By Cam
The title of this post is a rhetorical question, mainly because I don’t know any writer who doesn’t want to improve their craft. But this isn’t going to be me lecturing you about how to take your writing to the next level. No. Instead, I’m going to point you to someone much more capable than me — behold the tip master of all tip masters: MARGIE LAWSON.
Margie is a psychotherapist. A writer. An international presenter. She uses her psychologically-trained mind to help writers edit for a more page-turning experience. And since I’m currently in revisions, this is where my head has been lately.
Now, I don’t know Margie personally, or even in passing. But I came across an interview she did on the Andrea Hurst Literary blog’s new AUTHORNOMICS feature (which you really should check out, btw), where they interview various notable publishing people. Margie’s interview was so full of helpful material, giving clear examples that MADE SENSE TO ME, that as soon as I finished the interview, I immediately went to her site.
Y’all. This is a big fat cookie jar of writerly nuggets just waiting for you to devour. I spent my entire lunch hour on her Deep Editing Analyses page where she takes examples from NYT Bestselling authors (mostly in the thriller and romance genres) and provides an in-depth analysis of the techniques and devices the writer used.
Here’s an example taken from her site, where she analyzes a passage from Harlan Coben’s book, Caught:
Example: From CAUGHT, March, 2010, end of the prologue
And that w as when Marcia started to feel a small rock form in her chest.
There were no clothes in the hamper.
The rock in her chest grew when Marcia checked Haley’s toothbrush, then the sink and shower.
All bone-dry.
The rock grew when she called out to Ted, trying to keep the panic out of her voice. It grew when they drove to captain’s practice and found out that Haley had never showed. It grew when she called Haley’s friends while Ted sent out an e-mail blast—and no one knew where Haley was. It grew when they called the local police, who, despite Marcia’s and Ted’s protestations, believed that Haley was a runaway, a kid blowing off some steam. It grew when forty-eight hours later, the FBI was brought in. It grew when there was still no sign of Haley after a week.
It was as if the earth had swallowed her whole.
A month passed. Nothing. Then two. Still no word. And then finally, during the third month, word came—and the rock that had grown in Marcia’s chest, the one that wouldn’t let her breathe and kept her up nights, stopped growing.
Analysis:
Visceral Response Shared Through Anaphora: He threaded the rock growing in her chest through the passage, ending the passage when it stopped growing. He doesn’t tell the reader what that news of a difference means. But ending the prologue with those words, stopped growing, is as powerful as the soundtrack for Jaws.
Anaphora: Using the same word or phrase to start three (or more) consecutive phrases or sentences.
Compressed Time: The long paragraph compresses time by listing what they did during the first week to try to find Haley. The last paragraph compresses the passing of over two months into forty-one words.
Power Words: rock, bone-dry, panic, blast, protestations, runaway, FBI
White Space and Creative Paragraphing: Coben spotlighted the initial growing doom with white space around stand alone lines.
Varied Sentence Length and Structure: Used to enhance cadence, provide variety, draw the reader into the scene.
Cadence: The use of anaphora, sentence structure, and creative paragraphing contributed to a compelling cadence.
(analysis excerpt courtesy of Margie Lawson — www.margielawson.com)
Now, I don’t know about you, but I learn best when I can SEE real examples, and not just the definition of what something means. Margie includes more than 20 Deep Editing Analyses on her site and I read ALL OF THEM. And then I purchased her Empowering Characters’ Emotions lecture packet, which has more than 250 pages of material to it. When I’m through with that, I’ll be adding her Deep Editing packet to my homework queue. I’ve never been so excited to revise in my life.
So if you want a tip on how to fine-tune your writing, go check out Margie Lawson and her deep editing analyses series.
You’re welcome. 
(Note: I was not paid to endorse Margie’s site, nor did I receive any of her lecture packets or online courses for free. I just came across her via the blogosphere and wanted to share here. There. Disclaimer over. )
By Cam
First order of business — I promise I’ll be posting a recap of RWA Orlando. I’ve written half of it but admit I sort of just want to post pictures of all the fabulousness. But I realize posting pics isn’t really all that informative, so you might have to wait a few more days because…
I have NEWS! And it needs my undivided attention! I won’t go into specifics except to say that if there was ever an incentive to finish the spit-polish on my MS, it’s this.
Which brings me to my Two Week Goal. I’m giving myself two weeks — 14 days/336 hours/20,160 minutes — to REVISE and QUERY. Why two weeks? Well, I’m almost there. All I need is a little push, a reasonable deadline (that I can be accountable for), to get me closer to the next step. But there’s always a bit of a risk when you’re about to send out that first batch of queries. What if *gasp* you think it’s ready but it’s really not? For me, that means my MS runs the risk of fatal Too-Soon-itis. And we all know how that goes.
So let me take you on a little journey to illustrate how querying too soon is like taking a trip to the ER:
- You make the obvious decision to go to the hospital because you have a broken arm/volatile stomach/third eye/no eye/other grotesque injury.
- You see a sign on the hospital door that says STOP! FALLING BRICKS ABOVE!
- You shrug because it’s a HOSPITAL and you’re SICK and no bricks are falling on your head. Stupid sign.
- You check in with the gum-smacking receptionist and take a seat in the germ-infested waiting area.
- You realize how bad waiting is going to suck because all you want to do is get through Triage and see a dang doctor for your broken arm/volatile stomach/third eye/no eye/other grotesque injury. But you’re stuck waiting it out in an area that’s too small, too packed, and too smelly for comfort.
- To pass the time until someone calls out your name, you decide to: read a magazine/suck at Sudoku/moan/cry for your Momma/play Hangman without the paper or pencil/plant your ass at the reception desk and tap your finger on the counter until someone pays attention to you. (I don’t suggest this last option because chances are good the guard standing by the sliding glass door is bored out of his mind and is itching–ITCHING–to throw a sucker to the curb.)
- FINALLY your name is called (and with minimal butchering of your last name) after just ten hours of waiting!
- You drag your tired and cranky and now-smelly body to Registration where you give every pertinent detail of your life and promise your first-born child/cat/dog/cupcake to a woman who eyes the small-hand on the clock like she’s getting paid to do that instead of processing your info.
- Twenty-one hours later and a nurse with a glowing halo above her head and a parade of silky white doves following her every step, calls you back.
- You say a silent prayer and hope it’s really you she’s talking to.
- You gleefully tell the ER Doctor (who’s none too pleased at having drawn the short straw) all about your broken arm/volatile stomach/third eye/no eye/other grotesque injury. No detail is too small to leave out. This is your LIFE we’re talking about here.
- ER Doctor jabs you in parts you didn’t think you could get jabbed.
- After thirty seconds, she tells you your ailment was all in your head and if you just take this discharge sheet and follow the security guard outside, he’ll make sure you get to your car alright (and put you on the Never Allowed Back To The Hospital Again list).
- You drive home, stare at the wall for a few days/weeks/months, then Eureeka! You realize maybe that ER Doctor was onto something. Maybe you just had a case of the Too-Soons and a good scour or ten in the shower was all you needed to bypass the ER waiting room in the first place.
Obviously, I’ve taken some liberties with this analogy. I mean c’mon — a third eye??? Regardless of how many orbital outlets someone does or doesn’t have, the point is that if you query too soon, your subconscious probably already knows this but you’ll most likely ignore it anyway and submit. And you know what? You might even get a request from Dream Agent’s assistant. Take that stupid subconscious! But if you queried too soon and are lucky enough to get past the slush reader, chances are pretty dang good you’ll get a big, fat “Not for me” from your Dream Agent. And when that happens, you’re pretty much SOL on querying that particular MS to Dream Agent again.
Why take the chance of ignoring sound advice when all you need is a rigorous scrub or two? Scrubbing is good, peeps. Use whatever you can — loofahs, that body wash with the exfoliating beads, good old-fashioned washcloth — just make sure you wash behind your ears and get between your toes. Your Dream Agent will thank you for it.
By Cam
Any writer, agent, or editor worth their salt will tell you that the one thing you absolutely ABSOLUTELY must have in order to get published is:
A Critique Partner/Group/Community
This is soooooooooooooooooooooooooooooo true I can’t even tell you how true it is. Except maybe I just did since I have a hundred o’s too many in there.
But let me tell you why.
A few months ago, I joined a new critique group that would be focused solely on YA. What’s this fantastic group called, you say? YA FICTION FANATICS. And let me tell you, the women in this group are not only talented, gracious, hilarious, and intelligent. But they’re also the most selfless, honest, loyal, and lovable writers (and women) I’ve ever “met.” I can’t even begin to sing my praises enough for how much this group has helped me shape LIFE AFTER SEND to make it the best it can be. Their feedback has been right-on, and I know — hear that, Universe? — I know I’ll find an agent to sell this puppy one day. And when I do, it’ll be because of these women (plus the guidance and wisdom of my AWESOME AWESOME MENTOR, WHO NO AMOUNT OF CUPCAKES WOULD EVER BE ENOUGH TO SAY HOW MUCH I ADORE HER).For reals, I am humbled to be a part of such a giving group.
I love the writing community. It rocks.
And memorize these names because one day, we’ll take over the world. One YA at a time:
Vanessa Barger
RM Gilbert
Rebekah Purdy
Barbara Sheridan
Traci Kenworth
Min Buchanan
Kara Lee Critzer
Jennifer Bianco
Martina Boone
Penny Randall
By Cam
Remember me? No? Yeah, I don’t blame you. I’ve been incognito for the past few weeks. Secret secret stuff, I tell ya.
Okay, not really.
Truth? My mom suffered three strokes at the end of April. THREE! That’s crazy. She’s doing better now, at the rehab center going on day number 19. She’s a strong, strong woman. Works hard in every therapy session. Even in her off time, she’s practicing her exercises so she can get better. There’s been lots of sweat, lots of laughs (mainly at the expense of her oh-so stylish hospital gowns), and lots of tears. LOTS of tears.
I asked Mom the other day, “Why don’t you rest for a little bit? Give yourself a break?”
Mom promptly replied with, “Because you don’t give up. Ever. And practice makes perfect. Always.”
Cliche? Yes.
True? Absofreakinglutely.
If there’s a lesson I’ve learned from my mother’s recent ordeal, it’s that you grind your teeth through the pain and Just. Do. It. (Sorry, Nike.) Why? Because the payoff will be worth it.
I’m taking this advice to heart right now as I embark on my WWIII battle with my enemy: REVISIONS. To put it more specifically: THE RED PEN. THE RED PEN hates me. Really.
Want to see what I mean? Take a look.
My worry is that I might be a little too thorough with my red pen. Am I stripping my voice out? Am I really making it better? What if it’s crappier now than it was to begin with?
Don’t get me wrong. I understand and believe in the importance of revising your work to make it as perfect as you can. But how do you know when you’re done? There are a whole slew of articles on the interwebs about revising. Here are a few that I’ve looked at:
Nathan Bransford – Revision Checklist
Holly Lisle – How to Revise a Novel
Darcy Pattison – Novel Diagnosis series
I also have Elizabeth Lyon’s book, Manuscript Makeover, which has been helpful so far. It’s not one of those books where you have to read all the way through from cover to cover. She actually gives you permission to skip around and read the chapters that apply to the kind of revisions you’re doing. Pretty cool.
Seeing as how I’ve never really revised a novel before (I know, right?), I’m not going to give out tips since I have no tips yet. No, wait! I do have a tip. Oreos. And wine. I’ve found that eating Oreos and drinking wine (no dunking involved because eww!) have helped me keep my sanity. What’s left of it, that is.
What about you? Do you have any tips to add to the links I have above? I’m all ears.
Cambria Dillon - YA Writer represented by Vickie Motter, Andrea Hurst Literary Management
