WSW: Writer Software

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My current project is a bit more complicated than any of the others that I have undertaken. It is being told in three unique points of view, filled with music and movement, multiple timelines, tons of research, and a historical piece of Brazilian folklore. It is becoming clear that I need to be super organized to make sense of it all.

In all of my other projects, I have just used a single folder on my hard drive to store all of my files for that particular writing project. In it, I had the first draft, scenes without a home, character notes, and a document that had any pictures needed. Easy peazy.  I knew where each scene would go in the long run, at least the general order of things.

This project is all over the place. Scenes are popping up in no particular order. There is backstory that will need to be intertwined, one character that doesn't play on the same time schedule as the others, and dealing with the same scenes being told in multiple points of view. I know that until I have all the puzzle pieces pulled out of the box, I can't even begin to figure out how to place them together. And this isn't just a hundred piece level one puzzle. We are talking about a box of a thousand tiny pieces.

I say all of this to say that I am considering using writer software.

So, what about you? How do you stay organized when you are writing?Have you tried any writing software? If so, which ones? If not, have you been tempted to? Are you a pro at one of the many available, or have you only used basic word processor files? 

Whatcha Say Wednesdays are for you. It's a chance to voice your opinion, share your knowledge, and interact with one another. Answer what speaks to you, and ignore the rest. But do tell—I’m quite curious.

Pick and Pull: Recycling for a New Story

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Back in 2010, I talked about a story that started off as a project that I loved but was yet terrified of trying to write, and later was sent to the Scrap Pile. I couldn't pull the story together. As much as I love those characters, I just could not make that story work. In the above mentioned post, I said that I was sending it the scrap pile. "I will leave it in tact like a car in the junkyard to be sold for parts when needed. Who knows, maybe Jared and Caitlin will find happiness in another story that is more my style. They deserve it after all I’ve put them through."

Well, guess what. Exactly what I said would happen, happened. They are no longer Jared and Caitlin, and are now Amanda and Nate. Her backstory is almost exactly the same. His has changed a great deal. The deep connection between them is the same, well, actually stronger. They are no longer facing the end of the world, but were brought together by a wish that could mean death for one of them. But someone is pulling the strings and bringing these two together.

The stakes are high, the love is deep, and the characters are full of dimension. I am currently calling the story The Wish, but that will probably change. It's already changed once from Local Lore, I had picked that name, because of it's connection to Brazilian folklore. I felt the name was too weak, and didn't connect the reader to the story properly.

I say all this to say--it can happen. Those discarded darlings can be revived. It takes time. I had to step away from the project for two years, discover a new culture, and experience life from a new perspective.

I cannot use all of the 10K words that I dedicated to Touch of Light, but I have found a home for a love story that needed proper attention. Maybe you have a few stories in the scrap pile that feel abandoned. Sometimes that is where they stay. But, sometimes, they will see the light again. We just have to give them time to breathe.


Have you ever saved a story from the scrap pile? Do you still miss some of your discarded darlings? Do you try to revive them, or do you accept their new home in the junkyard? 

WSW: Titles

I am in the midst of trying to pick a better working title for my newest WIP.  Local Lore was a quick place holder, but the deeper into the project I go -- I see that it doesn't quite fit the story. I hate not having a title for something that I am working on, but knowing it doesn't work, well, I'm not a fan of that either.

I named Iron Thirst right away, however, it was originally Iron Obsession. It's sequel, Craving Copper, had it's name before I had even written the first 1,000 words. For me, I just want to lend credit to the project, and what better way to do that than to give it a name.

So, for this week's Whatcha Say Wednesday, tell me about your title selections. Do you name something right away, or do you wait until the perfect title comes along? Do you change titles frequently, or do you pick one and stick with it? 

How do you select your title? Is it based on a line within the book, or based on popular trends? Do you like short one word titles, or something with more depth? Is there a secret code in the name, or is it something that describes the book?

Whatcha Say Wednesdays are for you. It's a chance to voice your opinion, share your knowledge, and interact with one another. Answer what speaks to you, and ignore the rest. But do tell—I’m quite curious.

Choose Your Own Adventure

Sometimes writing can be a lot like reading a “choose your own adventure” book. Do you guys remember those? Do they even still exist?

When your character is faced with a decision, the choice that she makes will drive the direction of the book. But what happens when that choice leads you down a path that you didn’t really want to go or worse, much, much, worse, a brick wall.

Well, I’ll admit when I used to read those “choose your own adventure” books, I’d cheat. If I led the MC down a path that leads them to death—I would back up to the point of failure and go a different route.

I’m having a similar problem with the MC in my YA. Let’s face it, teenagers don’t always make the best decisions, and Poe is no exception. Of course, she needs to make poor choices along her road to growth or well, what’s the point of writing about it. But I am having to play around with the outcome.

Another area is a supporting character, Quinn. He has a bad boy streak, but deciding how much of a bad boy—that’s difficult. Is he playing her, or does he really care? His motives will drive the story and can determine how the whole book plays out.

So, I take a note from the “choose your own adventure” books. I take one path, write it, and then back up and choose another direction and write it that way. Now, I’m not writing full scenes, but I am plotting and planning. Exploring the cause and effect in an outline/free writing type fashion.

This little problem is new for me. With Iron Thirst, I knew how it would end, so it was much easier for me to get there. But with this novel, I have no idea how it will end. This is the most linear that I have ever written. But I’m working my way through it.

So, what are some tips you use when you hit a dead end? Do you know the ending of your book early in the process, or is it normally a surprise to you?  

Only You Can Prevent Word Abuse

I hit my 100th follower, which is AWESOME! Thanks to all of you for helping me reach this milestone.

Awesome is one of my favorite words. Although I do believe it applies here, awesome is one of those words that is overused. It reminds me of a story. My husband and I were talking one day, and he said (very loosely quoted), “One day, we will be riding up the escalator to Heaven. The angels will be singing, the sky will be illuminated, and at that moment – I will frog you in the arm and say ‘that is awesome’.”

Writers often have “go-to” words, peppered throughout their writing. I’ve noticed it during critiques, my own writing, and even published books. A light dusting is not a major offense, but when these words appear on nearly every page or every paragraph—revisions must be done. However, it’s an easy fix.

There are several ways this is done in writing. Sometimes it’s the character that is the offender. In my novel, Iron Thirst, one of Felicity’s favorite words is complete, such as complete disaster. It is a useless adjective, but it is a part of her speech. But like the use of cuss words—it needed to be reduced to one written word for every seven times she would say it in real life.

Another example is the overuse of rarely used words. The first time I noticed this in published work was in Twilight. Did anyone else notice the overuse of the word chagrin? It stood out, because it’s not a word heard too often. When teenagers were saying it, it came across as even more odd. Now, Stephanie Meyer has obviously done well for herself, but we are not all going to be as lucky.

Sometimes it is our own addictive nature that goes to these words, and many times they are useless words. Very, really, and just are examples that I have plucked out of my own writing. Slight rewording will fix it. If something is “very tall” (telling), maybe it hurts your neck to look up at it or maybe clouds hide the top (showing).

The first step is admitting you have an issue. Run your manuscript through Wordle. It’s a visual tool that will show you the most used words in your book. Use your judgment, but if like, just, really, or very is larger than the name of the love interest—Houston, we have a problem.

Step Two – Fix it. Using find (Control+F) within your manuscript to locate all the uses of the overused word, and then either omit, replace or reword. Some people will tell you to stay far away from a thesaurus, but I disagree. I find it to be a great tool, but use it sparingly. I don’t grab the nearest three syllable word, but I use it to trigger my memory of a word that I might be forgetting. But make sure it fits your text, mood, and voice.

Learning your “go-to” words is part of revising, and with a little research—you will find the best way to correct this within your writing. Only you can prevent word abuse.

What are some of your “go-to” words? What other tools do you use to find or fix the problem?

Watcha Say Wednesday: Pitch or Query

Hello. It's been nearly three weeks since my last confession blog post. I have missed you all dearly, but needed a little break to catch up on life. I did learn a valuable lesson. When a dentist/doctor/nurse tells you that it won't hurt, they are big fat liars. Wisdom teeth extractions are far more painful than I anticipated. Oh, I understand why they lie; I get that. If they didn't, I wouldn't let them near me. But still.

One thing that I have accomplished since last speaking to you is that I have begun to pitch and query Iron Thirst. I participated in my first face-to-face pitch with an agent (who did ask for a partial), and I have started sending out query letters. I find that I actually enjoyed pitching the book in person, much more than sending out query letters. I talked a little bit about it HERE. Unfortunately, I can't go to conferences every weekend and mingle with agents. So query letters will have to do.

Which brings me to this week's Watcha Say Wednesday.

Do you prefer to send out query letters, or do you prefer the in-person pitch? When you query - how many do you keep outstanding at a time? Do you have an "elevator pitch" ready to go, or do you wing it?

Answer what speaks to you and ignore the rest. But do tell, curious minds want to know. 

Watcha Say Wednesday: Are You a Juggler?

I have been a busy little bee since we last spoke. I've got the new YA up to about 15,000 words. I've nicknamed it The Hunting Moon (working title). I've retrieved Iron Thirst from exile and started revising. I've become addicted to Twitter thanks to all the funny, clever people that hang out there. Think the last one is not helpful? Well, when you receive horrible critiques, surprise emails, or are just having a bad day and great friends pull you off the ceiling, calm you, and put you back on your feet - you'll see. (Love you guys!) Like the blogosphere, it's a great support system - but more instantaneous.

Now, what was I talking about? Point. I had a point. *scratches temple* Oh, yeah.

In the past, I've had a problem balancing multiple projects. I will be flying by, typing away on a new WIP. Then I'll decide to go back and revise Iron Thirst. I become so involved with my first love that ideas stop flowing for the new WIP, and it gets dropped by the wayside.

This go round, I am more focused (or so I'm telling myself), but I fear it will happen.

Which brings me to this week's Watcha Say Wednesday.

How many balls do you keep in the air? Do you only work on one WIP at a time, or are you a polynovelist (I think I just made that up. I wrote this in religion class.)

Do you wait until your MS is near perfection before you start a new WIP, or do you have a process such as revising one while writing another?

Answer what speaks to you; ignore the rest. But do tell - I'm quite curious.

The Conversation

Now that book one is finished, well as finished as it can be right now, it’s time to pick up and start a new project. You’ll notice on the sidebar that Craving Copper is currently at 15,000 words. This is the sequel to Iron Thirst, and it’s already been started. I was working on it before I decided to go back and revise Iron Thirst. It is the most logical choice.

Then there is a new idea. Something that I have been mentally chewing on. A complete departure from Iron Thirst. This is the idea that I was talking about last week. It is the one talking to me and pulling at me. The problem here is that it scares me. This book is going to take me down some dark paths, some very unfamiliar terrain. On one hand, I am excited. On the other, I am terrified. Even though it is the project that is talking to me, I’m not sure I am ready yet.

But more on the fun side. I’ll give you a dramatization of what’s been going on.


THE CONVERSATION

Craving Copper stands arms crossed, toes tapping, clearing his throat in exasperation.

“What?” I ask.

“I think I’ve been more than patient.”

“You have, and I appreciate that.”

“Do you? It’s hard to tell since you started a whole new book. One that has nothing to do with us.”

“I know, I know. It’s just--,” I stare at my toes unable to look into the eyes of the betrayed. “He’s the one talking to me. You haven’t really opened up.”

I can feel the anger radiating from him.“You do realize that the only reason why I shut up is so that you could go back and clear up the unfinished business with Iron Thirst. You said you’d be right back. You promised!” He actually stomped his feet matching each syllable.

Dear God, don’t let him cry. Wet pages are so hard to deal with. “It’s not that I’ve forgotten you. You are very important to me.”

Through wet eyes, he says, “But, shouldn’t you write about us right now. While all the voices are still so clear. Think of the tone.”

“I plan on writing about Fee and Blake and Bristow for a long time. I have ideas for at least two more books. Complete outlines.”

“So, are you bored with us?Is that it? Do you like this, this, Touch of Light better?”

Good grief. Books are just as sensitive and insecure as the writer. “All right, listen. Don’t be jealous of Touch of Light, I mean, that’s just a working title anyway. You have to take some responsibility for yourself.” He starts to interject, but I hold up my hand. “Let me finish. You can’t just blame it all on me. You shut down first. Say it was Iron Thirst, but you know as well as I do that if it was not perfect, you would never see the light of day.”

“So,” sniffles and wipes nose, “you’re saying that if I open up, if I talk—you’ll listen?”

“Yes.”

“Promise?”

“I owe you that.”

“Thank you.” He gives me a joyous hug.

So after a little tough love, we are all in agreement. We’ll see what happens.