had exactly three hours to get my word count done or I was done. (Or rather my computer was.) This ended up really helping me focus. Every time I would feel inclined to check email or surf the net, a little voice in the back of my head would chime in (or maybe it was just the ticking clock of my battery) and say, “No, no. You only have 2.5 hours left!” This forced me to focus on writing and nothing else. So I encourage you to leave your plug at home. Or even in another room of your house. It may take a few drained batteries (and zero progress on your book) or your brain to catch on, but pretty soon, you’ll train yourself to write more efficiently and with less pointless procrastination breaks on the internet. Because when you’re “in the zone” there is nothing else. The internet doesn’t exist. Email is a foreign concept. And anyone who lives outside of the world of your book is forgotten. So the key is to do your best to emulate that state.

And voilà! Those are my top three “mind tricks” for getting into writing mode. If you’re having trouble getting your butt in the chair and finishing your novel, try one or all of these and see if they help you as much as they help me. The first book I wrote employing all three of these tricks was MY LIFE UNDECIDED which releases next month and I finished writing it in 3 months (writing only 3 hours a day). And for me that was proof enough that it worked.

Good luck and keep writing!

We're going to pause for a moment, so you can go grab yourself a copy of MY LIFE UNDECIDED. Take your time. I'll wait....

OK, now on to this week's link roundup:

What editors do (VlogBrothers) John Green makes me smile. : )

Sharpening our narrative (MagicalWords) "Diction creates light and shade, shadow and sense."

Revising (AdventuresInChildren'sPublishing) The most important skill writers can have.

Getting out of the slush pile (Underdown) Not new, but so much good info here.

What our characters do when no one is looking (MysteryWritingIsMurder) Tracking them off stage.

Physical cliches (kidlit.com) "Interiority instead!"

Creating Plot Twists (TheOtherSideoftheStory) Defy expectations.

Why we write (BeyondTheMargins) Because there is no alternative.

Scene Antagonists (KristinLamb) The making of a hero.

Is it who you know? (WriterUnboxed) No, it's what you do.

Conflict=tension=emotion (WriteRight) Part I

Conflict=tension=emotion (WriteRight) Part II

Backstory (RantsAndRamblings) Backstory is telling, not showing. Use wisely.

15 Figures of Speech to Color your Writing (DailyWritingTips)

5 Ways to Develop Unique Voice (WIP It) As shared by Jenny Mawter.

5 Lessons to Learn from WATER FOR ELEPHANTS (Julie Musil)

5 Proofreading Techniques Every Talented Writer Should Know (Publetariat)

3 Things screenwriting can teach about writing (GuideToLiteraryAgents)

More on voice (OasisForYA) Avoid faceless voice.

3 Easy Steps to Plotting Wrong (Victoria Mixon) Don't do it!

1st Page or Last? (JodyHedlund) Which is more important?

Writing YA vs Adult (LetTheWordsFlow) Excellent defining what is YA.

Visual Image Systems (AlexandraSokoloff) Love her blog.

Outlining for Plotters and Pantsers (TheEditorsBlog) Use your tools your way.

Renovating the Condemned Novel (WritingSideways) 3 ways to tell if you are and 5 ways to diagnose.

Effectively Conveying Emotion (TheSharpAngle) Work backwards.

Now go. Write!

Tip Tuesday Returns with Tera Lynn Childs

Hi, all! I'm baaack. Some pictures of my trip are posted over at Teen Fiction Cafe, if you're interested. Meanwhile, I'm honored to welcome this week's tipper, Tera Lynn Childs.

Tera is the author of unbelievably fun mythology-based YA fiction, including OH. MY. GODS., GODDESS BOOTCAMP, and FORGIVE MY FINS. You can check out her CITY CHICKS e-books, and be sure to watch for FINS ARE FOREVER in June, and SWEET VENOM, coming your way in October.

Tera had a nomadic childhood, moving around more than my poor kids (don't ask), and has kept up her nomadic ways, jumping from Columbia to University of Colorado and back to Columbia to earn her bachelors in Theater and masters in Historic Preservation. (Hey, I think if you tried really hard, you could come up with some way those majors are related.) She settled in Houston for a while, but has taken up the nomad's life again. Who knows where she'll land next? You can follow Tera's writing and wandering on her website, on facebook, by following her on twitter, and by checking out her youtube channel.

Tera says:

When you get stuck and can't move forward, trying stepping away from the words for a bit and attempt something visual. Draw a moment from your story. Paint the view from your protagonist's bedroom. Or, my favorite, create a collage of magazine pictures that represent your characters. They don't have to be brilliant works of art, but the act of making your brain think about story in a different way might be just the thing your need to get back on track.

(Tera was kind enough to provide an example - this is the collage she made for SWEET VENOM.)

This week's link roundup:

Never too late to learn to read (Scholastic) Inspirational.

The Value of Saying Yes (AdventuresinChildren'sPublishing) Writers' best affirmative response

Finishing the Unfinished Novel (figment) Bonus - tips within the article.

The cure for Melodrama (Seeking the Write Life) Use the Mundane to your advantage.

Outlining: Strategize (Janie Bill) What are the core elements of your plot?

Inspiration: Maureen McGowan (Cynsations) On resources, hanging in there and writing

What are your Words Worth? (Rhiannon Paille) Don't sell yourself short.

EPIC: Trends in PB, MG and (mostly) YA (Mandy Hubbard) This wisdom of 37 meetings.

Cheryl Klein's Plot Checklists (Ingrid's Notes) Links within the link

Hiding the Football (Genreality) When revealing info to readers is better than not.

Do Stories need a Theme? (Jamie Gold) Helps stories resonate with meaning.

Reversals (Nathan Bransford) One of the most important writing concepts to master

12 Ways to learn to Write (Rants and Ramblings)

8 Ways to keep tension in those sagging middles (Laura Pauling)

8 Kinds of Tension (and why you should mix them up) (Chatterbox Chitchat)

7 Essentials for the 1st Page (W.I.P. It)

5 Ways to Avoid Infodump in your Beginnings (Magical Words) c/o Lucienne Diver

4 Ways to Create Endings that Resonate (Julie Musil)

3 Ways to Avoid Creating Unlikable Characters (Jody Hedlund)

3 Ways to keep your dialog Natural

3 Reasons Action is important (& 3 Reasons why it's not) (Victoria Mixon)


Now go. Write!

For Writers - Reading Aloud with Micol Ostow

This week's tip comes to us from Micol Ostow, author of 12 YA books, including POPULAR VOTE, EMILY GOLDBERG LEARNS TO SALSA, twin Simon Pulse comedies, a couple of SASS titles, and her newest release, family.

Told in episodic verse, family is the story of seventeen-year-old Melinda Jensen, who hits the road for San Francisco, leaving behind her fractured home life and a constant assault on her self-esteem. There, she meets Henry, the handsome, charismatic man who comes upon her, collapsed on a park bench, and offers love, a bright new consciousness, and—best of all—a family. One that will embrace her and give her love. Because family is what Mel has never really had. And this new family, Henry’s family, shares everything. They share the chores, their bodies, and their beliefs. And if Mel truly wants to belong, she will share in everything they do. No matter what the family does, or how far they go.

family is a fictionalized exploration of cult dynamics, loosely based on the Manson Family murders of 1969. It is an unflinching look at people who are born broken, and the lengths they’ll go to to make themselves “whole” again.

Here's the chilling trailer:

Micol is half Puerto Rican, half Jewish, half editor, half writer, half chocolate, half peanut butter. When she's under deadline, she's often half asleep. She believes that the whole is greater than the sum of the parts except in the case of Chubby Hubby ice cream. She lives in New York City, where she practices liberal consumption of coffee, cheese, and chocolate.

You can find her online on her blog, blogging with The Contemps and Readergirlz, and by following her on facebook and twitter.

Micol says:

Writing family was such a vastly different experience than writing any of my earlier novels – in terms of content, style, structure, and process – that it’s hard for me to narrow it down to just one tip for any of you out there trying your hand at something completely new.

I could tell you not to be intimidated by subject matter that seems overwhelming, and to just take your story scene by scene. That seemed to work for me. I could tell you to read – a lot, and write – a lot. I could tell you to physically force yourself out of your comfort zone – write early in the morning if you’re used to working at night, or vice versa. Find a new corner of the house, or corner cafe, to work from. Oh! And don’t be afraid to write stinky first draft pages, and then toss those pages out. Don’t look back!

But one thing I haven’t talked much about is a technique that I’d truly never tried before this project: reading my work aloud to myself as I went along.
It can feel pretty silly, sitting at your desk, essentially talking to yourself. And I know the dog definitely thought I was nuts, based on some of the looks she gave me. But family is written in a very lush, lyrical style, and writing poetry was very new to me. Hearing my words out loud helped me to capture hiccups in the cadence and rhythm, or to locate repetitions that weren’t working. It also served almost as a character-building exercise, in that reading my work out loud often got me “in the zone” to write more, and helped me to channel my character’s voice. It was vital to the verse-writing process, for me, but I’m certain I’ll be using it for many of my books to come.

If you haven’t tried reading your work out loud, give it a try! Let me know how it goes. And if you’ve been doing that all along – well, why didn’t you tell me about this fabulous technique?!

This week's link roundup:

20 Minute Workout for your MS (Seeing Creative) I love this. Bonus: links within the link.

7 Ways to Up your Story Game (Cheryl's Musings) How games in MG can connect with readers.

5 Tips for a More Balanced Writer's Life (Publetariat) Bonus: excellent links within the link.

5 Tips for Becoming a More Disciplined Writer (Jody Hedlund) Advice I need to heed. : )

5 Tips for Writing Picture Books (A Way With Words)

5 Tips on Writing Backstory (Cheryl Renee Herbsman) The answer to "why bother?"

4 Tips for Finding Authentic Voice (Rants and Ramblings) The effort is worth it.

3 Characteristics Great Characters have in Common (Buried in the Slushpile)

3 Edgy Little Tips to Make your Plot More Compelling (Story Fix) It's all about the little things.

POV and Opening (The Other Side of the Story) Real life diagnostics.

"Characteristic Moment" (Wordplay) Why opening with one is so important.

Character Intros (The Kill Zone) Setting the scene for first impressions.

Planting Clues (Writer Musings) Know your story.

MG or YA (WOW) How to tell which one are you writing.

Motivational Reaction Units (The Character Therapist) Excellent post.

Plot Development and Navigating Mazes (Cheryl's Musings) Insight to tackling plot problems.

Key Story Elements: Inner and Outer Desire (The Dark Salon) Have I told you before what a treasure Alexandra Sokoloff's blog is? Seriously. It's gold.

Symbolism (Writer Unboxed) 4 ways to pack your manuscript with more meaning.

The Problem of the Eureka Moment (Beyond the Margins) Are epiphanies true to life?

Perseverance - the Hardest P (Adventures in Agentland) The author's job is to believe in herself.

What is your book about? (She Writes) "Your own sincerity is your best marketing."

Successful Queries (Guide to Literary Agents) Example: Sara Megibow's query for SCORE.

The Acquisition Process (underdown.org) Why it takes so long.

Signing with an Agent (Ryan Writes) Perseverance pays off!

The Dirty Business of Writing (Seeking the Write Life) "Suck it up and act professional."

The Flip Side of Self-Promotion (Writer Unboxed) Cautionary advice.


Note: I will be away without consistent Internet for the next two weeks, hence taking a break from the Tip Tuesday posts. They will resume when I get back. (I'm taking my daughter to Italy and Greece - and especially excited since Greece has been a dream destination forever... and it's where PAPARAZZI - the second Cassidy on Camera* book - is set.) Since I won't be able to keep up with great writing posts in the next couple of weeks, if you come across a good one, please email the link to me at gerb (@) lindagerber (.) com and I'll include it in a special roundup when I get back. I'll also try to update the blog with trip photos whenever I can, so stay tuned.

*(my MG series that launches next spring)

Now go. Write!

For Writers - Vacuums Suck

Before we begin, I want to give a shout out and special congratulations to Marsha Skrypuch for her Crystal Kite win. Her book STOLEN CHILD is the selection for The Americas. (Crystal Kite winner list here.)

As one of Marsha's crit partners, I had the privilege of reading much of the book in early stages as well as the completed book, and I highly recommend STOLEN CHILD (and her entire list.). Marsha's research and detail in writing are excellent. But it's how she brings the characters to life that really makes her books special.

For those who haven't heard my Marsha story, she is the one who passed along an opportunity to submit to my current publisher, and set me on the path I'm walking (and writing) now.

I met her online through the Compuserve Books and Writers Community, where she serves as the most excellent sysop of the kidlit group. She is a multi-award-winning author from Canada and I'm a fangirl. Being involved on the list gave the opportunity to get to know her. We've been friends now for nearly a decade. This August we'll get to meet up again in person for only the second time at the SCBWI conference this August in LA (where I'll get to cheer her on as she will be announced and presented with the award!) I have a great deal of admiration and respect for Marsha, and I can't thank her enough for her friendship, mentoring, encouragement and support. Her Crystal Kite win is much deserved!

And this leads me to this week's writer tip:

Don't write in a vacuum.

No matter where you are - geographically or in your writing journey - you don't have to walk the path alone. Seek out other writers. Join a writing group or organization. Attend writers' conferences. Sign up for workshops. Volunteer. Get involved. Get to know, encourage, and support other writers locally and online. Reach out. Connect. Network.

Speaking for myself, networking has made all the difference in my writing experience. Believe me, I understand busy. I totally get crazy. In just the time I've known Marsha, I've bounced from Ohio to Arizona to Michigan to Japan and back to Ohio, battled health problems, raised four kids, and juggled everything else that comes with being a wife and mom... and a writer. But I've also served as the SCBWI Tokyo Regional Advisor, started blogging with Teen Fiction Cafe and the Girlfriends Cyber Circuit, joined Young Adult Authors Against Bullying, and made numerous author and writer friends locally and online. Since moving back to the States, I've found fantastic chapters of the SCBWI, RWA, and Sisters in Crime in my area. I've joined a fabulous local crit group. With the strength of all these writer friends behind me, I've written ten books (six published, four on the way next year) and contributed to four anthologies (including DEAR BULLY, which will be released in August.)

Also, as well as Marsha being my connection to the first book, Wendy Toliver, who I met in an online group, introduced me to Marley Gibson, who gave me a referral to my current agent. Megan Kelley Hall and Carrie Jones are in the GCC group, and made it possible for me to get involved with YAAAB and the DEAR BULLY project. On my own, I would have missed out on all of these opportunities.

The moral: Reach out to other writers. You never know when you could be on the receiving - or more importantly, giving - end of an opportunity, break, tip, connection, voice of reason, whatever, that could make the all the difference for someone... maybe you.


This week's link roundup:

What's your book about? (Jamie Gold) Bonus: excellent links within an interesting post.

Title bling (Adventures in Children's Publishing) Remember PRISM

Rock the Opening (Seeing Creative) Make those first paragraphs really count!

Rock the 1st Chapter (Wordplay) What's the unanswered question in your opening page?

Astrological Signs as Character Building Tools (Guardian Cats) Fun

More Character Building - Right or Left Brained? (The Character Therapist) Quiz

Characters and Archetypes (Daily Writing Tips) Archetypes & personality traits. Excellent.

10 Tips to Improve Your Writing (Publetariat) Excellent general purpose tips.

8 Things to Consider When Naming Characters (Jody Hedlund) General principles...

8 Tips for Fantasy Writers (Ingrid's Notes) c/o Bruce Coville

5 Ways to Gauge Your Story's Potential (Write it Sideways) Using the senses.

4 Visual Tools to Help Writers (The Kill Zone) Bonus: Read comments for even more tool ideas.

4 Tips to Help Strengthen Dialog (QueryTracker)

3 Aspects of Showing, Not Telling (Victoria Mixon) Let your readers experience the story.

3 Common Mistakes to Avoid (Blood-red Pencil) Don't pull your reader out of the story.

Separating Confidence From Self Doubt (Nathan Bransford) Have the strength to doubt.

Vary Sentence Structure (Adventures in Writing) Short and sweet and oh, so true.

More on Sentences (Blood-Red Pencil) Tricks to give them punch.

Inspiration to stick with it. (Teaching Authors) A writer is stronger for the journey.

Inspiration from Libba Bray (Libba Bray) "Leave yourself open to unguarded truths." Beautiful.

More on inspiration (Gail Carson Levine) Where do you find yours?

Matching your ms to the right publisher/editor (John Briggs Books) Do your homework.

Query letters (Kidlit) There is not one true and only way to write a query.

More on queries (Kidlit) Avoid the obvious.

For Picture Book Writers (Darcy Pattison) 99 Picture Books to Study.

Disconnect (Beyond the Margins) Reclaiming our time. Um, sounds like a good place to end this link list, huh?

Now go. Write!

For Writers - Where's the Beef?

It's another wild day here in Dublin. I'm racing to get this posted before the next band of storms arrives. (I can see the mass swiftly approaching on the Doppler. Kind of freaky.) So, quickly, and without further ado...

This week's tip comes from another reader question:

Q. I like my story idea, but sometimes when I write, it seems like nothing is happening. What am I doing wrong?

A. It's tough to diagnose without actually reading your work, but if you think nothing is happening, it sounds like maybe you are lacking the tension to keep the plot moving. Here are a few things you can do to beef up your plot:

1. Chase your hero up a tree and throw stones at her. IOW, make it hard for your character to reach her goal. Throw roadblocks in her way. Disappoint her. Dangle her over an alligator pit (Put her in danger, physically, emotionally, spiritually.) The more trouble, the better. Keep your readers turning the page to find out how she's going to get out of the trouble you've thrown her into.

2. Up the stakes. Ask yourself, what could make it worse? What is at risk? How can you make it bigger? More personal? More urgent? Go there.

3. Give your hero a flaw, and make her overcome it. What's the one thing your character is most afraid of? Make her face that fear/flaw. (Think Indiana Jones and his paralyzing fear of snakes, which he has to face when he is thrown into a pit of writhing snakes before his great escape.)

If you have a question you'd like to see answered on Tip Tuesday, either by me or the panel of expert contributors, send it to: gerb (@) lindagerber (.) com.


This week's link roundup:

Writing a satisfying ending (kidlit) Seriously love Mary Kole.

Shake up your story settings (MyBigNose) Reveal new things about your characters.

Culprits that block Writers (WriterUnboxed) What stops an agent from reading?

Ask why because your readers will (OtherSideOftheStory) Look for plot holes

Theme, Imagery & Description (Kidlit.com) Stick with well-chosen details

More on description (Wordplay) "Telling details"

Appropriate for this week: Thunderstorm thesaurus (Bookshelf Muse) Just one of many fabulous setting thesaurus entries

Fantasy twists (ParanormalPOV) Prepare your readers.

The 10 Commandments of a Successful Writer (Publetariat) Care of Ronnie Loren.

6 Things to Consider when Choosing a Story Idea (YA Muses) Excellent.

More on Ideas (Laura Pauling) How to choose which one to write.

10 things that make a character great (LisaDescrocher) Plus a teaser for Original Sin.

Character web (theAdventurousWriter) Mapping out the relationships between characters.

More on Characters (YAHighway) Strong female characters.

The Inciting Incident (BubbleCow) Technique for engaging readers.

POV (Cheryl'sMusings) What we can learn from Cassandra Clare & 3rd Person Limited POV

Voice of POV (Ingrid'sNotes) Great exercise.

Revisions (Jess Free Falcon) Be brave!

The Breakout Novelist (The CreativePenn) Video interview with The Donald (Maass).


Now go. Write!

Check back!

Apologies to anyone looking for the Tip Tuesday. I'm still away from my desk (long story) so it looks like this week's post is going to become a Writers' Wednesday instead. Check back tomorrow!

Ciao!

For Writers - Which Tense?

Today's tip is an answer to a question I received this week regarding tense...

Q. My critique group read the first few chapters of my YA. The main criticism they had was that I kept bouncing between past and present tense. One member told me I should stick with present tense because it's good for YA, but another said present tense wears the reader out and I should stick to past tense. I asked for a tie-breaker, but the other member said it doesn't matter as long as I stick with one or the other. I don't know which one to choose. Which tense is best for YA? Help!

A. The answer is: there is no one true answer. A majority of YA novels may be written in past tense, but there are a lot of very popular YAs written in present. What you choose comes down to a matter of taste and the kind of effect you are trying to create.

Past tense is a familiar and comfortable tense for storytelling and for reading. Present tense creates a sense of immediacy and puts the reader in the moment. Both can be appropriate and effective for telling your story.

FWIW, I have seen some critics write that they are tired of the present tense "gimmick" in YA, but I disagree that A. it's a gimmick and B. that it's tiresome (or C. that it wears the reader out.) But again, this is a matter of taste. It depends on what feels right for the story.

I agree that you do need to be consistent. (That is, don't jump from past to present and back within a sentence, paragraph or even scene, although you could use a different tense to effectively set a bit of story apart - say, a flashback, for example, or a different narrator.) In the end, it comes down to which tense is right for the story, and right for you as a writer. Trust your instincts. If it feels right, do it.

If you have a question you'd like to see answered on Tip Tuesday, either by me or the panel of expert contributors, send it to: gerb (@) lindagerber (.) com.


This week's link roundup:

What is a story beat? (RayeannCarr) Excellent.

Outlines (Iggi&Gabbi) Techniques for those who hate outlines.

27 Steps to Plotting (PlotWhisperer) YouTube series. Cool.

5 Tips to Power Through that First Draft (MysteryWritingisMurder) via Alan Orloff

20 Great Similes (DailyWritingTips) Inspiration.

3 Traits Your Hero & Villain Should Share (Wordplay) Creating worthy opponents.

2 Sides of the Story (TheOtherSideoftheStory) Dramatic Irony.

This is Intense! (EbonyMcKenna) Tension, transition and pacing, oh, my.

Finding Conflict (Gail Carson Levine) What you do with it is important.

Revision: The Blind Spot (BeyondtheMargins) How to get over it.

Revision: The Drawer (BeyondtheMargins) The magic of letting it sit.

Revision: Optical Illusion (JessFreeFalcon) Love yourself enough to be a little afraid...

Just say NO (TheOpenVein) The power of no.

YA Love Triangles (YAHighway) Why so many? Discussion.

Talking Character (VictoriaMixon) Editors chat.

Offbeat Lessons (WriteitSideways) Persevere and follow your weird.

Get Fresh! (FictionGroupie) Dumping those tired cliches.


Now go. Write!

LATE Winner Announcement

Oy. This was supposed to auto-post... and I was supposed to check and make sure it did!

The winners of last week's freebie are:

Ren

Deniz

Petite


Please send your mailing instructions to gerb (@) lindagerber (.) com and we'll get your books sent out to you!

For Writers - The Idea Fairy

One of the most frequently asked questions I get at school visits and in emails from young readers/writers is: Where do you get your ideas?

Well, there's ideas.com, the idea fairy, Bennie's Big Book of Ideas...

I think what most readers are asking is, what made you want to write about this? But what most budding writers (young and old) are asking is, where do you find the ideas? or, more to the point, how can I come up with original ideas for my own writing?

The answer is that ideas come from all over. From books and magazines, movies and the news. They come from watching people, interacting with people, helping people, in short, they come from living life (and paying attention). My writing friends and I often say (especially when we're slogging through a tough time) "It's all fodder!" In other words, everything we see, hear, feel, do, read, experience - it all goes into the mill for turning out stories.

But, that not being particularly helpful or concise for someone who just needs a little advice on how to jump start their muse*, I give you:

5 Simple Tricks for Generating Story Ideas:

1. Fix what's broken: Have you ever read a book or seen a movie that you just can't like because of a major plot or character flaw? Write your own, improved version.

2. Go classic: Take the plot of a classic movie, book, fairy tale or folk tale and put your own unique twist on it. Set it in a different time or place. Switch the characters' genders. Add a sci-fi, fantasy, or paranormal twist on it. In short, change it up and have fun.

3. Get lyrical: Listen for the story behind the music in your favorite songs. Write about it. (For a brilliant example of how this could evolve, read Nancy Werlin's IMPOSSIBLE.)

4. Follow the promptings: Develop a story from a simple prompt. Here are some links to help you out: Story-Portal, Writers' Digest, Writing.com, or even use some great first lines for your prompts: DailyTips

5. Power up the Generator: Story generators are a fun jumping off place. In fact, the first book of my DEATH BY BIKINI MYSTERIES series evolved from a story generator exercise. You never know where these may lead you.
Story Generator, Complications Generator, Theme Generator, Character Generator

* In the end, you need to write what you are passionate about, what interests you, what moves you, but these are fun ways to get the juices flowing when you're stuck.

This Week's Link Roundup:

Hooks (Editor's Blog) Can't hook 'em with a yawn

Action scenes (Beyond the Margins) When to stay with the action, when you can digress

What to keep and what to kill (Gail Carson Levine) on getting to the point and killing darlings

The key to writing for MG (On Reading) Don't overthink things

So What? (The Other Side of the Story) Making readers care

Writing likable Characters (Cynsations) Guest post by Elise Broach

4 questions to ask about eccentric characters (FloridaWriters)

5 ways to avoid infodump (Publetariat) Slipping in the backstory

More on Backstory (Querytracker) Deepening your story by knowing your characters

8 Elements of good satire (QueryTracker) Writing humor.

7 tips for Finding your voice (Cheryl's Musings)

More on voice (Novel Matters) Voice=authority

And more voice (The other side of the Story) great exercises for finding your voice

18 questions to ask your characters (iggi&gabbi) Character development

Character (The Character Therapist) Worksheets for finding out what makes them tick

Characters: Switching the goal (Write About Now) Characters' choices reveal who they are

Details (Adventures in writing) Short and sweet post - it's the details that pull readers in

Descriptions (It's A Mystery) Keep only what adds to the story.

Building a fantasy world (Sisters in Scribe) Let your readers discover it when it matters.

Using the 5 senses (Falling Leaflets)

Best Advice (Class of 2K11) Debut authors spill on their best writing advice.

5 Revising Tricks (YA Highway) Anything to get us through revision!

6 Steps to Revision (WOW) Give it a clean sweep.

Coherent Paragraphs (edittorent)

4 Things to Check before sending your Query (YA Highway)

8 Things Kristin Nelson wants you to query her with (Pub Rants)

10 Places to submit your fiction (paperback writer)

Now go. Write!

P.S . Check out the celebratory post and cheer for the IOC finally including women athletes in the Nordic Jump events (and enter to win a ski-jumping-centric book, THE FINNISH LINE)!