Tips Of The Trade

https://morguefile.com

I shared this on my personal blog and thought I would re-post it here.

I recently spent some time beta reading a writer friend's new book. For those who don't know, beta reading is one of the first steps you should take after writing a novel. You give it to people you trust, to read and tell you what they think. I usually go a bit further and do some editing suggestions. Just because I like that part of it.

If you're ever asked to beta read here are a few rules:

1. Make sure the book is ready to read. The writer should have done all the editing they could on their own before they ask for your help. You definitely don't want to read a first draft.  I highly recommend The Frugal Editor  -  an easy to follow process for self editing -  http://amzn.to/2aEoydz
2. Be kind, but honest. Most writers really want to know what needs improvement. If they don't, then they shouldn't be asking for your input. If you know the person well enough to believe they may be offended, think about politely turning down their request. Better to keep a friendship than make an enemy. 
3. Try to point out things like POV (point of view) mistakes, inconsistent characters, plot holes, or anything that just doesn't make sense to you as a reader. Let them know if the beginning captures your attention or if perhaps they might want to start the story at a different spot. 
4. Don't make any changes yourself. Use Word comments to make your suggestions. You are not the author and they will not appreciate your corrections, no matter how well intended. 

Beta reading can be fun. After all, you get the first look at a new novel and maybe your suggestions will help the author craft an even better story. 

MEMBER INTERVIEW - Angela Drake

Please welcome Sleuths' member Angela Drake as we find out a little about this talented writer.

 

 

How and when did the writing bug bite you?

The dam broke about seventh grade. I fell in love with English class and loved writing essays. Essays on tests were my saving grace in passing Science.  I started writing teen romance. Pages would be passed around on the bus to rave reviews. I went from being the outcast to classmates wanting to know what came next for my characters.

 

Tell us a little about your writing routine.

I start my day around 6 a.m. From 6-9 a.m. is MY time. I visit art sights/ chat threads and YouTube videos while I enjoy my coffee. Once my 'work day' starts  around 9 a.m., the day is all about my day job as a freelance writer, music promoter and blogger. The fiction kicks in after dinner, usually around 6 p.m. until 9 or 10. That is my sprinting time with my critique partner on Yahoo Instant Message.

 

What is your favorite snack or drink while you write?

Brewed unsweet tea. I'm not a big snack person except during Nano/ Jano challenges. Then I keep a jar of Raisinettes handy. I also like mini peanut butter ritz sandwich cookies for a bit of carb/ protein boost.

 

What genre do you enjoy writing the most?

While I write a little of everything, I am trying to rein in my focus to Contemporary 'second chance at love' themes. Sometimes they involve what I call Astral Travel romance - where the heroine only 'sees' what took place back in time, but doesn't actually time travel. I also enjoy a good ghost as my hero from time to time. 

 

 What one thing would people be surprised to know about you?

The one thing I know will surprise most people  - especially those who know me now - is that I wasn't always outspoken or considered a 'leader'. I was verbally and physically abused by classmates most of my middle school years - until the writing thing kicked in. I never spoke up for fear of giving the 'wrong' answer or being teased. And I hated doing anything where others could see. I was, and for the most part still am, happiest doing my thing over here in my corner. 

 

Thanks for sharing a bit of your life with us Angela. 

 

My  links

Website: http://angeladrake.blogspot.com

Twitter: @AngelaDrakeA

FB: https://www.facebook.com/AngelaDrake.author/

 

Love is sweeter the second time

Somewhere Down the Line available for KINDLE and NOOK

 

 

Kindle  http://www.amazon.com/Angela-Drake/e/B00L701Z9C/ref=ntt_dp_epwbk_0

 

Nook    http://boroughspublishinggroup.com/books/somewhere-down-line

 

NEW RELEASE BY TIERNEY JAMES

 

 

TWO DAYS ONLY 6-7-16 TO 6-8-16 - GET A FREE COPY

https://www.amazon.com/Rooftop-Angels-Enigma-Book-3-ebook/dp/B01FZPTSVG?ie=UTF8&keywords=rooftop%20angels%20by%20tierney%20james&qid=1465139497&ref_=sr_1_1&sr=8-1

 

Discovering My Story, Rooftop Angels

I never know where my next story will originate. I believe world geography connects everything around us. I was a geo-teacher for National Geographic where we taught students 5 very important themes: Location, Place, Human Environmental Interaction, Movement and Region. This training brought such a love for the world community to my life that I tied it to everything I taught, wrote and read. In my mind’s eye the earth became a series of dominoes, balancing precariously on a shaky table where every action forced a reaction.

So when my father gave me one of his National Geographic magazines I found an article about the Wakhan Valley in Northern Afghanistan. As of today I think I’ve read it some fifteen times, and each time I’m captivated. After reading everything I could find plus watching numerous YouTube videos about this amazing culture I just had to include them in my Enigma Series. The things I learned about Afghanistan cemented my love of Central Asia. Its raw beauty and ability to survive wave after of invasion convinced me to put it on my bucket list. Rooftop Angels was born from a need to create a journey others could share and maybe begin to investigate for themselves, what is Afghanistan. Want to see more? Check out my blog http://www.tierneyjames.com/blog where I investigate the amazing land nobody knows.

Blurb:

When Tessa Scott wakes with blood on her hands in a rat infested shack in Afghanistan, she discovers six orphan girls and the Undersecretary of State counting on her for protection. Confused at how she got there or why a smoldering Black Hawk helicopter has crashed outside the village, forces her into yet another adventure of cat and mouse with the Taliban who intend to kidnap them. With the help of a Kyrgyz tribesman and his men, they elude the danger only to discover their protection comes at a price which involves marriage to the leader. An unexpected chance at new love outweighs the secret Tessa must now carry forever. Meanwhile Captain Hunter, an Enigma agent, desperately searches for her before she disappears on the rooftop of the world. A race against time and ruthless drug lords, who work with the U.S. government, create obstacles which change Tessa’s life in a way she never expected.

Biography:

Tierney has been in education for over thirty years. She recently stopped teaching World Geography for a nearby college to pursue her writing career. Creating a workshop for beginning writers, speaking at schools and serving as an officer in the writing group Sleuths’ Ink, are some of the work she does when not writing. With the creation of Winds of Deception, Tierney is now working with one of the crew members of USS Liberty in hopes of obtaining the Medal of Honor for him.

Besides serving as a Solar System Ambassador for NASA’s Jet Propulsion Lab and attending Space Camp for Educators, Tierney has traveled across the world. From the Great Wall of China to floating the Okavango Delta of Botswana, Africa, she ties her unique experiences into other writing projects such as the action thriller novel, An Unlikely Hero, the first in the Enigma Series. Winds of Deception is the second in that series. Living on a Native American reservation and in a mining town for many years fuels the kind of characters she never tires of creating. 

Website: http://www.tierneyjames.com

Twitter: TierneyJames1

2nd Quarter Contest Photo

This is for members of Sleuths' Ink only. Our 2nd quarterly contest will be to write a story of 750 words - 1000 words from this picture.  Remember, the story MUST INCLUDE A CRIME.

April 9th Speaker - CARA BRISTOL

USA Today bestselling author Cara Bristol has published more than twenty-five erotic romance titles. Her most recent book is Captured by the Cyborg, which has hit the top 100 list for science fiction romance on Amazon. No matter what the subgenre, one thing remains constant: her emphasis on character-driven seriously hot erotic stories with sizzling chemistry between the hero and heroine. Cara has lived many places in the United States, but currently lives in Missouri with her husband. She has two grown stepkids. When she’s not writing, she enjoys reading and traveling. You can find her on Facebook, Twitter, and Carabristol.com.

Almost Over

https://www.morguefile.com

JANO 2016 is almost over. Thirty-one days go by so fast. Some of our participants made the goal of 50,000 words. They have a novel under their belt. Not a polished, ready to publish novel, but a great start. Others are still typing their fingers to the bone trying to reach the end. And still others have thrown in the towel.

But, no matter where they ended up this month, they are all winners. They took the challenge to write a novel. Lot's of people say they want to write a novel, but never do. 

As chairperson, I want to thank you for signing up and writing your stories. I also want to thank the volunteers who set up virtual write-ins and donated prizes (see our donor list to the right). It takes a village. 

Don't stop here. If you are done with your novel, put it away for a few weeks, then pull it out and start polishing it. Fill in those plot holes, take out those repetitive words, add description. Repeat. Then, don't let it sit in a drawer. Submit it. Yes, you'll probably get some rejections - we all do. But, who knows, you could be the next J.K. Rowling. 

JOIN US FOR JANO 2016

JANO 2016

About JANO

During January, 2010, Sleuths’ Ink held it’s first-ever JANO challenge. Modeled after the popular National Novel Writing Month in November, JANO begins in, you guessed it, January.

Participants are challenged to write a 50,000-word novel during January. Join us and kick off the new year with a novel in progress! 

Two good reasons we picked January: 

1) You get an extra day to write. To complete 50,000 words during January, you only need to write 1,613 words a day.

2) The holidays are over. Winter has set in. What better way to spend a long, dreary month than writing a novel?

Over the past few years, participants from across the nation entered our challenge. Many of them reached their 50,000 goal, with a few actually receiving a contract for their completed JANO project.

JOIN US FOR JANO 2016!

Sleuths' Ink will hold its Seventh Annual JANO beginning January 1, 2016. Please join us and kick off the new year by writing a new novel or adding new words to a work in progress. And it's free! 

Rules: There may be no actual writing on your new JANO novel until January 1. If you are going to  add words to a work in progress, we can only count the words added after January 1. It is up to you to keep those word counts separate. You may plot your novel and create character sketches before January 1, 2016. On that date, write like mad (no editing) the entire month in order to reach the 50,000-word goal.  

To celebrate JANO members’ successes, Sleuths’ Ink will sponsor a party February 5, 2016. Details are forthcoming. As always, during the party, prizes will be awarded to our JANO 2016 participants.  See categories below.  In addition, we're giving away a $100 grand prize to one lucky JANO participant at our annual December holiday party.  The winner of this grand prize must be a Sleuths’ Ink member in good standing as of February 1, 2016 and must have written a minimum of 25,000 words in 2016.

PRIZE CATEGORIES FOR JANO:

1. First to 50,000 words in January
2. Second to 50,000 words in January
3. Third to 50,000 words in January
4. Best Title
5. Best First Paragraph 
6. Most Unique Character Name
7. Best Blurb – 100 words or less　　

KEEP IN MIND: a Blurb is often used in your query letter to sell your story to an editor or what is found on the back of the book to grab your potential reader’s attention.

　Participant MUST have written at least 10,000 words to be eligible for prizes

• Must be on the janowriters yahoo email loop. (see below)
• No acceptances after MIDNIGHT January 31, 2016 deadline. NO exceptions!!!

Attendees of the Wrap-Up Party judge the last four categories on February 5th, 2016 and prizes will be awarded accordingly. You do not have to be in attendance to win, but we encourage everyone within driving distance to come join the FUN!

JANO is sponsored by Sleuths’ Ink, a mystery and suspense writers’ non-profit organization in Springfield, Missouri. JANO 2016 Chairperson: Wanda Fittro

SIGN UP AT:   jano2016-subscribe@yahoogroups.com