tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-191619232024-03-18T03:00:34.697-07:00Story SenseiWriting tips and ebook worksheetsCamy Tanghttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14577747925320907186noreply@blogger.comBlogger533125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-19161923.post-58202131940460220572024-02-29T16:40:00.000-08:002024-02-29T16:40:58.900-08:00Story Sensei Newsletter/Blog<p>Hello everyone,</p>
<p>I switched over to ConvertKit for my email service provider and thought I’d combine my newsletter and Story Sensei blog. So now if you’re subscribed to my Story Sensei newsletter, you’ll get an email whenever I post on my Story Sensei blog. Right now, I’m planning to post very infrequently, so you won’t get more than one newsletter a quarter.</p>
<p>If you’d like to unsubscribe from my Story Sensei blog, no problem! Just click the unsubscribe button at the bottom of this email.</p>Camy Tanghttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14577747925320907186noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-19161923.post-29820543843667895862022-08-03T09:00:00.001-07:002022-08-03T09:00:00.194-07:00Camy’s Writing Diary: Evaluation 7<div class="separator" style="clear: both;"><a href="https://camys-writing-diary.blogspot.com/" target="_blank" style="display: block; padding: 1em 0; text-align: center; "><img alt="" border="0" width="400" data-original-height="1080" data-original-width="1080" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgqrXJkFdacR7iQGQQazHQG8SodUufna2e42sv2hdzWHaYNvSowv2WXBkJVy3lYulfH_C7-ueLg6A7hBfqesLvvvY80__BjZD6A8uojbK5g1eKAnnRBqcrUFTjREyERqaNaDCgOvkXl4xLP75Lwz3VbZ400OGMLxFGViiFOa7Hsdrk-cJtVwCE/s400/Camy%27s%20Story%20Sensei%20blog%20for%20writers.png"/></a></div>
It's been a while, but I finally did another evaluation of the various things I've been trying in order to improve my productivity. I feel like I’m getting closer to optimizing a schedule that makes me most productive despite my health issues.<br>
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<a href="https://camys-writing-diary.blogspot.com/2022/07/day-783-evaluation-7.html" target="_blank">Click here to read Evaluation 7.</a>Camy Tanghttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00790591988777275651noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-19161923.post-45630005878508436732022-07-27T09:00:00.014-07:002022-07-27T09:00:00.172-07:00BlockingI wrote earlier in my <a href="https://storysensei.blogspot.com/2022/06/my-book-creation-process.html" target="_blank">Book Creation Process</a> that just before I start writing my manuscript, I’ll take time to write down blocking notes.<br>
<br>
For me, “blocking” is like blocking in a live play. It’s writing a step-by-step description of what happens in a scene to make it easier for me to write the rough draft. The concept is the same as the “beats” described in <a href="https://amzn.to/3HN19pn" target="_blank">Write Better, Faster: How To Triple Your Writing Speed and Write More Every Day</a>, but I call it blocking because “beats” is sometimes used to refer to high-level outlining. Blocking is also mentioned (although she doesn’t call it “blocking”) in <a target="_blank" href="https://amzn.to/3tGWzmo">2k to 10k: Writing Faster, Writing Better, and Writing More of What You Love</a>).<br>
<br>
In <i>Write Better, Faster</i>, the author explained her process in more detail. She calls them beats. She writes one paragraph about each scene in her outline. Then from the one paragraph, she asks a series of questions about each sentence in the paragraph, and in answering all those questions she elaborates on the events in the scene, which also reveals any flaws in plot or logic.<br>
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Writing my own blocking notes makes my writing prose go SO much faster and smoother. I think that for me, the blocking helps me overcome one of my weaknesses, which is my <b>difficulty in making decisions.</b><br>
<br>
In <i>Write Better, Faster</i>, the author points out that in writing a book, there are thousands of decisions the writer has to make, and making those decisions as you are writing the prose eats away at your willpower and mental energy. So her reasoning is that by making as many decisions as possible through writing the beats (which is also lower stress since it’s just beats and not the rough draft), then when you do start writing the draft armed with your list of beats, it is less mentally taxing and makes the writing easier.<br>
<br>
When I do my blocking notes, I can take the time to make decisions about what the characters do and how I want the scene to go. It’s usually easier for me to make all these decisions at once while I’m writing the notes, because in general, decision-making is difficult for me. Then when I’m writing the scene, I don’t have to make these decisions, and so the prose flows more smoothly since I don’t have to stop and figure things out.<br>
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My blocking used to be more sparse—it would be just sketchy notes about what each character does in a scene—but as I wrote volume 4 in my Regency series, I realized that more detailed blocking notes makes the writing go a lot faster when I’m working on the rough draft. So lately my blocking notes have sometimes included play-by-play notes on how I want conversations to go. It also helps when I do a fight play-by-play—I do research about the fighting moves while doing the blocking, and then when writing the fight scene, the prose goes much faster and actually makes the fight scene turn out better, since I’m just focusing on writing it rather than trying to still figure out exactly what they’re doing.<br>
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I’m not sure if anyone would be interested in this, but I thought I might show you what my blocking notes look like, and then the finished scene. Unfortunately I didn’t take very good blocking notes for volume 1 in my Regency series, but I started taking much better blocking notes for volume 2.<br>
<br>
These are the blocking notes for the first scene of chapter three of <i>Lady Wynwood’s Spies, volume 2: Berserker</i>. If you haven’t read volume 1 yet <s>what are you waiting for</s> it won’t spoil the story too much, I don’t think. You can see that my blocking notes also often include some free-writing I do when trying to figure out a plot problem, so the notes are sometimes rather messy. It’s okay since I’m usually the only one who sees these notes.<br>
<br>
First, here’s the description of the entire chapter from my synopsis:<br>
<br>
<blockquote style="border: none; margin: 0px 0px 0px 40px; padding: 0px; text-align: left;">Thorne finds Calvin and the coachman, and sends the twins to the apothecary shop. They search all night until dawn. Thorne returns with the coachman to Laura’s house and reports to Sol that he has narrowed down where Sep might be, since there are a lot of Jack’s men that seem to be wandering around. He needs to change clothes.<br>
<br>
He tries to ignore how he was unusually lucky that night while searching for Sep. The coachman claims God was watching over them. He is unwilling to admit he feels comfort in that thought.</blockquote>
<br>
As you can see, the description in my synopsis is rather sparse. From that, I created blocking notes for the scenes in the chapter. The blocking notes are below. It took me 2 hours and 6 minutes to write up those blocking notes for this specific scene.<br>
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After the blocking notes, I’ll then post the chapter so you can compare the two. To compare with the blocking times, it took me 4 hours and 5 minutes to write the scene and then a total of 1 hour, 42 minutes to edit the scene (the editing was done in two separate passes).<br>
<br>
<b>Blocking notes for chapter three:</b><br>
<br>
Calvin probably started where he last saw Sep. But Thorne only knows the general area where the Berserker was released, he’d have to find the exact house which only Calvin knew. He would have to just backtrack and hope he can find it.<br>
<br>
He goes to find Calvin with Clara. <br>
<br>
He finally finds him, but they haven’t found Sep, who must have wandered far from the Berserker site. Since there was only one person from the Citadel who tried to see Michael, Thorne/Sol suspects there was at least one other man, and Sep might have led him away so they wouldn’t see Sol’s group arrive. <br>
<br>
Emphasize that he worries about the twins. He doesn’t want them near if he has to fight someone because he might forget they’re there when the rage takes over when he’s in a fight. When he’s fighting, the rage takes over and he loses control. He’s not reassured when they assure him they’re fast and can dodge or run away.<br>
<br>
Thorne sends Clara and Calvin away, at the request of Lady Wynwood, who told Clara that they should rest up so they can resume the search in the morning. She has confidence in their ability to ferret out information.<br>
<br>
The coachman stays with Thorne because he knows that his presence deters Thorne from being attacked from normal robbers. Also he wants to help search for Sep.<br>
<br>
So Thorne finds the origin site, then assumes Sep had to fight someone. He’d run down the opposite direction of the street that Michael went, then run away from him. They start tracking where Sep might have gone.<br>
<br>
Thorne has an excellent memory, and while he is not strictly methodical, and tends to decide on paths based on his own instincts, he is able to remember where to go back to try a different option if the first one doesn’t pan out. They try different paths Sep might have run, asking if anyone (at that time of night) had seen two men fighting or chasing each other. <br>
<br>
From what Sol told him about Sep, he would not want innocents hurt, so he would avoid the orphanage. One street will circle back toward the area Michael would be in, so he doesn’t choose that one. Another one leads to the river, and he hears from some old drunks about two men fighting and running. Clara, Calvin and the coachman are valuable to help him ask people for information.<br>
<br>
Thorne has a close call with one of Jack’s men. They go to a possible hiding place in the basement of the orphanage—Thorne doesn’t think Sep would be there because he wouldn’t want to potentially involve children in the search for him or lure the man chasing him into a place where he could injure children or more likely take one hostage to force Sep to turn himself in. But they have to check the spot anyway, and they run into Jack’s men, who are also searching the hiding place. <br>
<br>
Thorne has to do some fast thinking to explain why they’re there. He says that they need to get an iron bedstead from the basement to replace a broken one upstairs. Bedstead for the headmistress of the orphanage, not a child. Heavy, so need two men to carry it.<br>
<br>
They go to the bedstead and set about figuring out how to get it upstairs wild the two men from Jack’s group leave them to it. The coachman looks out to make sure the men actually leave, and then they also escape.<br>
<br>
He loses the trail in an area near the edge of Jack’s territory, and when it gets light, they see men who also appear to be searching for someone. Thorne is about to ask about Sep but spots the men and instantly changes the subject, then moves away. He suspected that if any of Jack’s men see him asking about Michael, they might decide to detain him.<br>
<br>
He finds a prostitute and talks to her, she has seen something. But suddenly Nick appears and overhears their conversation. Nick attacks and Thorne fights back, but he forgets the prostitute is there and his widely swinging fist clips her. Or maybe he grabs her arm to fling her out of the way of the fight and he breaks her arm, like he did with his son. It reminds him of another time he injured an innocent while in a heightened emotional state.<br>
<br>
Once Nick is clear of Thorne, the coachman can use his whip to keep Nick away from them. Nick has to leap away to avoid the whip, and they run away.<br>
<br>
But not only did they not find Sep, now Nick knows Thorne’s face. Nick calls out after them as they run away: Don’t come around here again! I’ll remember your face!<br>
<br>
<b>Chapter three of <i>Lady Wynwood’s Spies, volume 2: Berserker</i>:</b><br>
<br>
Thorne was not intimately familiar with the Long Glades, but he had traversed enough overcrowded cities across the continent that he could recognize the ebb and flow of people, the tales they told with their body language. He was also forced to admit that Clara was extremely valuable in navigating the streets, not only because she had apparently grown up on them, but also because she had a knack for knowing who to approach, what types of questions to ask in order to get the information she needed.<br>
<br>
They started in the seedy area where Mr. Coulton-Jones had first begun wreaking havoc. Calvin had probably started his own search at the building where he last saw Mr. Ackett, but Thorne did not know where that was. He would have to search for clues along the trail that Mr. Coulton-Jones had left, backtracking and hoping that he would find the origin point.<br>
<br>
Thorne had thought that after the destruction of earlier this evening, the streets would be more empty, but it seemed there were even more people wandering about where Mr. Coulton-Jones had destroyed the most property. A large number were completely foxed, sprinkled with a few street-walkers who were trying to take advantage of the men in their inebriated state. Alehouses and coffeehouses alike were brightly lit. Thorne had expected more shopkeepers to be bustling about to protect their stock, but there was a disheartening amount of looting with no one to object—officers of the watch were absent, not even bothering to enter the area and try to interfere.<br>
<br>
Thorne had to remind himself not to grab at Clara when a man came too close, because she was dressed as a boy not a girl. But she proved very adept at avoiding people who might be tempted to deliver a drunken clout for coming too close. When necessary, she could give a scathing set down, peppered with extremely colorful language, to anyone who approached her.<br>
<br>
Mr. Coulton-Jones’s path had been very erratic, so Thorne had a difficult time trying to determine from which direction he had come. At a crossroads, when he was about to turn right, Clara tugged at his sleeve.<br>
<br>
“Sir, I think we should go left.”<br>
<br>
The left side of the street was not much different from the right. “What makes you say that?”<br>
<br>
“Calvin already knows where Mr. Ackett was, and so he’d be looking for where Mr. Ackett would think to run to. There are some places to hide down this way.”<br>
<br>
Thorne wasn’t entirely certain that a grown man would choose the same hiding places of an eleven-year-old, but at the moment he was more interested in finding Calvin. He nodded and followed Clara to the left.<br>
<br>
He was right to follow the advice of his guide. Within five minutes, Clara had suddenly burst into a run and skidded to a halt next to a young boy ahead of them. Thorne wasn’t even certain how she had been able to see him, since the sidewalks were dark in this section of the street, and Calvin had just slid out of an alley.<br>
<br>
When Thorne approached, Clara was in the midst of explaining everything to her brother, and then she introduced Thorne. The young boy looked up at him with shrewd eyes that seemed to search his face for something. Then he pointed back down the alley. “Mr. Havner is still down there. You’ll have to explain it all over again to him.”<br>
<br>
Clara groaned. “I’d forgotten about that.” She bopped him in the shoulder with her fist. “Why didn’t you stop me sooner?”<br>
<br>
“I couldn’t get a word in, because you were gobbing like a chicken.”<br>
<br>
Mr. Havner lumbered into view. Thorne was relieved that the man was wide and strong, looking more like a blacksmith than a coachman. He walked with a deceptively fluid looseness to his muscles, which indicated he was on the alert at the sight of Thorne, despite the relaxed demeanor of the twins standing next to him. “Who’s your friend, Calvin?”<br>
<br>
Clara went into a repetition of what she told her brother.<br>
<br>
“Did you find Mr. Ackett?” Thorne asked, although he suspected the answer was negative.<br>
<br>
“We started searching in the opposite direction that Mr. Coulton-Jones went,” Calvin said. “We scared away a man from the warehouse. Mr. Havner said the man probably had a friend, and Mr. Ackett was fighting him.”<br>
<br>
“Since Mr. Ackett had sent Calvin for help, he might have led his opponent away so he wouldn’t see our group arrive.”<br>
<br>
Thorne nodded. It’s what he would’ve guessed, also, and Mr. Drydale had mentioned the same thing to him. “Show me where you last saw Mr. Ackett.”<br>
<br>
It was an empty brothel that looked as if an entire carriage had crashed into the front of it. The door and part of the wall it had been attached to were in splinters on the ground, and three-quarters of the front room of the shop was open to the street. Candles broken until they looked like creamy gravel littered the floor because most of the wooden shelves along the walls had also been smashed, along with the furniture in the room.<br>
<br>
There was also a door on the side of the front room leading to a narrow set of stairs to the floor above, but the door had been smashed into the stairwell. Thorne looked at the pieces, and they seemed smaller than what he would expect if a man had simply been thrown into the door … as if the wood had been trampled upon by two men engaged in a fistfight.<br>
<br>
Thorne turned to Calvin. “You mentioned that Mr. Ackett approached the building from the roof?”<br>
<br>
“Uh-huh.”<br>
<br>
Several of the lower steps of the stairs had been broken, so Thorne had to back up a few steps in order to leap. He rested one foot briefly on the far right edge of the stairs, which boasted only a few inches of wood still attached to the wall, then pushed off so that his other foot could land solidly on the lowest unbroken step. Calvin looked like he was going to try to make the same jump, so Thorne ordered him, “Stay down there.”<br>
<br>
Calvin’s face turned mulish. “What if you need help?”<br>
<br>
Only after he had voiced the question did Thorne notice the anxiety the boy was trying to hide. This probably reminded him of when he had watched Mr. Ackett leave him behind. At the same time, Thorne did not want Calvin rushing into a dangerous situation. He might’ve been helpful to Mr. Drydale in the warehouse earlier tonight, but for Thorne, having him there would be a distraction. “I’ll be back in fifteen minutes.”<br>
<br>
Calvin opened his mouth to protest again, but Thorne turned and headed up the stairway, and his footsteps sounded over whatever the boy said.<br>
<br>
He heard the coachman behind him at the bottom of the stairs. “Listen to the man and stay here, Calvin.” Thorne was relieved that Mr. Havner reaffirmed his order, but the relief lasted only a few seconds. The sound of muffled footsteps made him turn around and see that the coachman had leaped up to follow him onto the stairwell.<br>
<br>
One room on the second floor was empty except for a wooden chair toppled over in the middle of it. There were no lamps, no ropes that might have tied a man to the chair, but the window set high against one wall was open and large enough that a slim man could slip through. Thorne peered through the window and saw the distance to the closest rooftop. The danger of the jump made him blanch a little, but after Mr. Drydale had described Mr. Ackett’s rooftop running, Thorne didn’t dismiss the possibility.<br>
<br>
He and the coachman returned downstairs, where Calvin was still at the base of the stairs, shuffling from foot to foot. He was relieved to see the two of them, although he tried to hide it with a casual expression as he turned to once more enter the front room of the building.<br>
<br>
Outside the brothel, Thorne turned to the twins. “Lady Wynwood instructed me to send you both back to the apothecary shop.”<br>
<br>
Calvin sent out a loud protest. Clara did not, but her face settled into disapproving lines, a more feminine version of the mulish expression that Calvin had showed to Thorne only a few minutes ago.<br>
<br>
“Yes, yes, I realize that you want to help, but I am under orders from your employer.” He imagined Lady Wynwood’s face, calm and patient, but he had sensed the steel behind her polite words. He had instinctively known she was not someone to cross without severe consequences. “I received the impression she would happily slit my stomach if I did not do as she asked.”<br>
<br>
The twins’ protest melted into caution, and they glanced at each other.<br>
<br>
“Fine,” Calvin said in a voice as if someone asked him to eat a scorpion.<br>
<br>
“I’ll be staying with you, sir,” Mr. Havner stated.<br>
<br>
Thorne opened his mouth to protest, suddenly feeling like one of the twins, but Mr. Havner continued, “Don’t know if you’ve noticed, sir, but there are more pickpockets on the street than normal. Probably more robbers, also. Another man with you would deter the more aggressive ones from attacking you for your purse.”<br>
<br>
He had been alone in cities far more dangerous than the streets now, and he knew he could handle himself if he was attacked. But there was a new dimension to the threat now, if he was attacked by one of the men in Apothecary Jack’s gang who possessed the strength given to them by the Root.<br>
<br>
The coachman turned to the twins. “Get on with you, the pair of you. I’ll stay to watch out for Mr. Rosmont, so you go back to the apothecary shop to protect the two young misses.”<br>
<br>
The man’s words seemed to lighten an invisible burden that Calvin was carrying. He straightened his shoulders, gave a firm nod to the two men, then he and his sister turned away. Thorne was impressed at the way they melted into the darkness edging the street.<br>
<br>
For the next several hours, Thorne and Mr. Havner tediously wound through the maze of streets of the Long Glades. Thorne had worked diligently to develop a good memory, and so he was able to conduct the search without backtracking or becoming lost. However, he was not strictly methodical and sometimes decided on paths based on his instincts, or on his guess as to where Mr. Ackett’s instinct would take him.<br>
<br>
The two men also managed to extract information from the people on the streets, although that number decreased as the hours went by. They asked about two men who may have been fighting, or one chasing the other. They heard that the larger man in pursuit had a ruined ear, which suggested he might be the man named Silas who had fought Michael and Mr. Ackett before.<br>
<br>
Unfortunately, many people comfortable on the London streets at night also knew to keep their mouth shut about anything they might have seen, so as to avoid becoming entangled in anything troublesome. If his instincts told him they were hiding something, he would shake his purse, and sometimes that would loosen tongues.<br>
<br>
They managed to get a slovenly-looking woman standing in the doorway of a boarding house to speak to them, and she mentioned a nearby orphanage with a large basement with three or four entrances. Thorne doubted Mr. Ackett would lead his pursuer anywhere near so many children, but they checked the large space anyway, which served as a storeroom for the orphanage. All they got for their trouble were spiders in their hair.<br>
<br>
However, outside the building, a street urchin who may or may not have belonged to the orphanage told them about two drunks who liked to wile away the evening outside of a closed fishmonger’s shop. They kept their eyes open and would occasionally be induced to open their mouths in exchange for coin.<br>
<br>
The coming dawn was turning the fog near the river to gray when Thorne and Mr. Havner lost the trail of the two men again. Their last clue had been from the pair of old drunks, but no one with whom they had spoken since then had seen either Mr. Ackett or Silas.<br>
<br>
Thorne also began to get more narrowed looks from people along the street. In the darkness, the quality of his clothing hadn’t been as noticeable, but now he could tell that he was starting to stand out, even though he had donned his oldest jacket, shirt, and breeches. He hadn’t known much about what Isabella had wanted him to do, so he had simply opted for plain, nondescript clothing from his normal wardrobe. It was not unusual to see a nobleman in these sorts of areas at night, but this street hadn’t any gambling halls and only one dingy brothel.<br>
<br>
He had some working men’s clothes in the back of the wardrobe at his townhouse, however, so perhaps now would be a good time for him to return and don a disguise.<br>
<br>
There was another reason for him to postpone the search. Thorne had been trained to observe the people around him, so that he could blend in—whether a drunkard, a fisherman, or a working man, he could imitate their gait and speech if he had the right clothing.<br>
<br>
So he was able to notice the ones on the street who did <i>not</i> blend in—men walking confidently, arrogantly sometimes, inciting fear from others who scuttled away when they drew near.<br>
<br>
One thin man in particular was closest to them. Other men who were clearly heavier than he would give way for him on the sidewalk and turn away so as not to meet his eyes.<br>
<br>
Thorne and Mr. Havner began sauntering away in the opposite direction of the thin man. They shivered in the fog, but Thorne began picking his way back the way they had come.<br>
<br>
“It’s getting a bit crowded around here.” The coachman looked back over his shoulder quickly, then turned around with his head bent forward. “I don’t need to pretend to be scared of them. I’ve never seen men like that before.”<br>
<br>
“Keep your voice down,” Thorne cautioned him. They were walking in the middle of the street and there didn’t seem to be anyone nearby, but he didn’t want to take any chances. Mr. Drydale had warned him about the dangers of being overheard by those men when he least expected.<br>
<br>
“They’re still looking for him. There’s hope,” Thorne said.<br>
<br>
“But how long can he remain hidden?”<br>
<br>
“Then we had better find him soon. Just be careful who you speak to.”<br>
<br>
They continued down the river until they reached a section that didn’t seem to have any of those swaggering men walking about.<br>
<br>
Thorne almost didn’t see the too young, too painfully thin prostitute huddled in a darkened doorway. The coachman’s path veered toward her, and he said in a gentle voice, “Slow night for you, dearie?”<br>
<br>
The girl was obviously exhausted, but she made an effort to shake the hair out of her eyes and rise shakily to her feet. She gave him a thin smile. “I’m available if you’re wanting some company, sir.”<br>
<br>
“Don’t need that. You ought to be getting to bed.”<br>
<br>
“I got none, unless I bring Ferbin enough money from tonight.”<br>
<br>
The coachman’s face suddenly hardened, although he was not angry at the girl. “You’d be better off getting away from the likes of him.”<br>
<br>
“That’s impossible.” Her voice was defeated and tired. It was as if her soul was simply an empty vessel by now.<br>
<br>
“How much do you need?”<br>
<br>
The eyes that looked up to him were pale blue, almost silver, and they were wary. “Sir?”<br>
<br>
“I can pay you for something other than a tumble,” he said. “Were you here all night?”<br>
<br>
“Mostly.” The girl’s dirty hand rubbed her nose as she looked down at her feet. “Can’t go to the more popular places, the other girls are protective of their territory.”<br>
<br>
“We’re trying to find our friend. He’s slender, black hair, might be injured. He was being chased by another man, big, with a mangled ear.”<br>
<br>
Fear flowed down the girl’s face like a bucket of ice water dumped over her head. She shook her head back and forth, and twisted her fingers together. “Never seen him, didn’t see nothing.”<br>
<br>
“You won’t get in trouble,” Thorne said. “We’ll speak of this to no one.”<br>
<br>
“It doesn’t matter. They’ll hear.”<br>
<br>
“They won’t from us.”<br>
<br>
“You won’t need to worry, if you get out of town,” the coachman said.<br>
<br>
Thorne gave the man a sharp glance. He felt for the girl’s sorry state, but it was impossible to help every poor, beaten-down drab in London. What was the man doing?<br>
<br>
But the girl kept shaking her head. “I told you, it’s impossible.”<br>
<br>
“You’ve no reason to trust us,” the coachman said, “but what do you have to lose? Ferbin will beat you if you come back tonight with your purse too light, and from the looks of you, you won’t last many more of those.”<br>
<br>
The girl stopped shaking her head, but she still wouldn’t look up at the two men. She said nothing.<br>
<br>
“Tell us what you saw.” Thorne glanced up and down the street, but the fog was still thick, and the buildings here were tall enough that the first gray streaks of dawn hardly reached the ground. He strained his ears but could hear nothing. He turned back to the girl. “Our friend is slender, black hair, injured. We have to find him.”<br>
<br>
“I didn’t see him.” The girl bit her lip so hard that blood stained her teeth, which were an unusual pearly white. Then she said in a soft voice that Thorne almost didn’t hear, “The man after him was Silas.”<br>
<br>
At that moment, Thorne heard the strike of a boot heel against the ground, far away down the street.<br>
<br>
He clapped his hand over the girl’s mouth, and motioned to the coachman, indicating the direction he’d heard the footsteps. Mr. Havner looked in that direction, taking a few steps back. Even just those few feet made the coachman’s figure become indistinct in the fog, which seemed to have suddenly grown thicker, darker.<br>
<br>
Thorne spoke in a low voice, “Come with us.” If the man was close enough to hear them, it would sound like a simple proposition, common enough when spoken to a woman in this part of London.<br>
<br>
“She won’t be going anywhere with you.” The voice was a man’s voice, but high-pitched. It was also still far away. It had been difficult for Thorne to hear him at all, but apparently the man had heard them clearly.<br>
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It was the same man as before. He was almost as painfully thin as the prostitute, with large ears that stuck out from the side of his head almost as far as his narrow shoulders, and he had a long, knobby neck, like a turkey. Or a vulture. His gray hat was shapeless, but there were tufts of straight, red-gold hair that peeked out over his ears.<br>
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His eyes were not quite as hard as some of the other men that Thorne had seen—there was frustration, doubt, and a touch of fear that lingered behind the confidence in his gaze. Thorne had known men like this, men who were on the outskirts of a group, wanting to fit in, not quite living up to expectations.<br>
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It surprised him, but he should have known better. Gangs were not made up of only one type of man. Even among the men Apothecary Jack had gathered around himself, there would be some who struggled to please their employer.<br>
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“What were you saying about Silas?” the man asked as he walked closer. His footsteps weren’t extraordinarily soft, and they weren’t loud, either. But the sound of his boots hitting the cobblestones was the same sound that Thorne had heard. He had been extraordinarily lucky to hear the man’s footstep.<br>
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And now it became obvious that the man had clearly heard their conversation, despite being so far away he should have barely been able to make out the words.<br>
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The prostitute had begun to shake violently at the sight of the man. Her mouth opened and closed soundlessly, and her skin had turned as white as her eyes. “P-p-please … Please, Nick …”<br>
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Nick’s gaze on the girl was sharp like an ice pick. “You’re one of Ferbin’s girls, aren’t you? You should know better than that.”<br>
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“It’s not what you think …” The girl stuffed her fist into her mouth in fright.<br>
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Nick shifted his attention to Thorne, and his gaze became harder, but there was also a gleam of excitement. “He said someone would come looking for him. How lucky for me that I get to bring you in.”<br>
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Thorne’s entire body vibrated with tension, and he felt the familiar boiling sensation through his veins. Mr. Drydale’s logical injunctions to avoid engaging with these men receded to the back of his mind, muted against the roaring of his heartbeat in his ears. If the man wanted a fight, Thorne would give him a fight. Thorne weighed almost twice as much as he did, and was taller. He could snap that neck between his hands. How much strength could a potion really give to a man?<br>
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Nick smiled, and Thorne saw that the same excitement rising in him was mirrored in his opponent. It made him burn hotter, and his vision became crystal clear.<br>
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He attacked faster than Thorne could see.<br>
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The fist flying at him wasn’t even a blur, just a twitch at the edge of his vision. He didn’t have time to react before the impact slammed into his stomach. He felt the blow all the way to his spine, felt the pain of bones creaking, reluctantly curving, and then suddenly pain exploded all the way from the top of his head down to his tailbone. He belatedly heard the sound of his impact against the wooden door behind him, saw splinters flying around in the air.<br>
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There was movement on his right. In his pain, he grabbed at that movement out of self-defense. But his hand latched onto a thin arm.<br>
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The prostitute. He needed to get her to safety, he needed to make sure she was out of the range of this fight.<br>
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His head was still spinning, the edges of his vision filled with stars, but he stepped out from the doorway on wobbly legs, still holding onto the girl’s arm. Then he flung her away, toward where he thought the coachman had been. “Get out of here!” he roared at her.<br>
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But as he tried to shove her away, he suddenly felt the bones under his hand snap.<br>
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That tiny sensation, the evidence of his strength, made the memory of another tiny set of broken bones engulf his mind. The memory sobered him faster than a dunk in the Thames. Only when he blinked did he realize that there had been a reddish haze over his vision, and the pain in every part of him came screaming to life. He felt as if Nick had punched a hole straight through his gut, and the back of his head throbbed from where the blow had shoved him three or four feet back into the wooden door.<br>
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Nick was taking his time, which was the only reason Thorne was still alive. He was struck with amazement by the man’s strength. If he had not let his reason fade, he would’ve realized that Mr. Drydale would not exaggerate about something like that.<br>
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He wanted to see how the prostitute fared, but his opponent attacked again, this time with the other fist aimed at Thorne’s head. He managed to tilt his head to the side to avoid most of the blow, but it caught on his ear. It felt as if his entire ear had been torn off. After a strange moment of silence, there was a sudden ringing that seem to be sounding right next to his head.<br>
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Thorne tried to counter with a fist of his own, but compared to Nick’s movements, he looked like he was moving through water. The man almost negligently swatted his arm away as if Thorne’s fist was a willow branch, then countered with another jab to his stomach. It didn’t hit the exact spot as the last blow—instead, Nick’s fist buried itself on the opposite side of Thorne’s torso, but there was the same pain as his spine absorbed the impact.<br>
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Thorne was too close to him. With an opponent so impossibly fast, he had no chance in close quarters. But his back was to the doorway the prostitute had been hiding in. When he tried to shift to his right, he was lucky enough to stumble and avoid another fist that the man threw at him.<br>
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Thorne’s knees bent from his misstep, his arms thrown out on either side of his body, so he used his lower stance to his advantage. One hand was close enough to the wooden wall that he could flatten it firmly, then he planted his right leg like a tree trunk and kicked out as fast and hard as he could with his left leg.<br>
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He wasn’t entirely certain why Nick didn’t dodge. He was fast enough that he could have, but perhaps Thorne’s kick took him by surprise. His boot cut the man in the stomach and thrust him several feet away. Thorne unbent quickly, ignoring the screaming pain in his middle, to try to predict what his opponent would do next.<br>
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But the attack never came. Instead, a blur came out of the fog, a thin black wisp that was nearly invisible, and it cracked inches in front of Nick’s nose with a sound like a gunshot. A horsewhip. Thorne knew of only one man who would have that in this place, at this time.<br>
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He could see a shadowy figure in the fog, but not the coachman’s features. However, Thorne recognized his movements and the tall, solid build of Mr. Havner. He could barely see, and he wondered how Mr. Havner had managed to aim at Thorne’s attacker. Then again, perhaps he had been aiming for the body and had only hit the space in front of him because of his obscured vision.<br>
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Whatever his intentions, the whip startled Nick, who jerked his head and stumbled backward a few more steps. But he didn’t hesitate for a long. His eyes darted toward where the whip had come from, then back to Thorne. He took a step toward him, but the whip cracked again. This time a scarlet line appeared across the thin man’s thigh. He howled and grabbed at his thigh.<br>
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“Run, man!”<br>
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Only when he heard the coachman’s voice did Thorne realize he had frozen. He obeyed, sprinting down the street. Footsteps began to follow behind him, but when he glanced back, Nick was simply a ghostly smear in the fog. Matching that image, a voice roared at them with all the fury of a spirit haunting the mortal plane in search of revenge. “You can’t get away from me! I’ll find you! <i>I remember your face!”</i><br>
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Not only had he failed to find Mr. Ackett—now one of Apothecary Jack’s men knew Thorne’s face.Camy Tanghttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00790591988777275651noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-19161923.post-77375143835556282022022-06-21T09:00:00.000-07:002022-06-21T09:00:00.198-07:00My Book Creation ProcessMaybe I’m just weird, but I like to know how different writers do their writing. I like knowing how they spend each day. I like knowing their process when they write a book, from idea to outlining to drafting to editing.<br>
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Every writer is different in subtle ways, and I’ve discovered that a writer can discover what works best for them by seeing what works for other people, and then experimenting and trying it for themselves. Sometimes a process works, sometimes it doesn’t, but at least you’ve tried it to see.<br>
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I spent a lot of time trying out methods to improve my productivity and enable me to write the best book I can. I thought it might be interesting to list what my book creation process is. Not all my methods will work for all writers, but I might do some things in a way you haven’t tried before, and it might be a process that ends up working for you.<br>
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<b>Stage 1)</b> I usually start with the characters. I write the backstory and family first, and I jot notes in a file in Scrivener as I think about everything that comes to me about them.<br>
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This part will often take months, if not years, as a character slowly comes to me. I will work on the characters for a week or two, then put the project away. Then a few weeks or months later, work on it again.<br>
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I will usually put off naming them until I know a bit more about them (for the longest time, the four heroines in my Sushi series were Characters A, B, C, and D). Once I have a slight grasp on their personalities and maybe how they look visually, I’ll come up with a name.<br>
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I used to be more arbitrary about names and just name a character by going with my gut, but since I started writing Regencies I’ve been more careful about names because it really would be kind of rude to name a character after an actual member of the peerage who might be alive, or whose family might be offended at the fictional character named after their ancestor. I just think about if someone I don’t know named a character Camy Tang who is nothing like me, and I think it would irk me a little.<br>
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For my contemporary romances, I don’t have to worry about that, but the process I developed in naming my Regency characters has carried over to this genre, too. I will look at the character’s personality and think up some key words, and then try to find a first and last name that fits those keywords. But occasionally I’ll just pick a name which I like the sound of.<br>
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I typically work on the character until I’ve pretty much exhausted that initial bolus of ideas about them. I will usually write a bit on their internal or spiritual conflict, and also the romantic conflict between the hero and heroine.<br>
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<b>Stage 2)</b> Next I work on the plot and the external conflict. This is harder for me and I usually get inspiration from outside events or movies or TV shows. I use the <a href="https://www.advancedfictionwriting.com/articles/snowflake-method/" target="_blank">Snowflake method</a> of plotting, starting from large scale events and then slowly going deeper into more detail.<br>
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For Snowflake step 2 (1-paragraph summary of the book’s plot), I put all the paragraphs for all the volumes of the series in a file in Scrivener titled “1-paragraph summaries.” Then for Snowflake step 4 (writing a one-page synopsis for each book), I put all the synopses for each book in the series in a single file titled “Entire series plot.” When I do Snowflake step 6 (write an expanded synopsis for each book), each book’s expanded synopsis is in it’s own file.<br>
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<b>Stage 3)</b> After finishing Snowflake step 6, before starting Snowflake step 8, I’ll go back and make sure the book has a cohesive internal/spiritual arc and a strong romantic arc. I plan the spiritual and romantic arcs at this stage so that I can be sure they flow well in the story.<br>
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I know lots of romance authors who can’t do this because it’s too much plotting or too detail-oriented, and I totally understand where they’re coming from. But personally, I have a hard time writing the romantic arc in a book without plotting it out, and I can’t edit a romantic arc very well in a written manuscript. So I do this step because I know that otherwise, my spiritual and romantic arcs will be weak and/or disjointed.<br>
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<b>Stage 4)</b> I’ll usually make one Hero’s and one Heroine’s Journeys spreadsheet for the series. Each spreadsheet has one column for each main protagonist, and each cell is a stage in the Hero or Heroine’s Journeys. My Heroine’s Journey follows the regular Heroine’s Journey, but my Hero’s Journey spreadsheet is a hybrid of the external events and the heroes’ internal journeys. I have read lots of books on both Hero’s and Heroine’s Journeys, but my favorite is <a target="_blank" href="https://amzn.to/39vQfY8">45 Master Characters, Revised Edition: Mythic Models for Creating Original Characters</a>, and in my spreadsheet I use an adjusted version of her descriptions of each stage of the journeys.<br>
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This is to make sure each protagonist’s spiritual journey has a strong arc through their particular book (if each book in the series is a stand-alone) or through all the books in the series (if each book is not stand-alone). I use the spreadsheet as a very broad overview to make sure I have the vital elements from each journey for each character.<br>
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<b>Stage 4b)</b> If I’m doing a series, at this point I will also fill out a Series Character Overview spreadsheet that has one column for each main character in the series. My Series Character Overview spreadsheet is very simple, but it gives me a quick glance at each of the characters’ external, spiritual, and romantic conflicts.<br>
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I have one header column that has:<br>
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Name<br>
Archetype<br>
Job<br>
Wound/unerasable sin<br>
Background/Ordinary World<br>
Spiritual conflict<br>
Needs to learn<br>
Scripture<br>
Doesn’t want to be with him/her because:<br>
Needs him/her because:<br>
External goal<br>
External conflict<br>
Villain<br>
Inciting Incident<br>
Disaster 1<br>
Disaster 2<br>
Disaster 3<br>
Why am I passionate about this book?<br>
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Then to the right of that column, I have one column per character and I fill in those factors. For the “Villain” and “Why am I passionate about this book?”, I will often have the same answer for both the hero and heroine of a single book, but the other cells are usually specific for each character.<br>
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My Series Character Overview spreadsheet actually is very much like a combination of Snowflake steps 3 and 5, except in spreadsheet format rather than a paragraph. I also have one file in Scrivener for each of my characters' information, but my Series Character Overview spreadsheet is more of a summary of the main characters in the entire series.<br>
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<b>Stage 5)</b> At this point, my plotting and outlining goes into overdrive, which is way more than what most writers do. I’ll do Snowflake step 8 and make a scene spreadsheet, and at the same time I usually do some blocking (explained below).<br>
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The scene spreadsheet of Snowflake step 8 is an important step for me because I also list what scenes will be in what character’s point of view, and when in the story timeline each scene happens. I will also do an extra step and make sure each Scene has a Goal, Obstacle, and Disaster or, if it’s a Sequel, I’ll make sure it has a Reaction, Dilemma, Decision. (These terms are straight from Dwight Swain’s book, <a target="_blank" href="https://amzn.to/3tHMmGD">Techniques of the Selling Writer</a>. I also wrote articles on <a href="http://storysensei.blogspot.com/2005/08/scene-and-sequel-scene.html" target="_blank">Scenes</a> and <a href="http://storysensei.blogspot.com/2005/08/scene-and-sequel-sequel.html" target="_blank">Sequels</a> on my Story Sensei blog.)<br>
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I do this to make sure each scene has a purpose. I don’t want scenes that are rambling or don’t advance the plot.<br>
<div style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEizAq8BZVvPiFiZAse-0VzUPPvEVtT31RgZMMrufm7aewj3dxk610-nAtUEQ3vFxdbGuxVLq2v9f-2ytDvISX4uc3opN7g77oz0ZeQ5GsOWF9XiPviOyuYVVrmFLKbnCg2aJUBRbJOeT2_etR10VMnjY8bRZIkz_7JyO8Hna2YexE-ZqKAaz3g/s3262/Lady%20Wynwood%20Volume%201%20scenes%20example.jpg" imageanchor="1"><img border="0" data-original-height="1081" data-original-width="3262" height="213" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEizAq8BZVvPiFiZAse-0VzUPPvEVtT31RgZMMrufm7aewj3dxk610-nAtUEQ3vFxdbGuxVLq2v9f-2ytDvISX4uc3opN7g77oz0ZeQ5GsOWF9XiPviOyuYVVrmFLKbnCg2aJUBRbJOeT2_etR10VMnjY8bRZIkz_7JyO8Hna2YexE-ZqKAaz3g/w640-h213/Lady%20Wynwood%20Volume%201%20scenes%20example.jpg" width="640" /></a></div>
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I also create blocking notes for each scene (one file in Scrivener for each scene). For my writing process, “blocking” is like blocking in a live play. It’s writing a step-by-step description of the details of a scene—where the characters go, what they do, their internal thoughts, ideas for dialogue, etc.—to make it easier for me to write the rough draft.<br>
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The concept is the same as the “beats” described in <a href="https://amzn.to/3HN19pn" target="_blank">Write Better, Faster</a>, but I call it blocking because “beats” is sometimes instead used to refer to high-level outlining. Blocking is also mentioned (although she doesn’t call it “blocking”) in <a target="_blank" href="https://amzn.to/3tGWzmo">2k to 10k</a>.<br>
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I started doing blocking notes because when I’m planning out the scenes for Snowflake step 8, more details about the scene will usually come to mind that would make my scene spreadsheet too cluttered. Instead, I started jotting these details down in a file with blocking notes for the particular scene (which is why Snowflake step 8 is combined with my blocking when going through my Book Creation Process stages).<br>
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I used to try to separate the Snowflake step 8 (scene spreadsheet) and blocking step, but when doing the scene spreadsheet, I found that I can’t stop myself from coming up with more details, and I want to write that stuff down so I don’t forget it. So I would tend to always do some blocking while I’m doing Snowflake step 8. So now, when I track my writing time, when I do Snowflake step 8, I list it as “blocking” since I’m likely doing some blocking at the same time.<br>
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In the past, I would only do a few scenes in the spreadsheet and then start writing. However, now, I’ve adjusted my process to complete the entire scene spreadsheet and most of the blocking all at once before I start writing. I find that my writing tends to be smoother when I’m only doing the writing and not trying to switch mindset to do the scene spreadsheet or blocking.<br>
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<b>Stage 6)</b> At this point, I’ll start writing the book. I got a really nice <a href="https://amzn.to/3xAZKgH" target="_blank">gaming keyboard</a>, which made a HUGE difference in how smoothly and quickly I type.<br>
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Before, I would finish the manuscript and (ideally) wait a minimum of 4 weeks before doing the editing. That way when I get back to it, it’s fresher and I have a clear-minded perspective that can more easily start hacking and slashing if necessary. However, now that I’m my own boss and don’t have a publishing house editor expecting my manuscript, I found I have a tendency to procrastinate doing the self-editing.<br>
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It’s because I loathe self-editing. <i>Loathe it.</i><br>
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I discovered that it’s easier for me to get myself to do my self-editing if I do it as I write rather than waiting a few weeks after the manuscript is done. The process has been referred to (by other writers) as <a href="https://camys-writing-diary.blogspot.com/2020/10/day-137-cycling-or-editing-before-your.html" target="_blank">cycling</a>, and basically it’s starting your workday by first self-editing what you wrote the day before, then moving on to your writing for the day. You end up with a very clean edited draft rather than a typical “rough” draft.<br>
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I also experimented with writing fast (I’ve seen it referred to as “vomit writing”) and just leaving notes for yourself in your manuscript rather than pausing to look things up or come up with a better word or phrase when you get stuck. Some writers don’t even correct typos.<br>
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However, I discovered that when I edit something that messy, the editing suffers. I’m so concentrated on fixing all the mistakes that I don’t do things like tweak word choices to eliminate repetition or make the prose clearer, I don’t adjust phrases to make it sound more like the particular character speaking it, or any of those little things that tighten and refine my writing.<br>
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So now I’ve been writing at whatever pace I feel I can handle. I edit my writing as I go so that the first draft is very clean (this is even before I do a cycling pass the next day). It makes my writing pace much slower, but I feel like the overall quality of my writing is much better.<br>
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This method of writing slowly and editing as I go wouldn’t work for some writers, especially if have issues with editing too much and spending too much time editing so that they never move forward with their writing. Luckily, I don’t have that problem (it’s probably because I loathe self-editing so much), so I usually only work on a sentence or paragraph just until I feel it’s satisfactory, and then I’ll keep writing.<br>
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However, if a writer did have those kinds of compulsive self-editing tendencies, I would suggest doing “vomit writing” and just writing without stopping, without correcting yourself. It really forces you to move forward on the manuscript. It’s a method that worked for me during all the years I wrote for Zondervan, Love Inspired, and Guideposts. However, since I was provided with professional editors at those publishing houses, my poor self-editing skills didn’t impact the final product as much. Now I have to rely only on myself, so I adjusted my writing style.<br>
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(Note on dictation: I tried doing dictation several times, and I got it to work for me up to a point, but I didn’t fully commit to it and didn’t get successful and productive at it. At some point I’ll try again, but for now, I’m just typing like normal.)<br>
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<b>Stage 7)</b> I used to contact my graphic designer about a cover for the book after I finished writing it, but I have discovered that it helps me do my marketing if the ebook cover is done BEFORE I finish the manuscript. So I contact my graphic designer about a cover for the book when I start writing and ask about her schedule, and assuming she’s scheduled me in, I contact her again about a month before I think I’ll finish writing the rough draft. My graphic designer, <a href="https://dineenmiller.com/portfolio/" target="_blank">Dineen Miller</a>, is amazing and knows exactly my tastes, so I always really love the designs she suggests.<br>
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On a side note, I think that choosing a graphic designer is a very personal decision. There are other designers who are perhaps cheaper, but Dineen got her degree and worked as a professional graphic designer in the advertising and marketing industry for many years before she started doing book covers, so I trust her professionalism. Also I trust her taste, which matches with mine very well, and a designer who really “gets” me is something very valuable to me. I never have to spend a lot of time going back and forth to tweak a cover I’m not really happy with. She usually gets my concept and taste pretty solidly with the first few comps she comes up with.<br>
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<b>Stage 8)</b> After finishing the manuscript, I send it to my proofreader, <a href="http://judiciousrevisionsllc.weebly.com/about-judicious-revisions.html" target="_blank">Judy</a>, who is way more detail-oriented than me. She’s inexpensive but very good.<br>
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If I wanted the manuscript to be <i>perfect</i>, I’d send it to another proofreader after the first one is done, and possibly a third proofreader after that, but I just don’t have the money for that. My proofreader Judy does a good job and I personally don’t see any errors after she’s done, which is good enough for me.<br>
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<b>Stage 9)</b> When I send the book to my proofreader, I start doing as much of the self-publishing busywork as I can ahead of time. I have a huge To Do list that breaks everything down into small, manageable chunks, which also ensures I don’t forget anything important.<br>
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In fact, I have also started doing a little bit of marketing every day, and so I do some of the following even before the manuscript is completed. The To Do list helps with that, because I can just do one small task each day.<br>
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Even though I’m usually a bit brain-dead the week after I finish a manuscript, I have discovered (the hard way) that it’s much easier to do some of these things (like writing the back cover description) when the story is still fresh in my mind, and the majority of these marketing tasks can be done well ahead of the actual deadline for each task.<br>
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By the time the manuscript is done I should have received the ebook cover for the book from my graphic designer. I write the reader letter and back cover description of the book while the story is still fresh in my mind, and I create a page for the book on my website and upload the cover and back cover description. Then I register the ISBN numbers for the ebook and paperback versions, and create a barcode for the paperback cover. I determine the categories and keywords for Amazon (which can sometimes take a few hours).<br>
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I usually send a newsletter out the 2nd Wednesday of every month, so I schedule the release date of the book to be announced in the second newsletter I will send after I expect to get the book back from my proofreader. So for example, if I expect to get the book back from my proofreader on March 1st, I’ll schedule the release date for the 2nd Wednesday of April.<br>
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I write drafts of my next two newsletters ahead of time. The first newsletter announces the book will be releasing the following month and calls for Street Team signups, and the second newsletter announces the book is released and gives a special newsletter-only discounted sale price, which will go up to normal price in a week’s time.<br>
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I put together my media kit for the book, which includes a high-resolution ebook cover, the ISBNs, a link to the book page on my website, back cover descriptions (a long one and a short one), author bio and headshot, an excerpt of the first chapter, and a list of 5 interview Q&As they can use on their blog if they like. I put the media kit on my Google Drive folder and get the shareable link, which I put on the book page on my website. The media kit is a holdover from when I was writing for my publishers, whose marketing department always asked for stuff like that. Some bloggers will use the media kit, so I always have it available in case they want it.<br>
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I create listings of the ebook and paperback book on Goodreads so my Street Team can mark it as To-Read. I also create a landing page on MailChimp for my Street Team to sign up to help me promote this book. I create .pdf and .epub ARCs of the book for my Street Team and upload those to the book page on BookFunnel.<br>
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Then I write drafts of the newsletters I’ll be sending to my Street Team. I usually send a total of six emails: 1) certified emails from BookFunnel to all the Street Team members with the link to upload the ARCs of the book, 2) a follow-up email from MailChimp to make sure they got the email from BookFunnel, 3) an email when the paperback version is live and a link for them to review the book, as well as a link to a media kit if they need it and a special Street-Team-only sale price of the paperback book, which goes up to normal price in a week, 4) an email when the ebook version is live which includes the review link and a special Street-Team-only sale price of the ebook, which goes up in 3 days, 5) an email on the official launch day of the ebook, including a review reminder and a thank you, and 6) an email one month after the launch day with another review reminder and thank you.<br>
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If I had ideas for blog posts about the book, I’ll also write those at this point. For example, I knit the shawl worn by a character in book 2 in my series, so I wrote a blog post about the <a href="https://blog.camytang.com/2021/02/keriahs-pyrennees-shawl-knitting.html" target="_blank">knitting pattern</a> and scheduled it to post on my blog just before the ebook release date. I also wrote a blog post with a story about <a href="https://blog.camytang.com/2021/03/lady-wynwoods-spies-2-cover-character.html" target="_blank">how I chose the cover photo</a>, and another blog post with a recipe for the <a href="https://blog.camytang.com/2021/02/treacle-buns.html" target="_blank">treacle buns</a> that one of the characters likes in the book. I schedule blog posts announcing when the paperback version is live, and when the ebook version is live.<br>
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<b>Stage 10)</b> After I get the corrected manuscript back from my proofreader, I start the clock on the release schedule of the book. I set appointments in my digital calendar so that I’ll get a reminder for time-sensitive things I have to do, like when I have to upload the .epub on KDP or change the price of a book.<br>
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I schedule the first newsletter to be sent announcing the book will release by the next newsletter and call for Street Team signups. After the signup deadline, I send the ARCs to my Street Team.<br>
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I input the corrections from my proofreader and then create the final .epub and paperback interior .pdf file of the book. Once I have the page numbers for the paperback interior .pdf file, I send that plus the back cover description and barcode to my graphic designer, who creates the paperback cover.<br>
<br>
About 3 weeks before the official launch date of the ebook, I upload the paperback and it goes live on Amazon at a special Street Team only price. I send my Street Team email with the paperback review link and the special price. This allows them to post reviews of the book before the ebook releases, and many of them like to buy the paperback at the discounted price if they enjoyed the book a lot. A week later, I change the paperback price to the regular price.<br>
<br>
I register the copyright for the book as soon as I submit the paperback to Amazon. When the paperback finally goes live on Amazon, I add the book to my Author Page at Amazon Central, and I put the Amazon link for the paperback on the book page on my website.<br>
<br>
1 week before the “official” launch day for the ebook, I upload the final .epub to KDP (and other ebook distributors if I’m publishing the book wide). I used to do a short 1-week preorder, but since a lot of authors were starting to have issues with the preorders on Amazon, now I just make the book live 1 week before the stated launch day and I don’t mess with preorders anymore. It just saves me a lot of stress. The price is set at a special Street Team only price, and I send an email to my Street Team with the ebook review link and the special price. Three days later, I increase the price a little to a Newsletter-only price.<br>
<br>
I schedule a newsletter to be sent on the “official” launch day with the link to the ebook and the special Newsletter-only price. I also schedule to send a launch day email to my Street Team with a reminder to review. A week later, I increase the price of the ebook to regular price. I also schedule a Street Team email to be sent a month later, with a last review reminder and a thank you.<br>
<br>
<b>That’s my complete process from start to publication.</b><br>
<br>
It might seem a bit overwhelming when you read it all, but this process takes place over several months. Also, for a lot of the marketing stuff, I do a little bit every day so that there isn’t a daunting amount of work to be done all at once. My Marketing To Do list is very long and exhaustive, but it’s so that A) I don’t forget to do something, and B) the items are broken down into small tasks, enabling me to do one or two small marketing tasks a day.<br>
<br>
Lately I’ve had to adjust my daily schedule to accommodate my health issues, but my overall book creation process is still the same—it just takes me a bit longer than it used to.<br>
<br>
I didn’t do this with my Lady Wynwood’s Spies series, but for my future series, I plan to finish all the outlining and blocking before I start writing the series. Then, while I’m writing the series, I’ll spend half my time each day writing and the other half outlining and blocking my next series. That way, I’ll be writing one series while planning the next one, and once I’m done writing, I can move seamlessly into my next writing project.<br>
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I hope this is helpful for some of you. Feel free to ask questions below.Camy Tanghttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00790591988777275651noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-19161923.post-4023539691471867712020-09-30T12:00:00.002-07:002020-09-30T12:00:01.657-07:00Improve productivity and motivation by gamifying the writingI started using the website <a href="https://4thewords.com/" target="_blank">4thewords.com</a> this month. Originally I had been searching online for a website to help make my <b>writing sprints a little more fun</b>, and found this website. I had actually signed up for it last year, but ultimately decided at the time that I wasn't interested in it.<br><br>
But now, the whole concept of writing in order to "defeat" monsters within a certain time limit was really appealing to me. I only discovered late last year that I love fantasy role playing games, and this is just like that.<br><br>
I’m not sure why, but I really love doing the quests in the game and figuring out how to fulfill the different quests and craft different weapons and armor! I’ve basically been doing lots of sprints throughout the day and the words kept piling up.<br><br>
As a result, it has <b>increased my writing productivity</b>, and unless I have errands to run or I've been hit by health issues, I've been able to get about 3000 words written every day, and some days even more. These are also "clean" words that don't need very much editing (as opposed to when I dictate, which is an absolute mess and needs more time for editing).<br><br>
I noticed that it’s very easy for me to say, “I’ll just do three more monsters because then I’ll finish this quest!” And I end up writing another 30-45 minutes.<br><br>
The monsters are mostly word count monsters--get a certain number of words done within a (usually very generous) time period. <br><br>
There are also <b>time sprint monsters</b> called Endurance monsters that are 3, 5, 15, and 25 minutes long. Instead of a word count goal, you have to write for that amount of time. If your word count per minute gets too low, your monster "health" slowly decreases. If it gets too low, the monster runs away.<br><br>
This is very much like a normal time sprint, where I would try to write as fast as I can for a timed period. But in this case, the game keeps me accountable to keep typing and not slow down.<br><br>
I thought it would be difficult, but it was actually really easy. I started off writing at a slow pace, but I still kept well within the safe range in terms of words per minute. I could have written much slower and still beaten the monster without problems.<br><br>
I not only write in my manuscript in 4thewords, but I also have done <b>outlining and blocking</b>. Before I start a monster battle, I will copy and paste a piece I'm working on in a blank file on the website so that the words don't count toward the battle, then I'll start a battle and work on the outline or the blocking. The game counts the words that I add, and it doesn't take away words when you delete them, either.<br><br>
Another thing I noticed is that while I was doing the outlining and blocking, when I ran into a problem and had to figure out a way to fix it, I immediately opened a new file and started <b>freewriting to brainstorm</b> a solution, because then I could still use those words to defeat the monster (because it's all about the monster!). I found myself easily coming up with ideas that helped me continue past the snag. <br><br>
I've done freewrites before to try to brainstorm, but they've never been quite this effective. Maybe it was the fact that the monster battle was "active," and running, so there was a bit of a time pressure on me. Even though I had plenty of time for the battle, I still found myself feeling the urge to hurry up and finish the battle. Maybe it was so that I could defeat the monster sooner (because it's all about the monster!). Regardless, I would keep freewriting and eventually come up with several possible solutions that I could try.<br><br>
Another thing that 4thewords helps me with is <b>starting a new scene or chapter</b>. Usually I'd take a break after I finished a scene or a chapter, but after the break, for some reason it was often hard for me to motivate myself to start the next scene. It was always easier to start work again if I was in the middle of a scene. I tried a lot of different things including various reward systems and calling myself a lazybutt (which really did not help things any).<br><br>
However, with 4thewords, I rarely finish a monster battle right at the end of a scene. Since I'll still have words left in the battle (and I have to defeat the monster!), I'll open a new file and start work on the next scene. Just that little motivation to finish a monster battle has been pushing me to overcome something that is usually difficult for me. That's so awesome!<br><br>
This is also nothing new, it's just a word count goal for a specific time period, which is something most writers do. In this case, it's more fun for me since I get to defeat monsters, and there's a stricter time limit since the game is counting down the time rather than me just timing myself. If I don't meet the word count goal, the monster runs away and I lose, and somehow the thought of losing a monster battle gets me fired up to make sure that doesn't happen!<br><br>
I also noticed I was having problems <b>getting back to work after taking a break</b>. Sometimes I'd start reading something and end up doing that for an hour, or I'd get distracted and start cleaning or washing or something. So I got into the habit of working for long periods rather than breaking up short sprints with a short break, because the breaks would never be short.<br><br>
4thewords helped me with this, too. What I do is start a long word monster just before taking a break. These monsters typically are 2-3 hours long for 1000 words or more, and my writing pace is anywhere from 1000-1500 words per hour, so a 20-30 minute break still leaves me plenty of time to get back to the monster to finish it. But since the time is counting down, and because I'm motivated to defeat the monster rather than letting it run away and losing, it forces me to take <i>only</i> a 20-30 minutes break and get back to work in good time.<br><br>
I've done this with shorter word monsters, also, that are an hour or less. That forces me to only take a 5-10 minute break in order to get back to writing.<br><br>
It's been really helpful to keep me focused on work during the day and not get distracted!<br><br>
The game has also helped me figure out how to <b>write faster</b>. I <a href="https://camys-writing-diary.blogspot.com/2020/09/day-117-editing-as-i-go-is-more-fun-for.html" target="_blank">figured out</a> that writing is more fun for me when I edit-as-I-go, which flies in the face of most writing advice (write a messy first draft and then edit it later). <br><br>
While I write really fast when I write a messy first draft and then edit it later, the editing part is my hangup. I loathe self-editing and will often procrastinate instead of just doing it (and if I factor in the time I waste procrastinating, the words per hour rate may not be very good after all). Writing a clean rough draft has helped to eliminate that self-editing mindblock.<br><br>
But my writing speed if I edit-as-I-go is dismally slow, and I was wondering how I could try to improve that. I discovered that doing Endurance monsters or other monsters with a more difficult time limit forces me to write faster! If I have 2 hours to write 1000 words, I tend to relax since I have plenty of time, but if I have to write 150 words in 10 minutes, I find myself pushing myself to write fast so I don't lose the monster battle.<br><br>
So, basically, 4thewords has literally changed my life in terms of writing productivity. It has kept me motivated and focused and working steadily.<br><br>
A game like this isn't going to appeal to every writer, but I'm very glad to have found this tool to help me get my word count in everyday almost effortlessly. And I get to defeat monsters!<br><br>
If you’d like to give 4thewords a try, you can use this referral code to get a few free crystals: WQCFL76961 along with their 30-day free trial period. Crystals are what you buy (via PayPal) in order to buy their subscription (which is $4 a month or a little less than $40 a year). Once you make your first payment for crystals to extend your subscription, we both will get bonus crystals because of the referral code, and I can also give you some sort of gift since I referred you (I'm a bit fuzzy on that since I've never done it before).Camy Tanghttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14577747925320907186noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-19161923.post-10455686389009716472020-07-08T12:00:00.000-07:002020-07-08T12:00:01.651-07:00Camy's Writing Diary: Day 28 EvaluationI’m really glad I started my daily writing blog. I’ve picked up on a lot of my habits (both good and bad) and my tendency toward distraction has become more obvious to me. I also figured out some tactics that seem to work best for me to improve my writing productivity—I think I’ve figured out (at least a little bit) how I’ve been able to improve my writing consistency, the number of hours I’m able to focus on my writing, and how I’m able to be more efficient at my writing tasks.<br />
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If you’d like to read it, the <a href="https://camys-writing-diary.blogspot.com/2020/06/day-28-evaluation.html" target="_blank">Day 28 evaluation is here</a>. Please also be aware, since I’m a full-time writer AND a plotter, the tactics I came up with may not be helpful for every writer.Camy Tanghttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14577747925320907186noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-19161923.post-32336451033606932032020-06-10T12:00:00.001-07:002022-06-17T11:18:19.207-07:00Camy's Writing DiaryI was re-reading <a href="https://amzn.to/3HN19pn" target="_blank">Write Better, Faster: How To Triple Your Writing Speed and Write More Every Day</a>, and I realized that while I’ve tried the other techniques in the book, I never actually did a writer’s diary. She gives good reasons why it’s important, but I just never got around to doing it when I was setting up my spreadsheet to track my writing statistics.<br />
<br />
I think it will be good to do this diary because it will be raw data for me—a record of exactly what I did each day for my writing. A review of each day will enable me to record any insights I might discover about my writing habits. With that collection of raw data in my diary, I’ll be able to see larger-scale trends in my writer’s process so that I can adjust and correct as needed, and hopefully improve my productivity. <br />
<br />
But I thought that my normal Story Sensei blog readers might be annoyed at daily entries with minute detail of my day, so I repurposed one other Blogger blog I had lying around and made it <a href="https://camys-writing-diary.blogspot.com/" target="_blank">Camy’s Writing Diary Blog</a>. I’ll be posting hopefully every day.<br />
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I’m not entirely sure how this is going to turn out, if I’ll be able to keep up with blogging everyday or not, if the experiment will even work to help me with my productivity. But lately, I’ve been fascinated with reading about other authors’ writing processes. <i>Write Better, Faster</i> has her own writing diary on her writing process, and I’m also reading <a target="_blank" href="https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B00OVHXEJW/ref=as_li_tl?ie=UTF8&camp=1789&creative=9325&creativeASIN=B00OVHXEJW&linkCode=as2&tag=camysloft-20&linkId=1c3683c97f68815d39c9f3e102f578bd">Fiction Unboxed: Publishing and Writing a Novel in 30 Days, From Scratch, In Front of the World</a>, which details the authors’ writing process in the creation of a book.<br />
<br />
So anyway, check out my new writing diary if you think you might be interested in my writing process. This diary will probably be more useful for me than for anyone else, but it’s always fun to see how several different writers go about their writing process, and I’ll just add my input to the pile.Camy Tanghttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14577747925320907186noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-19161923.post-16352421237803678032019-12-25T12:00:00.000-08:002019-12-25T12:00:07.837-08:00Holiday Writing - Finding Time to WriteI’ve known some writers who have tons more time to write during holidays, but the majority of writers I know have less time. Many of them just accept the fact that they’re not going to be able to keep up their daily word count goals.<br />
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But for me, after battling several bouts of <a href="https://storysensei.blogspot.com/2019/10/my-experience-with-writers-block.html" target="_blank">writer’s block</a> over the past few years, now that I’ve maintained a steady discipline of writing every day for a few months, I don’t want to break that streak. Part of me is afraid I won’t be able to regain my daily writing discipline after the holiday season. I just don’t want to lose the momentum.<br />
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I’ve never really thought of myself as a perfectionist, but I’m realizing that I depend heavily on certain comforts around me when I write. I enjoy writing at my desk with my big monitor, with a blanket on my legs and surrounded by shelves of my book collection, a carafe of tea next to me. I usually have a nice big chunk of time available to write so I can build up my words-per-hour momentum and really increase my word count.<br />
<br />
But during the holiday season, many times I’ll only have a few minutes here and there where I am not busy and can write, and it’s usually not at my computer. It’s never a huge chunk of time, and I’m not in a comfy chair or surrounded by the comforting things in my office that soothe me.<br />
<br />
So I’ve had to let go of the idea that I can only write when everything is “perfect.”<br />
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I’ve taken my writing mobile this Christmas week more than I ever have before. It absolutely <i>kills</i> me how inefficient it is, but I have written on a simple note-taking app on my phone by thumb-typing. It takes me so much longer than typing on my computer (since I touch type) and I get only a fraction of words down in the time I have, but I’m at least getting some words down.<br />
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I haven’t done this yet, but I’m going to do this tomorrow—writing with a pen and pad of paper. I think it might be about as fast as my thumb-typing, and somehow, taking a few minutes to write a few lines on a pad of paper has always been easier for me than whipping out my phone to write a few lines. It might be because of the tactile feel of the pen, but usually I can gather my thoughts and get into the frame of mind to write fiction faster when I pull out a pad of paper than when I pull out my phone.<br />
<br />
I have been trying to find places where there’s no one around to hear me so that I can dictate my fiction into a voice recording app on my phone. The sound quality is not good enough for Dragon NaturallySpeaking to be able to transcribe, so I end up practically transcribing it myself when I run it through my Dragon software. Again, it’s incredibly inefficient, especially since I have to take the time later to correct all the errors in the transcription, but at least it’s a few words down that I otherwise wouldn’t write since I’m not at my computer. But alone time (where there’s no one around to hear me) during this season is pretty hard, so I haven’t had many opportunities to do this. I’ve mostly stuck to thumb-typing on my phone instead.<br />
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Years ago, when I had been starting to get serious about my writing and had been working full-time in biology work, I’d found ways to utilize these small pockets of time, but they were limited to things like writing on a pad of paper while waiting for the cell-counter to do its thing (I couldn’t take my phone into the lab most of the time), or writing at my desk during lunch hour. Since then, I’ve worked hard to become more productive and more efficient at writing, and so being inefficient irritates me to no end.<br />
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But I realized that when you’re so busy that you have to steal a few writing minutes from your day, efficiency isn’t a priority—just getting words down is your priority. It’s something I’ve forgotten since those days when I was writing while holding down a full-time job.<br />
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If you have any more ideas for writing in small pockets of time, please do comment to let me know. I know many of you are writers holding down a full-time job (and I include stay-at-home mothers in that), and so you have to snatch writing time throughout your day all the time.<br />
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And if you are one of those writers and struggling to get words down, don’t be like me and think that you can only write when the environment and situation is ideal. Your book can be written even if you have to thumb-type it or write it on a pad of paper. No matter how ugly the way it’s done, get those words down! I will, too!Camy Tanghttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14577747925320907186noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-19161923.post-4685919022459822562019-12-17T12:00:00.001-08:002022-06-22T12:52:10.132-07:00How to write a kissThere was a question on the writer’s Discord server that I’m on where someone asked how to write a kiss. They weren’t specifically asking me, but I was able to give a short answer for how I write kisses. I write and read traditional romances, so my kiss scenes tend to be heavily influenced by the genre and by how my editors critiqued my manuscripts.<br />
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You basically want to focus on the emotion of the kiss and how the kiss makes the point of view character feel, as opposed to going deep into physical detail. Ideally, the description will show that the kiss is something special and not just them macking.<br />
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For example the kiss made her feel ___. Or the kiss was ___ which made it seem that he felt ___ for her.<br />
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“The kiss made her feel as if she were incredibly precious to him.”<br />
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“His lips were gentle and almost tentative, as if he were afraid of frightening her.”<br />
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“The kiss surprised her and yet felt as familiar as if they’d kissed a thousand times before. The kiss felt like home.”<br />
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Ideally, it should also not be just a kiss, but mark some change in the relationship, or have some consequences for the characters. It doesn’t have to be super serious, but there definitely should be something important about it.<br />
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Usually in traditional romance, there’s some compelling reason why the hero and heroine can’t be together, and that keeps them apart from each other emotionally. But then something happens to cause them to kiss, drawing them together despite the conflicts that had kept them apart.<br />
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After the kiss (or sometimes during the kiss), there’s often a change in one or both characters, and they either a) decide they can’t stay away and are willing to face the romantic conflict keeping them apart and/or the conflict has finally been resolved and they can now act on their feelings, or b) they decide they can’t be doing this because the romantic conflict keeping them apart is too big, too important, too awful.<br />
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If it’s (a), then often something has changed inside of them to make them no longer afraid of whatever has kept them apart, and they are willing to face the conflict and suffer if it means being with the other person.<br />
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If it’s (b), then there’s a drawing apart of the two characters. However, even though they are again keeping apart from each other, something has shifted emotionally in both of them so that the reasons why they’re apart no longer seem so compelling.<br />
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Sometimes, one character will feel (a) and one character will feel (b), which adds to the conflict between them.<br />
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A friend on that writer’s Discord server made the observation that the kisses have a beginning, middle, and end (which I hadn’t consciously realized about my own writing, because I’m a moron). So when writing the kiss, keep pacing and flow in mind and let the emotion and mood of the scene guide you, too.<br />
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I thought it might be fun to see kiss scenes from as many of my books as I could list, so here you go! It might be helpful for writers who don’t write romance but who have a romantic subplot in their book that has a kiss, and they want to write it in a way that isn’t too stiff or too torrid.<br />
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You’ll notice my writing style heavily favors strong sensory description during an emotional and physical moment like a kiss. You don’t have to do the same—this is just the way I do a kiss. But I think that some aptly chosen description can enhance the emotional impact of the kiss for the two characters and the reader.<br />
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Another trend I have is that I will usually write the majority of the kiss from the point of view of the female character. This is purely a personal preference. Writing kisses from the male point of view tends to feel awkward to me, so I don’t do it very often.<br />
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Since I write romance, my kiss scenes take up at least a page or two. In other genres, kiss scenes can be a lot shorter, like a few sentences. Just go with whatever matches the flow of your book.<br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjK7XtvvRjg66h_RJXBLgRGctZW7o8C7DSJ7tlNzgV4_ONJtb5sjQudoVG5CO5b9gqXgb_sIXsbMQEOglZSmOBpJP4N3juxjHnADlcakYZDS04gCjFX2iLVZPNGnaNJ_7Vd1XGe/s200/DeadlyIntentweb.jpg" target="_blank" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjK7XtvvRjg66h_RJXBLgRGctZW7o8C7DSJ7tlNzgV4_ONJtb5sjQudoVG5CO5b9gqXgb_sIXsbMQEOglZSmOBpJP4N3juxjHnADlcakYZDS04gCjFX2iLVZPNGnaNJ_7Vd1XGe/s200/DeadlyIntentweb.jpg" width="126" height="200" data-original-width="126" data-original-height="200" /></a></div>From <a href="https://camytang.com/books/sonoma_series/1_deadly_intent/" target="_blank">Deadly Intent</a>:<br />
<br />
<span style="color: #660000; font-size: large;">His hands slid upwards. Paused at the pulse in her neck. Fingered her jawbone. Cupped her face.<br />
<br />
And then his head descended, and his lips were on hers.<br />
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Cool. She had expected him to be warm. Hot. Burning. But he was sweet—gentle, almost tentative. Asking forgiveness with his kiss as well as his words. It curled in her stomach, made her reach out to him, try to convey the feelings she had for him that she couldn’t voice. Couldn’t ever voice.<br />
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He rested his forehead against hers. “Naomi.”<br />
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She breathed him in, sandalwood and musk. And roses.<br />
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“I don’t know where this is going. And after my divorce …”<br />
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He didn’t need to say it. She could feel his fear as if it were shackles around his body. “It’s too soon.” Too soon for him. Too soon for them both to figure out what was happening between them.</span><br />
<br />
Here, the kiss is almost an apology, and it’s also bittersweet because there’s too much keeping them apart at this point in the story.<br />
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://camytang.com/books/sonoma_series/2_formula_for_danger/" target="_blank" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhaLej0FbQsZUFKq8udnnl6rkd75NuHIrcfC7sma44IKgzO6ldRIinxF4GpcSGBLgy7fktkGMA0a-PC5OWFXRglCewc8xLEA2ZH2Wx0yaPEew3YFAX2kLE18jRzU12wYNYm8F14Bg/s200/FormulaForDangerweb.jpg" width="125" height="200" data-original-width="125" data-original-height="200" /></a></div>This is from <a href="https://camytang.com/books/sonoma_series/2_formula_for_danger/" target="_blank">Formula for Danger</a>:<br />
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<span style="color: #660000; font-size: large;">She held Edward close until her heart’s racing had slowed, breathing in his musk and pine, feeling the thud of his own heart.<br />
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Then she pulled away slightly. He reluctantly loosened his hold on her.<br />
<br />
She reached up, drew his head down, and kissed him.<br />
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He gasped against her mouth. But then his arms pulled her tighter and he sank into the kiss. It seemed as if he poured into her all his relief and care, while she tried to give him all her sweetness.<br />
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And love. Yes, she had loved him for a long time.</span><br />
<br />
Here, she realizes she loves him, which she hadn’t been able to admit to herself before, so it’s a pretty significant change inside of her as a result of the kiss.<br />
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://camytang.com/books/sonoma_series/3_stalker_in_the_shadows/" target="_blank" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgEN3S3h_-tZO-Ll4s5L3Yav8zfMxCiceFL2xfN6km2PeG9m7NCXVSdqcTafvbZ23Rxi-FxIEXJRwg5mJ_DfddsYi33yeKzZOxlNNjoE0qJ9GcNSJwqK9Jajz48Vjv1RU2KtX2mOA/s200/0112-9780373444755-bigw.jpg" width="126" height="200" data-original-width="202" data-original-height="320" /></a></div>This is from <a href="https://camytang.com/books/sonoma_series/3_stalker_in_the_shadows/" target="_blank">Stalker in the Shadows</a>:<br />
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<span style="color: #660000; font-size: large;">Something about his blue gaze became less businesslike and more intense. Her breathing quickened, and she could smell his musk, the scent of a pine forest after the rain. His eyes flickered to her mouth, staring for a long moment, and then he lowered his head and kissed her.<br />
<br />
His lips were softer than she would have expected from such a tough, masculine guy. His hand stroked the hair wisping out from her temple, his touch gentle. He kissed her with the kind of wonder and carefulness as if he were holding a butterfly in his cupped hands. She felt cherished and honored. <br />
<br />
Reason filtered through her mind slowly, but when it made itself known, she remembered that she couldn’t be doing this. Shaun was a cop. He’d always be in careers where he could protect people, putting himself in harm’s way to save them, like he was doing with her.<br />
<br />
She couldn’t bear loving a man and sending him out to danger every single day, wondering if today was the day he wouldn’t come home. She’d seen those women in the Emergency Room, she’d comforted them and been devastated by just the thought of their pain. She had vowed she wouldn’t be one of them.<br />
<br />
She planted her feet and thrust up hard with her entire torso, bucking him off of her so she could roll away and jump to her feet. He had tumbled to his side with a look of surprise on his face, but now he took his time standing up, and he didn’t look at her.</span><br />
<br />
You can clearly see the hero and heroine coming closer emotionally and romantically, and then (rather suddenly) coming apart.<br />
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://camytang.com/books/sonoma_series/4_narrow_escape/" target="_blank" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEibjTcIFfmwvdaNPt185J9H-wKQ5pEW-YxI8ne3OyHErqnf4mVKXbm-mvs3I6HhNCmQ6chNs1rvKQZXzym4gNRNC_JNmtxmJhA4ifYH_RFxlis52sSDGPu2c-lyyYlaxsv4cVI2Eg/s200/NarrowEscapeweb.jpg" width="126" height="200" data-original-width="126" data-original-height="200" /></a></div>This is from <a href="https://camytang.com/books/sonoma_series/4_narrow_escape/" target="_blank">Narrow Escape</a>:<br />
<br />
<span style="color: #660000; font-size: large;"> He went around the car. “Here, let me carry her.” He stepped close to take the sleeping little girl from Arissa’s arms.<br />
<br />
Time stopped. All he saw were Arissa’s eyes, dark and shining up at him. He smelled rain and roses mingled with cherry blossoms, freshly overturned dirt, and honeysuckle from a vine climbing near the duplex window.<br />
<br />
The moonlight gilded her face with pearl dust. She was like a vision he expected to melt away. She should step away from him—why didn’t she? Then he realized he trapped her against the car.<br />
<br />
So he took advantage of that and leaned in and kissed her.<br />
<br />
Her lips were soft and warm rather than cold, and he suddenly heard the crickets in the bushes, the faint hoot of an owl, all circling them in together. He was with Arissa, he was holding Charity in his arms, and it was as if the three of them belonged together, fitted together like puzzle pieces. This was where he wanted to be, kissing Arissa and holding her child and being a part of their family.<br />
<br />
The sagging lightbulb over the front door suddenly flickered to life, and he broke away from her. Her face was now bathed in the sickly yellow from the bulb, but she looked at him with eyes both dazed and also longing.<br />
<br />
Yes, he felt that way, too.<br />
<br />
No, he shouldn’t. This was the last woman in the world he could feel this way with. She knew too much about him. She knew who he had been, and could compare it with who he was now.</span><br />
<br />
He is struck by how they fit together, when his own insecurity has kept them apart until now, and that insecurity makes him feel unworthy of her. In this case, the kiss only deepened his reasons for staying away from her.<br />
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://camytang.com/books/sonoma_series/41_necessary_proof/" target="_blank" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" width="126" height="200" data-original-height="2048" data-original-width="1325" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhCqt0uZxgNB-T_gNdD6s9e0eUFYf4bVIt1FpyFVu0kt4bY73lcUYWxEkdA7YXoVfRE0DlW1ScUy403jThjGiJDfUmcTZZYnINKH_UJ8woOMqcYFxw8jqkyLeiL4QsDPT-nzt0CWQ/s320/Necessary+Proof+cover+iBooks.jpg" /></a></div>This is from the end of <a href="https://camytang.com/books/sonoma_series/41_necessary_proof/" target="_blank">Necessary Proof</a>:
<br />
<span style="color: #660000; font-size: large;">She turned her head, rested her brow in the curve of his neck. His skin was warm. “Derek hadn’t really loved me, and my father had showed how little he regarded me. This past year, I felt unloveable. And very alone.”<br />
<br />
“Derek is scum. And your father shouldn’t have made you feel that way.”<br />
<br />
“I’m starting to realize that maybe he did. Because otherwise, I’d still be striving after his approval rather than discovering what God’s love really is. I didn’t understand God’s love, because I’d thought it was like my father’s love. But the way God loves me is different. It’s real, and it’s nonjudgmental, and it’s unfailing.”<br />
<br />
There was a heartbeat of silence, then he whispered, “I love you, too.”<br />
<br />
She smiled.<br />
<br />
He dipped his head and kissed her. His lips were cold, but his kiss was fervent. His hand tilted her face up, then caressed her cheek, her jaw, her neck. He kissed her as if there was nothing else in the world he wanted more, and yet there was also a tenderness as if she was more precious to him than breath.<br />
<br />
He pulled back, but his face was still close enough that she could feel the warmth coming off his skin.<br />
<br />
“I’ve never been kissed before,” she said.<br />
<br />
His smile was bright white, his dimples dark against his tanned cheeks. He kissed her again.</span><br />
<br />
Since this is from the last chapter, it’s a kiss that acts as the climax of their romantic arc. The conflict keeping them apart has been resolved, and so they’re finally free to act on their feelings and choose to draw closer to each other.<br />
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://camytang.com/books/sonoma_series/42_unshakable_pursuit/" target="_blank" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" width="133" height="200" data-original-height="2048" data-original-width="1325" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgmcfXPw4w_J8DrYh8tfBF0tWOcAIHDV1iuz-LRe3cAYwTB0A3z4NLnffeRhY9hQ3xoDjlFzCosuGxOmVmZ_pWbT3aHLR3ZBVrFupj4osg6p4PM9LOabZcLRMpjOEL-hZAdyWmsEA/s320/Unshakeable+Pursuit+cover+iBooks.jpg"></a></div>This is from <a href="https://camytang.com/books/sonoma_series/42_unshakable_pursuit/" target="_blank">Unshakeable Pursuit</a>:
<br />
<span style="color: #660000; font-size: large;">Then suddenly, she felt the warmth of his hand covering hers where it rested on the rug before the fire. “I’m sorry that happened to you,” he said.<br />
<br />
“Thank you.” She wasn’t sure what else to say.<br />
<br />
But then his other hand reached up, cupped her cheek, turned her head toward him. And then he leaned in and was kissing her.<br />
<br />
She was lost in a forest scented with eucalyptus, fir, and Geoffrey. His mouth was firm and yet gentle at the same time. It was as if he wanted to impart both strength and comfort to her. The touch of his lips sent a fiery tingle throughout her body, filling her with warmth, and a yearning, and a connection.<br />
<br />
No, what connection? It was just a kiss and she was being stupid. Geoffrey Whelan would never want her in normal circumstances. She pulled away. “We shouldn’t.”<br />
<br />
He started as if waking from a dream.<br />
<br />
And it had been a dream, hadn’t it? This wasn’t something she needed. Geoffrey wasn’t what she needed. She wanted someone less … confident.<br />
<br />
Maylin got to her feet. “You should go to bed.” She almost ran toward the bedroom door. “I should go to bed. Goodnight.” She closed the door behind her and leaned against it.<br />
<br />
She stood there for a long time, listening to Olivia’s even breathing and letting the tears fall down her face. She never heard Geoffrey return to his bedroom before she finally crept, cold as a block of ice, back into bed.</span><br />
<br />
Maylin has just confessed some of her deepest wounds, and his compassion is a balm that heals her. But she’s not confident enough to be able to believe him, and so she pulls away.<br />
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://camytang.com/books/sonoma_series/5_treacherous_intent/" target="_blank" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh9YmcGq_4f3PazboJM7lKznE-55o4-mg_eTdkQ8qXtYPKz0bZFYjqDLeO1o6jOvPlanYmxXVD6jPJwkiMx3p0pp_B2k3ygViJUExO7kv_Jce3c3m1MzmLJX_FYRt4PinUdp2Hlxg/s200/TI+cover+web.jpg" width="126" height="200" data-original-width="1011" data-original-height="1600"></a></div>This is from <a href="https://camytang.com/books/sonoma_series/5_treacherous_intent/" target="_blank">Treacherous Intent</a>. The kiss shifts to the heroine’s point of view at the scene break:<br />
<br />
<span style="color: #660000; font-size: large;">Then Elisabeth was crouching next to him. “Oh my, your face…” She was close enough that he could smell oranges and tuberoses.<br />
<br />
“I’m fine.” He looked into her eyes. Their gazes held a long moment.<br />
<br />
Then she leaned forward and softly pressed her lips to his.<br />
<br />
*<br />
<br />
Elisabeth didn’t know exactly why she kissed him. She’d been so relieved to see him safe, she hadn’t thought about her actions. She’d simply wanted to be close to him.<br />
<br />
When her lips touched his, something clicked. It was as if she’d been completed. It wasn’t just how to felt to be kissing him, it was how he was always looking out for her, how he valued her abilities, how he made her feel special. When he looked at her, in his eyes were both admiration and honor.<br />
<br />
No man had ever looked at her like that.<br />
<br />
But look at how the other men in her life had treated her. Hadn’t she chosen to be alone because she couldn’t pick up the pieces of her life again a third time? She wouldn’t be able to.<br />
<br />
And certainly not after Liam.<br />
<br />
She leaned back. She met his eyes a brief moment, then looked away. She wouldn’t be mesmerized by his eyes again.</span><br />
<br />
By now you should be able to see the trend of a kiss drawing my characters together, then something that forces one or both characters to pull apart. A lot of the time it’s a serious emotional issue for at least one of the characters—it’s a strong enough issue that it kept them apart for much of the book, so it’s usually not something trifling. Here, the kiss only reinforces her resolve to stay away from him, so she moves even farther away from the hero than before the kiss.<br />
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://camytang.com/books/sonoma_series/6_gone_missing/" target="_blank" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjAM60MJJb57t968WVydJLES8TtHIHj9mb20xYkS6pV0oIJ37x7mpDWJDYaML4TmpvveIRkH1Ofgixv7nAx6wblAoUYz73qXoxrJxk9DrcqsawTnUBvvkS-Gi30dMQu6fEQQCEjlw/s200/Gone+Missing+web.jpg" width="127" height="200" data-original-width="253" data-original-height="400"></a></div>This is from <a href="https://camytang.com/books/sonoma_series/6_gone_missing/" target="_blank">Gone Missing</a>:<br />
<br />
<span style="color: #660000; font-size: large;"> She smelled cedar and lemon zest and his deep, soothing musk just before she heard him come up behind her. Without turning around, she asked him, “Are we making a mistake?”<br />
<br />
“Would you have been able to wait around, hoping the FBI would act in time, willing to put Fiona’s safety in other people’s hands, when you could do something about this whole situation right now?”<br />
<br />
“It’s just that it’s so risky.”<br />
<br />
“Sometimes you have to take risks.” Then, as if to put action to his words, he moved to stand in front of her. He cupped her face in his hands and bent to kiss her.<br />
<br />
His kiss was like walking in a forest, the wind in her hair, sunlight on her face. The world spinning around her, full of possibilities, excitement, adventure. He was the kind of strength who would help her to be strong, to be able to believe even harder in a strong, sovereign God.<br />
<br />
When he lifted his head, his hands caressed her cheeks. His eyes had darkened to deep blue like a tropical sea, and she felt she could drown in them.<br />
<br />
Then he grinned, that irrepressible grin that never failed to lift her spirits. He suddenly bent down and picked a flower from the manicured flower beds lining the walkway leading up to the front door.<br />
<br />
“Don’t pick their flowers,” she said weakly.<br />
<br />
He handed her a bachelor’s button, the same flower he’d picked for her outside the car rental office.<br />
<br />
“What’s this for?” she asked.<br />
<br />
“A promise.” He tucked it into her hair, like he’d done before. “We’ll talk later about taking risks.”<br />
<br />
He turned and walked back inside.<br />
<br />
Joslyn wanted that talk. But she couldn’t suppress a shiver of foreboding that the risks they were taking now would turn their plans upside down.</span><br />
<br />
In this instance, the physical danger to the two of them keeps them from acting on their emotions (I would think danger of being shot would put a damper on some sizzling attraction). Their relationship subtly changes, because while they’re still apart, there’s a link formed between them with the kiss and the promise.<br />
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://camytang.com/books/protection_for_hire_series/1_protection_for_hire/" target="_blank" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgPJ1TLUQvNeR_LGA_getpAm51bm59OsHk09WYwgQeNAPmu4p1uOAhVMqiVZvmHm2wymSh5mFnSh-h7gZkx8RaoqgafLFMJX6u0jkmDB8WzGUDCuqT0weKbJN2akaSaS8PbmNMVTA/s200/ProtectionforHire_web.jpg" width="130" height="200" data-original-width="208" data-original-height="320"></a></div>This is from <a href="https://camytang.com/books/protection_for_hire_series/1_protection_for_hire/" target="_blank">Protection for Hire</a>. Right before this excerpt, Tessa had been attacked by a woman, but she fought back and the woman retreated. Also, the excerpt runs across a chapter break and a scene break so you can also see Charles’s reaction to the kiss.<br />
<br />
<span style="color: #660000; font-size: large;">“Tessa!” Charles was stumbling toward her.<br />
<br />
She rose shakily to her feet. “Are you all right?”<br />
<br />
“I’m fine. Are you—?”<br />
<br />
She didn’t give him a chance to finish. She grabbed the lapels of his suit jacket and pulled his head down to kiss him.<br />
<br />
<b>Chapter Eighteen</b><br />
<br />
She felt like she was floating in a bathtub of sage soap bubbles, melded with that male musk that was distinctly Charles. His expensive cologne was only a spicy thread, like a scent that had wafted into a room from another room in the house.<br />
<br />
Charles’s lips were warm and firm despite the fact she’d surprised him. After a second, his arm snaked around her waist and pulled her closer to him. He kissed her back, deeply, almost reverently, as if he’d been dreaming of this for a hundred years. His kiss was delicious and decadent, like the sweet, rich cannolis he’d ordered for them at that restaurant for lunch. <br />
<br />
But he wasn’t from her world and she’d never belong to his. She shouldn’t do this. What was she doing?<br />
<br />
She pulled away from him, reluctantly. But his arms wouldn’t let go and still held her tight.<br />
<br />
She met his eyes. It was like diving into a warm Jamaican sea. The current was his arms, tightening around her. He dipped his head to kiss her again …<br />
<br />
She grit her teeth, squeezed her eyes shut, and pushed away from him until she had the safety of two feet of space between them.<br />
<br />
Then she turned and walked away.<br />
<br />
###<br />
<br />
She’d kissed him.<br />
<br />
He hadn’t wanted to let her go.<br />
<br />
He was dumber than a duck.<br />
<br />
He watched her walk toward Elizabeth and the other man in the car, when suddenly police lights colored the walls with red and blue. Two cars entered the parking garage and shone bright spotlights on the four of them.</span><br />
<br />
Here again, there’s the instance of the kiss drawing them together despite the conflicts that had kept them apart up until this point, and at the end there’s the drawing apart from each other again. You also see Charles’s reaction to the kiss as soon as I switched point of view at the scene break.<br />
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://camytang.com/books/protection_for_hire_series/2_a_dangerous_stage/" target="_blank" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj0EFOFAG_eaeS2yaJy5lJXqNUZKZWpBN7cL7xedGxnCop_hB2F35dz849UnCUAnAuEK4gA91dI0nQpeyZxKgnv2acxtpNyyV2CJbPnjOODeX2qNRrBa9PfXp-_Dzl2V9_ocJ8hJQ/s200/DangerousStageweb.jpg" width="130" height="200" data-original-width="208" data-original-height="320" /></a></div>This is from <a href="https://camytang.com/books/protection_for_hire_series/2_a_dangerous_stage/" target="_blank">A Dangerous Stage</a>. Charles is trying to sneak into his own house without waking his family.<br />
<br />
<span style="color: #660000; font-size: large;"> He opened the door slowly, listening for any telltale squeak, but the hinges were still smooth from when, a few months ago, he’d had to oil them because the door had been sticking as it swung open. He only opened the door enough so that he could slip inside—<br />
<br />
Wham! Something like a baseball bat jammed under his chin, knocking sharply into his throat and taking away his breath with the pain. He fell back against the closed door, his keys, shoes, and briefcase dropping. However, his shoes only made a dull thud against the tile, and since they fell just before his briefcase, they softened the sound of its fall. His keys tinkled as they dropped and skidded over the floor.<br />
<br />
Suddenly the bat—no, it was a forearm pressing against his Adam’s apple stiffened and withdrew. “Charles?” whispered a sharp voice.<br />
<br />
Rain and cherry blossoms. And a hint of yarn.<br />
<br />
He didn’t think. He just felt the tide of something surging up from deep in his belly that made his hands reach up and cup her face and kiss her.<br />
<br />
The kiss was like a long, sweet breath, a deep, hungry gasp after being underwater for too long. He kissed her hard, driven by the frustrations of the evening, fueled by the longing that had been building in him for months. Years. His entire life.<br />
<br />
She gasped, but didn’t move away. She wouldn’t have been able to—nothing could have torn him from her in that moment. This kiss was the focus point of everything he’d ever wanted, of every risk he’d never taken, of every hope he’d been afraid to hope.<br />
<br />
At one point the kiss softened. He knew this because her lips had softened under his, her hands were at his waist, as light and tentative as butterfly wings. His hands had slid down to her throat, where her racing pulse beat under his fingertips. He filled one hand with her hair, silky and smooth, flowing over her shoulders and not held tight by pins or product.<br />
<br />
And she smelled divine. Like clean spring rain. Like spicy cherry blossoms. Like a warm blanket in front of a fireplace.<br />
<br />
She smelled like Tessa.<br />
<br />
And she was exactly what he wanted.<br />
<br />
The moment he realized it, he tried to pull her closer to him, but she suddenly stiffened and jerked away. His waist felt cool where her hands had been. His body felt empty.<br />
<br />
He could just see her eyes gleaming in the glow from a nightlight in the hallway. He heard her fast breathing, which matched his own.<br />
<br />
“Tessa …” he whispered.<br />
<br />
She took a few more quick breaths. Then she said, “I … I can’t.”<br />
<br />
And she turned and hurried up the stairs, leaving him feeling like his soul had been ripped in two.</span><br />
<br />
Charles is coming to a key point of emotional crisis in the book, and he’s finally starting to realize what’s important to him and what’s not. He and Tessa have been at odds with each other, but at this point he’s realized he just can’t live without her. Too bad she doesn’t feel the same.<br />
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://camytang.com/books/sushi_series/3_single_sashimi/" target="_blank" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh-nrs-550-JTGC_T7N-ZG4wL0wXSrYbOV_kuabdrc-pWHRs1_v3nYPgavYly1BOVw8UtHEZKiax1CSJSRE3P6g_SnEhqYMfj6v1bhrj0VgAPFnIXAI7bh6II5hsYchO2iGE32fiA/s200/SingleSashimi_w.jpg" width="130" height="200" data-original-width="208" data-original-height="320" /></a></div>Here’s one from <a href="https://camytang.com/books/sushi_series/3_single_sashimi/" target="_blank">Single Sashimi</a>. Venus has just had a heated confrontation with Drake’s sister, who has just left.<br />
<br />
<span style="color: #660000; font-size: large;"> Venus lifted her chin as she faced him, meeting his eyes directly even though her heart had started to pound like taiko drums in a fast, complex rhythm. “Drake—”<br />
<br />
He took a long stride toward her, pulled her into his arms, and kissed her.<br />
<br />
<b>Chapter Nine</b><br />
<br />
She thought she saw stars.<br />
<br />
Firm and pliable, his lips pressed into hers. Strong. He was strong. His mouth was strong, and yet seemed to give strength rather than take it.<br />
<br />
He wore the same scent. Something expensive. A thread of musk, a shimmering ribbon that reminded her of showering gold, a woodsy hint like a bamboo forest. She remembered whiffs of it as they passed each other in hallways, or easing around each other in bustling meeting rooms.<br />
<br />
His arms around her pulled her close, holding her lower back with firmness but not captivity. Warm. His hands were warm. Burning, almost.<br />
<br />
She felt every brush of his fine wool suit, the fold of her silk blouse crushed into her shoulder, the soft touch of his lip at the corner of her mouth. She wanted to reach her arms around him, fold him into herself.<br />
<br />
<i>This is Drake Yu.</i><br />
<br />
She shoved him away.<br />
<br />
The air shuddered through her throat as if her lungs had forgotten how to breathe. His scent lingered around her face, warm where it whispered against her cheek. Her heels wavered on the narrow stilettos.<br />
<br />
He was looking at her, but she couldn’t raise her eyes from the blue and gray carpet, her breathing low and hard. She didn’t want to face him yet. <br />
<br />
A bolt of lightning had blasted through her and fried her circuit board. She could almost smell the smoke from burned wires. Everything that had happened since she walked through those doors had culminated in a huge electrical explosion.<br />
<br />
<i>No, stop thinking like that. You have to forget about it.</i><br />
<br />
“Venus, I’m sorry.”<br />
<br />
Her fried circuit board started sizzling. She raised her head. “What am I supposed to say in response to that?” she snapped.<br />
<br />
His eyes were too calm. Shouldn’t they be more animated—er, agitated that that? His placid expression made it seem as if he grabbed and kissed women in his office every day of the week.</span><br />
<br />
This one’s a bit more physical description than my other books, partly because this is chick-lit and not traditional romance, but also partly because Venus tends to deny anything she feels in her body—she’s usually very uncomfortable with her figure and with physical sensations, so I emphasized the physicality of the kiss when I wrote this.<br />
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://camytang.com/books/sushi_series/4_weddings_and_wasabi/" target="_blank" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhsQFPgwSr7_IU24If4brlqcp6rkFJFYwbW5qHEjq1UsP4zQdrNSxuKmY3cYdoIZOJ3zG873Eb_zXBLH1f7FrM0KN7AHFIbWFglIFHSlwVxQURb4cCJzBT3R7TE-cBXed2C3d4wbw/s200/WaW.jpg" width="129" height="200" data-original-width="207" data-original-height="320" /></a></div>This is from <a href="https://camytang.com/books/sushi_series/4_weddings_and_wasabi/" target="_blank">Weddings and Wasabi</a>:<br />
<br />
<span style="color: #660000; font-size: large;"> “You are so selfish,” Aunty said. “You should care about pleasing your family. You should try to be a good <i>Japanese</i> daughter.” And here she gave a rather sneering look at Edward.<br />
<br />
That prejudiced look fired her blood. No one talked like that to her anymore, and no one talked like that about her friends.<br />
<br />
She’d been a people pleaser and a “good Japanese girl” for most of her life, and yet her family didn’t appreciate her or respect her. Moreover, she was grossly insulting Edward just because he wasn’t Asian.<br />
<br />
So Aunty didn’t like her friend? Jenn would show her how “Japanese” she was.<br />
<br />
She turned, grabbed Edward a bit awkwardly around the neck, and kissed him.<br />
<br />
<b>Chapter Ten</b><br />
<br />
The kiss stunned him, dazzled him. The Milky Way exploded in front of his eyes. He felt a hundred feet tall (or at least taller than his normal five foot nine).<br />
<br />
And she’d missed his mouth slightly and her hands around his neck kind of pulled his head at an awkward angle.<br />
<br />
But she was only doing this to shock her relatives, who, granted, needed a bit of shocking. Still, this wasn’t right, not if he ever wanted a real relationship with Jenn. He grasped her waist to gently push her away.<br />
<br />
Makiko’s voice grated on his ears. “Yuki! Your daughter is kissing that Hispanic migrant worker!”<br />
<br />
His neck tightened. He was actually a Heinz 57 of old world Spanish, Italian, Russian, German, and a little Latvian. But the woman’s insulting tone made him grab Jenn’s waist and pull her closer instead of pushing her away from him.<br />
<br />
Her body melted against him, and an inferno engulfed his head. Holy smokes, she was like his Aunt Lorena’s <i>elote picoso</i> chiles and corn dish.<br />
<br />
Receding footsteps. The <i>shush</i> as Makiko yanked open the back door and then a <i>whoosh! Thump, thump!</i> as she slammed it shut.<br />
<br />
Jenn didn’t immediately pull away. That was a good thing, right?<br />
<br />
“She’s gone, guys,” Mimi said.<br />
<br />
Jenn backed away, avoiding his eye, her cheeks purple like a plum. “Er … sorry. I kind of … lost my temper.”<br />
<br />
She had pretty good provocation, and he didn’t want to make her uncomfortable with him, so he put a light spin on the incident. “You can lose your temper with me anytime.”<br />
<br />
She flickered a glance up at him, bit her lip, then reluctantly smiled.</span><br />
<br />
This is one of the least romantic kisses I’ve written. The kiss is more of an angry reaction to Jenn’s relatives, and they both know it, but it emphasizes Jenn’s struggle against the expectations and prejudice in her family. Edward doesn’t have as many hangups as she does, so he’s a little more logical in his thoughts.<br />
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://camilleelliot.com/books/gentlemen_quartet_series/1_prelude_for_a_lord/" target="_blank" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgfWjKgPnGly33230ozqUBuUfenTAVi6vKqoThEB3TARegSLAvmC7NEzUSeFAc-ue-DsAnJyPYJf1_r-WYyHEXk1Ji2-uQ6xf5JEWqB8-RTmW9N_AyaNQof0URhK4w5ShrcElrMug/s200/81uvHKJhT5L._SL1500_.jpg" width="131" height="200" data-original-width="210" data-original-height="320" /></a></div>This is from my Regency romance, <a href="https://camilleelliot.com/books/gentlemen_quartet_series/1_prelude_for_a_lord/" target="_blank">Prelude for a Lord</a>. They’re just about to start a public performance, but Alethea overheard a woman denigrate her ability, which is making her panic.<br />
<br />
<span style="color: #660000; font-size: large;"> He took her hands and drew her back along the side corridor, away from the prying eyes of guests entering the drawing room down the hallway. “What is it?”<br />
<br />
“I can’t do this,” she whispered.<br />
<br />
“Yes you can.”<br />
<br />
She gasped in a few more breaths. “I need . . . a moment . . .” But it seemed the more she breathed, the more lightheaded she became.<br />
<br />
He drew closer and grabbed her shoulders. “You can do this. I believe in you.”<br />
<br />
Her entire body trembled. She wanted to explain about the women’s words, about the fear and pain, about feeling so alone with no one to understand her now that Calandra was gone. But she couldn’t speak. Her mouth was dry, her heart rate faster than a galloping horse.<br />
<br />
His hands tightened on her shoulders. And then his head blocked out the light as he swooped in to kiss her.<br />
<br />
She had never been kissed before, and he was not simply touching her, she could feel him all around her. She could somehow feel his heart beating with hers, she could hear it in her ears. His lips were warm, and firm, and the knot inside her slowly unwound. Her hands touched the silk of his waistcoat, and he was solid and dependable. His very presence was sheltering like an oak tree.<br />
<br />
He ended the kiss and looked into her eyes. She could breathe again, and she filled her lungs with the tang of lime, the woody scent of oak, the sharp, warm musk scent that rose from his skin.<br />
<br />
In his eyes was something avid and yet wishful. She caught a glimpse of the vulnerable part of him that he seemed never to show.<br />
<br />
And then he retreated behind an invisible wall. He took a deep breath, which seemed to wipe the yearning from his eyes, and he straightened, although his hands remained on her shoulders.<br />
<br />
She should not have lost control. Not in front of anyone, not in front of a man, and not in front of this man. Especially because of how he made her feel so alive.</span><br />
<br />
The kiss is significant because it’s the first time the two of them each realize how the other makes them feel emotionally complete. They go from two people feeling terribly alone to two people surprised to find that they are not alone. Yet their personal demons drive them apart almost immediately.<br />
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://camilleelliot.com/books/lady_wynwood_series/1_the_spinsters_christmas/" target="_blank" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" width="130" height="200" data-original-height="320" data-original-width="213" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjFatvh9y9hqFFbBltBCyYjIXDZaZVcI4mYsDvjsdoWFkTbACtGVLGMBXZrK9MnZgEqlpJFcUSrGNtWxOOHQQ2l9IH9CQu3h0R1L1gPPSs1F_NbFi4A_jQc8-1mLX_BfhTbBcnLSw/s320/Spinster%2527s+Christmas+photo+ebook+cover+v2+iBooks.jpg" /></a></div>This is from <a href="https://camilleelliot.com/books/lady_wynwood_series/1_the_spinsters_christmas/" target="_blank">The Spinster’s Christmas</a>. Gerard is having difficulty adjusting to home life after being discharged from the Navy, which makes him emotionally vulnerable.
<br />
<span style="color: #660000; font-size: large;">“I feel as though I am still at sea and need a war to fight,” he said.<br />
<br />
“You are already helping me. I shall leave Wintrell Hall with you and your parents, and then I shall go to Cousin Laura’s home.” She did not tell him that she would try to find a position. She did not wish to be dependent even upon Cousin Laura. “I am not your war, Gerard.”<br />
<br />
“I know that, but …” His fingertips touched her face. In the light from the torch, he looked confused.<br />
<br />
She didn’t want him to be confused, because it only made <i>her</i> feel more confused. She closed her eyes and turned her cheek away. “Gerard—”<br />
<br />
He took her chin, angling it back toward him, and then he was kissing her.<br />
<br />
It was everything she had always dreamed it would be, and even better. His mouth was firm, and his hand snaked around her waist to the small of her back, pulling her closer to him. He kissed her as though she were precious to him, as though she meant something to him.<br />
<br />
It was the first time she had been kissed. In all her girlhood, she had not been inclined to allow any boy such liberties while she yet pined for the young man away at sea, and as she grew older, the number of boys who wanted to kiss her had dwindled.<br />
<br />
But those had been girlish fantasies, and she was now older and wiser. And no matter how she might wish it, this was no longer that idealized young man.<br />
<br />
She pulled away just as he did. “Gerard.”<br />
<br />
“I beg your pardon, Miranda.” He looked shocked at his own behaviour. “I ought not to have … I respect you a great deal …”<br />
<br />
She drew upon all her strength, her deepest calm. “It was a mistake, easily forgotten.” She shivered. “We must go inside. I am cold.”</span><br />
<br />
Until this moment when I copied and pasted that here, I had no idea I’d reused that phrase about never been kissed. Sheesh! Well, I’ve written quite a few kisses so I guess it’s not surprising there would be some inadvertent similarities.<br />
<br />
Gerard’s kiss actually hurts Miranda, because it doesn’t mean the same for him that it does for her. The kiss only serves to make her push him away more firmly.<br />
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://camilleelliot.com/books/anthologies/journeys_of_the_heart" target="_blank" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiPX18mKCSWk4dizb_HvxXoT0AmtoA0y_4jbxDUER5PRaW_bN7G83hwnjhigpY60HiMfEKiGfxM9lQN1HfIEgL6s3pnUx98FgKwjIJKhScgPTQLpkCM3SPFSSt6txpYKApQygTn/s200/CLBD2018_thegentlemensquest.jpg" width="125" height="200" data-original-width="1000" data-original-height="1600" /></a></div>Lastly, this is from <a href="https://camilleelliot.com/books/anthologies/journeys_of_the_heart" target="_blank">The Gentleman’s Quest</a>:<br />
<br />
<span style="color: #660000; font-size: large;">He squeezed her hand. “I vow I will protect you from whoever may try to harm you.”<br />
<br />
She smiled and touched his cheek. “Your respect for me is worth more than a thousand treasures.”<br />
<br />
He could not help himself. He framed her face with his hands and kissed her.<br />
<br />
*<br />
<br />
His kiss was both unexpected and overwhelming for Honoria. As a girl, she had dreamed of Christopher kissing her, but with no idea of what a kiss from a man was like. She had not allowed any boy the liberty while her heart belonged to her brother’s friend. And then had been Aubrey, who turned kisses and touches into something violating and repulsive.<br />
<br />
Christopher’s kiss was beautiful.<br />
<br />
She was surrounded by the scent of sandalwood and a deeper musk that was Christopher’s. His hands were tender on her face, but his mouth pressed in harder, as if to convince her that this was not the kiss of a cousin, or a friend, but a man who desires a woman. His lips moved over hers, tasting and touching.<br />
<br />
She ought to stop this. As the future Lord Heathcliffe, he had so much ahead of him whereas she had become a shell of who she once was. She was no longer the carefree girl he had known, but a woman whose soul felt beaten and tired. She had nothing to offer him except a temporary means to assuage his guilt.<br />
<br />
But this was <i>Christopher</i>. His touch made her feel like she was floating. She trusted him to always strive to do what was best for others. He would not blindly obey her every whim, but he would always listen to her.<br />
<br />
And he was kissing her as if she were the only woman he cared for. As if she were a woman he could love.<br />
<br />
His hands had moved to her waist, pulling her against him. Her hand had drifted to his neck, bare because he had not replaced his cravat, and she felt his heartbeat fast and strong under her fingers.<br />
<br />
A thudding sound outside the closed door made them break apart—someone coming down the staircase. They stared at each other as the footsteps passed by the breakfast room and out the front door.<br />
<br />
“Honoria,” Christopher breathed. He bent his head to kiss her again.<br />
<br />
She drowned in his kiss for a long moment, but then steeled her resolve and pushed him away. He released her reluctantly.<br />
<br />
“We must go on as if this didn’t happen,” she said, her heart breaking. “I meant everything I said to you before.”<br />
<br />
He frowned. “The Honoria I knew wouldn’t run away.”<br />
<br />
“The Honoria you knew is gone.”<br />
<br />
She turned and fumbled with the door latch before leaving him in the breakfast room.</span><br />
<br />
This is an example of a kiss that makes the heroine feel better about herself, even if it’s only for a few moments before her internal conflict kicks in again. The kiss is a little more physical than my romantic suspenses, but more than that, it’s a glimpse into a healthy relationship for a woman who only thinks of herself as emotionally ill.<br />
<br />
That’s it! Those are the majority of the kiss scenes I’ve written. I hope the examples have helped you understand a little better about how to write kisses in traditional romance genres. If you have questions, just leave them in the comments.Camy Tanghttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14577747925320907186noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-19161923.post-61643697251464921642019-12-12T15:26:00.000-08:002019-12-12T15:26:22.821-08:00Update on dictating my fictionI've been dictating my fiction manuscript for a few days now, and I'm a bit disappointed. It takes me longer to think in long phrases or complete sentences, and so my word count per hour rate has been less than when I type. I suppose I simply need to get more used to dictating fiction, and then hopefully my word count per hour rate will increase.<br />
<br />
I do admit I like the fact that it's reducing the strain on my hand when I type or use the mouse. It's been very easy to navigate within the document when I use Dragon on my computer, and I've been able to make most corrections by using verbal commands within the program. I was having issues with my wrist several years ago because of using the mouse, despite trying lots of different types of mice (mouses?), rollerballs, and track pads. With Dragon, even though there is more editing that needs to be done because of errors with the transcription, the editing is almost entirely mouse-free.<br />
<br />
I have found that I need to put the mic very close to my mouth when I speak. Dragon can still hear and transcribe my voice if my mouth is further away, but the accuracy goes down. I had been reading in different books on dictation that it is necessary to put the mic very close to your mouth, but I suppose I had expected a podcast-level mic to be able to pick up my voice from 12 to 18 inches away. Then again, maybe my voice is just too soft.<br />
<br />
I'm disappointed, but I'm going to press on to increase my word per hour rate in the next week. I'm glad I've been using a spreadsheet to track my statistics. If I can increase my word per hour rate, I can write my books much faster, and hopefully be able to write all the story ideas in my head. How awesome would that be?Camy Tanghttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14577747925320907186noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-19161923.post-28865263893536721042019-12-04T12:00:00.000-08:002019-12-15T14:49:11.898-08:00Trying Dictation AgainNow that I'm over my bout of writer's block, I suppose I'm feeling a little panicked about getting as much done as I can before the next bout of writer's block hits. I know that's very irrational, because sometimes writer's block hits because of some problem with the writing that I have to address, so writing more now might only hasten the arrival of my next bout of writer's block.<br />
<br />
Even when I was working in biology research, I was always interested in optimizing processes. I've carried that over to my writing, and tried to optimize my writing process over the years.<br />
<br />
So I did some Internet searches on writing faster, and I found the books <a target="_blank" href="https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B009NKXAWS/ref=as_li_tl?ie=UTF8&camp=1789&creative=9325&creativeASIN=B009NKXAWS&linkCode=as2&tag=camysloft-20&linkId=56c1c7c5a8750fa6f18e9d981454ae44">2k to 10k</a><img src="//ir-na.amazon-adsystem.com/e/ir?t=camysloft-20&l=am2&o=1&a=B009NKXAWS" width="1" height="1" border="0" alt="" style="border:none !important; margin:0px !important;" />, and <a target="_blank" href="https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B00XIQKBT8/ref=as_li_tl?ie=UTF8&camp=1789&creative=9325&creativeASIN=B00XIQKBT8&linkCode=as2&tag=camysloft-20&linkId=18e8f0deaf49e2df827941f47531b809">5,000 Words Per Hour</a><img src="//ir-na.amazon-adsystem.com/e/ir?t=camysloft-20&l=am2&o=1&a=B00XIQKBT8" width="1" height="1" border="0" alt="" style="border:none !important; margin:0px !important;" />. Both books had very good tips and advice.<br />
<br />
In the 2K to 10K book, I liked the advice about jotting notes in detail about the scene you're about to write. I had never done this consistently, but when I did, I noticed that writing the scene went much more smoothly. I also liked her advice about experimenting to find the best times of day, best places, and best writing practices for each person to optimize your writing output.<br />
<br />
The 5000 Words per Hour book was really good to show me the value of sprints, and how to measure progress by words per hour. I experimented with duration of sprints, number of sprints per day, and the times of day that I did sprints, and I found that I had the highest words per hour when the sprints were 20 minutes or less. For my last book, my highest words per hour rate was during the afternoon and late evening, but that was mostly because I wrote the book while I was out of town, and my mornings and early evenings were always busy. I will continue to experiment so that I know at what times of the day I can write the most.<br />
<br />
The 5000 Words Per Hour book also talked about dictation. I had tried dictation a couple years ago, but it felt very awkward to me because I wasn't used to paying attention to the sound of my voice. Also, when I write, I tend to think word by word or in short phrases, and at the time I didn't realize that dictation software works best when you think in entire sentences.<br />
<br />
I decided to try dictation again, because even though the dictation was very awkward the last time I tried it, I did notice that my word output was higher. I knew that if I could become better at dictation, my word output would be even better.<br />
<br />
I did a lot of Internet searches, and read the books <a target="_blank" href="https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B01BYFVCLK/ref=as_li_tl?ie=UTF8&camp=1789&creative=9325&creativeASIN=B01BYFVCLK&linkCode=as2&tag=camysloft-20&linkId=82ed6022ad558c40c6dcc5c142b52b9a">The Writer's Guide to Training Your Dragon</a><img src="//ir-na.amazon-adsystem.com/e/ir?t=camysloft-20&l=am2&o=1&a=B01BYFVCLK" width="1" height="1" border="0" alt="" style="border:none !important; margin:0px !important;" />, <a target="_blank" href="https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B0106J2WCS/ref=as_li_tl?ie=UTF8&camp=1789&creative=9325&creativeASIN=B0106J2WCS&linkCode=as2&tag=camysloft-20&linkId=fd15ab07495010b64b9b41732a3e758d">The Productive Author's Guide to Dictation</a><img src="//ir-na.amazon-adsystem.com/e/ir?t=camysloft-20&l=am2&o=1&a=B0106J2WCS" width="1" height="1" border="0" alt="" style="border:none !important; margin:0px !important;" />, and <a target="_blank" href="https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B013ZVSVC4/ref=as_li_tl?ie=UTF8&camp=1789&creative=9325&creativeASIN=B013ZVSVC4&linkCode=as2&tag=camysloft-20&linkId=30ad547446d06d4fd847bcbfbedaf0b2">Dictate Your Book</a><img src="//ir-na.amazon-adsystem.com/e/ir?t=camysloft-20&l=am2&o=1&a=B013ZVSVC4" width="1" height="1" border="0" alt="" style="border:none !important; margin:0px !important;" />.<br />
<br />
I tried out dictation using the Dragon Anywhere app on my phone, and also the Siri dictation function already on my computer. Most articles suggest that you ease your way into dictation by dictating things like emails, blog posts, and diary entries. I decided to use the writing exercises in the book <a target="_blank" href="https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/0692127917/ref=as_li_tl?ie=UTF8&camp=1789&creative=9325&creativeASIN=0692127917&linkCode=as2&tag=camysloft-20&linkId=18f6c3bd2fb1173e400c2fbf713bf23d">Pen on Fire: A Busy Woman's Guide to Igniting the Writer Within</a><img src="//ir-na.amazon-adsystem.com/e/ir?t=camysloft-20&l=am2&o=1&a=0692127917" width="1" height="1" border="0" alt="" style="border:none !important; margin:0px !important;" />.<br />
<br />
I won't lie, it was extremely awkward. But because the writing exercises are only 15 minutes long, it made the dictation easier. The dictation software of the app and on my computer was not perfect, and did not have all the functions that are available from the Dragon NaturallySpeaking software. I also could not train the software, and so there were names and phrases that were always transcribed incorrectly.<br />
<br />
The resulting rough draft was absolutely awful. I type relatively accurately, so it drove me nuts to see all the small errors in the text. I had tried different microphones also, but I just didn't have any that were good enough for the software to pick up my voice more clearly.<br />
<br />
But despite the errors, and the extra time it took to edit the rough draft, the word count was very high in the amount of time it took me to dictate it. The articles I had read all mentioned that the learning curve is high for some people, and it will take a while to get used to dictation, so I decided to press on.<br />
<br />
I have a Mac, but reviews all say that the Dragon software for Mac is not very good. So I bought Parallels and the Dragon software for Windows. My husband also found a really good deal on a podcast-level microphone. It's not one of the popular podcasting mics, it's a Samson, but it's much better than any of the other microphones I own.<br />
<br />
When I set up the Dragon software, I set up two profiles, one for my Regency writing, and one for my contemporary writing. The software will analyze existing files to learn your vocabulary and writing style, so I had the Dragon software analyze my Regency books for my Regency profile and my contemporary books for my contemporary profile.<br />
<br />
So far, I have been using Dragon to dictate as I outline my next Regency novel. I added the names of my characters in the vocabulary editor in the software, and so far it has been very good at accurately identifying proper names and surnames, even homonyms like Thorne and thorn.<br />
<br />
Since I'm only outlining, the dictation has been easier than when I was writing fiction for the writing exercises. The hard part about writing fiction was not the punctuation, but in trying to think in longer phrases for the dictation software. However, I have discovered that I don't need to think in full sentences for the Dragon software on Windows to be able to accurately transcribe me. Even the Siri dictation function on my Mac has been working better because I've been trying to dictate in longer phrases.<br />
<br />
Hopefully in a few days, I will start work on the rough draft. I know it will be rough going at first as I struggle to get used to dictating fiction, but because dictating while I outline the novel has slowly gotten easier, I am hopeful that the fiction will get easier too.<br />
<br />
I will post another blog post later about how dictating my fiction has gone.<br />
<br />
By the way, I dictated this entire blog post, and only did some light editing and inserting links using my keyboard. The Dragon software for Windows was very accurate, and it was very easy to use dictation commands to make corrections as I was writing the piece.Camy Tanghttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14577747925320907186noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-19161923.post-59818448026324459562019-10-30T12:00:00.000-07:002019-12-23T20:14:11.136-08:00My experience with Writer's BlockIt’s been a few years since I last had a book out, and while some of that is because I changed my mind about how I wanted the next book to go, for some of that time I had a few bad bouts of writer’s block.<br />
<br />
I know there are people who say writer’s block doesn’t exist, and/or it’s just your subconscious trying to tell you something about your story or about your own emotional state. I’m not here to debate that. All I know is that I couldn’t write, for whatever reasons, when I hadn’t had bad writer’s block during my time writing for Love Inspired, Guideposts, and Zondervan.<br />
<br />
I know that sometimes when I had writer’s block, it was due to stress. There were family issues that came up and I could clearly tell that I was worried and that made it difficult for me to focus emotionally on writing. I personally need a calm heart and clear mind to create fiction, and it’s very hard for me to write when I’m emotionally upset. Some writers rage-write or cry-write to great emotional impact, but I’m not one of them. When I’m emotional, I simply can’t focus my whirling thoughts enough to get words down.<br />
<br />
There were a couple times when I knew I was stuck because <a href="http://blog.camytang.com/2019/11/the-lady-wynwood-series-is-changing-its.html" target="_blank">I couldn’t decide how I wanted my Lady Wynwood series to be structured</a>. I had a few ideas of making the series a trilogy, then four books, then five, then back to three, etc. There were lots of other factors involved in making the decision, and I was waffling. A part of me knew that none of those options were quite right, but at the time, I didn’t know what other options I should try.<br />
<br />
But other times, I couldn’t write and I really had no idea why. I did a lot of berating myself for being lazy or unfocused, but that didn’t make me suddenly start writing. I would spend time staring at the cursor blinking on my computer, write something, delete it, stare some more, rinse and repeat. I can usually come up with ideas when I do something tactile, but even when I was knitting or snacking, I simply couldn’t think of anything to write.<br />
<br />
So in order to combat this writer’s block, I tried everything. I read lots of articles and tried everything they suggested. I’m going to be listing everything I tried, and how it worked for me. Sometimes it worked, sometimes it didn’t. <br />
<br />
I never found a magic bullet or a surefire way to beat writer’s block all the time, nor did I find any one method that always worked. I tried lots of things and often struggled and failed—on those days, I just closed the computer and went to do something else. <br />
<br />
But I’m hoping that in blogging about this exhausting experience, maybe it will help someone else who is also struggling with writer’s block. If that’s you, my suggestion is for you to also try everything. Some things that worked for me might not work for you, and some things that didn’t work for me might work for you. I found the most surprising things ended up helping me, and some things that worked during one bout of writer’s block didn’t work during the next bout of writer’s block.<br />
<br />
So here is what I did. Give them a shot.<br />
<br />
<b>1. Ride out emotional issues</b><br />
<br />
I know I clearly had emotional issues due to stress and family issues. The problem is that since I write full time, I can’t let my emotions keep me from writing for any long stretch of time.<br />
<br />
My parents each underwent surgery for various things. My dog got really sick and eventually died. One of the last editors I worked for was very difficult to work with, and even after that contract ended, the editor’s negativity made me feel inadequate and constantly second-guess myself. Writers especially are prone to fears about inadequacy or being frozen by a desire for perfection in their art.<br />
<br />
I gave myself time to process each problem—and the time I needed varied depending on the situation—but I also tried to get back into writing as soon as I could.<br />
<br />
If I were to give advice to another writer also undergoing emotional issues, I would tell them to make sure they have a good social support system, and to get counseling if other people suggest it. I think that we ourselves don’t often recognize when a problem is serious enough to need counseling. I think the best thing a writer can do is give yourself time, and then figure out where to go from there, whether some counseling or talking to a friend/family member or to try to get back into writing.<br />
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Having a good social support system will help even after you start to feel back to normal. I spend an hour talking to a writing friend once a week. The conversation didn’t always help unblock my writer’s block, but once in a while it did motivate me to get some words down.<br />
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<b>2. Figure out physical problems</b><br />
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I suffered from migraines every so often due to either hormones (I’m in peri-menopause) or sinus allergies. Once a migraine hit, I was out for at least that day and usually the day after the migraine passed, because the following day my head and body always felt kind of fragile, like glass. I didn’t respond well to pain meds because my stomach is rather sensitive, and my usual allergy medicines started working less and less to combat the sinus allergies.<br />
<br />
I tried lots of different things (which I’m not going to go into here) but these days my migraines are more under control than they used to be.<br />
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Bottom line: I had to take the time to figure out what was going on with my body. I did write a little bit during this time (see below for some things I did) but ultimately, my priority had to be stopping the migraines from disrupting my work schedule.<br />
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<b>3. Exercise</b><br />
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Not my favorite thing to do, but sometimes going for a walk while listening to either an audiobook or a playlist helped motivate me to write and gave me ideas. Sometimes this worked, but not always.<br />
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Sometimes listening to a good audiobook motivated me. Sometimes listening to a bad audiobook motivated me. Sometimes listening to a writing audiobook worked. Sometimes listening to my favorite music, sometimes listening to music without words. I tried lots of things, and the combination of walking and listening to something was usually one of the first things I tried. It didn’t always work.<br />
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<b>4. Tactile stimulation</b><br />
<br />
As I mentioned earlier, usually my creative juices get flowing when I do some tactile activity, such as knitting or even eating. I often either knit or snack when I write, and when I was under contract, this almost always worked.<br />
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Then during my bouts of writer’s block, this stopped working so well. I don’t know why, and I shook things up and tried other types of tactile stimulation. It didn’t always work, but I always tried it at least a little.<br />
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<b>5. Olfactory stimulation</b><br />
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I don’t consistently have scents in my office when I’m working—sometimes I remember to light a candle or put some essential oils in the diffuser, sometimes I don’t. When I was suffering from writer’s block, I tried every kind of scent I could think of, including ones that were calming or that stimulated creativity.<br />
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Essential oils didn’t always make me suddenly write, but I did find that the ones to stimulate creativity absolutely did not work for me. The calming ones didn’t work most of the time, either. The ones that worked the best for me were eucalyptus and peppermint, sometimes together. Maybe something about improved airflow made more oxygen flow to the creative centers of my brain, I don’t know.<br />
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Eucalyptus and peppermint didn’t always work, but they did help me relax, and sometimes I did get some writing done when they were in my office diffuser.<br />
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<b>6. Change of environment</b><br />
<br />
I tried writing in all kinds of different places—parks, coffeeshops, library, etc. The coffeeshop wasn’t terrible, but I discovered that the ambient noise was too distracting for me, personally, especially because most coffeeshops have music playing.<br />
<br />
The best places for me were parks, but I had to either bring my Alphasmart and also my iPad to keep my outline and notes handy, or I was subject to the battery life of my laptop. Also, depending on how busy the park was, the ambient conversations of other people at the park distracted me. I found some small parks that were mostly empty and that seemed to work well, especially if I limited myself to only an hour or so on my laptop before returning home. Any longer and I started getting restless and unfocused and not getting much done.<br />
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This technique was probably the most successful for me when it came to battling my writer’s block, but I had to do a lot of experimenting to figure out what places were best for me. Just changing my environment didn’t cut it.<br />
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<b>7. Music</b><br />
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Sometimes music inspired me to write, other times it was distracting. This has always been true even when I didn’t have writer’s block, but I tried different types of music to see if it would help me—different music genres, white noise, nature sounds, etc. I never found anything that consistently helped me to write, but I did find that either movie or TV show soundtracks, or silence was my best bet for productivity.<br />
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<b>8. Create a daily routine or a strict writing schedule or a completely different writing schedule</b><br />
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Many creative types come up with things they do as part of a routine to get their brain into the mindset of writing. There are tons of different things you can do, and lots of examples if you Google “writing routines.”<br />
<br />
Related to this, other people will suggest that to unblock writer’s block, adhere to a strict writing schedule and show up without fail everyday. Do whatever writing routine works for you, and keep to your schedule.<br />
<br />
Tried this, totally didn’t work. I’d do different routines and show up to “work,” and just stare at the blank screen. Maybe I just didn’t find the right routine that would work for me, but I also didn’t feel inclined to try a hundred different combinations of ideas and see what might work for me.<br />
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Related to this, some people suggest switching your writing schedule to something completely different to try to jump start creativity—for example, if you tend to write at night, write in the morning, etc. I also tried this but it didn’t work for me.<br />
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<b>9. Eliminate distractions</b><br />
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Lots of writers swear by apps that allow them to turn off the internet on their laptops, or who use distraction-free word processors like Alphasmart (no longer manufactured, but you can buy used on eBay) or <a href="https://getfreewrite.com/discount/XNG265R5PCXS?rfsn=3299077.bb0033&utm_source=refersion&utm_medium=affiliate&utm_campaign=3299077.bb0033" target="_blank">Freewrite</a>. I will admit that there were some days I found myself surfing the web, but there were also lots of days when I’d take my Alphasmart to another room in the house, or to a coffeeshop, or to the park, and just watch the cursor blink. For me, the internet can be a distraction but it wasn’t what was keeping me from writing.<br />
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(Full disclosure, if you use my Freewrite link above and buy a Freewrite or Freewrite Traveler, you get a 5% discount and I get a small commission.)<br />
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<b>10. Freewrite/Bullet lists/Decisions</b><br />
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Sometimes the writer’s block was related to writing the prose for my manuscript, but sometimes the writer’s block was related to not being able to come up with ideas for the characters or outline, or feeling something about the characters and/or plot wasn’t working. When it was related to characters and plot, I would try freewriting.<br />
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Sometimes this worked, sometimes it didn’t. Many times my freewrite ended up being me asking all kinds of questions about the story, which had no answers. Other times, the ideas would flow and I’d get several pages of ideas I could pick and choose from.<br />
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I also tried different types of freewriting, like talking to an imaginary friend, writing from a character’s point of view, interviewing a character, etc. There wasn’t any one type of freewriting that worked for me on a consistent basis, and I found that just a rambling freewrite tended to work better for me than any of those techniques.<br />
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Related to freewriting, there are resources online for writer’s idea books and websites where you can get random ideas thrown at you to see if any of that sparks ideas for your story. I sometimes used this with my freewrite.<br />
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Similar to freewriting, brainstorming ideas in bullet points sometimes worked really well, and other times didn’t work at all. I’m not sure why, but bullet points will sometimes get me to come up with ideas better than freewriting.<br />
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There was at least one bout of writer’s block that occurred because I couldn’t decide how I wanted my series to be structured and how I wanted the next book to go. I waffled on this quite a bit because the options I thought of seemed okay but they didn’t really click powerfully with me. I would decide on one option, then change my mind a few days later.<br />
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I used lots of freewriting and bullet lists to try to list pros and cons for each option, and then I used freewriting and bullet lists to come up with other, out-of-the-box options, one of which I eventually picked. So I suppose in a sense, freewriting and bullet lists really did break one type of writer’s block that I had, because it enabled me to come to a firm decision about my series and my next book. Once I found the option that felt right to me, I was able to move forward with my writing.<br />
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<b>11. Play a game/Try a different medium</b><br />
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Whether Minecraft or LEGOs, any type of creative playing is supposed to help you release inhibitions and unclog creativity. The same goes for trying other types of creative mediums, like playing music or drawing or painting.<br />
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Absolutely did NOT work for me. Maybe I’m just too boring a person. Instead of playing with LEGOs, I’d really rather read a book. I tried music and art, and while they helped pass the time, I wasn’t suddenly able to write words when I got in front of the computer again.<br />
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<b>12. Switch up your writing tool</b><br />
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I tried other means of writing, including using different word processing programs on my laptop, or using my Alphasmart, and even using a manual typewriter or hand-writing with my fountain pen and a leather bound notebook, but these techniques didn’t work for me. On the other hand, I have a writer friend who writes all her novels by hand with a good pen and pad of paper, so I know this technique can work wonders for some people. It just didn’t work for me.<br />
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I also tried dictation, but the learning curve is rather high and I never really got into a good groove with this technique, and so I didn’t spend that much time trying it out. If/when I have writer’s block again, I wouldn’t mind giving this another go.<br />
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Another way to switch up your writing tool is to go for a different medium for outlining. Instead of outlining in a document on my computer, I would use sticky notes stuck to my closet doors. Other people use note paper on cork boards or index cards on the floor or a mind-mapping app—it’s the same concept.<br />
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Did it work? Eh. The sticky notes did shake things up visually and it did feel fresh and new, but I didn’t come up with any good ideas and it didn’t help me with the writing.<br />
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<b>13. Read</b><br />
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Lots of articles suggested reading things to get me motivated to write. Sometimes it worked, sometimes it didn’t. I tried reading novels in the genre I was writing, novels not in the genre I was writing, nonfiction books, writing books, online articles on writing, online articles not about writing, inspirational quotes, memes, poetry.<br />
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The thing that worked best was, strangely, Japanese light novels that had been translated into English. Light Novel authors write their books serially, publishing a chapter a week in very popular weekly or bi-weekly magazines. Then the publisher compiles the chapters into books and sells them in bookstores. It’s a high productivity literary genre and I am really impressed at how fast they have to write. Some light novel authors, who are not yet published by traditional publishers, will still write a scene a day or a chapter a week on light novel blog sites, similar to Wattpad, where they can reach readers and even get some feedback on their writing.<br />
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When I read a light novel, sometimes it would make me think about the author writing frantically to get their chapter done each week, and I’d stop reading and start writing. This didn’t always work—there were times I would simply read the light novel and not feel motivated to write. I didn’t pick up a light novel to read expressly to motivate myself to write, but when I wasn’t able to write and I would pick up a book to read, sometimes a light novel would send me back to my keyboard.<br />
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I do want to mention one writing book that really did get me to write, and that was <a href="http://www.amazon.com/dp/0692127917/?tag=camysloft-20" target="_blank"><i>Pen on Fire: A Busy Woman's Guide to Igniting the Writer Within</i> by Barbara DeMarco-Barrett</a>. I personally found the exercises really good for getting back into the swing of writing. When I started the book, I hadn’t written for a few months, and it felt rusty to write again, but the book helped me regain my mojo. There are lots of other writing exercise and prompt books out there, and I tried several of them, but this one seemed to work the best for me out of all of them.<br />
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<b>14. Art/Pictures</b><br />
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I did a lot of Pinterest and deviantart.com surfing and looked at a lot of pictures and art on the web, but I guess my creativity isn’t fed by visual stimulus. However, I know other authors who rely heavily on visual stimulus, so give this one a shot.<br />
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Instead, I found a lot of pictures of Japan on the japanpics subreddit, and they actually inspired me to write flash fiction (see below).<br />
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<b>15. Flash fiction</b><br />
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I hadn’t written much flash fiction or short fiction since I first started writing seriously many years ago, and so it felt awkward and brand new to write flash fiction to try to break through my writer’s block. <br />
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But it actually worked really well for me.<br />
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You can find prompts everywhere online, and there are some good prompt books and prompt apps. I tried lots of different story prompts, but I found the prompts I liked the best were photos from the japanpics subreddit. I would pick a photo and then come up with a short story about it. I found myself, strangely, writing a lot of fantasy, which was really fun since I hadn’t written that since high school. I never limited myself on genre, and just wrote whatever came to mind when I looked at the picture.<br />
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<b>16. Try a different writing style</b><br />
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I was a seat-of-the-pants writer for maybe my first 3 or 4 manuscripts, but once I discovered the <a href="http://www.rsingermanson.com/html/the_snowflake.html" target="_blank"> Snowflake method</a> of plotting, I became a die-hard plotter and never looked back.<br />
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When I was mired in writer’s block, a writing friend suggested I try pantsing the book for the first time in years to see if that will shake things up.<br />
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In some ways, it worked. I let go of my outline and just wrote. I wrote a total of 90,000 words … and I wasn’t even at the 25% mark of my general plot. I stopped there because I couldn’t stomach writing another 270,000 words knowing that in the revisions stage I’ll have to eliminate about 270,000 words from the book to get it down to around 100,000 words. The thought of the time and effort of writing all those words only to cut them out was depressing. I have writer friends who are pantsers and they typically overwrite, and need to cut words in revisions, but never by that much.<br />
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I also ended up not using most of those words when I eventually revised the manuscript, so it was a lot of effort for low efficiency.<br />
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<b>17. Skip it/Start over</b><br />
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There were times when I had writer’s block while in the middle of working on an outline, and sometimes the block was related to not knowing where the story was going to go from there. The fix for this was relatively easy—I either skipped over that part or I started over from the beginning.<br />
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<b>18. Writing Sprints/Pomodoro Technique</b><br />
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This technique didn’t always work to unblock writer’s block, but there were times when I would start a sprint and suddenly have several hundred words done before I knew it. Other times, I’d start a sprint and stare at the cursor.<br />
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Now that I have pushed past my most recent bout of writer’s block, writing sprints have become my go-to technique for getting the most words done. I started a log of when I started/stopped and number of words written. After doing several writing sprints, I sorted the entries by total time of the sprint, and I was able to figure out that I’m most efficient and productive when my sprints are between 15 and 20 minutes—my average words per minute is higher than any other writing sprint time.<br />
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<b>In conclusion:</b><br />
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No, I didn’t find a sure-fire way to conquer writer’s block, but I did eventually push through it with a combination of methods. Each time I had writer’s block, different methods would work better than others.<br />
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The next time I have writer’s block, I intend to go about it a bit more methodically and journal everyday, writing down what I tried and how I feel. If anything, the journalling is cathartic and will be a good record of things that work and don’t work that particular time.<br />
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If you’re reading this, you’ve probably struggled with writer’s block or are struggling with it right now. I sympathize. I’m not going to say there’s a cure-all, but you don’t have to give up. There are things you can try, and it will take trial and error and time, but you can push past it and get back into writing again. I hope this article has helped you.<br />
Camy Tanghttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14577747925320907186noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-19161923.post-65970419552950233512019-10-25T12:00:00.000-07:002019-10-25T12:00:08.181-07:00Ira Glass quotekapitan_kraken posted this quote on the writing subreddit:<br />
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<blockquote class="tr_bq">"Nobody tells this to people who are beginners, I wish someone told me. All of us who do creative work, we get into it because we have good taste. But there is this gap. For the first couple years you make stuff, it’s just not that good. It’s trying to be good, it has potential, but it’s not. But your taste, the thing that got you into the game, is still killer. And your taste is why your work disappoints you. A lot of people never get past this phase, they quit. Most people I know who do interesting, creative work went through years of this. We know our work doesn’t have this special thing that we want it to have. We all go through this. And if you are just starting out or you are still in this phase, you gotta know its normal and the most important thing you can do is do a lot of work. Put yourself on a deadline so that every week you will finish one story. It is only by going through a volume of work that you will close that gap, and your work will be as good as your ambitions. And I took longer to figure out how to do this than anyone I’ve ever met. It’s gonna take awhile. It’s normal to take awhile. You’ve just gotta fight your way through."</blockquote>Ira Glass<br />
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Isn't that just a fabulous quote? I love it! Except instead of writing a story a week, I finished five manuscripts before one was good enough to be sold.Camy Tanghttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14577747925320907186noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-19161923.post-45120440040562482232018-06-19T14:00:00.000-07:002018-06-19T14:00:04.308-07:00Timed writing sprints #writersblock #writingtips<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEil_hyphenhyphenn4R-7ZxXXraEH_bCQikOiGBetWf1RBAfXGm5hOLHaW6-l958bT9CN7UVFwM20XP48-KPYxtpQfDRZt2ORMaGzZoRSi0Z-9-0aPBL0gQob-t-OQm_8bJSNgvljPLt03HMP/s1600/JUST+SHOOT+ME+NOW.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEil_hyphenhyphenn4R-7ZxXXraEH_bCQikOiGBetWf1RBAfXGm5hOLHaW6-l958bT9CN7UVFwM20XP48-KPYxtpQfDRZt2ORMaGzZoRSi0Z-9-0aPBL0gQob-t-OQm_8bJSNgvljPLt03HMP/s320/JUST+SHOOT+ME+NOW.jpg" width="320" height="240" data-original-width="1600" data-original-height="1200" /></a></div><br />
I’ve been struggling with writer’s block/lack of motivation in my writing for several months now, and I’ve been battling it the way I’ve always battled it before—I sit my butt down in a chair and force myself to write, powering through the blah feeling and writing absolute crap as if I’ve forgotten everything I’ve learned about writing prose.<br />
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The problem with this is that if the writer’s block/lack of motivation lasts for a long time, that kind of “powering through it” can get really tiring. So I’ve also been reading writing books to try to glean some new trick or technique to use.<br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://www.amazon.com/dp/B00XIQKBT8/?tag=camysloft-20" target="_blank" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhk2LGkbIpihjiEgcyoemPK-8AsL7a7ADe3S0yRH99F81QDh-yzJwlGpj2I7JNDZZwqn5X3OK2JRCa5a_0tEr4kkwFlMyT4h4d0m5BPq_06egB6d2MV4I65QHPSo3YvhsTupfNX/s320/51gqAWVUU4L.jpg" width="200" height="320" data-original-width="313" data-original-height="500" /></a></div>I read <a href="http://www.amazon.com/dp/B00XIQKBT8/?tag=camysloft-20" target="_blank">5000 Words Per Hour</a> by Chris Fox and I really liked his concept of timed writing sprints. I found that the time pressure really helped me to turn off the internal editor and just write. <br />
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Rather than being stuck on a particular scene or page, I would force myself to just write whatever came to mind even if it was trite and bland, because I can always fix it later. If I really couldn’t think of something, I left a note for myself to add something later.<br />
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I really consciously tried to not stop writing—if I misspelled a word, I would insert an asterisk symbol, then type the word again rather than going back to correct it. If I didn’t like how I phrased something, I would insert an asterisk and retype the phrase how I wanted it to sound. If I didn’t know a word, I’d leave a note for myself. Or if I knew I needed to look a word up in a dictionary or thesaurus, I again just left a note for myself and kept going. <br />
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I realize that’s not really muting the internal editor, but it’s helped me to resist the urge to go back to correct, and it keeps me moving forward.<br />
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The page is incredibly messy, which really bothers me, but this enabled me to progress further on my book than I had before.<br />
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I also resisted the urge to edit what I’d written after the writing sprint was over. Chris Fox made a really good point, that you don’t know if what you write will remain in the book. You don’t know if you’ll cut the scene or revise it later because you decide on a major change in the book.<br />
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For example, I edited this one fight scene, but then later decided on a different sort of scene to convey the same information, and ended up cutting the original fight scene. Another scene that I had edited got completely revised into a different scene that happened later in the book, so I had to change a lot of what I’d written to conform to this new place in the plot.<br />
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All the time I’d spent editing those two scenes was completely wasted. I could have used those hours to instead write a (crappy) rough draft of a different scene.<br />
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So now I have to grit my teeth and ignore the incredibly messy rough draft I’m writing, and just keep plowing forward onto new scenes. My rough drafts were never this full of errors before, so it’s killing me to not go back and fix typos and stuff.<br />
<br />
But I’m progressing on my rough draft much faster than I was in the past few months, and I consider that a huge plus.<br />
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On the r/writing subreddit, some people were making the point that every writer is different, and they have to edit as they’re writing. I completely understand that, because that’s my normal system. That’s how I wrote most of the books that I published before this.<br />
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But now that I’m in the middle of the worst writer’s block/lack of motivation that I’ve felt before, I’m willing to try different things to just finish the book. Since I’m a full-time writer, I don’t have the luxury of taking lots of time to finish a novel. I want to finish this one in the next month or two. So if my normal (and preferred) method of editing as I write is now not working for me, I am willing to do a messy rough draft in order to finish it in a shorter period of time.<br />
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Of course, that also means learning this new style of writing and not correcting myself. It’s been really hard, but I don’t regret it—if I can completely turn off my internal editor, I know I can write a lot faster and finish more books per year.Camy Tanghttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14577747925320907186noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-19161923.post-40758761722047357532017-02-28T05:00:00.000-08:002017-02-28T05:00:43.930-08:00Audio Commentaries for Movies<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://geo.itunes.apple.com/us/movie/captain-america-civil-war/id1104040170?mt=6&at=1l3v9P6" target="_blank" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEghomJnx4IOhVPRCIvaGn2pvAVQdF-zpJFXRIXZ980ir_IBHUoxGY2NZgYNOJQk2-wQZ6lkQ1b2OHVe9yMmOSYDiBryQvM-L0r0RaBGKKJObm16l9AdrpQGm4Mjt37IrCmtuCwS/s320/6000x4000bb.jpg" width="213" height="320" /></a></div>I just discovered a great resource for inspiration, reminders, and tips for writing. I’ve been in a bit of a plotting rut and so I do what I usually do, which is watch TV shows and movies. This time, I watched the audio commentary for one of my favorite movies, <a href="https://geo.itunes.apple.com/us/movie/captain-america-civil-war/id1104040170?mt=6&at=1l3v9P6" target="_blank"><i>Captain America: Civil War</i></a>.<br />
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I didn’t realize that I’d get so many great ideas for plotting, characterization, dialogue beats, theme, mood, and setting by listening to the directors and the screenwriters comment as they viewed the movie. It not only gave me a springboard for my own plot and character ideas, but it reminded me of techniques I’d forgotten about, which helped me in my story structure and character development.<br />
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It’s a shame that I’m only realizing this now, because it’s a resource I’ve always had, in the movies I’ve bought on iTunes, but never utilized. I’ll definitely be using this more in future.<br />
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I hope this tip helps you guys, too—pick your favorite movie and listen to the audio commentary. You never know what new tips you’ll pick up and how it’ll help you get new ideas for your own book.Camy Tanghttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14577747925320907186noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-19161923.post-4015068258326495752016-10-10T05:00:00.000-07:002016-10-10T05:00:30.735-07:00Fluff in DialogueJim asked another question:<br />
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<i>The guidelines for eliminating fluff or fillers were very helpful. I learned a lot from them. (I know, I shouldn’t have used “a lot”. Having said that, do these same rules or guidelines apply to dialogue as they do with narrative? It appears that we can use unfinished or incomplete sentences, poor grammar, pauses, etc. in dialogue. Do we have the same exemption when it comes to fluff or filler words within dialogue?<br />
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As asked above, even if we are not bound by the same rules within dialogue, would it be better to still remove as many fluff words such as that, very, really, just, get, got, etc. as possible?</i><br />
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Camy here: In dialogue, it’s fine to have incomplete sentences, poor grammar, etc. But also be aware that dialogue in fiction isn’t really true dialogue—it’s kind of like the difference between a real mixed martial arts fight and a scripted fight on TV. The moves are all the same but on TV, the scripted fight is made to look prettier and flow better and be more entertaining for a larger audience.<br />
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In fiction, dialogue isn’t like true dialogue in real life. We eliminate the things that might be uninteresting, or unnecessary, or that would slow the pacing of the scene.<br />
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That said, you can’t eliminate everything extraneous from your dialogue—it still has to sound natural. There’s a fine line to walk for a writer, and it usually comes down to your own gut instinct on those things.<br />
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I tend to overuse the words “very,” “really,” and “just” in my dialogue, so I will go through my manuscript (after I’m done with the entire thing) and search for my “hotwords” so that I can eliminate as many as possible. I still probably have too many left, but at least it’s not as much as before. If you see that you overuse filler or fluff words, then it’s better to go through and try to eliminate as many as possible, although be aware that you won’t want to get rid of all of them—self-edit according to how it seems to sound better for you as the writer.Camy Tanghttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14577747925320907186noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-19161923.post-46128154671708428282016-10-03T05:00:00.000-07:002016-10-03T05:00:21.674-07:00Q&A: Can Dialogue be Backstory Dumping?It’s been a while, but I was finally cleaning out my Inbox and got a question from Jim. He wrote book one in a series aimed at 6-9 year olds, but he had a question about the second book in the series:<br />
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<i>At this point, I used Book 2 to allow the child’s siblings to ask and receive answers about what he’s been doing the past 8 months. This was done via dialogue.<br />
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Would this be considered Backstory dumping when it’s a second book and responds to a different “now”. If it’s not considered “dumping”, would it still be preferable to eliminate the 6-8 chapters in book 2 and go with the “dribble” the backstory approach?</i><br />
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Camy here: Honestly, it’s entirely up to you. I’ve seen children’s books that have massive backstory dumps, and others where the backstory is more gradually inserted as the story goes along.<br />
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I’ve also seen books where the backstory is only briefly outlined. (For example: “Harry explained about how he got somehow entered into the Goblet of Fire and had to compete in dangerous tasks for the competition, but it all turned out to be a trick to forcibly transport him to Voldemort’s reincarnation spell.”) Then the details are gradually inserted later in the story as needed.<br />
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I think it also depends on how the story pacing is going. If the backstory dialogue is extensive (and it sounds like it’s about 2-3 chapters long in your book) then it might halt the action and ruin the story pacing. On the other hand, the backstory might be absolutely necessary before continuing the story and it doesn’t upset the pacing at all.<br />
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I think you should go with your gut instinct. What do you think would make for better story flow? <br />
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Another option is to ask for a few beta readers to give you feedback on the pacing with and without those backstory chapters. If they all say the same thing, then you should probably listen to their advice.<br />
Camy Tanghttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14577747925320907186noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-19161923.post-5764452043006860702015-11-30T05:00:00.000-08:002015-11-30T05:00:08.825-08:00Deep Point of View worksheet now available<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://camytang.com/writers/story_sensei_worksheets/deep_point_of_view_worksheet" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;" target="_blank"><img border="0" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEirIajO0B30M5tcJa7KbZ7GSsYQ-ErYmomKjG1HJmIQ-n9KfawczwqwOCJHxNz76DGEUIXXJXjBN6oSNGEq-1EFKugdgMX156quCqRarEX4fG4A0Cc6o8e-n8ayiQt-h3jwGOoo/s200/Deep+POV+worksheet+cover+web.jpg" width="133" /></a></div>I've just released my Story Sensei Deep Point of View worksheet on ebook!<br />
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$2.99 on <a href="http://camytang.com/writers/story_sensei_worksheets/deep_point_of_view_worksheet" target="_blank">Kindle</a>, <a href="https://geo.itunes.apple.com/us/book/story-sensei-deep-point-view/id1061237925?mt=11&at=1l3v9P6" target="_blank">iBooks</a>, <a href="http://bit.ly/1QAsHzk" target="_blank">Nook</a>, <a href="http://bit.ly/1OYjIrC" target="_blank">Kobo</a>, <a href="https://www.smashwords.com/books/view/594638" target="_blank">Smashwords</a>.<br />
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As a writer, you can provide a richer emotional experience for your reader by utilizing a deeper point of view.<br />
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Deep point of view draws the reader into the characters’ heads and can elicit a stronger emotional reader response to the characters’ struggles, decisions, and reactions to external conflict.<br />
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Readers who have read a passage in deep point of view often talk about how the characters seemed more vivid, how the story and prose riveted them to the page.<br />
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It is very easy for a writer to learn ways to draw the reader into the mind, body, and soul of your characters through deep point of view techniques.<br />
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By the end of the worksheet you’ll have:<br />
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1) A basic understanding of different points of view so you can decide if deep or shallow point of view is best for your story<br />
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2) Ways to strengthen the emotional writing and draw the reader deeper into the character’s point of view<br />
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3) An understanding of the structural elements of a scene to help you know when and how to add deep-POV emotions<br />
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4) Tips for how to tweak wording in order to deepen point of view on a minute level, which contributes to a richer point of view for the manuscript as a whole<br />
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5) A finely honed radar for spotting “Telling” and shallow POV through exercises<br />
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This worksheet consists of lessons, homework, and fun exercises for you to see lots of deep and shallow POV examples. You’ll learn lots of simple techniques to help you deepen your character’s point of view.<br />
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Buy the Deep Point of View worksheet: <a href="http://camytang.com/writers/story_sensei_worksheets/deep_point_of_view_worksheet" target="_blank">Kindle</a>, <a href="https://geo.itunes.apple.com/us/book/story-sensei-deep-point-view/id1061237925?mt=11&at=1l3v9P6" target="_blank">iBooks</a>, <a href="http://bit.ly/1QAsHzk" target="_blank">Nook</a>, <a href="http://bit.ly/1OYjIrC" target="_blank">Kobo</a>, <a href="https://www.smashwords.com/books/view/594638" target="_blank">Smashwords</a>.<br />
<br />
<h1 class="null" style="color: #202020; font-family: Arial; font-size: 34px; line-height: 34px; margin: 0px 0px 10px;">Also available:<br />
Heroine's Journey worksheet</h1><br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://camytang.com/writers/story_sensei_worksheets/heroines_journey" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;" target="_blank"><img border="0" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhpJXzbKU9eWUgv72M9K9EBg9o_VJlTTgDLTgeRr8j75n4Htd4wTIKUIweRsrhntkoJjXDnr0ADnGZXRkXZI5MWHR63gDhyP21KKBuP60OBneHpbjkogaNuOi2eMHiEfKWV5EFx/s200/Heroine%2527s+Journey+worksheet+cover+1400.jpeg" width="133" /></a></div>$2.99 on <a href="http://camytang.com/writers/story_sensei_worksheets/heroines_journey" target="_blank">Kindle</a>, <a href="https://itunes.apple.com/us/book/story-sensei-heroines-journey/id948864639?mt=11&uo=4&at=1l3v9P6" target="_blank">iBooks</a>, <a href="http://click.linksynergy.com/fs-bin/click?id=OzL8UshsP*c&subid=&offerid=266972.1&type=10&tmpid=8432&RD_PARM1=http%253A%252F%252Fwww.barnesandnoble.com%252Fw%252Fstory-sensei-heroines-journey-worksheet-camy-tang%252F1120862839%253Fean%253D2940150164178" target="new">Nookbook</a>, <a href="http://click.linksynergy.com/fs-bin/click?id=OzL8UshsP*c&subid=&offerid=361251.1&type=10&tmpid=9310&RD_PARM1=http%3A%2F%2Fstore.kobobooks.com%2Febook%2Fstory-sensei-heroine-s-journey-worksheet" target="new">Kobo</a>, <a href="https://www.smashwords.com/books/view/499265" style="color: #336699;" target="_blank">Smashwords</a>.<br />
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Make your character's story arc resonate more emotionally with readers.<br />
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Often, a male and female character will respond differently to conflict in a story because culture and time period will affect a character differently due to gender. As a result, their internal story arcs will differ according to gender, also.<br />
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If readers comment that there's something disatisfying with a character's story arc, the Heroine's Journey applied to a heroine will often make her story more psychologically resonant and satisfying for a reader.<br />
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Buy the Heroine's Journey on <a href="http://camytang.com/writers/story_sensei_worksheets/heroines_journey" target="_blank">Kindle</a>, <a href="https://itunes.apple.com/us/book/story-sensei-heroines-journey/id948864639?mt=11&uo=4&at=1l3v9P6" target="_blank">iBooks</a>, <a href="http://click.linksynergy.com/fs-bin/click?id=OzL8UshsP*c&subid=&offerid=266972.1&type=10&tmpid=8432&RD_PARM1=http%253A%252F%252Fwww.barnesandnoble.com%252Fw%252Fstory-sensei-heroines-journey-worksheet-camy-tang%252F1120862839%253Fean%253D2940150164178" target="new">Nookbook</a>, <a href="http://click.linksynergy.com/fs-bin/click?id=OzL8UshsP*c&subid=&offerid=361251.1&type=10&tmpid=9310&RD_PARM1=http%3A%2F%2Fstore.kobobooks.com%2Febook%2Fstory-sensei-heroine-s-journey-worksheet" target="new">Kobo</a>, <a href="https://www.smashwords.com/books/view/499265" style="color: #336699;" target="_blank">Smashwords</a>.<br />
<br />
<br />
<h1 class="null" style="color: #202020; font-family: Arial; font-size: 34px; line-height: 34px; margin: 0px 0px 10px;">Characterization worksheet</h1><br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://camytang.com/writers/story_sensei_worksheets/characterization_worksheet" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;" target="_blank"><img border="0" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjRt_s3O7gsJohovj6mBOeVUouaG83zRu0s6yu6IAVlDeb1ZKQeQ5aWilzyG6DzJb86X57gowk3Mo-n8NmSjVb8FnWjd_ia_UHm4yn6zYYdkEpekp3P9jmoTQzeZSsDyo7NZKTL/s200/Characterization+worksheetcover+web.jpg" width="133" /></a></div>$2.99 on <a href="http://camytang.com/writers/story_sensei_worksheets/characterization_worksheet" target="_blank">Kindle</a>, <a href="https://itunes.apple.com/us/book/story-sensei-characterization/id957052485?mt=11&uo=4&at=1l3v9P6" target="_blank">iBooks</a>, <a href="http://click.linksynergy.com/fs-bin/click?id=OzL8UshsP*c&subid=&offerid=361251.1&type=10&tmpid=9310&RD_PARM1=http%3A%2F%2Fstore.kobobooks.com%2Febook%2Fstory-sensei-characterization-worksheet" target="new">Kobo</a>, <a href="http://click.linksynergy.com/fs-bin/click?id=OzL8UshsP*c&subid=&offerid=266972.1&type=10&tmpid=8432&RD_PARM1=http%253A%252F%252Fwww.barnesandnoble.com%252Fw%252Fstory-sensei-characterization-worksheet-camy-tang%252F1121024118%253Fean%253D2940150179646" target="new">Nookbook</a>, <a href="https://www.smashwords.com/books/view/509337" target="_blank">Smashwords</a>.<br />
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Your readers identify and/or empathize with your characters, and that’s what keeps them on the edge of their seats, wanting to know what happens next to your characters. When your reader is apathetic about your character, they are more likely to put your book down. They simply aren’t as invested in the character and are not as interested in the conflict surrounding them.<br />
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This worksheet will guide you through several steps and questions that will help you delve deeper into your characters to make them realistic, heroic, and memorable.<br />
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Buy the Characterization worksheet on <a href="http://camytang.com/writers/story_sensei_worksheets/characterization_worksheet" target="_blank">Kindle</a>, <a href="https://itunes.apple.com/us/book/story-sensei-characterization/id957052485?mt=11&uo=4&at=1l3v9P6" target="_blank">iBooks</a>, <a href="http://click.linksynergy.com/fs-bin/click?id=OzL8UshsP*c&subid=&offerid=361251.1&type=10&tmpid=9310&RD_PARM1=http%3A%2F%2Fstore.kobobooks.com%2Febook%2Fstory-sensei-characterization-worksheet" target="new">Kobo</a>, <a href="http://click.linksynergy.com/fs-bin/click?id=OzL8UshsP*c&subid=&offerid=266972.1&type=10&tmpid=8432&RD_PARM1=http%253A%252F%252Fwww.barnesandnoble.com%252Fw%252Fstory-sensei-characterization-worksheet-camy-tang%252F1121024118%253Fean%253D2940150179646" target="new">Nookbook</a>, <a href="https://www.smashwords.com/books/view/509337" target="_blank">Smashwords</a>.Camy Tanghttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14577747925320907186noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-19161923.post-46976938728916952252015-03-06T18:00:00.000-08:002015-03-06T18:00:13.471-08:00Great writer's block articleI recently was cleaning out my file cabinets and came across a print-out of this article on writer's block that I'd forgotten about. In re-reading it, I was struck anew with how interesting and informative it is. Or maybe I just liked it because it appeals to the geek in me, since it addresses the psychological and neurological basis of writer's block. Anyway, here's the link in case you're interested:<br />
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<a href="http://www.writing-world.com/life/block.shtml" target="_blank">Writer's Block: Is It All in Your Head? by Leslie What</a>Camy Tanghttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14577747925320907186noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-19161923.post-22458902717473457452014-12-15T05:00:00.000-08:002014-12-15T05:00:06.095-08:00Heroine's Journey worksheets available<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://camytang.com/writers/story_sensei_worksheets/heroines_journey" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjWEDVAv1VUTm73RAPuk69mQGSr0TQWvh-KkJx-QMnbLC1YIdi2ADzInANT6I3zAWQT99v0LmMPSmhVLvfW4nQZw9lKL40U_M2qzb9ZNxVLhnRJMHphcRs9e7mofYcqhC0L6KJd/s1600/Heroine's%2BJourney%2Bworksheet%2Bcover%2Bsmall.jpeg" height="200" width="133" /></a></div>I’ve just published a revised edition of my Heroine’s Journey worksheet! It’s $2.99 on <a href="http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B00QMUNX24/ref=as_li_tl?ie=UTF8&camp=1789&creative=9325&creativeASIN=B00QMUNX24&linkCode=as2&tag=camysloft-20&linkId=M6Z6ZBMFUXEWLJLO" target="_blank">Kindle</a><img src="http://ir-na.amazon-adsystem.com/e/ir?t=camysloft-20&l=as2&o=1&a=B00QMUNX24" width="1" height="1" border="0" alt="" style="border:none !important; margin:0px !important;" />, <a href="https://itunes.apple.com/us/book/story-sensei-heroines-journey/id948864639?mt=11&uo=4&at=1l3v9P6" target="_blank">iBooks</a>, <a href="http://click.linksynergy.com/fs-bin/click?id=OzL8UshsP*c&subid=&offerid=361251.1&type=10&tmpid=9310&RD_PARM1=http%3A%2F%2Fstore.kobobooks.com%2Fen-US%2Febook%2Fstory-sensei-heroine-s-journey-worksheet" target="_blank">Kobo</a>, <a href="http://click.linksynergy.com/fs-bin/click?id=OzL8UshsP*c&subid=&offerid=266972.1&type=10&tmpid=8432&RD_PARM1=http%253A%252F%252Fwww.barnesandnoble.com%252Fw%252Fstory-sensei-heroines-journey-worksheet-camy-tang%252F1120862839%253Fean%253D2940150164178%2526itm%253D1%2526usri%253D2940150164178" target="_blank">Nook</a>, and <a href="https://www.smashwords.com/books/view/499265" target="_blank">Smashwords</a>.<br />
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Here’s more information about it:<br />
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I was asked to describe my Heroine’s Journey many times and I even taught several workshops on it at writer’s conferences, and so I decided to write a more detailed worksheet on the subject. I read about the Heroine’s Journey from several books and compiled what I learned here in one place. This is the same worksheet I myself use for my own novels.<br />
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Why the Heroine’s Journey? Sometimes the story arc of a female character will differ from the traditional Hero’s Journey because culture and time period will affect the character in accordance with her gender. This will create specific psychological differences in how a male and female character will respond to conflict in a story.<br />
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Joseph Campbell’s original book is based on the writings of psychoanalysts and the world myths. The Hero With a Thousand Faces is a psychological analysis of the classical myth formula that breaks down the myths into a basic structure, showing the psychological power of the hero archetype and the Hero’s Journey.<br />
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Maureen Murdock took Campbell’s work, her own psychology experience, and other psychoanalytical writings and world myths to develop The Heroine’s Journey for women. This makes it a perfect template for heroines, whether in romances or women’s fiction, because often a heroine’s story arc is more about internal awakening as opposed to the “quest” style of the Hero’s Journey.<br />
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This worksheet is based off of one I designed for myself to help me deepen my heroine’s character. I use this worksheet for every heroine I write about, even if it’s a romance where there’s also a hero taking up 50% of the book (I’ll usually do a Hero’s Journey worksheet for him in addition to the Heroine’s Journey worksheet for the heroine). <br />
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Using this worksheet enables me to double-check that the events in the story match up with how events should unfold in the Heroine’s Journey, which helps me with story pacing. The worksheet also helps me to structure the heroine’s internal arc so that it’s as deeply emotional as it can be and also psychologically resonant with readers.<br />
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I use this as a tool to help me revise my synopsis or my completed manuscript. It’s not meant to replace a synopsis because it doesn’t focus as strongly on the external events and conflicts in the story—it’s more focused on the internal events and internal conflicts of my heroine.<br />
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This worksheet consists of the Heroine's Journey explained in detail, questions for you to answer about your heroine, and examples to explain each stage of the Heroine's Journey. This new edition includes extra examples.<br />
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Buy the Heroine’s Journey worksheet:<br />
<br />
<a href="http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B00QMUNX24/ref=as_li_tl?ie=UTF8&camp=1789&creative=9325&creativeASIN=B00QMUNX24&linkCode=as2&tag=camysloft-20&linkId=M6Z6ZBMFUXEWLJLO" target="_blank">Kindle</a><img src="http://ir-na.amazon-adsystem.com/e/ir?t=camysloft-20&l=as2&o=1&a=B00QMUNX24" width="1" height="1" border="0" alt="" style="border:none !important; margin:0px !important;" /><br />
<a href="https://itunes.apple.com/us/book/story-sensei-heroines-journey/id948864639?mt=11&uo=4&at=1l3v9P6" target="_blank">iBooks</a><br />
<a href="http://click.linksynergy.com/fs-bin/click?id=OzL8UshsP*c&subid=&offerid=361251.1&type=10&tmpid=9310&RD_PARM1=http%3A%2F%2Fstore.kobobooks.com%2Fen-US%2Febook%2Fstory-sensei-heroine-s-journey-worksheet" target="_blank">Kobo</a><br />
<a href="http://click.linksynergy.com/fs-bin/click?id=OzL8UshsP*c&subid=&offerid=266972.1&type=10&tmpid=8432&RD_PARM1=http%253A%252F%252Fwww.barnesandnoble.com%252Fw%252Fstory-sensei-heroines-journey-worksheet-camy-tang%252F1120862839%253Fean%253D2940150164178%2526itm%253D1%2526usri%253D2940150164178" target="_blank">Nook</a><br />
<a href="https://www.smashwords.com/books/view/499265" target="_blank">Smashwords</a><br />
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<B>Bought a worksheet?</b><br />
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If you bought a worksheet directly from me in the past, I'm happy to give you access to the page to download the updated version for free. Please message me and let me know the email address you used to buy it (if it’s different) so I can find your order.Camy Tanghttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14577747925320907186noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-19161923.post-48621741076209100922014-12-06T07:14:00.000-08:002014-12-06T07:25:55.443-08:00Synopsis worksheets available<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://camytang.com/writers/story_sensei_worksheets/synopsis_worksheet" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEihBlDlETDVTKmyngMSAtRKgXAmf4u_RUt8bFXgccibeohyehhckv3HYTrF4QZY42mTI92y7TW_GhIeW0fUpLoyEfqNfq12O_t74EMSgDDlKl-kiKWG2meJrjSC8m2f6g7wLhxk/s320/Synopsis+worksheet+cover.jpg" height="200" width="133" /></a></div>I managed to update and add lots of new stuff to my Synopsis worksheets, and they are now available on <a href="http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B00PBY2QU2/ref=as_li_tl?ie=UTF8&camp=1789&creative=9325&creativeASIN=B00PBY2QU2&linkCode=as2&tag=camysloft-20&linkId=HTFYEFOPOBBPYM6V" target="_blank">Kindle</a><img alt="" border="0" src="http://ir-na.amazon-adsystem.com/e/ir?t=camysloft-20&l=as2&o=1&a=B00PBY2QU2" height="1" style="border: none !important; margin: 0px !important;" width="1" />, <a href="https://itunes.apple.com/us/book/story-sensei-synopsis-worksheet/id938106753?mt=11&uo=4&at=1l3v9P6" target="_blank">iBooks</a>, <a href="http://click.linksynergy.com/fs-bin/click?id=OzL8UshsP*c&subid=&offerid=314164.1&type=10&tmpid=9310&RD_PARM1=http%3A%2F%2Fstore.kobobooks.com%2Fen-US%2Febook%2Fstory-sensei-synopsis-worksheet" target="_blank">Kobo</a>, <a href="https://itunes.apple.com/us/book/story-sensei-synopsis-worksheet/id938106753?mt=11&uo=4&at=1l3v9P6" target="_blank">Nook</a>, and <a href="https://www.smashwords.com/books/view/491141" target="_blank">Smashwords</a> for only $0.99.<br />
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There are new examples in the worksheet, and I also added an Appendix. Here’s the info on the updated worksheet:<br />
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Has your fiction manuscript been rejected by literary agents or traditional publishing houses, and you're not sure why? Do you feel something's "off" with your novel, but you don't know what? <br />
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Sometimes the problem isn't the writing—it's the characterization or the overall story structure. <br />
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If you think this might be a problem with your manuscript, you don't want to pay for a freelance editor when you could fix those story elements yourself. <br />
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The Story Sensei’s Synopsis worksheet was designed as a way for fiction writers to not only write a synopsis, but also doctor their own manuscript by utilizing a large-scale, bird’s eye view of their stories. This different way of looking at your novel can often point out flaws in character arcs, major plot points, and overall story structure.<br />
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The exercises in this worksheet will ensure that your story structure has all the vital elements, including:<br />
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- character external goal<br />
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- internal/spiritual arc<br />
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- obstacles<br />
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- conflict<br />
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- climax<br />
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- resolution<br />
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This worksheet will guide you through writing your synopsis. Don’t have a completed manuscript? No problem—as long as you’re familiar with the main points of your story, you can still write a synopsis using this worksheet. It may even help you craft your story and fill in missing pieces as you write the synopsis.<br />
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Camy uses examples from proposals for her own novels, which garnered her contracts with Christian publishers Zondervan (HarperCollins) and Love Inspired Suspense (Harlequin). There is also a special section on spiritual/internal arcs, since Christian novels tend to have strong spiritual threads in the stories. <br />
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Even if your story is not inspirational, the internal arc section will help you outline a strong internal arc for your character or troubleshoot if the internal arc has some weaknesses.<br />
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This version of the Synopsis worksheet includes:<br />
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- Extra examples<br />
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- Tips on trimming synopses<br />
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- Exercises on chapter-by-chapter and character synopses<br />
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Also in this version is an appendix of extra articles including:<br />
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- The 50-word elevator pitch<br />
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- Story blurbs, including the ones used in Camy’s original proposal for her Inspirational chick-lit Sushi series, which she submitted to Zondervan<br />
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- The basic structure of a proposal<br />
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- The example of Camy’s original proposal for her Inspirational romantic suspense Protection for Hire series, which she submitted to Zondervan<br />
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If you haven’t yet bought my Synopsis worksheet, it’s now available for only $0.99!<br />
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<a href="http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B00PBY2QU2/ref=as_li_tl?ie=UTF8&camp=1789&creative=9325&creativeASIN=B00PBY2QU2&linkCode=as2&tag=camysloft-20&linkId=HTFYEFOPOBBPYM6V" target="_blank">Kindle</a><img alt="" border="0" src="http://ir-na.amazon-adsystem.com/e/ir?t=camysloft-20&l=as2&o=1&a=B00PBY2QU2" height="1" style="border: none !important; margin: 0px !important;" width="1" /><br />
<a href="https://itunes.apple.com/us/book/story-sensei-synopsis-worksheet/id938106753?mt=11&uo=4&at=1l3v9P6" target="_blank">iBooks</a><br />
<a href="http://click.linksynergy.com/fs-bin/click?id=OzL8UshsP*c&subid=&offerid=314164.1&type=10&tmpid=9310&RD_PARM1=http%3A%2F%2Fstore.kobobooks.com%2Fen-US%2Febook%2Fstory-sensei-synopsis-worksheet" target="_blank">Kobo</a><br />
<a href="https://itunes.apple.com/us/book/story-sensei-synopsis-worksheet/id938106753?mt=11&uo=4&at=1l3v9P6" target="_blank">Nook</a><br />
<a href="https://www.smashwords.com/books/view/491141" target="_blank">Smashwords</a>.<br />
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<B>Bought a worksheet?</b><br />
<br />
If you bought a worksheet directly from me in the past, I'm happy to give you access to the page to download the updated version for free. Please message me and let me know the email address you used to buy it (if it’s different) so I can find your order.Camy Tanghttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14577747925320907186noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-19161923.post-41836826947016718362014-11-05T05:00:00.000-08:002014-11-05T05:00:02.660-08:00I now have a Story Sensei newsletterHey everybody! I'll be releasing my Story Sensei worksheets as ebooks in a few weeks. I'll be posting about them here on this blog, but if you'd also like emails sent to you when they're available, feel free to subscribe to my Story Sensei newsletter below. <br />
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I won't clog up your email Inbox--For the first few months, I'll send one email a month because I'll be releasing my worksheets about once a month, but then after that I will only send out emails when I have a new Story Sensei product or a sale. I tend to have new worksheets only about once a year.<br />
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Thanks a bunch!<br />
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<br />
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<!--End mc_embed_signup-->Camy Tanghttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14577747925320907186noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-19161923.post-7256859419664854212014-10-06T10:47:00.002-07:002014-10-06T10:47:44.097-07:00Need endorsement blurbs for worksheetsHey everybody! Some of you may have noticed that I took down the buy buttons for my worksheets on my website. I am in the process of formatting them to release them as ebooks on Kindle, Nook, iBooks, and Kobo.<br />
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If you bought my worksheets, please email me at storysensei [at} gmail.com with the email address and/or name you used when you bought your worksheet(s) so that I can locate your order. Then I’ll be sure to email you an .epub or .mobi copy of your worksheets when they’re updated and formatted.<br />
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<b>Would you like to be featured</b> in the description of the worksheets on Amazon.com, BarnesandNoble.com, iBooks, and Kobobooks.com? I am looking for endorsement blurbs to put in the description of the worksheets when they’re uploaded as ebooks. <br />
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So if you bought my worksheets, please email me a one or two sentence endorsement blurb about them. If I choose your endorsement, I’ll contact you about how you want to be listed (for example, by your full name or by initials, with your blog or website address, or listing your latest released book).<br />
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Thanks a bunch! I’ll let you know when the worksheets have been uploaded as ebooks!Camy Tanghttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14577747925320907186noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-19161923.post-33133690969317800652014-07-22T05:00:00.000-07:002014-07-22T05:00:10.580-07:00Random Secret GeneratorI got this from a Camp NaNoWriMo message and while I can’t use it right now, this would be a great tool for writer’s block while I’m plotting another manuscript. It’s a generator that gives you random secrets for your characters, to help you come up with ideas for deepening characterization or just getting out of a writing rut.<br />
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This website also has other character detail generators, to give you ideas when you’re creating a character. I checked out a few and they’re neat!<br />
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If you use this generator, let me know how you like it! I hope to use this at some point in the future.<br />
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<a href="http://www.springhole.net/writing_roleplaying_randomators/character-secret.htm" target="_blank">Character Secret Generator</a>Camy Tanghttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14577747925320907186noreply@blogger.com6tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-19161923.post-6212772648340716152014-02-19T17:44:00.001-08:002014-02-19T17:44:31.171-08:00IndieRecon free online conferenceI just learned about this conference today! I already registered and hope to participate next week. It looks like all the "events" will be archived but I'd like to sit in on some of the live events.<br />
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I pulled this from their <a href="http://indierecon.org" target="_blank">website</a>:<br />
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<b style="background-color: #fbfbfb; font-family: Georgia, Utopia, 'Palatino Linotype', Palatino, serif; font-size: 15px; line-height: 21px;"><u><span style="font-size: small;">15 reasons why you should register for IndieReCon Today!</span></u></b><o:p style="background-color: #fbfbfb; font-family: Georgia, Utopia, 'Palatino Linotype', Palatino, serif; font-size: 15px; line-height: 21px;"></o:p><span style="background-color: #fbfbfb; font-family: Georgia, Utopia, 'Palatino Linotype', Palatino, serif; font-size: 15px; line-height: 21px;"> </span><br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="background-color: #fbfbfb; font-family: Georgia, Utopia, 'Palatino Linotype', Palatino, serif; font-size: 15px; line-height: 21.559999465942383px;"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="background-color: #fbfbfb; font-family: Georgia, Utopia, 'Palatino Linotype', Palatino, serif; font-size: 15px; line-height: 21.559999465942383px;">1. Keynote speakers J.A. Konrath and Barry Eisler are hosting a two hour chat to honestly answer any questions you have.<o:p></o:p></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="background-color: #fbfbfb; font-family: Georgia, Utopia, 'Palatino Linotype', Palatino, serif; font-size: 15px; line-height: 21.559999465942383px;"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="background-color: #fbfbfb; font-family: Georgia, Utopia, 'Palatino Linotype', Palatino, serif; font-size: 15px; line-height: 21.559999465942383px;">2. Find out how to face your fears and how to focus on your writing, being creative, and writing to your readers with Bob Mayer, Alicia Vancil, RaShelle Workman, Susan Kaye Quinn, Orna Ross, C.S. Lakin, and Rachel Aaron.<o:p></o:p></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="background-color: #fbfbfb; font-family: Georgia, Utopia, 'Palatino Linotype', Palatino, serif; font-size: 15px; line-height: 21.559999465942383px;"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="background-color: #fbfbfb; font-family: Georgia, Utopia, 'Palatino Linotype', Palatino, serif; font-size: 15px; line-height: 21.559999465942383px;">3. Find out all the nitty gritty details on self-publishing basics like pricing, distribution, and formatting from top industry professionals like Miral Sattar, Peter Bowerman, Joel Friedlander, and The Passive Guy (David Vandagriff).<o:p></o:p></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="background-color: #fbfbfb; font-family: Georgia, Utopia, 'Palatino Linotype', Palatino, serif; font-size: 15px; line-height: 21.559999465942383px;"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="background-color: #fbfbfb; font-family: Georgia, Utopia, 'Palatino Linotype', Palatino, serif; font-size: 15px; line-height: 21.559999465942383px;">4. Build your marketing skills and publicity skills with K.P. Simmons (InkSlinger PR), David Gaughran, Lori Culwell, Michael Alvear, Jim Kukral, Joanna Penn, Angela Ackerman, and Martha Carr.<o:p></o:p></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="background-color: #fbfbfb; font-family: Georgia, Utopia, 'Palatino Linotype', Palatino, serif; font-size: 15px; line-height: 21.559999465942383px;"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="background-color: #fbfbfb; font-family: Georgia, Utopia, 'Palatino Linotype', Palatino, serif; font-size: 15px; line-height: 21.559999465942383px;">5. Chat with bestselling authors Chelsea Fine and Chelsea Cameron on how it is to be a hybrid author. In addition, you will hear from Lara Perkins (Andrea Brown Literary agent) on how it is to agent hybrid authors and find out secrets (including information about audio books) from some bestselling indie authors that make up the Indelibles.</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="background-color: #fbfbfb; font-family: Georgia, Utopia, 'Palatino Linotype', Palatino, serif; font-size: 15px; line-height: 21.559999465942383px;"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="background-color: #fbfbfb; font-family: Georgia, Utopia, 'Palatino Linotype', Palatino, serif; font-size: 15px; line-height: 21.559999465942383px;">6. It's FREE!</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="background-color: #fbfbfb; font-family: Georgia, Utopia, 'Palatino Linotype', Palatino, serif; font-size: 15px; line-height: 21.559999465942383px;"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="background-color: #fbfbfb; font-family: Georgia, Utopia, 'Palatino Linotype', Palatino, serif; font-size: 15px; line-height: 21.559999465942383px;">7. We have fun contests!</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="background-color: #fbfbfb; font-family: Georgia, Utopia, 'Palatino Linotype', Palatino, serif; font-size: 15px; line-height: 21.559999465942383px;"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="background-color: #fbfbfb; font-family: Georgia, Utopia, 'Palatino Linotype', Palatino, serif; font-size: 15px; line-height: 21.559999465942383px;">8. Since it's online, you can stay in your PJs and we won't laugh at you. :)</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="background-color: #fbfbfb; font-family: Georgia, Utopia, 'Palatino Linotype', Palatino, serif; font-size: 15px; line-height: 21.559999465942383px;"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="background-color: #fbfbfb; font-family: Georgia, Utopia, 'Palatino Linotype', Palatino, serif; font-size: 15px; line-height: 21.559999465942383px;">9. There are huge giveaways! Yeah... HUGE! (Hint - Begins with a KO and ends with a BO :)</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="background-color: #fbfbfb; font-family: Georgia, Utopia, 'Palatino Linotype', Palatino, serif; font-size: 15px; line-height: 21.559999465942383px;"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="background-color: #fbfbfb; font-family: Georgia, Utopia, 'Palatino Linotype', Palatino, serif; font-size: 15px; line-height: 21.559999465942383px;">10. Learn about awesome organizations that support indie authors including: KOBO, IndieReader, Shelf Unbound, Indelibles, Author Marketing Club, AuthorAd Network, Alliance of Independent Authors, Goodreads, and Bibliocrunch.</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="background-color: #fbfbfb; font-family: Georgia, Utopia, 'Palatino Linotype', Palatino, serif; font-size: 15px; line-height: 21.559999465942383px;"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="background-color: #fbfbfb; font-family: Georgia, Utopia, 'Palatino Linotype', Palatino, serif; font-size: 15px; line-height: 21.559999465942383px;">11. Discover some great new indie authors to read.</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="background-color: #fbfbfb; font-family: Georgia, Utopia, 'Palatino Linotype', Palatino, serif; font-size: 15px; line-height: 21.559999465942383px;"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="background-color: #fbfbfb; font-family: Georgia, Utopia, 'Palatino Linotype', Palatino, serif; font-size: 15px; line-height: 21.559999465942383px;">12. Join our live podcast with the guys from Write Publish Repeat (Sean Platt, Johnny B. Truant, and David Wright)</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="background-color: #fbfbfb; font-family: Georgia, Utopia, 'Palatino Linotype', Palatino, serif; font-size: 15px; line-height: 21.559999465942383px;"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="background-color: #fbfbfb; font-family: Georgia, Utopia, 'Palatino Linotype', Palatino, serif; font-size: 15px; line-height: 21.559999465942383px;">13. Did we mention it's FREE?</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="background-color: #fbfbfb; font-family: Georgia, Utopia, 'Palatino Linotype', Palatino, serif; font-size: 15px; line-height: 21.559999465942383px;"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="background-color: #fbfbfb; font-family: Georgia, Utopia, 'Palatino Linotype', Palatino, serif; font-size: 15px; line-height: 21.559999465942383px;">14. Because it will be epic! (At least we think so.)</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="background-color: #fbfbfb; font-family: Georgia, Utopia, 'Palatino Linotype', Palatino, serif; font-size: 15px; line-height: 21.559999465942383px;"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="background-color: #fbfbfb; font-family: Georgia, Utopia, 'Palatino Linotype', Palatino, serif; font-size: 15px; line-height: 21.559999465942383px;">15. Find out tips in how to maximize your book exposure with leaders from Goodreads, Kobo, Smashwords, IndieReader, and Amazon.<br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="background-color: #fbfbfb; font-family: Georgia, Utopia, 'Palatino Linotype', Palatino, serif; font-size: 15px; line-height: 21.559999465942383px;"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="background-color: #fbfbfb; font-family: Georgia, Utopia, 'Palatino Linotype', Palatino, serif; font-size: 15px; line-height: 21.559999465942383px;">Every single blog post, chat, vlog will be packed with all the information you need to help you on the self-publishing path.<o:p></o:p></div><div class="separator" style="background-color: #fbfbfb; clear: both; font-family: Georgia, Utopia, 'Palatino Linotype', Palatino, serif; font-size: 15px; line-height: 21.559999465942383px; text-align: center;"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="background-color: #fbfbfb; font-family: Georgia, Utopia, 'Palatino Linotype', Palatino, serif; font-size: 15px; line-height: 21.559999465942383px;">IndieReCon will help you learn all the dirty secrets about the indie pubbing industry and help you succeed.<o:p></o:p></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="background-color: #fbfbfb; font-family: Georgia, Utopia, 'Palatino Linotype', Palatino, serif; font-size: 15px; line-height: 21.559999465942383px;"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="background-color: #fbfbfb; font-family: Georgia, Utopia, 'Palatino Linotype', Palatino, serif; font-size: 15px; line-height: 21.559999465942383px;">February 25-27 from 10 am -10pm EST times.</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="background-color: #fbfbfb; font-family: Georgia, Utopia, 'Palatino Linotype', Palatino, serif; font-size: 15px; line-height: 21.559999465942383px;"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="background-color: #fbfbfb; font-family: Georgia, Utopia, 'Palatino Linotype', Palatino, serif; font-size: 15px; line-height: 21.559999465942383px;">Tell your friends!</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="background-color: #fbfbfb; font-family: Georgia, Utopia, 'Palatino Linotype', Palatino, serif; font-size: 15px; line-height: 21.559999465942383px;"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="background-color: #fbfbfb; font-family: Georgia, Utopia, 'Palatino Linotype', Palatino, serif; font-size: 15px; line-height: 21.559999465942383px;">Hang out with us all day. Hourly posts. Tons of chats. A few vlogs and webinars. Check out the amazeballs online.</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="background-color: #fbfbfb; font-family: Georgia, Utopia, 'Palatino Linotype', Palatino, serif; font-size: 15px; line-height: 21.559999465942383px;"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="background-color: #fbfbfb; font-family: Georgia, Utopia, 'Palatino Linotype', Palatino, serif; font-size: 15px; line-height: 21.559999465942383px;"><b>If you want to receive updates on the conference, go to <a href="http://www.indierecon.org/" style="color: #5c5c5c; text-decoration: none;" target="_blank">our web site</a> and enter your email up in the left sidebar</b> to register and receive updates so you don’t miss out!</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="background-color: #fbfbfb; font-family: Georgia, Utopia, 'Palatino Linotype', Palatino, serif; font-size: 15px; line-height: 21.559999465942383px;"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="background-color: #fbfbfb; font-family: Georgia, Utopia, 'Palatino Linotype', Palatino, serif; font-size: 15px; line-height: 21.559999465942383px;">See you there!</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="background-color: #fbfbfb; font-family: Georgia, Utopia, 'Palatino Linotype', Palatino, serif; font-size: 15px; line-height: 21.559999465942383px;">Co Founders: S.R. (Shelli) Johannes and Ali Cross</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="background-color: #fbfbfb; font-family: Georgia, Utopia, 'Palatino Linotype', Palatino, serif; font-size: 15px; line-height: 21.559999465942383px;">Hosts: Chanda Hahn, Cheri Lasota, Christine Fonseca, Heather McCorkle</div><div><br />
</div><br />
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<i>Camy again:</i> <a href="http://www.indierecon.org/p/schedule.html" target="_blank">The schedule for the conference is here</a>.Camy Tanghttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14577747925320907186noreply@blogger.com0