In the last post, we talked about the damage that rejection and criticism do to a writer’s spirit. Most writers are sensitive, quiet people who are unsure about their calling. So how do you weather the endless rejections from publishers and critics?

First, remember the rejection that Jesus received. Imagine what would have happened if He gave up when He found His people accusing Him of blasphemy. He persevered. If Jesus hadn’t come into the world, we would not know Christianity and the peace and salvation it brings. We would not have the eternal life He obtained for us with His very life. His suffering, not only verbal rejection but physical pain and dismissal by the same people Jesus had come to save, must have pierced His heart.

I often think of the garden where He begged to have this cup taken away from Him. It was not. His closest friends deserted Him. One betrayed Him. Another denied Him. He had a mission, and while the human in him sweated blood with the pain He faced, Jesus didn’t let His own feelings stop what He was born to do. 

Where is the Christ in you?

Is a letter of rejection enough for you to give up the gift that God has given you? I hope not. I always love the thought that Jesus would have come and died on the cross just to save one soul. Wow! A soul must be worth a lot. What would you do if you knew just one person was saved by reading one of your works? Wouldn’t it be worth all the work you put in? If saving one soul was good enough for Jesus, why wouldn’t it be good enough for you?

Christ lives in you, in your soul, in your spirit, and your gift of writing. Are you ready to cast Him out? Can’t you imagine meeting Him on your last day and Him showing you the soul that came back to Him because of your gift of writing? Imagine meeting that person who now has eternal life.

Not only that, but faith has a ripple effect. Imagine the people his or her new faith saved. Are you ready to let a little rejection deprive you of that? It is said that people found belief when St. Peter’s shadow passed over them. Can your work and the courage it takes to write from your spirit be that shadow that passes over someone?

The opposite of fear is courage. Don’t let a few rejections discourage you. 

How do you make the change?

One of the first things is to change the tapes of doubt that you repeatedly play in your head. It isn’t important what other people say. What is important is what you say to yourself. Do you wake up each morning and tell yourself that you are a writer? What do you say when people ask you what you do or what your work is?

I used to say that I was a retired nurse. It was easy. There were no questions about that answer. I didn’t realize that I was also telling myself that I wasn’t a writer every time I gave that timid answer. After all, if I told others that I was a writer, the inevitable next question would be: “Oh, have you been published?” Somehow, I thought that mattered. I didn’t think my little articles were enough to qualify me as a real writer.

Every time I denied who I was, I was like Peter denying Christ. I was not only lying to the person asking; I was lying to myself, and playing that tape over and over destroyed whatever confidence I had. So what do you say when someone asks you what you do or who you are? From now on, I want you to tell them that you are a writer even if you have another job to pay the bills, even if you haven’t published yet.

You are a writer if you write. And every time you say it out loud, you are telling yourself who you are. Yes. It is that important. Destroy that negative tape that plays in your head. Announce to the world, and mainly yourself, who you are. 

Now that you know you are a writer, what is the next step? 

Set up an office for your work. It is your work, after all. Don’t you need a quiet place to write? Don’t you deserve it? When I set up my office, it made my writing real to me. I was telling myself that I was a real writer and deserved to have an office. I took a desk from my childhood room and polished it up. I printed the two articles that I had published, framed them, and hung them on the wall. I got a used but nice leather desk chair and set up my office in my house’s loft.

Every day, when I looked at my little spot, I knew my calling was waiting for me. As time when on, I took photos of the covers of my self-published novels. I framed them and put them on a shelf above my desk. Whenever I got an award, I framed it and added it to my office wall. Just looking at my work as it built up over the years convinced me that I was a writer. Now that I write for children, I always frame the letters or touching reviews I receive from them.

I know who I am. Do you? Next post, let’s talk about what to do with those rejection letters.

Copyright 2021 Karen Kelly Boyce

A romance? A mystery? An adventure? What is this novel? Where You Lead is all of these things wrapped in colorful history and tied together by the outstanding talent of Leslea Wahl. What a gift I received in my mailbox. It kept me away from my housework and laundry. It kept me awake past my bedtime. And I loved every minute of it because I loved this teen novel. 

Eve is just sixteen, and yet God calls her with dreams and visions. Visions that show her a handsome, young man far away in Washington D.C.  Nick, the teenager in her visions, is also being pulled into convincing his father to run for public office. Taking the chance to follow her calling, Eve seeks out and finds this unknown future love.

Together they are launched on an adventure that encompasses all the beautiful history of our Capitol City. Chased by the greedy, they escape those who want to find Confederate gold, following a lost legend in history. They follow century-old clues found in graveyards, monuments, and historic buildings. Nick and Eve follow our rich American history and lead the readers on an action-packed, spellbinding chase to find Confederate gold, prevent a pending war in Europe, and, most of all, discern God’s Will. 

As Nick and Eve ride this rollercoaster of mystery, they are fighting the innocent attraction they find for each other. Throughout the adventure they share, they begin to experience romantic feelings that they try to hide. Admiration grows between them as they encourage and guide each other away from doubt and fear. Sharing both their faith in God and the virtues they both live stirs a deep affection between our two heroes. 

I highly recommend this novel. It is not only entertaining for teenagers but adults also. Where You Lead has won the Illumination Award for being faithful to Catholic doctrine. Parents can rest easy that it has nothing within its pages that will lead their teens astray. It takes great talent to entertain with story and truth. You can order this book at VinspirePublishing.com or Amazon.com. 

How do you let go?

It’s like sending your firstborn to kindergarten. You’ve nurtured and fed your baby for years. You got up early and stayed up late to tend to your baby. You spent so many hours alone in the company of your bairn that you fear letting them go.

Is it safe to put your loved one out into the cold, cruel world? How will they treat your little one? Will they love your creation as much as you do? Or will they belittle and criticize your little one?

Will they even take the time to know your creation? You’ve groomed your baby as well as you can. You’ve dressed them up and followed all the rules. You’ve even waited, delaying the inevitable, repeatedly checking your loved one as often as you can. Still, you hesitated. How can you let go?

Finally, you got the courage and let go, sending your little creation off with a prayer. Now, it is out of your hands. I guess you know that I am not talking about your human child. I am talking about your manuscript.

What to do while you wait?

Now you wait as the hours, days, and weeks pass. You watch for the mailman every day, knowing their schedule better than they do. Before you even have your second sip of coffee, you check your email each morning. Each night you dream about an editor yelling, “Eureka! This is the best book I’ve ever read! Get the contract ready.”

However, as the weeks and months drag by, the nightmares begin. You dream that the manuscript is unread in a wastebasket. Worse yet, you see the editor spilling coffee and using your manuscript to wipe up the spill. Some nights, visions of the editor mocking your work as she shares it with others in her office invades your sleep. Waking up in a sweat, you imagine what it’s like to give up writing.

Then it comes! The letter or email from the publisher. A form letter tells you that they have no place for your baby. Give up? Or repeat? Should you file the manuscript or email it to another publisher? I can only tell you what I learned to do with my rejection letters. 

How do you learn from rejection?

First of all, there are kind editors. Some of them will take the time to tell you what is wrong with your work. Don’t get mad. Look at their suggestions and check your work over. Most rejections will come as a form letter. You will never know why it was rejected. Notice I said it was rejected. You were not rejected! So how do you deal with it? I will tell you my system. 

 I always make a list of likely publishers before I send my manuscripts out. And being who I am and remembering how insecure I am, I do the opposite of what an insecure writer would do. I first send my manuscript to the most prominent publisher, starting with the big houses that publish all the famous, rich authors. There may be four or five top publishers on my list. And I have little hope that they will publish my work, but God’s in charge of that part of my writing. I make my list in this order: 

1) Big publishing houses 

2) Middle-size publishing houses 

3) Small, independent publishers 

4) Self-publishing companies. 

What’s the next step?

After I email or mail my work, I start that very day writing my next book. The publishing is out of my hands. When I receive that rejection, I send the manuscript to the next one on my list and continue my writing. 

I know so many authors who start with self-publishing without even trying to find a publisher. I think that is a big mistake. I have no problem with self-publishing. I have done it often. However, it is cheaper to find a traditional publisher, and they have more access to distribution than I do.

Can you turn it over to God?

This is a business, and once I send it my manuscript out, it is up to God. Not taking the steps of faith to do my part is shortchanging what God can do. When I gave up fear, it left an empty spot in me. God hates a void and filled that void with courage. He always replaces a defect with a virtue. I am too busy writing my next book to pine away about rejections. I make it a habit of sending out a rejected manuscript to another publisher on the day I received the rejection. I don’t let fear or depression swim around in my insecurities. 

When my book is published, I take another step of faith. One a month, I send my book out for what I call a “shot in the dark.” I mail it to Oprah, book clubs, and TV shows that highlight books. I take a chance and send books to other famous self-identified Catholic or Christian reporters. I send books to radio and television personalities. This has yielded me some radio interviews!

The point is faith, not fear. So the next time that rejection comes, have a plan that keeps your baby out there and keeps your success in God’s hands.

Copyright 2021 Karen Kelly Boyce

“Exercise the writing muscle every day, even if it is only a letter, notes, a title list, a character sketch, a journal entry. Writers are like dancers, like athletes. Without that exercise, the muscles seize up.” — Jane Yolen

Do you write each day? I try to write a thousand words a day. For a long time I was disappointing myself. I had thoughts in my head about work I wanted to do, but I would get caught up in family issues, phone calls, or other people’s needs. I concluded that because I was writing at the kitchen table, no one took what I was doing — writing — seriously. Why would they? The fact that I was content to write at the table showed that I didn’t even take myself too seriously. There were many days when I didn’t get a chance to write a word. So how did I make sure that I could write  every day? I created an office.

I found out that people only took my writing as seriously as I took it. It was important to think of myself as a working professional. A professional has a workplace. Since you have to work someplace, why not make that space as uplifting and positive as you can? It will make all the difference in not only the amount of  writing you do, but in how you feel about yourself.

“Every day I go to my study and sit at my desk and put the computer on. At that moment, I have to open the door. It’s a big, heavy door. You have to go into the Other Room. Metaphorically, of course. And you have to come back to this side of the room. And you have to shut the door.” — Haruki Murakami

My office is my place, my inspiration. When I dream about my writing, I dream about my office. I created it in a loft. A spot that is only mine. I have my childhood desk there, a Spanish-style desk both ugly and bulky: a dark brown affair with upper shelves that used to hold my library books and artwork, and all the trinkets and dreams of childhood. Now those shelves hold my writing awards and reference books and all the little knickknacks and mugs that tell me I’m a writer.

My walls are lined with storyboards. Books to be written, books that are half-written, and books that are still dreams. I also have books that have been published framed and forgotten like grown children who have left the nest. Why? To remind me of the joy I found in them, the characters I loved (some of which I had to kill off), and the memories of stories that made me laugh or cry — or sometimes both. 

I can’t imagine writing anywhere but in my office. Here is a bookcase with all my favorite books, books from childhood, signed books written by friends, and books I want to read. 

For my office is more than a spot for writing. I spend as much time reading here as writing. It is my place among other writers, for I get to know them from their work. It is my silent space where I can travel to distant lands and meet interesting people who have never seen New Jersey. It is even my spot to find myself. It is my place for believing.

“The easiest way of making others believe in you is by believing in yourself.” ― Pooja Agnihotri

Having an office set my work to the side. It wasn’t part of cooking lunch, playing ball with Darby (my dog), or answering my husband’s questions. Letting my writing become important enough to have its own space told everyone, especially me, that I was a real writer. 

It helped me to change the tapes in my head. Oh, you know the tapes — the ones that tell you that you’re not educated or talented enough, the tapes that tell you that you’ll never get published or be a success. Each morning, I grab my first cup of coffee, go to my office and sit looking around at my desk, my laptop, my storyboards, and all the books that I framed and hung on the wall. After taking it all in, I never forget to do the most important thing

“Know that the Creator lives and moves and breathes within you. So those dreams? Risk them. Those words? Write them. Those hopes? Believe them.” — Elora Nicole Ramirez

I have a special place in my office where I do my morning prayers. I call it “having coffee with God.” I say a short prayer turning my life and my writing over to Him. Then I just sit and listen to what He has to say. It is what centers me in doing His Will. I am great and very practiced at self-will. I like to have control. With my morning meditation I try to remember that I’m not God. I remind myself that while I might think I know everything, I do not. God is in charge and He knows the future and why He created me.

Yes, He made me a writer and I have to do my part. I need to show up. I need a place (an office) to write what He inspires me to write. So you see, it isn’t selfish at all to have an office. It is a testimony to doing God’s will.

So create an office. One that will inspire and motivate you. Go there each day. Pray, read, and write there. It may surprise you to find out what a writer you are!

Copyright 2021 Karen Kelly Boyce

Most new writers have trouble with dialogue. I know I did. Luckily, I have an author in my writing group who is a master at it. He has a real knack for creating believable and creative dialogue that fits his characters so completely that the reader could recognize what character is speaking without tags. I have learned so much from his natural talent that I would like to pass it on in my next few posts. 

Is your dialogue believable?

Who is your character? Does he speak from who he is? Does her speech work with her educational, ethnic, and economic state? Have you, as a professional writer, studied the natural deviations of accents, slang, and directness or subtlety the reader would expect of this character?

Long before your character is given dialogue, a good writer prepares the reader with information about the character. That way, when the character speaks, the reader can not only accept the dialogue but expect the tone, nuance, and vocabulary limitations or eccentricities of said character. 

For example: A well-renowned physician is yanked into a police station and accused of murder. He jumps up and shouts, “Lemme outta heah, ya bums!” To be sure, this is an extreme example of dialogue that doesn’t fit the character. Your reader will be rolling in laughter. This is unbelievable dialogue. 

In real life, the reader might expect the physician to suddenly exclaim, “I will accept your apologies once you realize the mistake you have made. You’ll find yourself sorry when this dreadful misunderstanding is over.” 

He is now speaking to the nature of his character. Dialogue is not only used to offer statements and information that further the situation or relationship. Dialogue is used to continually affirm the true nature of the character. Unbelievable dialogue can confuse the reader.

How do you make your dialogue authentic?

Authentic dialogue does not mean reporting speech as it is actually spoken. Few people are direct or instantly clear in stating what they mean.

Example: “I want to tell you something. It’s been on my mind for a long time. It’s about the lipstick you wear. The lipstick you wear every day. It’s the shade. The red shade that you seem to like. You know what I mean. I mean it’s important since you wear it all the time. Do you understand what I mean? It’s the color. Do you understand me?”

This is not only wordy but takes too long to read. People in real life ramble, but you can’t bore your reader with disjointed, ill-thought out words. A good writer selects from the disorderly outpouring of actual speech the lines that are needed to state what must be said and rewrites it into language that sounds like someone speaking.

Example: “For a long time I’ve wanted to tell you about that bright red lipstick. It’s awful!”

Should you recreate ethnic speech?

In the last century it was popular to recreate the exact sounds of ethnic speech. Writers tried to be literally authentic. 

Example: A Yiddish character — “So, dis lady the udder day kums hin for puhink some gardders, you hearst me, nuh?”

This kind of imitation is no longer necessary. Nowadays, writers merely alter the verbal meter and arrange it into a pattern. Here’s the example that would fit today’s accepted dialog.

Example: “So for a pair of garters, this lady comes in, so I ask her…”

Your dialog needs to give an impression and not a duplication of reality. 

What is passive and dynamic dialogue?

Dialogue changes information from the passive to the dynamic. Pace is intensified by eliminating cumbersome words. The dialogue not only defines the character but gives the information imparted reality. Passive information is found in the description of a scene. It is given to inform the reader. Sometimes the relevance of the information is immediate, other times its importance is revealed later. Passive information tells. Dynamic information is included in a scene by the characters. Dynamic information causes. 

Example of passive information: The two gang members hide behind the trash cans, carefully listening and waiting for the police to leave. Johnny accuses Sam of being a coward during the robbery. Sam is angry, claiming that the gun the store owner pulled out didn’t frighten him. He claims he hid in the aisle to think about his next move. Johnny says he didn’t pass the gang initiation because he’s a coward just like his old man.

Now the same written in dynamic dialogue: “Come off it, Sam. You hid when he pulled the gun. You’re a coward!” 

Sam glares at Johnny, “I ducked into the aisle to plan my next move. I’m no yellow-belly. I was about to come out blazing when the police arrived.” 

Johnny scoffs, “Sure, sure! You’re just like your old man. Now you’re not only a chicken, but a liar.”

 It’s dynamic because it causes the characters to respond and react. Information related by the writer is passive. The characters personalize the information and it becomes part of the novel’s foreshadowing of what is to come. It creates an obstacle for one of the characters and adds to the plot. 

The only way to learn to create great dialog is to do it repeatedly. I tend to write my first draft in a ‘tell instead of show’ fashion. It’s not until my first edit that I painstakingly revise my draft from a dull telling to an exciting showing. I usually let  my character’s dialog make each scene dynamic. A writer needs to learn their weaknesses and constantly strive to improve that area. 

Next post I will continue on the skill of formulating dynamic dialogue.

Dialogue can make or break a writer. It can make a character’s flaws or virtues obvious or subtle. It proves that what the author has said about a character in narration is true. And it teaches the reader more about the character than the narration ever could. If a writer tells the reader that a son hates his father, it is just a flat revelation. However, if the author shows that hatred through dialogue, so much more is revealed.

The dialogue between two characters can not only reveal the emotions they feel, but also the reason for those emotions and some of the background between the characters. It makes the emotions convincing.

Can your dialogue tell more than your narration?

For example, the dialogue between the son and the father says so much more: 

Ed huddled at the cluttered kitchen table, his head lowered. 

His father sneered at him, “Tell me why you’re not at the race.” 

Ed lays his head on the table and mutters, “The engine seized. I don’t know why.”

“You don’t know much of anything, do you?” His father mocked. 

Ed stood and upended the table. Plates and utensils flew to the floor with a loud crash and the sound of shattering glass. “I hate your guts! I will always hate you!”

This short dialogue discloses so much. Ed is beaten down. His father mocks him and makes him feel stupid. The anger he endures for his father is palatable and just below the surface. The anger is about to turn violent. So much insight from only six lines.

Should dialogue revelations be simple or complicated? 

For example:

“You’ll never learn how to cook! Your food is lousy! I’m going to the diner for a decent meal!”

In this simple line, the reader learns that the married couple’s relationship is strained. The husband is aggressive and he has been dissatisfied for a long time. He doesn’t respect his wife and has enough money to take care of his needs. She doesn’t have the power to stop him from leaving. 

An example of complex dialogue:

“There’s only one point to my being a doctor. I have limitless access to drugs. It’s not just the money. Smuggling drugs is exciting. Playing cat-and-mouse with the law keeps me feeling alive!”

In two lines, we learn so much. He has the opportunity to be respectable, but he chooses a hard and risky lifestyle. It’s all about the adrenaline. He likes to take risks and despises convention. He cares little about the addicts he harms. His life is all about himself.

Dialogue gives the reader real insight. Whether it is simple or complex depends on the story. Narration imparts information, but dialogue does so much more because it defines the quality of the characters’ voices. Are the voices loud, shrill, hesitant, or soft? Do their actions match the voice, or do they reveal a hidden agenda?

Her voice was hushed. “Sweetheart, I love you.” He pulled back, pointing his finger at her face. “You’re a liar! If you loved me, how could you steal from me — and for him of all people?” She reached for him, but he pulled further away. “I do love you — I mean it!” “Liar! You love me because I look like him! You love my brother!”

This writer has deliberately kept the dialogue to one paragraph to create proximity between the people. It may be grammatically correct to separate the dialogue with each speaker but the author is making the point that these people are close and the dialogue and responses are guttural and immediate. 

In this brief, tight paragraph the author has defined the woman’s voice as hushed, intimate, and intense. He physically shows the male’s anger by his pointing and his dialogue: “You’re a liar!”  Because of the different voices and actions, the reader can sense the different emotions and reactions. The woman’s begging for forgiveness and understanding is caught in her reaction, (“I do love you –“). The man’s last bit of dialogue shocks the reader and tells so much about the trouble between the couple. Keeping it tight makes the final reveal pop.

This shows how dialogue can be so much more effective than narration. The individual dynamics of the speaker is displayed through both description and speech. Fictional characters are not real people. It is up to the skill of the writer to give them life.

Copyright 2021 Karen Kelly Boyce

What is Writing Style?

It is not about what you write. It is all about how you write. It is not about content but form. For example, you can say the same thing in so many ways:

1. It was easy to use!
2. Very useful.
3. It did the job. 
4. Works just as advertised. 

What are the rules of style?

There are no hard and fast rules of style. No one way to write is “better” than another. However, there are valid general rules and techniques that can make your work more interesting and compelling for the reader. 

Writing is an art, not a science. The wrong way can be the right way depending on the mood or context you, as an author, are trying to create.

My own guideline is to follow style rules unless I know the writing is better some other way. Here are some of the style rules:

Why avoid wordiness?

There are two separate meanings to this writing rule. The first one means to avoid using more words than you need. Be tight in your sentences. Use one unique adjective to describe instead of numerous ho-hum adjectives. Avoid adverbs altogether. Simplify each sentence to convey the information your reader needs. Long run-on sentences bore readers. Lengthy dialogues and sentences often lose the writer’s original intent. 

The second aspect of avoiding wordiness means not using long, abstract, unfamiliar words. As an author of children’s books, I like to throw a “hard” word in once in a while. I want to stretch my little readers. If I did this too often, I would lose my fans. Don’t write like a lawyer just to look smart. It’s all about ease for the reader. When the reader stumbles over numerous unknown words, they miss the story you are trying to tell.

Reach for the rhythms of spoken language. I find that reading my work out loud helps. My prose should be as easy to listen to as a gifted speaker.

Should you show, not tell?

This might be the most quoted and well-known style rule. Still, it is worth repeating because this is a habit that most writers need to be on the lookout for. I know that often I write my first draft in a telling mode just to get the story down and cohesive. I go back to my second draft, looking to change narrative into dialogue. I change “telling” into “showing” whenever possible. Don’t give the reader words when you can paint a picture. I like to think of each chapter as a scene in a movie. Let the characters show the story. Your readers will appreciate it. 

Is it better to use the active voice?

Yes! The active voice means that the subject of a sentence is doing the action of the sentence. I, having had a grandmother from Ireland, have to watch out for my own bad habit of reversing sentences. For example, this sentence is in passive voice: “The house was surrounded by the sheriff and his deputies.” A better and more powerful sentence would be: “The sheriff and his deputies surrounded the house.” 

Does it help to be specific?

If I tell you that I got bit by a dog on my way home from work, you can’t really relate. However if I tell you that a German Shepard chased me down Main Street and bit me in the leg on my own front porch, you have a complete scene you can picture clearly. 

There is so much more to style, which we will discuss in the next post. 

Should I say things in a positive way?

Suppose you want the reader to know how dark a room is. You set your scene. A teenager walks into a room and you write, “There was no light in the room.” The first thing the reader will see is the light that isn’t there. You are writing in a negative way — you are telling the reader what is not true. 

Instead simply say, “The room was dark.” This is positive. You are showing the readers what you want them to see: the darkness. 

What verbs should I use?

The answer is strong verbs. Vague verbs like walk, cry, fall, and touch don’t tell the reader anything important. They are so much in use in everyday vernacular  that they don’t command attention or create an active scene for the reader. 

Instead of the word walk, why not plod or amble? Can you feel the importance these strong verbs add to your style? Instead of the verb fall, how about collapse or crumple? These unusual, powerful verbs will grab the reader. These verbs needn’t have adverbs to boost the meaning. 

Try the word weep instead of cry. Perhaps you should try to use the word caress or poke in place of touch.

Why would you say: “The dog ate quickly” when you could create a real scene by saying “The dog gobbled”? Strong verbs lift your writing from the ordinary and give your work a style that is all your own. 

How complicated should my style of writing be?

Your style should be simple. Here are two examples of the beginning paragraphs of two novels. 

His heart beating like a snared rabbit, he squirmed past the wire of the gate and was out. The guards saw him, of course, as he knew they would, but he dove into the crowd on the sidewalks and hoped they would hesitate an instant before firing. Though he could not run fast because of his hunger, he was able to bob and weave through the pedestrians, under a horse cart and around a corner before the first shots echoed against the apartment buildings. (Sophia House by Michael D. O’Brien)

Or

Katie Finglas was coming to the end of a tiring day in the salon. Anything bad that could happen had happened. A woman had not told them about an allergy and had come out with lumps and a rash on her forehead. A bride’s mother had thrown a tantrum and said that she looked like a laughingstock. A man who had wanted streaks of blond in his hair became apoplectic when, halfway through the process, he had inquired what they would cost. Katie’s husband, Garry, had placed both his hands innocently of the shoulders of a sixty-year-old female client, who had then told him that she was going to sue him for sexual harassment and assault. (Minding Frankie by Maeve Binchy)

Consider these two paragraphs. Look at the style. They aren’t weighed down with symbolism or metaphors. They aren’t deep. They don’t have to be read twice to be understood. They are simple, direct, and unpretentious. Every sentence says exactly what it means to say. 

Each author is telling a story. That is the secret of having a good writing style. 

Should you imitate another writer’s style?

No! Don’t try to make a serious piece funny by imitating Erma Bombeck. Don’t take your short story so seriously that you imitate Ernest Hemingway. Just write your story. Relax and write as well as you can. Your style will grow and take care of itself. 

Next time, let’s talk about pace.

Copyright 2021 Karen Kelly Boyce

What is Pace?

Wikipedia defines pace or pacing as the speed at which a story is told — not necessarily the speed at which the story takes place. How does your story unfold? What is it’s rhythm and flow? Shouldn’t there be a rise and fall of plot points and events? Pace refers to the story, but also to the chapters, paragraphs, and single sentences. They all have to unfurl with rhythm and flow.

I find it enormously valuable to be sure that that the pacing is what I think it is and that the scenes have the shape I think they have musically and dramatically. (Carlisle Floyd)

That is why I spend much of my spare time as a prose writer reading poetry. I want my sentences to have a beat, like music, to capture my reader and hold them in rap attention. I want my work to ripple and so spellbind my readers that they reach the end of the story in comfort and with a sense that the story was well-told and completely sensible.

Most writers, as editors will tell you, are rejected because the pace of their story is too slow. Too slow a pace loses and bores the reader. That doesn’t mean that your story has to have all the action scenes of an Indiana Jones movie. It means that your story has to keep moving. The reader is waiting for the story to unfold. So what are the questions that writers should ask themselves? 

Is my story balanced?

In fiction, there is dialogue, action, and narrative. They have to be woven together like a tapestry. I like to hook both an editor and my readers by starting a novel with action. Someone is actually doing something and the reader longs to know why. Create enough tension with the action to make your reader interested. It can be just a few sentences or paragraphs. That is what I mean by balance. Segue into dialogue or narrative before your reader gets bored with nothing but action.

One of the qualities of writing that is not much stressed is its problem-solving aspect, having to do with the presentation of material: how to structure it, what sort of sentences (direct, elliptical, simple or compound, syntactically elaborate), what tone (in art, “tone” is everything), pacing. Paragraphing is a way of dramatization, as the look of a poem on a page is dramatic; where to break lines, where to end sentences. (Joyce Carol Oates)

And yes, readers do get bored with constant action. Even your most action-packed writers will blend all three elements together. After an exciting action scene, give the reader a short rest with descriptive narrative or reasoned dialogue that explains or explores the background that led to the action. In like manner, your work should continue to be a blend of action, dialogue, and narration. Too much of any of these three is distracting and slows the story.

How do I structure my plot?

Some writer’s use outlines and planning cards to structure both their plots and stories. I use storyboards. I like a visual of each chapter laid out before me long before I write a single word. That makes my writing much easier. I already know what part of the story that particular chapter conveys. 

I picture my books as movies when I get stuck, and when I’m working on a new idea, the first thing I do is hit theaters to work out pacing and mood. (Maggie Stiefvater)

I also know the characters involved. I already have a “hook” that will lead to the next chapter. What now? I can concentrate on the dialogue and the personality of the character and how they would logically respond to the action. I can lay out a plausible setting with descriptive narration. I can drop hints of what is to come. 

Some writers use Scrivener’s scene and chapter cards to outline their work with great success. You have to find what works for you. No two writers are alike. Whatever method you use will help you see where you need to increase the pace or the tension. You can discover balance and where to slow things down with narration or dialogue. Where is your story uneven? Are you being inconsistent?

What about my characters?

Character development needs to be paced as much as the plot. Your character may have a “lightbulb” moment, but most characters reach a developmental arc slowly and learn to use the new characteristic with tentative action. For example, your character may start the story as a coward and slowly develop the courage they need to move the plot in the right direction. 

Remember, the essence of storytelling demands that we place our main characters on a path. A quest with something at stake, with something to do, to achieve, to learn, and to change. (Larry Brooks)

Your reader has to care about your character. What are the character’s motivations? The reader needs to have some empathy with your protagonist. Your characters need to have strengths and weaknesses that move the plot. The pace of your story is dictated by the dialogue, needs, and growth of your main character. Never forget to develop your characters as completely as your plot. 

How do I use pace in nonfiction? 

Look at what I have done here. In nonfiction you use quotes to both break up and pace your narrative. Quotes by experts are your dialogue. Too many and you slow your pace. Too few and you bore your reader. Nonfiction needs to be broken into logical bites of information, peppered with memorable quotes by experts.

Copyright 2021 Karen Kelly Boyce

Do you ever ask yourself, “How is this different from similar pieces of writing?”

A writer is many things, but if you aren’t creative you might as well stop wasting paper. Take the time to make everything you write the best you can, and most of what you write your own. Your reader expects your writing to be something he or she hasn’t heard before.

Does that mean that you can’t write that diet book because so many diet books have already been written? No, but your diet book should have something that is new for the reader. Diet books sell by the millions because readers find something unique in each one. They can be written with a new slant, a new vision of old information, or with a surprise conclusion. 

How do you make your work truly your own?

A writer is usually constrained by the publisher’s needs or word count. For example, a magazine based on travel wouldn’t appreciate an article about power tools.(unless the power tools were used to prevent a plane crash and save the day). As a writer it is up to you to be creative within the requirements of said magazine. What fresh approach can you take to visiting Rome? What is your slant or experience? Can you introduce a new sight? Or is your journey full of funny experiences? 

Are you willing to take risks?

To be original and creative, a writer needs to take risks. I took a risk when I wrote The Sisters of the Last Straw. I was aware that it might be taken the wrong way. Some might think I was making fun of the Sisters who actually taught me how to write. However, it wasn’t and isn’t meant that way. I didn’t know of any books about Sisters who were overcoming all-too-human habits, especially books that included mysteries and slapstick.

Being creative and original is an opportunity to embarrass yourself or prove yourself a genius. Believe me, I have been in both situations. Have some fun — in your first draft, startle the reader with shocking leads and powerful words. Use unique metaphors and similes. Live dangerously. Oh, you’ll fix it all in your second and third drafts, but the originality will seep through. You can cut all that doesn’t work, but if you are too cautious you will never know what a great writer you are.

How do you build up your creative muscle?

Exercise your mind at least as often as you exercise your body. Or, in my case, a whole lot more. You have creativity bursting out of your subconscious. Use mind games to release your unique thoughts. Look at a photo and write a crazy story inspired by it. Pick an object, as simple as a bottle opener, and write a tale around it. Find an old story and replace every adjective and verb. This will get your creative juices flowing. 

Clichés are a sign of a lazy writer. Your reader deserves better. In your spare time think of original and creative replacements for common clichés. It pays to practice releasing creativity. Here are some common word combinations. It doesn’t have to be quote-worthy but it has to be fresh. Try replacing these:

• He was tall, dark, and handsome.
• The professor was wise as an owl.
• The child was meek as a lamb.
• She was as silly as a goose.

Look at each sentence you write. What does it mean or say? Take the sentence, “She took a long walk.” Was it really a long walk? Or did it just seem like a long walk because she was tired, or afraid she was being followed, or perhaps she didn’t really want to get to her destination. See what I mean? Give your reader more than a sentence they could have read a thousand times in a million different places.

Next time, let’s talk about original description, stereotypes, and dialogue. 

Copyright 2021 Karen Kelly Boyce