Tag Archives: tips

Park Bench and Writing Space

Writing Craft: What Happens Next?

Do you ever ask yourself, what happens next? My brother Phil shared a video with me the other day. He often does when he comes across something he thinks I may enjoy or find useful (thanks, Phil!). I only had time to watch a few minutes then, an interview with writer/producer Andy Guerdat. But right off the bat, his subject reminded me of a key element of storytelling: getting your audience to care about your story.

Guerdat talks about maintaining an audience/reader mindset when storytelling. He uses the three-word question: “What happens next?” as the storyteller’s tactic to engage your readers, keep them entertained, and keep your story from becoming formulaic and predictable. Those three little words should be at the crux of writing engrossing tales.

The video continued in a film-related vein, and I’ll be honest, at first, I didn’t watch the entire clip. Primarily because as soon as Guerdat mentioned that three-word question, I stopped and thought about the novel I’m currently drafting, Book 3 of the Treasure Quest Series.

I considered it great timing to have heard that question this week.

I’d been planning to post an update on where I’m at with writing Book 3. I planned to share how the work is going, what my hopes and expectations for this draft are. And, truthfully, I’m struggling a bit with how the work is progressing.

So those words, that question, “what happens next?” gave me pause and helped me spend some time mulling a key point of why I write: to entertain and engage, inform and divert and escape.

Hearing the question stated so succinctly reminded me where and how to focus my efforts as I continue writing my WIP.

At the moment, I’ve hit a few snags. But I also have written more consistently than previously. One of the reasons—though I’ve told myself time and again to “just spit out the first draft, damn it, things will be fixed in edits!”—is because I’m writing key scenes that are set in Ireland. While some description and details can be added later, other info is relevant to the story and its progression. Additional research needs to happen up front in order for the tale to progress logically.

And, truthfully, doing that research also helps spark unique ideas. That’s one part of writing (of many!) that I truly love. I can have an idea on which I’ve built parts of a story, but then new research helps inform a cooler, better solution/outcome. Love, love, love that!! Though, of course, that can and does change other elements of the tale, so it’s another reason editing is so crucial. The story still has to work with however the new information has changed it.

So, writing is a struggle to balance research, completion (of draft #1), and plot/pacing. But, with all of that said, I am making progress. Check out this photo of my basic plotline.

Writing Corkboard and What Happens Next?
Writing Corkboard with Green and Pink Notes

I finally had to put this together to see what I had left to write and where I had holes. Especially because Book 3 is just that, the third of the series, and it has many loose ends to tie together. This isn’t everything, but these are the main moving parts. The green post-its are what I’d finished writing last year, and the pink notes are what I need to write to have a mostly finished first draft.

The good news is, I’m all the way through the pinks except for the final four!! Yay!!! Which is not to say I’m done when I finish those, but that will leave me very close with the first draft. I will be soooo freakin’ excited when I get there.

But, as I mentioned at the start, the essential question (or one of them) is still key to remember and view from the readers’ perspective: what happens next? I’ll need to make sure I keep you, dear reader, engaged with my story and characters. And hopefully you’ll enjoy this next story as much as the first two!! Fingers (and toes and everything!) crossed!!

For those of you interested, I went back and listened to the rest of the ten-minute video clip. Guerdat had other useful, writerly tidbits he shared. Check it out here and let me know your thoughts in the comment section below.

Given a couple cool items I uncovered with my online explorations last week, I’m hopefully on a surer path to completing the first draft. And I think as long as I keep asking “what happens next,” I’ll be able to convey the excitement I felt at the beginning of writing this story. What does my ideal reader want? To be engaged and enthralled and maybe even enlightened just a bit. 😉

So, dear readers, I’d best get back to work, hadn’t I? I’ve more to write and more to surprise you with. Thanks for reading and supporting … and stay tuned! And stay in touch, too. I really appreciate your thoughts and comments, so please say hi below or drop me a line at carolyn@carolyngreeley.com.

Coffee House Writing Space and What Happens Next?
Coffee House Writing Space

PS–If you’re curious to journey back in time with me, check out this older post of mine It’s True, I Do Exist. But TB Is Half Missing. – The Mystery of Relevance (carolyngreeley.com) from when I was writing Book 2, Treasure Bound. Oh, how the times have not changed! 😉 I’m still asking, what happens next?

Facebooktwitterpinterestlinkedinmail

February in a Flash … and Sequel Writing

No, I don’t mean Flash Fiction. I mean, February—as per usual—has passed in a flash. And I’m not too keen on it happening, I can tell you. Once again, I find myself behind the eight ball of editing and blogging. I long ago jumped onto that adult bandwagon of repeatedly commenting on the swift passage of time. So, what the hell, I’ll do it again.

Where does the time go???

Feb 18 calendar

Partly, the days zip by so readily because of my semi-unique work life. It’s a bit odd, working multiple part-time positions. Changing brain functions between them is a nonstop juggle, as they all seem to draw on a different element of my psyche: creative, practical, professional. Two of my jobs mean working from my home office (which, by the way, we’re finally setting up, yay!), so that adds a near-constant battle to get “everything household” done that needs doing. After all, I’m “home,” right? Oy! The distractions are numerous and the pull great. I can only imagine how people with kids cope. The drive to handle it all must be that must stronger.

Anyhoo, enough blathering. The struggle is real, for pretty much all of us, and so it continues. At the moment, I have a few contiguous hours to myself, and I’m writing and will return to editing TB after I finish this post. Which is also to say, I’ll keep this short. ; )

Now, onto the “… and Sequel Writing” portion of the program. Here’s the latest on Treasure Bound: I finally finished round two edits on my laptop, added a few scenes, tweaked others, and printed out everything. And it’s still short! As in, too short for my taste. But, as I’d mentioned in December, I suspected that’d be the case as I completed that round.

I’ve begun round three, which in this instance is reading through the hardcopy in as few sittings as possible. On this round, I’m looking to add more backstory in key places, flesh out the new characters, add some tension and bad-guy scenes, and hopefully fill in a few holes. I write this longhand on the printouts, which I usually enjoy.

Well guess what? Last week I had another cow, although it was a smaller cow than last summer. A calf, I suppose. With horns?

Mini Cow

But, seriously, I was like “For real?” What I’ve learned is that writing a sequel, though fun and easy in some ways, is incredibly challenging for keeping facts consistent throughout both novels. No surprise, but I thought I’d already passed this hiccup. I found out last week that I’d written something about one of the main characters in Emerald Obsession that is counter to a large portion of what happens to that character in TB. DOH!!!

Crazy part, I wrote the detail practically as an aside in EO, which is how I almost forgot about it. But the words are in print, and unless I want to revise EO and create a second edition, then I have to work with what I’ve got.

But…….okay, mini cow had, and possible workaround already figured. Not completely, but with fingers crossed and striving to access those creative brain cells, hopefully all is not lost.

You guys, dear friends and readers who know me by now, know I (usually) enjoy a challenge. Well, writing this sequel certainly is one. I began it so long ago, and I’ve had some surprising good feedback and a few bad experiences.

I guess my point is this: I tried something new in how I approached writing this story, and I’m not sure it worked. Especially because TB is a sequel, the more time that passes from the original story, the more I have to refresh my brain to maintain accuracy and the longer my readers have to wait to read the next chapter. So bummed about that. Hopefully, I’ll have lived and learned my lesson and will attempt a different approach with Book 3. Yes, as of now, there’s still a Book 3 plodding through my brain. Lord help me. ; )

So that’s it for now, folks. Time for me to work on the back-end of this post, send it out into the nether regions of the web, and then get back to editing. Damn, despite all this BS, I still really love writing. And I really appreciate you visiting, hanging with me, checking in. You guys rock. Oh, and comments, please share them below and tell your friends. : )

PS–Here’s a little peek at the new office furniture. : )

Feb 18 New Office
Facebooktwitterpinterestlinkedinmail

Writing Forts

Nothing screams “summer blog post” more than a hulking, stone fort, am I right? Suuure. I can see the heads shaking. What you’re probably asking yourselves is: What does a fort have to do with writing? Well, let me tell you about that.

I’m always on the hunt for relevant writing-life ideas to blog about, things both useful and personal. I hope you learn something fun and different after reading my posts, that you engage in your own writing or reading in a new way, become inspired to change something in your writing repertoire or habits. See things from a fresh perspective.

So to find ideas, I check out the holiday calendars to see what’s going on, I read other author blogs (check out this list for some cool ones, but be warned, some links are out of date), I review Writer’s Digest and other online sources for inspiration.

And sometimes I simply walk outside and see what my imagination fires up. In the case of this month’s post, “Writing Forts,” my inspiration was two-fold: calendar spark and walkabout spark.

One of the many things I love about St. Augustine is its history. One big chunk of that history is the Castillo de San Marcos, a National Park, located at the northeastern edge of historic downtown. With July named as National Park and Recreation Month (the calendar spark), and me so enamored of this massive fortress—also a designated National Monument—I knew I had to blog about it.

Which leads me to spark number two, the walkabout. Because I’m fortunate to have this historic fort in my backyard, I’m free to wander the grounds for inspiration whenever I’m able to go downtown (and able to find parking).

Water in the moat of the Castillo de San Marcos

The Castillo at night, with visitors.

Canon fire at the Castillo

Those of you who’ve read my previous posts know how much I love being outdoors, love Florida’s warm, mostly sunny weather. I carry my notebook everywhere, and I love writing longhand outside. Weather permitting, naturally, but also in the rain. As long as I’m covered and my notebook is dry, I’m good.

Sometimes, writing in the rain is actually better, depending on the scene. A moody, rainy day can be perfect for stalking, murder, surprise attack, even simply an eerie feeling or two. I think you get my point. Writing outside or somehow exposed to the elements, exposed to the ambience of a historic space, imbues my writing with a vitality I can’t always capture when sitting at my computer behind a desk and gazing through the window. Kinda like life, you know. Sometimes you have to stop reading and writing about it and go out and live it.

Now, about this fabulous fort. I’m intrigued by history (I’m not a buff, mind you, but forever learning). Those of you who’ve read Emerald Obsession know that while it’s a contemporary mystery, it has its roots in history. The Castillo has survived over 300 years as the oldest masonry fortress in the United States.

Rambling over the fort grounds, reading the educational material the park rangers offer, climbing stone steps to look over the Matanzas River and all the way to the Atlantic Ocean, steeping myself in the environment and knowledge of its age brings the fort’s history to life, helps me imagine what living there centuries ago could’ve been like.

Being able to experience such a unique piece of history firsthand is extraordinary. When I walk through historic places, I feel the weight of time surround me. I feel the lives and deaths of those who passed that way before me. A quiet settles in, respectful and deep. I knew the fort would find its way into my writing somewhere, somehow.

And here’s where I get to tease a little info about Treasure Bound, Book Two in my Found Mystery Series. I’m so excited. This story follows up Emerald Obsession to continue Lexy and Jack’s treasure hunt, and part of the story takes place in St. Augustine. Surprise, there’s also a scene or two set at the fort. Hope I do it justice.

To learn more about the Castillo de San Marcos, click here. It’s one of my favorite places in St. Augustine. And don’t forget to take your writing outside! You may not have a fort at your disposal, but any outdoor spot will offer a new angle and enliven your writing.

As ever, to weigh in on this or any of my posts, please share, share, share in the comments section, or on social media. You can find me in all the usual places. Thanks again. : )Facebooktwitterpinterestlinkedinmail

Stress Management and the Zen of Journaling

People live with varying amounts of stress, and I totally admit I make my share too easily, despite my intention to simplify things. Is that ironic? No, probably just slow learning on my part. But what starts out simple often morphs into something complex faster than I can keep up.

Case in point: this is (one of) my April blog(s)—that’s a whole other story right there, the tale of my lost second blog of the month—and here I am, posting it in May.

Should I mention this post was prompted by learning that April is Stress Awareness Month? Well, there you go. Welcome, May; hello, Stress, I am aware of you; and, am I on the ball these days or what?

Despite the date, I wanted to share this post because I’m pretty damn sure everyone can relate to the stress in their lives getting out of hand now and again. Worse, perhaps way more often than that. And while I’m no police officer or doctor or someone who holds others’ lives in their hands, stress is real and evident in each person’s life to varying degrees, and that stress needs a release before it takes a physical, mental, emotional toll on a person.

Having said my little piece about that, life—as ever, it seems—has been a tad taxing, so I’d like to share how journaling helps me cope.

On one level, writing is stress-inducing because I’m striving to make my living with it. Learning the intricacies of publishing, marketing, blogging? Switching mental gears from the other aspects of everyday life to something creative? Creating compelling stories to share in the hopes readers will enjoy them? No stress there. ; )

On the flip side, writing is incredibly stress-relieving in another form. I’m talking about journaling, keeping a diary. Or in my world, AKA writing to a therapist without paying for one. ; )

I’ve kept a journal, diary or daily calendar for most of my life. Doing so goes back to my first real diary, which still lives somewhere in my mom’s basement in a dusty cardboard box with my name scrawled in black Sharpie on the outside. Prior to receiving that journal, I vaguely recall using cute, pink notebooks (Hello, Kitty, anyone?) for my scribblings. But being presented with that book—a most-cherished gift—was a turning point.

The perfect-bound book is small but meaty. It’s about 4 inches wide by 5 tall, an inch thick with lavender-lined, white pages dated for every day of the year. No year, though, just days, and I wrote in the diary for many years, on and off, when the mood struck and the need great. When I look at the pages now, I see the rounded loops of my childish cursive mingling with the flatter scrawl of my “grown-up” script.

The cover looks like bleached leather, off-white and semi-smooth, with the word “Diary” debossed in gold lettering.

But perhaps the best part of this notebook was the tiny lock and key that protected all my secrets. That lock freed me. Finally, I had a place to pour out my heart without fear of ridicule or retaliation. For a sensitive young girl like me, that was gold in paper form.

I didn’t understand at the time, but that diary would help me in immeasurable ways. Writing as a career can be exceedingly stressful, but writing for passion, for catharsis, is one of the best stress reducers I know. And a handy side effect: journaling is practically free.

For those of you who’ve not journaled yet, I encourage you to try. Maybe the best part is that you can (and perhaps should) write about anything. When I write in my calendar or a spiral notebook—my diary of choice these days because it opens flat—I’ll jot whatever comes to mind. Sometimes what happened during the day, what new food I made, or what errands I ran. I might segue into a mini rant on the bad drivers around me. Or a musing on the nice person in line who pointed out I’d dropped a five-dollar bill.

Journal and coffee

In its longer form, my notebook holds nighttime secrets, dream depictions that lingered until the next morning. Lots of folks are big into dream analysis; I’m intrigued by that, and I try to note my more unique experiences, either to try to decipher them or simply for later amusement. Whenever I die, whoever reads those dream notebooks will have a field day with my mental state, I’m sure.

Anyhoo, my point is writing in this manner is a release. Putting words to paper releases the emotion—good and bad—that fills my day. When it’s good, writing it solidifies the feeling and helps me enjoy it longer. When it’s bad emotion (stress), I’m able to channel it away to a large extent.

Remember Julia Roberts’s line from Pretty Woman? “The bad stuff is easier to believe. You ever notice that?” It’s always stayed with me because I feel like the bad stuff is also what really sticks with us. Too often, the good stuff falls by the wayside, easily forgotten or overtaken by some other worrisome feeling. So, writing the good stuff is how I enjoy and retain that happy feeling, how I focus on the good when all the mayhem tries to sneak in and overwhelm me.

And writing the bad stuff is how I expel my anger, alleviate the immediate pressure, vent my sadness and confusion and worry. When I need to, I can return to my spewage later to evaluate my reaction, to understand why I responded as I did. To view my stress from a safe distance and work through my problems with a clearer head. Wow, talk about handy.

So, readers, does any of this resonate with you? Who of you have journaled or written in a diary of any form? It’s a practice I’ll keep for my entire life, I’m sure. I hope you found something useful in this post, and that maybe I’ve offered a reason for you to start scribbling in a diary or notebook. It does wonders! Please share your thoughts below. Thanks, and have a brilliant day.Facebooktwitterpinterestlinkedinmail

An Editing Trick for World Read Aloud Day

I’m still writing the first draft of TB, Emerald Obsession’s sequel, which is great and frustrating at the same time. I’d hoped to be finished with this first run-through by now, but no dice. When I set writing goals, I like to think they’re realistic, but somehow I can’t always make them happen on schedule. That said, when I look back to where the time has been spent otherwise (whole-house reno!!), I’m not too disappointed that this first round is taking longer than I’d hoped.

But as I near the writing end, I’m beginning to think about the edits I know I’ll need to incorporate in order to improve the flow and arc of the story. That’s kind of cool for me. Editing is a challenge that requires different creativity, different vision and different skills. I edit my manuscripts at least four or five times, looking for specific elements on each revision. For example, here’s a sheet of proofreader symbols. One of my review rounds focuses entirely on this level of editing:

Proofreading marks

Today is World Read Aloud Day, so I wanted to share my take on how this helps during early-stage editing. You may already know it’s smart to read your work out loud. Reading, either to yourself in an empty room or to some sort of audience (cat, hub, writing buddy, etc.), allows you to focus on how the language sounds, whether you’ve chosen the best words, whether the story flow is natural and realistic. And a biggie: whether the tone and voice are consistent.

Reciting your story is a crucial part of editing and one I enjoy. I admit I read out loud frequently, sometimes unconsciously, which makes my hub laugh (I suspect this’ll happen a lot more now that we’ve moved into to our renovated office, yay!). I just tell him geniuses often talk to themselves, so he’s lucky he married up. ; ) ; ) Hahaha. Yeah, he laughs at me for that. And if you don’t want to go the “genius route,” you could read to your neighbor cats; here’s a photo of mine who randomly travel through our yard:

Neighbor cats sneaking in for a listen

So, while reading your own material is a great idea, how about next time you try this trick with your critique group or a writing partner: swap stories and read each other’s piece out loud. Not only will you focus and hear the words differently, you’ll hear how someone else interprets your words. Did the story flow naturally? Did the reader stumble over words or ideas? Did the plot progress realistically and believably? Hearing your words in someone else’s voice will give you a whole other level of insight about how readers might experience your story.

And you know me, I hope my stories sell, but first and foremost, I really want to tell my stories in a good, logical, fun, exciting way. This you-read-me, me-read-you technique can help build a great story. It’s super helpful to receive feedback from other readers, too, but I digress. Finding beta readers can be a topic for another blog. : )

As much as I love a good writing tip, I’m sure you guys know reading aloud has more benefits than simply helping you edit. I’m no expert, but do a search online and you’ll uncover many more pluses to reading for an audience, especially to kids. Think of the impact on imagination and vocabulary! Love that. <3

Tell me, readers, writers and friends, do you read your work aloud when you edit? Or just for fun? ; ) What other benefits do you find to reading out loud? Do you read to yourself or to others, like your critique group or writing partners? Me? Definitely a combo of both. Boy, my hub’s gonna get an earful!

I’d love to hear your answers. Let me know in the comments section below or by email at carolyn@carolyngreeley.com. Thanks for hanging out.Facebooktwitterpinterestlinkedinmail

3 Reasons to Find Your Writing Mentor

I discovered an interesting tidbit the other day as I scanned an online calendar of fun facts: January is National Mentoring Month. Okay, maybe you take that sort of online info with a grain of salt, as I do (Really, National Crown of Roast Pork Day? It’s March 7, according to some.), but now and then I run across a factoid that stays with me and spins the gears.

Such is the case with National Mentoring Month. This struck me because I’m an advocate of mentors (and not just recognizing their usefulness for a month). This past year, I’ve been talking about their importance with my husband, whose business is expanding. As it grows, I’ve encouraged him to reach out to friends and colleagues who’ve already traveled similar paths, so he might learn from their experiences.

Why take this path:

Foggy path

When you can travel a clear path with a trusted advisor and friend:

Path to follow

But to be honest, I hadn’t thought of a mentor for myself as an author before now. I don’t know why. It took that chance mention to make me look at my career and realize how critical a mentor could be for a writer. And many of the ways in which a mentor helps say, an entrepreneur, are the same ways one would help a writer.

So, as ever on my kick about continuing to learn and grow, I searched around for more information. 🙂

Here are three ways a writing mentor can help you:

1—Experience. One of the best things a mentor can do is share the wisdom of their experience. I love the expression “work smarter, not harder.” By finding someone who’s attained the goal you’re aiming for and having them mentor you, you’ll benefit from their knowledge and hopefully will avoid their mistakes. An established writer will counsel you on both creative and business aspects of writing and will guide you along your specific career path.

2—Connection. Another benefit of your mentor will be access to their broader network of contacts. Though writing is usually a solitary effort, if publication is one of your goals, then connecting with others—readers, publishers, agents, editors, other writers—is essential. As an author looking to grow and reach an audience, having a mentor to open doors and offer ways to connect with people will be invaluable.

3—Inspiration and Input. Inspiration can come from anywhere, but for me, it doesn’t happen on a consistent basis. With a mentor, though, you may be only a call, text or coffee chat away from the butt-kick motivation you need to flush out that sketchy scene that’s vexed you for a week. The right writing mentor will offer creative support and unbiased, constructively critical insights. And that’s huge for gaining confidence and thickening the skin to the rejection prevalent in the writing world.

So, readers, what do you think about writing mentors? I believe engaging with one is a great idea for anyone looking to grow their career or passion. Do you have one? Or would you consider mentoring someone less experienced? What would you hope or expect to gain from that association? Please let me know in the comments section. I’d appreciate your thoughts. Or feel free to email me at carolyn@carolyngreeley.com. Thanks!Facebooktwitterpinterestlinkedinmail

Resolutions and Revisions—A Writer’s Reality

With another flip of the calendar, I find myself staring at a relatively clean slate. And so I decided to jump on the January-resolution bandwagon this year. Why not? The fact is, the changing of the year is a great time for people to reexamine goals, and I’m no exception.

A clean, snowy slate in NY

Since this blog is about my writing life, I’ll let you in on my writing resolution for this year. I made a small-yet-large-for-me pledge that pertains to you, dear readers and fans: My objective for 2017 is to blog more often and about more writing topics of interest to you.

To that end, I plan to blog twice a month. Yeah, no great shakes in the world of blogging, but in my world of chaos and distraction, doubling my monthly output is a major thing. Especially now, when I’m trying to power through the first draft of my second novel in the Found Mystery Series, still lovingly referred to as TB. ; )

As you may know, I believe life should be a continual learning experience, and I feel the same way about writing. I always want to learn more, become better at the craft, and I enjoy passing on what I learn.

Blogging isn’t my passion the way storytelling is, but the more I write in all formats, the better writer I become (hopefully). So, increasing my post output helps two ways: to give the readers what they want, and to sharpen my skills doing what I love.

In this first post of 2017, I’d like to share a link about one author’s editing process. I found this courtesy of Mary Ann de Stefano on the Florida Writers Association Facebook page, and I think it’s fantastic.

People often ask what it’s like to be a writer. Well, there are as many different answers as there are scribblers, but there’s a common thread: to write is to edit. And so, to learn to write is to understand you must edit.

This author, Patrick Rothfuss, was asked what it’s like to revise his own work. I think his answer is spot-on as he details the challenges we face, large and small, to make our manuscripts the best we can. Please take a look and let me know what you think.

As with writing, there are aspects of editing and revising that I love and those that I can hardly stand. But they go hand-in-hand. To be a better writer, I need to become a better editor. I’m working on it. 😉

Happy New Year to you all. Here’s hoping your resolutions are both fun and productive. Otherwise, they’ll be a pain to stick with. 😛

And with respect to my goal of blogging about your writing interests, please share what you’d like to hear about, either in the comments section, or by email: carolyn@carolyngreeley.com. Thanks and looking forward to your input.Facebooktwitterpinterestlinkedinmail