The Insecure Writer's Support Group was created by Alex J. Cavanaugh. January's co-hosts are Eva @ Lilicasplace, Crystal Collier, Sheena-kay Graham, Chemist Ken, LG Keltner, and Heather Gardner. For a list of other IWSG bloggers, click here.
January's question: What writing rule do you wish you'd never heard?
A couple years ago, I would say "Write every day," but I must admit I've found it helpful to write every day. So I guess I would go with "Show, not tell." Yes, it's a good rule. It is better to show when writing, but there are times when telling is not only good but necessary. The rule should be show and tell with examples of when which is better. Of course, some days I still am trying to figure out if I'm showing enough. *laughs*
So. Wow. We've made it to 2017.
My writing goal this year is to finish writing the Soul Reaper series. I'm currently writing book two, A Soul to Keep, and have three more books to go.
My editing goal this year is to edit The Fate Challenges and start to publish them. Reborn was published way back in 2014. I have a bonus woodwose section titled Determined, which is set between Chapters 24 and 25 in Reborn, that I plan to publish on my website. I also need to edit and publish Marked (#1.5, a novella told from Liam's POV), Forged (#2), and Destined (#3). Destined will need the most work, so I might not have the time to publish it before the end of this year, but I'm hoping to get Determined, Marked, and Forged out. *crosses fingers*
Speaking of edits, I plan to count the words I edit this year instead of by the page. My hope is this will give me a clearer sense of how many words I edit as words per page varies so much.
My reading goal continues to be 24 books a year. I read 35 books last year.
My January goals include:
- Write for an hour a day in A Soul to Keep.
- Edit for 30 minutes a day in The Fate Challenges. This goal will likely revolve around the polish/read-through notes/creating a glossary of Reborn and editing Determined.
- Continue helping my friend with her nine-part novella series.
What are your goals for 2017?
2016 Stats: 348,203 words written and 2,213 pages edited
SPECULATIVE FICTION
BOOKS READ
BOOKS READ
Shattered Spirit by Christine Rains
The Illusory Prophet by Susan Kaye Quinn
Stargate SG-1: Trial by Fire by Sabine C. Bauer
Ghost Cat by Christine Rains
Raven by Rachel Morgan
Raven by Rachel Morgan
SPECULATIVE FICTION
BOOK REVIEWS
BOOK REVIEWS
Shattered Spirit by Christine Rains
The Illusory Prophet by Susan Kaye Quinn
Stargate SG-1: Trial by Fire by Sabine C. Bauer
Ghost Cat by Christine Rains
Raven by Rachel Morgan
SPECULATIVE FICTION BOOKS
RELEASING IN JANUARY
The Burning Page by Genevieve Cogman
The Bear and the Nightingale by Katherine Arden
The Heart of What Was Lost by Tad Williams
Deadlight Jack by Mark Onspaugh
Shattered Spirit by Christine Rains
Ghost Cat by Christine Rains
Fangs and Fennel by Shannon Mayer
Little Heaven by Nick Cutter
When Ash Rains Down by Cecelia Earl
Freeks by Amanda Hocking
Freefall by M. Pax
Pressure Point by Adam Quinn
Fate of Perfection by K.F. Breene
Diffraction by Jess Anastasi
Girl of Fire by Norma Hinkens
Lock and Key by Clara Coulson
From the Ashes by Xen Sanders
Death’s Mistress by Terry Goodkind
Frost Blood by Elly Blake
Carve the Mark by Veronica Roth
The Lost City of the Monkey God by Douglas Preston
Carve the Mark by Veronica Roth
The Lost City of the Monkey God by Douglas Preston
There are a few more days left to have a chance to win one of two paperback copies of Parallels: Felix Was Here on Goodreads.
33 comments:
Totally agree with the show don't tell. Yes, it's good to show most of time, but not always...Good luck with your goals!
Happy new year Cherie!! I hope it will be filled with thousands of words, readers and happiness.
Rules? We don't need no stinking rules! LOL
I agree, though, that telling has it's place, and I'd even suggest there are some styles or genres where telling is essential to the narrative.
Show don't tell is an unpopular rule today. Good luck with all of your writing goals.
So agree with the others on the show but don't tell rule. Your goals sound fantastic, Cherie. And I know you'll be motivated to accomplish them.
Big goals as always.
Sometimes you have to tell. Just have to know when.
Happy 2017!
I always say to show AND tell. Show when you can, tell when you must. Create a balance. Telling isn't bad. It's often needed.
Good luck with all of your goals! :)
Holy Guacamole! Three+ books, that is a great goal. I'm not there yet, but will be one day!
Yes!! I so agree with your take on 'show, don't tell.' Showing doesn't always work, does it?
Best of luck with your 2017 goals. I always love how ambitious you are!
I agree completely. ;-)
Anna from elements of emaginette
We are in agreement on the rule we don't like. However, I still can't write everyday. It just doesn't work for me.
Have a great 2017 and reach those goals.
Hope your holidays were joyful and fun. Show Don't Tell is tricky one. Great goals.
Juneta @ Writer's Gambit
I agree. Those are more like guidelines rather than rules. I write 5 days a week, but give myself weekends off. Every author is different and needs to find their own pace. Also, "show not tell" definitely has to be tempered. Sometimes it really makes sense to tell something in text rather than show it. :)
Good luck with your monthly and goals for the year. =)
Three books in a year is a really good pace.
I hate "show don't tell," too. Sometimes telling just fits. Good luck with your goals!
Happy New Year, Cherie! Looks like you accomplished a lot in 2016. Good for you! I'm sure you'll make all your 2017 goals. Enjoy the rest of IWSG day. Eva, IWSG co-host #60
Thanks so much for the awesome reviews! I can't believe we're coming up so quick on the release dates. You've done such awesome writing every day. Wow. I'm going to attempt to write every weekday (the days I don't have a kid!). Here's to a grand 2017!
You've had a busy year and it looks like 2017 will keep you busy too. Writing every day is good, even if it's only a few pages. Best of luck with your goals.
The "Show, don't tell" rule was my choice too. It's hard enough to decide if a sentence is telling or not in the first place. Not everyone agrees on what's telling. So trying to do all showing can be a complicated mess.
Even though I already knew you totally rocked your writing every day in 2016, it was still amazing to see your stats! Congratulations and good luck with your 2017 goals.
Yes, agree about the rules. All the best with your goals. Happy New Year!
I entered to boost the numbers. =) There have been quite a few people who ripped on show don't tell. There's definitely a time and place for both, but newbies tend to stray too far unto telling, so I'm glad the rule is out there. We all need the reminder from time to time.
I know what you mean, the show not tell thing can be difficult. Looks like an exciting list of books coming soon. =-) Happy New Year!
I agree. Show AND tell where it's appropriate. I also hate the rule about no adverbs. Ugh.... Adverbs are not bad!
I also agree about showing vs. telling. It's lazy and simplistic to point-blank tell the reader everything, but sometimes we need to have information laid out quickly so we won't be left guessing or spend a lot of excess words describing something. Sometimes it's also necessary to condense the events of a longer period into a wraparound narrative segment, like if a character spends six months recovering from a serious illness, when it's not the most important part of the story.
Good luck with your writing goals this year! I hope to finish at least one of my WIPs, and release a few more. I'm still waiting on a revamped cover for one of my books, but I can still find covers for the others.
I think we get too caught up in some rules... like verbs and the like and sacrifice simplicity, clarity, and voice. If it flows better to use a 'bad' verb, then you should.
Great on your goals! Go, go, go!
I owe Christine a review for the first Totem. It rocks.
Wow, you have a lot of writing and publishing ahead of you. Good luck! Hope you're able to achieve everything you have planned for The Fate Challenges this year. You never fail to impress me with your accomplishments!
Your stats are inspiring! May 2017 be equally as awesome.
Show not tell is a great rule to write by, but sometimes it can get in the way of telling the story. It can hamper the author's voice. If something works better outside of a rule, break it.
You have inspired me to write every day. I have been doing just that since 2017 started. It helps that I have a fast approaching deadline that I will never make unless I write each day. Sometimes it doesn't look like much happened during my 30+ minutes, but I do feel good that every day I am making steps towards my goal. :)
Thanks! Wishing you a Happy New Year and best of luck with all your goals.
~Jess
I think the more accurate way of saying the rule is "Show, but if you must tell, don't do it in a way that bores the reader."
I need to adhere to the write every day rule. I'm completely sporadic in everything that I do.
I have trouble with the write every day rule. I think it's because music takes up so much of my time. I practice every day on that! Good luck with your goals.
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