IWSG: Changes, May Goals, and Jessica Bell's Adverbs and Cliches in a Nutshell

 

It's the first Wednesday of the month, so you know what that means ... it's time for another Insecure Writer's Support Group meeting. IWSG was created by the awesome ninja captain Alex J. Cavanaugh, and you can find out the other members of the group here.

Okay, I love the A-Z Challenge, but who else is glad it's now May? *laughs*

I've been doing a lot of thinking when it comes to writing and blogging, and I've realized I need to cut back a bit on the latter. Between Surrounded by Books Reviews and this blog, I've been blogging from six to eight posts a week (not including the twelve posts a week during A-Z). That's a lot. So, I've decided to start blogging on Mondays and Wednesdays. Only.

Here, I will continue my typical Monday and Wednesday schedules. Mondays will look like: 1st Monday - Book Chat, 2nd Monday - Purrsonal Stories, 3rd Monday - Fantasy Chat, and 4th Monday - Bookworm News. And Wednesdays will be: 1st Wednesday - IWSG, 2nd Wednesday - Indie Life, other Wednesdays - Writing Update.

If you've been following this blog for a while, then you'll notice what's missing. Yes, that's right. I'm giving up Friday Flash. I've been participating in Friday Flash off and on since July 2010. I love writing flash fiction, but most of my writing nowadays is focused on longer works. I do still love showcasing my writing on this blog, so instead of flash fiction, I will start having excerpts/teasers of my writing in my Wednesday Writing Updates.

And I'll still be open to guest posts/interviews/etc., but I'll move those to Mondays and Wednesdays as well.

Why the change? I've figured I have another  215,000 words to write this year, give or take a few thousand (20,000 or so in The Loveless Princess, 80,000 or so in both Book Two of the Phoenix Trilogy and in Book Three of the Phoenix Trilogy, and 35,000 or so in Neighbors of Foxwick). At least a hundred thousand of those words will be written in July (Camp NaNo) and November (NaNo). I'd like to have all this writing done before December, so that means I'll need to write 23,000 words a month (excluding the 50k in both July and November and zero in December). That comes to around 766 words a day. With that type of word count needed, then I must make changes and focus on writing more.

And I still want to visit people's blogs too, so I thought cutting back on the blog a bit will give me more time for everything. We'll see how it works out.

Also, since A-Z was going on, I didn't do my typical goal's post, so here are my goals for May:

1. Finish writing The Loveless Princess, do a self-edit, and send to critique partners.

2. Do final edits on Men of Foxwick. I should have my short story collection back from CPs by May 20th. That'll give me time to do a final edit, proofread a couple times, and format in May/June for a June release. 

3. Catch up on blogs/emails.

4. Finish doing my self-edit on Part III of The Phoenix Prophetess and send to a few CPs.

That's it. Do you have some May goals? Are you changing up your blogging schedule?

2013 Stats

Counted since January 1

75,610 words written (35,006 in April!)

795 pages edited     

And we have a special message from the lovely and talented Jessica Bell:

Too many adverbs and clichés in your writing? I've got just the fix for you.

by Jessica Bell

Writers constantly have rules thrown at them left, right, and center. Show, don’t tell! Stop using so many dialogue tags! More sensory detail! More tension! Speed up the pace! Yada yada yada ... it can become overwhelming, yes? I used to feel overwhelmed by it all too. In fact, I still do sometimes. It’s hard enough to get the words on the page, let alone consider how to put them there.

In Anne Lamott’s Bird by Bird, she says that in order not to be overwhelmed, a writer needs to focus on short assignments. She refers to the one-inch picture frame on her desk and how that little picture frame reminds her to focus on bite-sized pieces of the whole story. Basically, if you focus on one small thing at a time, the story will eventually come together to create a whole. I believe the same applies to learning the craft of writing. If writers focus on one aspect of the craft at a time, the process will seem less daunting and piece by piece it will come together.

My name’s Jessica Bell, and my own struggles with feeling overwhelmed inspired me to write the Writing in a Nutshell Series of pocket-sized writing guides. So you can learn to hone your craft in bite-sized, manageable pieces. In the first book of the series, I focused on demonstrating how to transition “telling” into “showing.” In Adverbs and Clichés in a Nutshell: Demonstrated Subversions of Adverbs and Clichés into Gourmet Imagery, I deal with another of the most common criticisms aspiring writers face: to absolutely avoid adverbs and clichés like the plague. But see, right now, I just used one of each. I also used a couple in the first two paragraphs of this post because they come naturally, and we utilize them frequently in everyday speech. But in fiction, too many adverbs and clichés weaken your prose. It’s considered “lazy writing,” because it means we don’t have to show what’s happening.

If your manuscript has too many adverbs and clichés, it most likely means that the emotion you felt while writing it is not going to translate to the reader in the same way. So how exactly can we approach the subversion of adverbs and clichés? For starters, play around with simile and metaphor when you’re trying to convey emotion, and for action, use strong verbs to show it happening in real time.

The key? Think smaller details rather than the bigger picture.

Need some help and inspiration?

In Adverbs and Clichés in a Nutshell: Demonstrated Subversions of Adverbs and Clichés into Gourmet Imagery, you will find thirty-four examples of prose which clearly demonstrate how to turn those pesky adverbs and clichés into vivid and unique imagery. Dispersed throughout are blank pages to craft your own unique examples. Extra writing prompts are also provided at the back of the book.

“Jessica Bell's latest pocket guide, Adverbs and Clichés in a Nutshell, will inspire you to leave bland behind and pursue your creative best. With force and clarity, she demonstrates how adverbs and clichés hobble vibrant writing. She then marks a course toward unique expression and provides workouts that will help writers at every level develop a distinctive voice.” ~Laurel Garver, freelance editor, author of Never Gone and Muddy-Fingered Midnights

Purchase links:
Amazon US | Amazon UK | Amazon Ca | Kobo

Bio: The Australian-native contemporary fiction author and poet, Jessica Bell, also makes a living as an editor and writer for global ELT publishers (English Language Teaching), such as Pearson Education, HarperCollins, Macmillan Education, Education First and Cengage Learning.

She is the co-publishing editor of Vine Leaves Literary Journal, and the director of the Homeric Writers’ Retreat and Workshop on the Greek island of Ithaca.

For more information about Jessica please visit:
Website | Blog | Twitter | Facebook

Wednesday's Writing Update: April's Goals

 

Happy Wednesday!

Writing Men of Foxwick is going well. I'm on my last short story ("Monster Hunter"), and I'm self-editing the other stories this week. If all goes well, I hope to send Men of Foxwick to a few of my critique partners by April 1st.

I have April's goals planned out.

1. Rewrite/edit Part III of The Phoenix Prophetess.

As part of Camp NaNoWriMo, I've decided to rewrite at least 30,000 words in Part III of The Phoenix Prophetess and edit as well. So wish me luck "camping"!

2. Edit Men of Foxwick from critique partners' suggestions.

I hope to get Men of Foxwick to my CPs in April and perhaps get it back before the end of the month.

3. A to Z Blogging Challenge

Yes, it's that time again! I want to focus on blogging too in April, particularly visiting blogs. My theme this year on this blog is All About Foxwick.

That's all my goals for April, and since April 1 starts Monday, this will be my last March post, so I have time to gear up for the challenge.

2013 Stats Since January 1st

38,854 words written (11,775 so far this month!)

587 pages edited

Friday Flash: Conversations Between Gods

 

For today's #fridayflash, Christine Rains' Zeus from 1304 - The Harbinger has stopped by to speak with Apenth from my Phoenix trilogy.

 

Conversations Between Gods

By Cherie Reich and Christine Rains

Apenth couldn't open his eyes wide enough to take in all of Olympus. The splendor rivaled the homes of the Amoran gods. Although he wore pants and a loose-fitting tunic, he felt very out of the times with everyone's more modern clothes. But Cherie sent him over to talk to Zeus, and he obliged her this once. After all, as a god and her muse had to be kind to his writer every so often. He entered the waiting room and saw a young goddess at the reception area. "I have an appointment with the Thunder God, miss."

Hebe's gaze raked over the visitor before she shrugged. "Welcome to Olympus. Follow me, please."

She led him through winding halls, each more opulent than the last. Not a direct route to the meeting room, and the young goddess didn't seem interested in making conversation along the way either. When they at least came to a set out double doors, Hebe flipped her long hair over her shoulder and opened the doors to a grand throne room. "Father, your eight o'clock appointment is here."

Zeus slipped his iPad into a pouch on the side of his throne. Smoothing out his suit jacket, he stood and stepped down from the dais. "Ah, Apenth, isn't it? Can't say you were what I was expecting when this appointment was made for me. I was hoping for some more feminine company. Don't you have some priestess you could have brought along?"

"My high priestess is a bit advanced in age, but my writer Cherie wanted to come. I foresaw what might happen, though, and decided to keep her safe from your consort's wrath. After all, mortals don't tend to do well in Olympus." Apenth chuckled and ran his fingers through his golden hair. He knew all about the wrath of consorts. His poor cursed mother reminded him often. "Speaking of mortals, that's why I'm here. I heard you found a true hero in this day and age. Sam Wright's tales have even reached Amorans' ears. However did you find him?"

"May I get you any nectar, ambrosia, or coffee?" Hebe offered in a monotone.

"No, sweetheart. You can go now." Zeus waved his daughter off, and she disappeared out the rear door. He turned his attention back to Apenth. "Mortals are highly amusing, though. Sometimes they surprise us. Too bad your writer didn't come. Mine, Christine, doesn't come to Olympus unescorted. Where is the trust, eh?" He spread his hands and shrugged his shoulders.

"Ah, Sam Wright. Yes. I've no doubt you've heard of him. He's an impressive man. A descendant of Jason of the Argonauts." The Thunder God added, puffing out a bit in the chest. "One of my oracles spouted off something and her assistant sent me a memo. I couldn't pass up the chance to obtain a real hero. You know how these things work, I'm sure."

"Mortals have their strange quirks." Apenth shrugged, figuring it was better not to answer where the mortals' trust in the gods--or certain gods--was. His interest piqued when he heard an oracle had told Zeus about Sam Wright. "Real heroes are very rare, especially descendants of heroes. You're lucky the assistant was listening to the oracle. Sometimes secondhand prophecies are more difficult to decipher."

"I hear you had some problems with a harpy, though. Were you surprised by her request for a favor?"

"The assistant has excellent dictation skills. I'm not worried about any misinterpretations." The Thunder God waved his hand before folding his arms with Apenth's last comment. Zeus was an older god, but he was still broad and muscled. "Perhaps a little surprised." He huffed. "Meira has always been faithful. I had no idea she wanted anything beyond serving me. Well, maybe like all women, she loves her shoes, but those are the little things that make females so endearing, wouldn't you agree?"

Apenth decided not to comment on misinterpretations. Even gods made errors when it came to Fate, or so his mother told him often. He chuckled at the mention of shoes and what made females so endearing. "My prophetess's eyes do light up when I send her new clothes. But she claims anything is better than her work ones."

He shrugged. "So, without giving away the ending, were you pleased with how the events turned out?"

"My night in the hot springs with the triplet nymphs was extremely satisfying." Zeus smirked, tilting his head as he relived some of those memories. He then glanced at his watch. "Oh, but I assume you meant the other situation. Well, I suppose it wasn't a total loss. There were a few details the hero forgot to cement, and they'll work to my advantage later." He motioned to the door. "It was nice to meet you, Apa. Apet. Honored guest. I do have another appointment I really need to get to."

"I'm sure everything will work to your advantage." Apenth chuckled at the night with the triplet nymphs. He remembered those days, even though he was still hung up with his first love, Amora. Hypogaia's realm separated them, though.

He started to correct him, but figured there was no reason to leave on unfriendly terms. Placing a closed fist over his heart, he bowed. "It was a pleasure. Thank you for speaking with me." 

"Yes, a pleasure. I'm sure you can find your way out." Zeus gave no bow in return, just a nod of the head. He turned to the rear door and then paused, stroking his beard. "Wait. There was something I was told to mention. Hm. Triplets. Hot springs. Book. Ah yes, The Harbinger. Marvelous story. You need to get yourself a copy. It features me, of course. People should have it for that reason alone." He grinned and exited the room, whistling and loosening his tie as walked out.

You heard Zeus. You need to get Christine's newest book!

Meira Harper loves both her jobs: talking about beautiful shoes and fetching souls for Zeus. But the Thunder God threatens the harpy's loyalty to her job when she receives the call to bring the soul of gorgeous Sam Wright. Meira pleads with her boss to let him live. Zeus agrees, but Sam must fight for his life. If Sam can win three challenges, he can keep his soul.

The gods never play fairly, though, so Meira needs to find ways to help Sam with the challenges. She cannot outwardly cross her master, but she refuses to let the man she loves lose his soul. They haven't even had a chance to start a life together.

Sam's soul is on the line. Meira's will be too if she's caught, but that's a risk she's willing to take.

  
To Purchase: Amazon / Smashwords / Nook / Kobo

The Marquis is now FREE on Smashwords and Kobo!

Christine Rains is a writer, blogger, and geek mom. She has four degrees which help nothing with motherhood, but make her a great Jeopardy player. When she's not writing or reading, she having adventures with her son or watching cheesy movies on Syfy Channel. She's a member of Untethered Realms and S.C.I.F.I. The 13th Floor series is her first self-published series. She has five novellas and eighteen short stories published.

Website / Blog

Wednesday's Writing Update: March's Goals

 

Happy Wednesday!

I have March's goals planned out. Here they are:

1. Finish writing The Loveless Princess.

I should've had this finished by now, but it didn't get done. I do hope to finish it in March.

2. Write/Edit "Dragon Spy" and edit "Blind Scribe" from Men of Foxwick.

"Dragon Spy" and "Blind Scribe" will go through my CPs, and I hope to finish editing both stories in March.

3. Write Part III of The Phoenix Prophetess.

I ran out of time during NaNoWriMo 2012 (wrote 60,000 words in Parts I and II) to finish Part III, so I hope to write at least half of the chapters I have left, if not all of them, by the end of March. I probably have between 30,000-40,000 words left to write.

4. Finish writing my A to Z Challenge posts on this blog and Surrounded by Books Reviews.

Yes, I'm participating in the A-Z Challenge again for two blogs, and I must finish those posts soon. I do have a theme (All About Foxwick on this blog and Book Series on the other), so that's very helpful.

5. If time, write "The Sword Master," short story three in Men of Foxwick.

What are your March goals?

2013 Stats since January 1st

23,908 words written

488 pages edited

Wednesday's Writing Update: New Review of Once Upon a December Nightmare and more!

 

Happy Wednesday!

I received a new review of Once Upon a December Nightmare. You can read the review here. As a reminder, Once Upon a December Nightmare is still free on Amazon, Kobo, Smashwords, Sony, and iTunes.

Writing and editing this month has been pretty sparse. *sighs* Between the writers' conference earlier this month, having more work at the day job, and a family problem during the first full week of February (it's now okay), it's been difficult to find the energy to write and edit. Thus, I'm behind on this month's goals.

As for Starred, between critique partners' comments and time, I've decided not to edit this novel right now. I hope to work on it again in August.

I still hope to finish editing Part II of The Phoenix Prophetess this month. I also should finish my notes for Part III, which I still need to write. If all goes well, I should be able to complete this goal this weekend. *crosses fingers*

I have started writing "Dragon Spy," story two in Men of Foxwick. I have five more scenes, or around 3,000 more words, to write. I should be able to finish this story before the end of February. I also need to do my third edit of "Blind Scribe," so I can send it to CP #3.

Then, there is The Loveless Princess. Last week, I managed to write through Chapter 9, or one-third of the novella. I still have another 20,000+ words to go before the novella is finished, so it's looking very doubtful that I'll finish it by the end of February, since I still have so many other things I need to do. That's okay. I'm loving the story and what's happening with it, so if it needs more time, then so be it. I would like to reach the midway point with this novella, though, by the end of February.

As for the next couple days, I'm working on friends' critiques and blog posts.

How's your writing going? What do you have going on this week?

Wednesday's Writing Update: Writing and Editing as Always

 

Happy Wednesday!

Is it just me, or are these Wednesdays flying by too quickly?

First, I received a lovely review of Gravity: The Complete Trilogy from Nick Wilford at Scattergun Scribblings yesterday.

Last week I mentioned I finished writing "Blind Scribe" in Men of Foxwick. My first CP read it and got a critique back to me, so I'm making some changes, so I can send it to second CP soon.

On Monday, I finished editing Part I of The Phoenix Prophetess. I've now sent it to my three critique partners, so I'm hoping they'll like it. I'm at the point with Part I where I'm way too close to the story, characters, and writing, so it's hard for me to edit it any more without some additional guidance. Next month, I plan to tackle self-edits on Part II.

My main concerns for the rest of January are writing The Loveless Princess and editing Act I of Starred. I'm a bit behind where I'd hoped to be, but if I can do a chapter/scene a day, then I should be able to finish writing the first thirteen chapters of The Loveless Princess and have Act I of Starred edited by February 1st. We'll see how that goes.

As it is, I know no writing/editing will be done on Saturday, since I'll spend most of the day at the Roanoke Regional Writers Conference and then my sister's eighteenth birthday party Saturday evening. It'll definitely be a busy weekend.

So I guess I should get back to work.

What are you working on this week?

Friday Excerpt: The Prologue of The Phoenix Prophetess

 

Usually I share the first chapter of my NaNoWriMo novel on the NaNo site. This year, I didn't do that because I wanted to share it here. I know a lot of people say you shouldn't have a prologue, but whether you call this "prologue" or "chapter one," I will fight for this chapter to stay in The Phoenix Prophetess. Otherwise, I worry what Apenth might do to me, if I don't. Hehe! I hope you enjoy!

PROLOGUE

The Island of Mournia

23 Day of Inasham

Year 2500 AUC

The newborn baby lay limp upon the table, a thin cloth separating her from the wood. She was a perfect girl, except for one thing:  she was dead.

Apeth had waited five hundred years for this child’s birth. His bunched muscles across his shoulders and back relaxed. Breath flowed from his nostrils and rustled her dark hair. The midwife had placed her in this room away from the grieving parents. The small crib sat discarded in a corner. A doll peered at him with coal-black eyes. The wails from the other room sent pain through his ears. They didn’t know he was here, watching, waiting for an opportunity to save their child. His hand hovered over her heart.

One touch would change everything.

“Stop, my son.” A wrinkled and liver-spotted hand seized his wrist.

He cursed his lack of foresight. Shouldn’t he have known Postera, the goddess of the future, would try to stop him? He was the god of prophecy, after all! Her bony fingers gripped tighter with a strength he didn’t know she possessed. With a sigh, he lifted his head and focused upon her clear blue eyes, so like his own.

“Mother, she’s the one. I have to continue Amora’s prophecy.” He gently pried her aged fingers from his wrist.

“No. You can’t go against the Fates again. The gods are displeased.” She reached into her dress’s folds and revealed the severed darkening thread of the baby’s lifeline. The yarn of life pulsed around her dark robes. “It’s too late. Her life is forfeited, and her soul shall reside in Hupogaia’s realm.”

His heart sank. The detached thread swayed like a pendulum in the darkened room. Was it too late to revive the child? His body curled closer to the baby girl. Her chance for life was slipping through his fingers with each passing grain of sand in the hourglass.

This girl had to be the sixth one.

“You know what will happen if I don’t do this.” He jerked away from her grasp. His eyes flicked between the blackened thread and the baby. If he didn’t save her, who would foretell the prophecies? Who could stop Fate? Her future was fading into the dark depths of the Underworld, and he wouldn’t allow her to be one of Hupogaia’s eternal children.

“I know what may come. Who taught you prophecy? I did.” Postera blew air through her nose. “You can’t keep meddling. Don’t you see my wrinkles, my white hair? I don’t want to see Kisa curse you like she has me. Remember Hupogaia protested against you in front of the High Council. They said grave consequences will come if you save another one.”

He couldn’t forget the council’s words. But visions of the Kingdom of Amora in flames flashed through his mind. He could taste the ashes, like burnt charcoal, and hear her people’s screams. The prophecy of the kingdom’s destruction brought sour bile to his mouth. The other gods, including the queen goddess Kisa, may be willing to turn their backs on their loyal people for Fate, but he wasn’t.

Then, there was this infant in front of him. She reminded him of his daughter. His mortal family resided in the Underworld, but he couldn’t let this child.

“I have to save her.” He ripped the threads from his mother’s hands and joined the thread of death with the yarn of life. The piece sizzled, reattaching to the other, and transformed to blood red.

“No! You can’t do this! Think of the consequences.”

He was, though. They both knew what would happen.

Ignoring his mother’s shrieks, Apenth leaned over the lifeless baby. His lips pressed against her ashen forehead. It was already too cold. Was he too late? Postera clawed at his arms, but he shoved away her hands. Nothing would stop him from completing Amora’s prophecy, protecting the city named after his love.

“You are mine, little prophetess.” His hand pressed over her heart. Electric heat flowed from his glowing fingertips. They tingled, nearly burning his flesh, but his hand remained steady. Luminosity brightened around them, further blocking out Postera’s pleas. The room filled with the blinding white light.

“Live.” His command, his plea. Let it work one more time.

The light imploded into the child. Her flesh glowed for a moment before the room’s shadows returned. A tiny strawberry-colored birthmark in the shape of a phoenix blossomed upon the flesh over her heart. The baby’s lungs filled with air, and a cry broke from her lips.

The Phoenix Prophetess was reborn.