On Writing

We’re on the final stretch with Grey Lore. It should be in stores at the beginning of December (deep breaths).

In these months/weeks leading up to its release, there’s been a lot of editing going on (by me and others). The big editing was done months ago and as we go along we get into the tinier details, the grit of the thing. It’s that about which I wish to write (how’s that for a sentence, eh? Somebody better edit that thing). This final part of the process can be a little painful, but I believe it really helps a manuscript shine.

Below you’ll find tips on how to fine-tune that lovely little manuscript of yours. It’s not the big stuff. It’s the tiny, the nitty gritty, the scraping and polishing at the end. I hope it helps.

1. Adverbs. Who was it that said the path to hell is paved with adverbs? Well, whoever it was (what? this is about editing, not fact checking), I’m not sure it’s ecclesiastically accurate, but it is helpful to remember that adverbs should be used sparingly. There is no reason in a hushed burglary scene to say that anything was done quietly. Well, of course it was. Seriously, watch them. I don’t feel like I’m particularly adverb crazed, but in the last edit of my book, I cut out over a hundred (and there are probably more that could have gone). Cut them. Mercilessly.
2. “Sort of” “Kind of.” Maybe this is a me thing, but since I’m writing fiction for teens, I often feel that to capture their voice I should have some of these sorts of phrases in my manuscript. And sometimes maybe I kind of should. But I definitely overdid it. Even if these particular phrases aren’t your thing, watch for those overused phrases that really aren’t contributing to your story.
3. “That.” As in “She looked at the picture that she liked.” Instead of just, “She looked at the picture she liked.” Again, I cut out dozens of these bad boys. And they weren’t even missed. It’s kind of sad for them really.
4. Infinitives. As in “His medications helped to dull the symptoms.” Instead of just, “His medications helped dull the symptoms.”
5. Read your manuscript aloud. It helps. You catch a lot of the stuff mentioned above. In fact, you might think you don’t use those clunky “that’s” and infinitives, but you’ll find that sometimes you do. And that they can go. You fix phrases. You trim out words. And if you’re lucky, you kind of fall in love with your manuscript again.
6. Listen to your manuscript. I use an app called Alreader. It’s a robot girl voice and it’s painful to listen to your story read that way. But it catches all the things a human eye/brain will glance over. Did you type “tying” instead of “trying?” Your eye will probably miss it, but not painful voice robot chick. What about that that extra word. Yup. She’ll find it too. (Did you see what I did there? Hint: that that). Or word you skipped (catch that one? It was a little easier). You’ll hear all the extra and missed words. It’s just so useful. In Grey Stone, I caught dozens of mistakes this way. Grey Lore was a much cleaner manuscript, but I still caught about 15-20 errors just by listening.

Now go forth and polish.

You can write about your family in a Family History kind of way. Or in a My Family is So Crazy kind of way. Both work for me, and here are a few ideas for both.

Prompts for Writing about Your Family: 

1.      What makes you family different? What do you love about them? What makes you proud? What do you dislike? What causes pain or embarrassment?
2.      Which people in your family keep stories or traditions.
3.      What are your traditions? Which are from your parents or grandparents? Which are new? Why did you start them? Which do you hope your children will continue?
4.     Describe your family in three words

Looking for a Good Time at Your Next Family Get Together: 

Note: Do not do this if you hate each other. 

Introduce a story that you all remember. For example: That time we left Jimmy at the gas station. Then have everyone write the same story. When everyone’s done, compare the stories and see what you remember the same and what you remember differently.

Questions to Ask if You Want to Interview Family Members, or Get a Good Conversation Going: 

Truthfully, the mighty internet has a billion and one suggestions. Below are 20 of my favorites.

1.    Tell me all about your name. Why was it given to you? Does it mean anything? What is your maiden name (for women)? What nicknames have people given you throughout your life and why? What do people call you now? And do you like it?
2.    Describe your childhood home. Who did you live with? Who did you share a room with? How many bedrooms were there? What are your earliest memories of that home? What are you best and worst memories of that home?
3.    What religion are you, if any? What religion were your parents? If you left that religion, tell me why? If you found another, tell me why?
4.    What chore did you hate as a child?
5.    What toy did you love as a child?
6.    What games did you play as a child?
7.    What fads did you follow during your youth?
8.    What did you wear to school regularly. Describe it.
9.    What was your first job?
10.  Do you remember your first date? Can you tell me about it?
11.  Tell me about your wedding. What did your dress/suit look like? What food was served? What music was played? Who attended?
12.  What did you find most difficult about raising children? What did you find most pleasant?
13.  Has anyone ever saved your life? Have you ever been in a serious accident?
14.  Name a good friend you have known the longest. How many years have you been friends? How did you become friends? How did you stay friends?
15.  What were the hardest choices you had to make?
16.  What is the most stressful experience you ever lived through?
17.  What is the scariest thing that ever happened to you?
18.  Do you, or did you ever, play a musical instrument?
19.  What pets did you have as a child? What do you remember about them?
20.  Describe a favorite trip or vacation spot. Did you go as a child? Or later as an adult?

I had so much fun doing my presentation on journaling last night (huge thank you to all who showed up!) that I wanted to dedicate the next few posts to some ideas on journaling.

We started the evening talking about all the ways that journaling benefits us. Basically it’s a miracle drug.

“Writing about traumatic events can decrease anxiety and anger, boost grades, reduce absences from work and lessen the emotional impact of job loss. Health benefits include higher T-cell counts, better liver function, and stronger anti-body responses. Even journaling a few minutes a few times can make a difference.” from Option B by Sheryl Sandburg and Adam Grant

All journaling is hugely beneficial, but there were three types of journal that were proven to be helpful to our mental and physical health. You’ll find them below. I’ve been writing one thing from each of these categories in my journal each night. And by “each night” I mean when I remember to do it. Just keeping the bar low for you people.

Types of Journals Proven to Be Beneficial

1. Gratitude journal. This can be really good for our mental health, especially if done right before bed. It’s a way to calm down, to find the good.
2. Success journal. Write down things you did well that day. Even if they were small. “Made one insightful comment in the meeting.”

– In some ways, psychologically, this is even better than a gratitude journal. Counting our blessings can make us happier, but it doesn’t boost our confidence or effort. Counting our contributions (even the small ones) can. It makes us both feel better about ourselves and makes us work harder (kind of like the opposite of shame). Gratitude is passive—it makes us feel grateful for what we receive. Contributions/Successes are active. They build our confidence by reminding us that we make a difference.

– In an experiment, people wrote for 5-10 minutes about what went really well that day and why. Their stress levels dropped as did their mental and physical health complaints.

3. Moments of joy. Try writing three moments of joy every day. Again—it doesn’t matter how small. “Saw a rose in bloom” totally works. This helps us to notice and appreciate the flashes of joy we experience, but sometimes don’t acknowledge.

-Larry Brilliant: “A day of joy is fifteen minutes. A day of pain is fifteen years. The job of life is to make those fifteen minutes into years and those fifteen years into minutes.” I think this quote can mean a lot of different things to a lot of different people. When I read it, I’m reminded that I forget the joyful things more quickly. It’s my job not to do that, to remember the joy when the pain is pressing.