Writers in the Storm

Steena Holmes

 

Hey. Hi. Yes, hi. To you, the one who is hiding behind the screen, playing with a manuscript you’ve worked for years on. You, the one who joins every group she can find on publishing and writing and being an author. You, the one who really wants to write but is too scared to.

The transition from writer to author seems daunting, doesn’t it? Maybe even a little overwhelming? That dream has always been there for you, to call yourself a published author but the fear of actually doing it, it holds you back. Why?

No seriously, why? Have you thought about that – why you’re allowing your fear, your anxiety, your worries stop you from pursuing a dream that is possible?

Maybe you’ve heard that publishing is hard. It’s true, it is.

Maybe you’ve heard that more authors tend to fail than succeed. Okay…that’s true as well, but it depends on what you consider failure and success.

Maybe you’ve heard that the likelihood of getting picked up by a big publisher is next to nil. That’s true…in a sense. It’s always been difficult to get noticed, to land an agent and a publisher. That’s nothing new.

So why are you allowing your fear to stop you?

Would you mind if I gave you a little bit of encouragement along with a whole lotta honesty?

If you are serious about being a published author – whether you are venturing into self publishing or wanting to pursue traditional publishing – the road you are about to embark on is hard.

Like mud pitted, deep grooved, better-get-out-and-walk-the-rest-of-the-way Hawaiian roads I just drove on.

Every step of your journey is going to be tough. But, if you can finish that first draft of yours, and if have learned to embrace the edit process and worked hard to craft the best story you can…everything else is going to be a walk in the park. (Well…not really, but…it’ll be a walk that’s no worse than anything else).

If you are serious about being an author, if you are serious about spending the hours, days, months and maybe years on writing a novel, then you’ve got this. Finding an agent or leaning how to become a self-published author is just one more step on this journey you’re on.

Stop letting fear overwhelm you. Stop letting fear cement your steps until you decide not to go further.

Stop allowing fear to dictate your life and your dreams.

You’ve got this. Find those who have been on this journey, surround yourself with those who are one, two or ten steps ahead of you. Ask questions. Find answers. Challenge yourself to always step forward. You can do it.

How do I know?

Because I was once a scared author like you. Success for me didn’t happen overnight. I hesitated often, made plenty of mistakes, and even thought about throwing in the towel. I had over 200 rejections on a book that eventually became my ‘break-out’ novel.

I almost allowed fear to stop me from pursing my dream. Almost. I was in that place of having to make a decision – do I give up or do I continue? I wasn’t sure I could continue. I’d already sacrificed so much to follow my dream. How much more could I give to a passion when the well was dry?

So why didn’t I stop? Why did I continue?

I wasn’t a quitter. I refused to be a victim.

Let me rephrase that. I’m not a quitter and I refuse to be a victim. No matter where you are on your journey, the fear is always there, taunting, tempting, twisting everything until you have tunnel vision.

Today, the publishing journey is hard. A lot harder than it was in 2013 when my whole life changed because I decided to believe in myself when no one else would.

Being an indie author back then was fun, ambition, exhilarating, life changing. 

Being a hybrid author now is stressful, exhausting, life changing.

Just because things have changed, just because the landscape of publishing and finding readers and making a living isn’t as familiar as it once was, doesn’t give me an excuse to quit.

Dear scared writer…I’m scared too. But if we stand together, if we stop being so solitary and reach out for help, the fear that holds us back loses its power over us.

What do you say?

 

Here’s me, holding my hand out to you. How can I help?

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Steena Holmes is the New York Times and USA Today bestselling author with over 2 million copies of her titles sold world wide, including The Forgotten Ones, Saving Abby  and The Memory Child. Named in the Top 20 Women Author to read in 2015 by Good Housekeeping, she won the National Indie Excellence Award in 2012 for Finding Emma as well as the USA Book News Award for The Word Game in 2015. Steena has been featured in various newspapers and magazines, websites such as Goodreads, BookBub, RedBook, Glamour, Coastal Living and Goodhousekeeping. To find out more about her books and her love for traveling, you can visit her website at http://www.steenaholmes.com.

Steena also offers courses through her Branding with Intent program. If you are an author struggling to find your brand or aren’t sure how to find your readers, check out her course. https://www.steenaholmes.com/branding-with-intent/

 

Thank you, brave soul, for trusting me with your work. I hope you find this helpful.

I chose this month's submission to explain the difference between 'good questions' you can leave readers with, and 'not good questions', and how to use emotion effectively in your writing.

A friend had a suggestion for me on these — to show the original in its entirety, then show my edits. Because he looks at the original first, does what edits he sees, then looks at my analysis to see how much he picked up (and what I missed). That seems a brilliant learning tool!

Here we go:

My edits:

Black = original

Red = my thoughts/comments

Purple = text I added/altered

ORIGINAL:

Heather Holbrook cried softly as she sat hidden in a dark corner of the Denver bar sipping a beer. The doctor’s unexpected words echoed through her brain triggering feelings of hopelessness and reminding her that life was not always fair. Listening to the details of her own medical problem was tougher than she’d imagined. The timing of this depressing news was off. Way off.

Staring down into her drink, she observed one of her tears drop into the golden liquid. The idiom Crying in your beer was no longer an idle saying, but rather her new reality.  Still, she wanted no part of the pitiful sensation overtaking her body. That was not her style.

She tried like hell to snap out of it, though lecturing herself had little effect. Action. She needed to take some action, do something, anything. Heather knew from experience that if a funk saturated with negativity lingered at her feet long enough, she’d sink downward and become one with that funk.

She’d been there once before and vowed never to return. How would she cope with this devastating, life altering situation? This was far more personal, and, as her friends had said, she wasn’t getting any younger. Could she find happiness knowing what she knows? Saving others came naturally; saving herself, not so much.

The sound of multiple sirens zooming by outside caught her attention. Instinctively, her adrenalin flowed. She stood, ready. Then remembered. She was off-duty.

Waving the waitress over and ordering another beer was the only action she’d come up with. For the moment, it beat going home to an empty apartment.

There's some great stuff here - some great lines. But to me, the whole thing is awash in emotion, and we don't know why. What was her diagnosis? If you tell us, we can share her funk, worry and despair. But by not telling us, the author is saying, "trust me, this is really bad." Readers won't trust you. They want to experience the heroine's journey, and they can't without knowing what's wrong with her. It's an example of a 'bad question' a reader can have. There are tons of 'good questions' — for example, we can guess she's involved in the medical or emergency profession somehow — maybe a paramedic? Or perhaps a cop? I'm okay not knowing that right up front — it makes me want to read on, to discover the answer. But you've laid out the character's problem, but been coy about not telling us what it is. Readers get angry when they feel toyed with. 

How much better would it be if you told us what the diagnosis is — if it's terminal, you have instant empathy. If it's debilitating, especially if she has a very active job, it could be even worse! The reader wants to feel, but in the absence of knowledge, the emotion seems overdone.

I think it needs tightening as well. Telling us over and over won't convince a reader.

I'm going to try to rewrite — and I'm making an assumption about her diagnosis that may not be right. But roll with me here:

In a dark corner of a Denver bar, Heather Holbrook sipped her beer, trying to hold hopelessness at bay. The doctor's horrific acronym echoed through her brain. How could two innocent letters combine to such cruelty? MS.  

As if that wasn't bad enough, the timing of this news was off. Way off.

A tear dropped into the golden liquid in her glass, proving that crying in your beer wasn't an old saying; it was her new reality.

Saving others came naturally; saving herself? Not so much.

Action. She needed to do something, anything. She knew from experience that if this mood lingered long enough, she’d become one with the funk.

A siren's wail outside jerked her to her feet, heart speeding, spreading an overload of adrenaline. Then remembered. She was off-duty. 

She waved the waitress over and ordered another beer she didn't really want. But it beat going home to an empty apartment.

I've pulled out a bunch of the emotion, because if we know what the diagnosis is, you don't need to tell us, you've shown us. We get it.

What do you think? Do you relate more, empathize more with the character? Any other tips for this writer?

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Like Laura's books/posts? There are two ways to get more!  Sign up for her quarterly newsletter, or her Write Stuff short podcasts on the craft of writing, and have them delivered to your inbox. What's easier than that? Would you like her to come speak or teach online to your group? You can do that here.  Oh and did she mention she has a December release?

by Margie Lawson

 

How well do you read body language?

How well do you share subtext on the page?

Take this quick quiz, then enjoy the examples of writing fresh faces and voices below the quiz.

1. Ninety-three percent of communication is nonverbal. T    F
2. If people say the right words, it doesn’t matter how they say them. T    F
3. Some people wait a few seconds before showing their nonverbal response. T   F
4. Body language can only be interpreted one way. T    F
5. People subconsciously mirror nonverbal behaviors of others. T    F
6. If the words and body language contradict each other, the listener believes the body language. T   F
7. Facial expressions convey 85% of the nonverbal message. T   F
8. People can hide their emotions by keeping their face blank. T   F
9. Lips carry more nonverbal messages than eyes. T    F
10. When anxious, people touch their face more often. T    F

STOP!  

Did you take the quiz? 

If not – TAKE THE QUIZ NOW!

Ready for the answers?

1. Ninety-three percent of communication is shared through body language and dialogue cues. T    F

TRUE –  It’s a huge percentage in real life.

Use:  Writers need to be sure they’re including enough subtext, body language

and dialogue cues, on the page. And that it’s written in a fresh way.

Many writers struggle with writing fresh faces and voices. We’ve all read too

many lines with similar wording for wide eyes, tight lips, furrowed brows.

 

My body language course is online in January. Hellooo fresh faces and voices!

 

2. If people say the right words, it doesn’t matter how they say them. T    F

FALSE -- The way we say words supports or negates the meaning.

Use:  Subtext. Subtext. Subtext.

Writers have unlimited ways to share the character’s truth through dialogue cues,

how the character says their words—tone, inflection, pitch, etc.  They have

unlimited ways to write them fresh too.

 

3. Some people wait a few seconds before showing their nonverbal response. T   F

FALSE --   Nonverbal communication is immediate.

Use:  When a strong emotional stimulus presents, show your characters

nonverbal reaction immediately.

 

4. Body language can only be interpreted one way. T    F 

FALSE – There are multiple ways body language can be interpreted.

Use:  You can add tension by having a character misinterpret a facial

expression, misinterpret a dialogue cue, misinterpret an action.

 

5. People subconsciously mirror nonverbal behaviors of others. T    F

TRUE – and so fun!

Use: You can show a close relationship between characters by having them

mirror each others posture, gestures, facial expressions, and voice patterns.

 

6. If the words and body language contradict each other, the listener

believes the body language.  T   F 

TRUE --  This happens all the time in real life.

Use:  When the words contradict the body language and/or the dialogue cues, people always believe the subtext, not the words.

 

7. Facial expressions convey 85% of the subtext. T   F

FALSE – Facial expressions carry 30 to 50% of the psychological message, but

the other categories of body language are important too. 

Use:  Remember to include plenty of dialogue cues, posture, instinctive

reactions, touch, and spatial relationships too.

 

8. People can hide their emotions by keeping their face blank. T   F

FALSE --  Faces are never blank. Lips twitch. Eyes narrow or widen. Mouths

open or tighten.

Use:  Don’t write a blank face. Share some tells, some micro-expressions.

 

9. Lips carry more nonverbal messages than eyes. T    F

TRUE – The lips do more than eyes, they convey more emotion.

Use:  Include as many or more lip/mouth actions than eyes.

 

10. When anxious, people touch their face more often. T    F

TRUE –  Self-Touch Behaviors – They’re not what you think. When people are

anxious, they touch their face (cheek, eyebrow, lips, nose, ear), or near their face (throat, jaw, back of neck, behind ear, hair), as well as their hands and arms. 

Self-Touch behaviors are body language polygraphs. Self-Touch may occur every 10 to 20 seconds.

 Use:  When a character is guilty, or telling a lie, or somewhere they’re not supposed to be, or something along those lines—you could show them touching their arm, neck, face. But don’t overdo it. A couple of times could work well.

 

HOW DID YOU SCORE?  Did you make a 100?  90?  80?

Learn how to write fresh body language and dialogue cues – and you’ll add more power to your scenes. You can use body language to deepen characterization, complicate scenes, and drive plot points too.

Any time you have an emotional scene—you need subtext, body language and dialogue cues. And turning points need even more subtext.

Enjoy these examples of body language and dialogue cues.

 

The Last True Cowboy, Laura Drake, 2-time Immersion Grad, Cruising Writers Grad, Bestselling Author

Facial Expressions:

He smiles. That warm, sexy, Austin-smile that always made me feel like we were in a bubble—just him and me.

In the harsh overhead lights, I can read every shade of emotion on her face:  fear, anger, exhaustion, but over them all, a layer of crushing powerlessness.

It must be sleep deprivation, because my insides turn to peanut butter, and I feel a silly smile spread on my face.

Dialogue Cues:

1. My voice cracks like hot tea over ice.
2. Her words speed up like a downhill roller coaster.
3. Though it’s quiet, Austin’s voice slams into me, stopping me faster than a tie-down roping horse.

 

The Forgotten Ones, Steena Holmes, 2-time Immersion Grad, 2-time Cruising Writers Grad, USA Today and NYT Bestseller, International Bestseller

Facial Expressions:

1. She rested her cheek on the child’s head, but the look in her eyes said not to mess with her.
2. I catch a flash of something . . . regret, maybe? The emotion crosses her face too quickly to be sure.
3. There’s a half grin on David’s face. A devil’s smirk, my mom would say.

Dialogue Cues:

1. Judy didn’t stop drying a plate, but he heard the hesitation in her voice.
2. And yet the disappointment in his voice, the dejected look on his face, increased my guilt tenfold.
3. The resignation in Grace’s voice should warn me, but it doesn’t. It gives me hope—hope that I’ll learn more truth.

 

The Marriage Lie, Kimberly Belle, 5-time Immersion Grad, USA Today Bestseller, International Bestseller

I’m thrilled to share Kimberly Belle’s big news. ABC has put in development The Marriage Lie, inspired by Kimberly Belle’s bestselling book. Kudos to Kimberly!

Examples from The Marriage Lie:

Facial Expressions:

1. Dave eases the car forward, dialing up the dazzle on his smile.
2. Dad uses his drill-instructor voice--forceful, booming, and unambiguous. He turns, his expression morphs from fierce to fiercely concerned.
3. But now she's watching me with an expression I know all too well, concern mixed with determination, one that says this is a fight she won't give up.

Dialogue Cues:

1. I park my tone in neutral. “How so?”
2. My tone is teasing, my voice stretched with a smile--my pathetic attempt at an apology even though I'm not sorry.
3. It’s not just her words that suck the steam from my anger but also her tone, hesitant and unsure.

 

This blog is already long, so I won’t deep edit analyze those examples. They’re fresh. They carry power.

Want to learn more?

Check out my online course: Writing Body Language and Dialogue Cues Like a Psychologist. It’s loaded with teaching points and examples. This class is offered in January.

You’ll learn the full range of body language and the six categories of dialogue cues, and challenge yourself to write them fresh, fresh, fresh.

Body Language in Real Life:

Writers can monitor and moderate their body language when pitching to agents and editors, speaking on a panel, presenting a workshop, doing a book signing.

I have a lecture packet that may interest some of you:  Powering Up Body Language in Real Life.

BLOG GUESTS:  Thank you so much for dropping by the blog today.

Please post a comment or share a ‘Hi Margie!” and you’ll have two chances to be a winner.

You could win a Lecture Packet from me, or an online class from Lawson Writer’s Academy.

Lawson Writer’s Academy – January Classes

1. The BrainMap, Instructor: Shirley Jump
2. Five-Week First Draft, Instructor: Koreen Myers
3. Developmental Editing, Instructor: Rhay Christou
4. Queries That Sell, and More, Instructor: Laura Drake
5. The Sizzling, Scintillating Synopsis, Instructor: Suzanne Purvis
6. Crazy-Easy, Awesome Author Websites, Instructor: Lisa Norman
7. Writing Body Language and Dialogue Cues Like a Psychologist, Instructor: Becky Rawnsely teaching Margie Lawson’s course

Please drop by my website to read course descriptions and register:  www.MargieLawson.com 

I’ll draw names for the TWO WINNERS Thursday night, at 9PM, and post them in the comments section.

Like this blog? Please give it a social media boost. Thank you.

I love blogging for WITS. A big extra-lovey hug and THANK YOU to the brilliant WITS gals.

Do you use dialogue cues and facial expressions?  Share one in the comments!

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Margie Lawson—editor and international presenter—loves to have fun. And teaching writers how to use her deep editing techniques to create page-turners is her kind of fun.

She’s presented over 120 full day master classes in the U.S., Canada, Australia, New Zealand, and France, as well as taught multi-day intensives on cruises in the Caribbean.

To learn about Margie’s 5-day Immersion Master Classes (in 2018, in Phoenix, Denver, San Jose area, Dallas, Yosemite, Orange County, Los Angeles, Atlanta, and in Sydney, Melbourne, and Coolangatta, Australia), Cruising Writers cruises, full day and weekend workshops, keynote speeches, online courses, lecture packets, and newsletter, please visit: www.margielawson.com