#AuthorToolboxBlogHop: It's NaNoWriMo Time

Hello!! 

It's almost National Novel Writing Month and I just wanted to wish everyone good luck! 

I hope you meet and exceed your goals. I hope this is the most successful NaNoWriMo you have every had!!

If you need inspiration during the month come back to the blog hop and check out old posts. They always serve me well and I hope they do the same for you!!

I know this is the last #AuthorToolboxBlogHop of the year, but check back in December after you've completed your 50,000 words and take a look at my favorite books of 2019 list. who knows, maybe you will find your new favorite there.

See you all next year! And thank you for all of the amazing advice you all have given this year!

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#AuthorToolboxBlogHop: NaNoWriMo Prep

I can't believe it's almost National Novel Writing Month... With a little less than two months left, it's time to start your NaNo Prep!!

How do I prepare?

I outline. I know some people believe that outlining is cheating, but I'm a firm believer that outlines can help keep you on track while blasting through 50,000 words. 

I make a writing soundtrack. I can't write in silence or while watching TV, but I can write while listening to music. In fact, sometimes music can be a huge inspiration. Music has helped me fine-tune the emotion and the depth of each scene.

I decide on my daily word counts. NaNoWriMo happens during my birthday month and the holidays, so I make realistic word goals based on the days that I won't be able to write as much.

Here are some links from my previous blog posts:

Inspiration

Advice From Authors for Authors
Writing Prompts

I wish you all nothing but luck and endless creative inspiration this National Novel Writing Month!!

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#AuthorToolboxBlogHop: Writing About Rape/Sexual Assault

Writing about a sensitive subject such as rape is hard and it should be. My current project will include a rape scene, it’s in the rough stages now and I’m not enjoying writing it.

So, why am I including it? 

Because the survivor’s story needs to be told.

And for that reason I decided I needed to write a post to help other writers if they decide to include rape or sexual assault in their story.

First, you really need to think about why you want to include a rape scene in your story. Normally I would list reasons why you should, but instead I’m going to list reasons why you shouldn’t.

1. To give a protagonist something to avenge. I am not saying that other people aren’t affected by a loved ones rape, but it shouldn’t be used as a stepping stone for anyone who isn’t the survivor.
2. For shock. (No explanation needed.)
3. For characterization. I’ve seen rape used to showcase how evil a character is. I’ve also seen it used to show how an evil guy (Negan from the Walking Dead) has a moral compass (he doesn’t mind bashing a few heads in, but he refuses to allow his guys to touch a woman without her consent.)
4. For entertainment. If the rape doesn’t affect the plot (the story will be fine and doesn’t fall apart without it) then don’t include it.
5. Don’t write it from the rapists point of view if the story is the survivor’s.

If you still feel like the scene is still necessary here are some tips I have:

1. (If in third person) don’t let the narrator linger on the survivor’s body. Don’t describe the survivors body in an erotic way. It’s rape, not sex.
2. Focus on how the rape affects the survivor. You can still touch on how it affected those who love the survivor, but it’s not their story.
3. Significant others can be upset and want to hurt the person who did it, but that shouldn’t be your only motivation for including the scene.
4. Use the active voice.
5. Nothing should insinuate that the survivor “asked for it.” The perp can assert that and if you’re going to have a bad cop, they can assert that but (if in third person) the third party shouldn’t. 
6. You don’t have to go into detail. You can “fade to black.” It will still matter to the survivor.
7. Enlist sensitivity readers. Their advice will be valuable.

I hope this helps anyone who might be diving into writing about such a tough topic.

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#AuthorToolboxBlogHop: Reading While Writing

Friend: How can you read while you're working on your story?

Me: Because reading makes me a better writer.

And it really does. I couldn't imagine being able to write a decent sentence, let alone an entire novel, without reading. 

Friend: Do you ever accidentally copy things from the books you read?

Me: Nope, but I have found inspiration in books.

Basically, I make sure I read books that both have something and nothing to do with what I am writing. My current story is a bit of thriller and involves witches/witchcraft. So, here are the books I have been reading lately:

One of these isn't quite like the other... Two are YA novels about witches. I read these in order to see what is working with witches in novels. I also read them to make sure my story doesn't resemble anything that is out there, at least not too closely. Two books are thrillers/mysteries. Again, I read these to see what is trending in the genre and to make sure my story isn't too similar. And one of them is strictly for my pleasure. I mean, Denis Leary is hilarious!!

I know that reading while writing can be dangerous. It can lead to accidental plagiarism. It can make you feel like your writing will never add up. But it can also be useful market research and it can be very inspiring. I recommend it. 

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#AuthorToolboxBlogHop: Opening Sentences

The first sentence in your story is pretty important. The literary canon is full of books with memorable opening lines.

"Lolita, light of my life, fire of my loins. My sin, my soul." —Lolita by Vladimir Nabokov

"It is a truth universally acknowledged, that a single man in possession of a good fortune, must be in want of a wife." —Pride and Prejudice by Jane Austen

 "It was a pleasure to burn."—Fahrenheit 451 by Ray Bradbury

 "All this happened, more or less."—Slaughterhouse-Five by Kurt Vonnegut

"Call me Ishmael." —Herman Melville, Moby-Dick 

"If you are interested in stories with happy endings, you would be better off reading some other book." - Lemony Snicket, The Bad Beginning

"I'm pretty much fucked." - Andy Weir, The Martian

"Mr. and Mrs. Dursley, of number four, Privet Drive, were proud to say that they were perfectly normal, thank you very much." - J.K. Rowling, Harry Potter and the Sorcerer's Stone

What do those opening lines all have in common? For me, it's that they hook you and make you want to know more. Why is the MC of The Martian fucked? What happened in the Slaughterhouse-Five and what didn't? These lines made me want to read more.

So, when you're writing your story, think about your first line and how it is drawing your reader in. Is it interesting? Thought provoking? Does it ask a question that demands an answer? Does it make a reader want to know what happened? Is is shocking? Is it honest? Whatever it is, it should give your reader a reason to continue diving into the world you created.

Good luck on all of your writing ventures!

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#AuthorToolboxBlogHop

Hey Everyone!! I am so sorry but I am going to sit this month out. I have been extremely busy and would prefer to give more valuable advice next month. I will still comment on and share your blog posts!!

Thank you so much for all of your support. It means a lot to me!!

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#AuthorToolboxBlogHop: Visual Inspiration

Writer's block happens to almost every writer at some point. When that I happens to me I try to use music, writing prompts, and notes from my journal to help me get back into the groove. Sadly, those don't always work. That is when I turn to visual prompts. Sometimes even the most simple photo will lead me into a scene. I hope these photos can be of use to you at some point. (All photos were taken by me.)

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#AuthorToolboxBlogHop: Tips from Stephen King's "On Writing"

Welcome back Author Toolbox Blog Hoppers!! This month I am sharing my favorite tips from Stephen King's wonderful book, "On Writing." If you don't already own this and/or have never read it, I definitely recommend it. Will every piece of advice work for you? Probably not, but the advice is valuable nevertheless.

1. If you want to be a writer you must do two things above all others: read a lot and write a lot.

This is so true. If you don't read, it's going to be a lot harder to write. If you don't write, why would you want to be a writer?

2. The best stories always end up being about the people rather than the event.

I agree. When stories focus to heavily on the event and not the people experiencing it, the story ends up feeling empty.

3. You should avoid the passive voice.

Yup, the passive voice is annoying. When the story is told from a passive voice, the characters lose their agency and become someone who has things done to them instead of doing things themselves.

4. The road to hell is paved with adverbs.

I agree with this when the adverb is added to a dialog tag. However, I feel like adverbs can be used wisely in dialog. 

5. Never use "emolument" when you mean "tip."

Yep, step away from the Thesaurus! I understand wanting to change up a few words here and there or if you have a character that only uses the biggest words possible. But constant use of big words in place of smaller ones that mean the same thing is tedious to read and can take the reader out of the story.

6. Description begins in the writer's imagination, but should finish in the reader's.

This is classic show-don't-tell. Yes, you have to be descriptive to an extent, but you don't want to take the reader's ability to imagine away from them.

7. If you can do it for joy, you can do it forever.

YES YES YES!! If writing makes you happy, you won't want to stop!!

Well, it's nice to be back at it. I hope everyone had a wonderful holiday and happy new year. I wish you all nothing but the best in the year to come!

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#AuthorToolboxBlogHop: NaNoWriMo

Unfortunately I will not be participating in this year's National Novel Writing Month. My November is so packed that I will be lucky if I get any writing done during the month. But I wanted to let you guys know that I am still here for you if you are participating.

Here are some links to previous blogs of mine about NaNoWriMo:

Inspiration
Advice From Authors for Authors
Writing Prompts

There are more if you want to check them out, they were posted in October of 2016.

I am a writer who needs a soundtrack for my book. So, I thought I would share my current novel's soundtrack to maybe help give some inspiration.

1. Perfect Places by Lorde
2. Sometime Around Midnight by The Airborne Toxic
3. Pork Soda by the Glass Animals
4. Everything Now by Arcade Fire
5. Autumn Leaves by Ed Sheeran
6. Believer by Imagine Dragons
7. This is Gospel by Panic! At the Disco
8. Don't Take the Money by Bleachers
9. So Close by Andrew McMahon
10. Not Ready to Make Nice by the Dixie Chicks
11. Rest in Pieces by Saliva
12. Falls on Me by Fuel
13. Shovels and Dirt by the Strumbellas

I hope my soundtrack and my previous posts help give you some inspiration for NaNoWriMo. Also, check back here during November for a book review or two!

Good luck and happy holidays my fellow Author Toolbox Blog Hoppers!

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#AuthorToolboxBlogHop: Writing By Hand

Have you ever found yourself staring at a screen and your brain goes as blank as the word document you have pulled up? Whenever I find myself stuck in this position I run though my usual writer's block prompts. Which one works the best?

For me, it's pulling out my journal and writing by hand. But why is it so effective?

1. Writing the old fashioned way sparks creativity in a way that no computer screen ever can.
2. It's hard to erase handwriting. Erasing is tedious. I know you could just throw away the notebook but I find that keeping "bad" writing/ideas is a great way to learn. Also, sometimes something you thought was bad, never really was.
3. I find it easier to write with wild abandon than to type that way. When I type I constantly try to edit as I go. When I am writing by hand I don't feel that need.
4. When using a computer, especially now that every computer has an internet connection, I am constantly distracted. Email, social media, Reddit, even these blogs all distract me. Writing by hand allows for less distraction.

So, next time you're hit with some writer's block, try writing the old fashioned.

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Said is NOT Dead (#AuthorToolboxBlogHop)

"All that I ask is that you do as well as you can, and remember that, while to write adverbs is human, to write he said or she said is divine." - Stephen King

The purpose of a dialog tag (according to me) is to help a reader determine when someone is speaking and who is speaking. As a story goes along and the reader gets to know your characters, dialog tags become less important. Why? Because readers can be lazy and tend to skim over things that seem unimportant. 

So, for something that most readers tend to ignore, why have writers started avoiding "said" like the plague?

I am not 100% sure why, but I have a feeling it has to do with English teachers trying to enhance their students' vocabularies. If you do a simple Google search for "said is dead" 100s, if not 1000s, of worksheets pull up with "said" substitutes. Some of the substitutes make sense and others make for immature or clumsy writing.

Substitutes That Make Sense 

• Yelled
• Mumbled
• Stammered
• Pleaded
• Responded

Substitutes That Confuse Me

• Laughed
• Grinned
• Bawled
• Faltered
• Breathed

For me, the ones that make sense work because they indicated how the sentence is being said (though this could also be done with appropriate context clues in the dialog and scene.) The ones that confuse me just don't make sense. "Hello," he grinned makes ZERO sense. Why? Because grinning isn't speaking. "Hello," he said with a grin on his face/ while grinning, makes more sense. Whenever I read a story full of awkward ways to say said, I end up falling out of the story and wind up distracted.

I also find myself distracted when a writer uses too many adverbs after said/dialog tag. He yelled loudly (the fact that he is yelling should be enough to indicate that he was being loud.) She said sadly (again, context clues within the scene and dialog should alert the reader to how things are being said while also allowing the reader to use their imagination.)

So, when should you use something other than said? When it is organic, natural, and most importantly, when you're not using the other word just to avoid using said. 

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Location is Everything: #AuthorToolboxBlogHop

Kansas City Skyline (Photo: Vanessa M Scott)

Whether your story takes place in a generic suburb in a "make believe" town or in a well known city like New York City, London or Cairo, you have to make it believable.

If you choose a real world location, I find it best to be a city or place you have actually been to. Why? Because researching a location via the internet, other books or movies is not a substitute for the real thing. I can always tell when a writer has written a story that takes place in NYC based solely on what they have seen in the movies or on television. The story typically lacks the small details that bring a location to life and tends to focus on places that locals tend to avoid like Time Square (unless they work near there) and other famous tourist spots. 

That is why I tend to write stories that take place in my hometown of Kansas City. Kansas City has a lot to offer when it came to range. There is downtown, midtown, and multiple suburbs, along with great hiking trails, scenic parks, and a river. The city offers unlimited possibilities for telling an authentic story for almost any plot.

As for a fictional location, you can get away with quite a bit more and if you want to attach it to the real world, all you have to do is mention that the nearest hospital/shopping center/concert venue is an hour or two away in Berlin/London/Portland. 

Why is location so important?

Your story's setting and location help determine many factors that will ultimately shape your plot. Take my chosen location of Kansas City for example, my characters won't ever take the subway/train to work and will most likely have their own car because Kansas City is too spread out to walk everywhere. Kansas City has all four seasons (though this is becoming less true each year, I really miss a full blown spring and autumn) so I have to make sure that when I write an outdoor scene in January that my characters are dressed appropriately. I should also take into consideration local slang and diction when writing dialog. Imagine reading a story that takes place in the UK but the dialog is completely American, it doesn't make sense. 

So, when choosing your story's location, make sure it is something you can make feel real. There is nothing more satisfying than a story that I can get completely lost in without being distracted by a setting that doesn't make sense for the story being told.

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Names Have Power - #AuthorToolboxBlogHop

"Names have power." - Rick Riordan, The Lightning Thief

You have to be careful when naming your characters. You have to consider the genre, the time period, and where the story takes place.

If you are writing a story about Mary, Queen of Scots (and your story isn't about time travel) who lived during the 1500s then I would stay away from names that have only recently became names. Even my name, Vanessa, would not be appropriate. Vanessa wasn't a thing until 1700s when Jonathan Swift invented it. 

You also have to think about where your story takes place. Some places, like the United States, gives you more leeway when picking names. But if your story takes place is small town in the Ukraine, you aren't likely to find a Nevaeh there, but maybe a Viktoria or a Sofia.

You should also be consistent with nicknames. If you have a character named Gregory who prefers to go by Greg, make sure he only goes by Gregory in formal encounters or only have one friend/family member who calls him by his full name. 

As a writer, I try to avoid using names that are too similar by both spelling and sound. Readers don't always fully read words. If you have characters names Laurie and Lauren, readers might confuse the two. Same goes with Tim and Tom. Also, have two characters with the same name, even if spelt differently can be awfully confusing. 

I would also be careful when naming based on ethnicity and looks alone. If you are going to name a character based on their heritage make sure you do some research. Do not be like E.L. James and be so lazy that you name the two characters go color in your book the same thing. In Fifty Shades of Grey, James named her characters of hispanic decent Jose Rodriguez, Jr. and Sr. It's lazy and rude. It would only work if there was a reason behind it, but as I recall, James never stated one.

When I name characters I tend to avoid names in the top 50 to 100. But if I love a name, I don't care if it's very popular though I rarely love popular names.  I also avoid names with heavy connotation. Beyonce will immediately make people think of the singer. Elvis, Madonna, Hitler, Kanye... those names can turn your characters into caricatures. 

So, where should you look for names for your characters? I keep a running list of names in my writing journals. I also look through phonebooks, baby books, yearbooks, and name generators. I write down my favorite names from my favorite television shows. 

What advice do you have for naming characters? Please share in the comments!!

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Building Block: The Five Bones (#AuthorToolboxBlogHop)

During my time at the University of Missouri-Kansas City, I had a professor who taught me something he called, "The Five Bones." Basically, it's a way to get to know your characters, particularly your main protagonist. 

What are "The Five Bones?" They are the things that make your character tick. "The Five Bones" are what makes your character who they are. When Professor Pritchett first told me about his building block theory, I thought it was crap. But I found myself using it in order to better understand my characters. Using "The Five Bones"has really added a depth to my story that wasn't there previously. 

And here are "The Five Bones"

1. Desire - This is what your character wants now and will want five years now. It is one of the things that drives them.
2. Fear - This is what terrifies your character and again, will terrify them five years from now. It also is one of the things that drives them.
3. Strength - This is what will help your character accomplish their desire.
4. Weakness - This is your character's suffering. It is the thing which will stand in the way of your character fulfilling their desire.
5. Action - This is what your character is doing about the other four bones. This is what defines your character. This is what makes your character lovable, relatable, and revered. 

This building block technique has helped me give purpose to aimless characters. It has helped me discover what exactly my character needed to be doing in order for my story to feel complete. I say, give it a try. Use it to outline, at least, your protagonist and antagonist. See if it helps you get out of writer's block.

Let me know if "The Five Bones" works for you in the comments! 

Have a great week everyone!!

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