Thoughts on Writing a Series

by Linore Rose Burkard, @LinoreRBurkard

When I wrote my first YA/Suspense PULSE, I didn't expect to write a sequel. Today, having finished three volumes in The Pulse Effex Series, I'm grateful for many readers who wanted more and thus spurred me on.

I didn't plan from the beginning to write a trilogy. But when I stayed in the world of the story, it developed.

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How Not to Do A Critique

By Linore Rose Burkard, @LinoreRBurkard

Seasoned writers know that having one's work critiqued by fellow writers (or even savvy readers) can determine the difference between a finished piece that is merely "good" or one that sings. Critique partners can strengthen a manuscript, clean up errors, and make invaluable suggestions that the writer might not think of.

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Should I Give a Webinar? Part III

by Linore Rose Burkard

In Parts One and Two, I discussed fears about giving webinars, and how to put such hindrances to rest. But are there real drawbacks to the medium that offline events don't have? Let's take a look.

PROBLEM: YOU CAN'T SEE THE AUDIENCE

Is this a PRO or a CON? For people who get nervous in front of an audience, this aspect of webinars may be helpful. All one need do is speak in front of a safe, little camera. ;)

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What Sports Photography Taught Me about Point of View (POV)

by Beth K. Vogt @bethvogt

My teen daughter plays volleyball year-round, which means I spend a lot of time at volleyball tournaments. My husband and I are also the photographers for both her high school and club teams. This happened by accident – meaning, when no one else volunteered to take photos, we did. At first, we took lousy photos. Now, we’ve invested in a more expensive camera and lens and after lots of trial and error, we're getting better and better at this whole unexpected sports photography gig.

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Novel Preparation 101

By DiAnn Mills @DiAnnMills

We writers have habits, some quirky, that help us get started on new writing projects. Today I’d like to share with you how I organize my thoughts and preparations before writing chapter one, line one of a new novel. I’m mostly an organic/pantster writer, but some things I have to know before I begin.

1. Idea! Oh, these come from so many different places—from a movie, a current happening in the news, overheard conversation, a what-if from everyday life, and dreams.

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Freeze Frame: Creating a Stronger Scene

by Beth Vogt @bethvogt

We all know the advantage of prep work when we paint a room or cook a Thanksgiving turkey.

In the same way, it helps to do some prep work before writing a scene. I’ve used several techniques from author Susan May Warren – FOCUS and the 5 Ws are two favorites. And when I attended a writers conference last year, I learned the Freeze Frame technique by agent and author Donald Maass, and found a fresh new way to prep a scene.

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Write What You Know or Not?

By DiAnn Mills @DiAnnMills

We’ve all received the following writer’s advice:

“Write what you know.”
“Write what you don’t know.”
“Stretch.”
“Visit the novel’s setting.”
“No need to visit the novel’s setting.”
“Write family dysfunction.”
“Avoid family dysfunction.”

There’s evidence to substantiate every one of the above comments: the guidance has worked successfully for several writers.

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Ugly Duckling Writing

by Linore Burkard

Since surely you are familiar with the fairy-tale of the ugly duckling who became a beautiful swan, I won't bother with a recap. But what is "ugly duckling writing," you wonder?  In a nutshell, Rachel Hauck described it in a recent post here on Novel Rocket, 

"I fast draft a very ugly novel, then I rewrite. Almost from scratch. I layer and fine tune, change and deepen." Rachel Hauck

Since I wrote the lion's share of my current novel, RESISTANCE in little more than a month, the above quote fits my experience for this book. I have a first draft that is, in literary terms, "a very ugly novel." But to me, it's like  gold. Because I know that the finished novel--the graceful swan--is in there, and that I will hone the work, develop the best parts, revise and rewrite and come out in the end with a book that--hopefully--many will want to read. 

I expected to let the book rest during this past busy Christmas season, but I found myself working on it, rewriting and fine tuning.

Changing and deepening.

And, when I think about it, I realize that all of my novels started out as ugly ducklings in some degree or other. In all likelihood, whether you've got one published book or thirty, yours began that way, too. As ugly ducklings.

Newer writers often don't realize that this is not unusual. I hear from some who get so discouraged when faced with an ugly duckling novel that they want to quit. 

So here's my takeaway for them--or for any writer discouraged by a messy novel. 

Don't give up on a book just because you feel, after finishing the first draft, that it is in no shape to get published. The truth is, if you keep working on it, haven't lost your original vision for the work, and are determined to find the real story and make it work--you probably will.

   

There are times when it's right to put a manuscript away in some drawer, never to see the light of day. This is often the fate of a first attempt by writers at novel-writing, and there's nothing wrong with that. We all need to practice and learn somewhere, somehow.

My first hatchling!

But it is not a universal experience. My own first novel must have gone through a dozen drafts before it was publishable. But eventually, it became a swan. I might have given up any number of times when it looked like an awkward, ungainly fledgling--but didn't.    

How to tell if your novel is drawer-worthy or worth editing? 

I believe most books can be salvaged into good works IF the original vision is strong.

What is a strong original vision? A great story!

Do you have a great story? Something that can touch a heart, strike a deep chord with readers? Then keep working on it.

Chip away at that thing until the beauty of it shines, and your ugly duckling is a thing of the past.

After that, you can release your beautiful swan--to an agent, an editor, or to the world.   

Welcome to 2017, and happy writing!

TWEETABLES
Ugly Duckling Writing by Linore Burkard (Click to Tweet)

But to me, it's like  gold~ Linore Burkard (Click to Tweet)

Chip away at that thing until the beauty of it shines~ Linore Burkard (Click to Tweet)

Linore Rose Burkard writes historical romance and, as L.R.Burkard, YA/Suspense. Linore enjoys teaching workshops for writers, is a mother of five, and still homeschools her youngest daughter, preferably with coffee in one hand and her iPad in the other. Linore's newsletter (another labor of love) includes two book drawings per month. For a chance to win one of her novels, simply join the mailing list at either website. (http://www.LinoreBurkard.com, or http://www.LRBurkard.com)

  

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Words are Wonderful Things

by Linore Rose Burkard

Writers are wordsmiths. We play with, struggle over, muddle in, misuse and pluck words into and out of our books or articles with anything from reckless abandon—the heady steam of inspiration—to plodding, pulling-teeth frustration. 

One day's work is like rolling full steam ahead, while another's is a journey on a horse-cart as we struggle to find the right words. If we do, the magic happens, the work sings, and we leave readers happy.

As writers we know perhaps more than anyone, the power of the written word.

And yet--what a struggle we have at times to get those words written.

We may over-write, under-write*, fail to write, or fail to thoroughly edit what we've written.  

Since this is my last post for the year for Novel Rocket, I offer the following words that I've gleaned over the past months to encourage you in your writing journey, whether you are at an acme of success, rolling along on a fast track, or climbing the trenches. (Do we ever leave the trenches? Even J.K. Rowling has to face a blank page when she writes.)

Enjoy the following—and if the shoe fits, well, you know what to do.  

It is never too late—in fiction or in life—to revise. -Nancy Thayer 

Write even when you don't want to, don't much like what you are writing, and aren't writing particularly well. -Agatha Christie 

Forget about all the reasons why something may not work. You only need to find one good reason why it will. -Dr. Robert Anthony 

I don't know of one 'overnight bestseller' that didn't take a year and a half to get there. -Mark Victor Hansen

I mailed a manuscript to fifteen publishers. The fifteenth one said yes. - Max Lucado                           

You cannot cross the sea by staring at the water. -R. Tagore (You cannot write a book by staring at a blank page. Write, now. Right now.)

Nothing will come of nothing. Dare mighty things. -Shakespeare

Every writer I know has trouble writing. -Joseph Conrad

It's not over til it's over, and it's never over. Don't give up too soon, and it is always too soon to quit. -Edward W. Smith

If God didn't have real plans for us and want to use us, he'd take us to heaven. It's that simple—and that complicated. -Anonymous

The only place where success comes before work is in the dictionary. -Donald Kendall

Believe, when you are most unhappy, that there is something for you to do (or write) in this world. So long as you can sweeten another's pain, life is not in vain.    -Helen Keller

Writing is like a sculpture where you remove, you eliminate, in order to make the work visible. Even those pages you remove somehow remain. -Elie Wiesel 

You can't think yourself out of a writing block; you have to write yourself out of a thinking block. -John Rogers

In closing, a poem on the power of words. While the poet may have been thinking of the spoken word when she wrote this, it can apply to us who wield the pen as well.

Words are Wonderful Things 

Keep a watch on your words, my darling,

For words are wonderful things; 

They are sweet like the bees' fresh honey,

Like the bees they have terrible stings; 

They can bless like the warm, glad sunshine,

And brighten a lonely life;  

They can cut, in the strife of anger,

Like an open, two-edged knife. 

                                  Mrs. E.R. Miller

To your writing success,

Linore

*For word detectives: Under-write, a compound word, meaning not writing enough, or fully, to describe or portray a subject. NOT underwrite, as to accept liability.   

TWEETABLES

Words are Wonderful Things by Linore Rose Burkard (Click to Tweet)

Even J.K. Rowling has to face a blank page when she writes~ Linore Rose Burkard (Click to Tweet)

Linore Rose Burkard writes historical romance and, as L.R.Burkard, YA/suspense. Linore teaches workshops for writers, is a mother of five, and still homeschools her youngest daughter—preferably with coffee in one hand, and an  iPad in the other. 

For a chance to win a free copy of one of her books, simply subscribe to her mailing list at either of her websites (above). Winners are announced in each newsletter, which now has content for writers, readers, poets and dreamers. (That means you!) 

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5 Keys to Finding Your Focus

by Elizabeth Ludwig

My prayer when I first started out on this writing journey was simple—Lord, please help me to get published, and let my words touch someone’s heart.

Oh, how that prayer has changed over time! After my first book contract, I quickly discovered how unpredictable the publishing industry can be (an article for another time). The joy of holding my first published book disintegrated when I learned that the subsequent two books in the series would not be published as had been promised, and I added this line to my prayer—Lord, please help me to get published, and let my words touch someone’s heart, and let there be another contract.

Proving His love and faithfulness, God did provide another contract. I remember celebrating with thanksgiving the upcoming Christmas novella that would allow me to tell the story of my walk into adulthood. But then the book cover came, and I realized that readers would need a microscope to read the teeny-tiny letters of my name beneath the big, bold letters of the lead author, and I added this line to my prayer—Lord, please help me to get published, and let my words touch someone’s heart, and let there be another contract, and someday, Lord, let my name be the prominent one on the cover.

Since then, I’ve added many lines to that first simple prayer. Weights like good sales numbers, positive reviews, and contest awards now encumber what was once a sincere desire. God reminded me of this during a dark period of wrestling with Him over the path I was to follow. I knew I would have to refocus, and that meant developing five keys:

Key #1: Practice loving God. Everything else will follow

 I always thought there should be an eleventh commandment, and it would read something like this—Thou shalt live thy life with thanksgiving and remember the good that God has done. Later, I realized that this was a commandment and it was connected to the first and greatest—Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind. (NIV)

Key #2: Do like Facebook and “share”

Hello, my name is Elizabeth Ludwig, and I love facebook. There, I’ve said it. Unfortunately, things like social media, while intended to bring us closer, end up making us rivals. How can we help but be competitive when we’re doing nothing but reading about the successes of others? Still God instructs us to rejoice with those who rejoice, and follows it with a command to mourn with those who mourn. This means taking our eyes off ourselves and focusing on where our friends are.

Key #3: Take up a memorial stone

My writing journey has been filled will all sorts of highs and lows—good reviews followed by bad reviews, new contract followed by poor sales numbers, encouragement followed by discouragement. I realized it was very easy to lose my focus when the only thing I was concentrating on was the lows, but in the back of my mind was a story from the Old Testament. Remember Joshua and his instruction to the Israelites to “take up a stone”? This was to serve as a reminder to the people about God’s intervention in helping them cross the River Jordan, and it can serve as reminder today—about where He has led us and where we have yet to go.

Key #4: Remember God’s plan and cling to it

Writing a book requires quite a bit of time and a whole lot of dedication. On top of the initial commitment, writing something readers will love means pouring a good bit of myself into the work—my pain, the things I’ve learned and lived, even a smidgeon of honesty as I reveal my own personal struggles and vices. When at last the time comes to write “The End”, the finished product can feel very personal—almost like an extension of myself—which is why having a book be unsuccessful can be so excruciatingly painful. Yet God’s word says, “For I know the thoughts that I think toward you, says the Lord, thoughts of peace and not of evil, to give you a future and a hope.” (NKJV)

Key #5: Follow God…even if He leads you away from the one thing you thought you couldn’t live without 
Remember this saying? If God brings you to it, He will bring you through it. It’s from a poem by an unknown author, and it was brought to mind recently when I was struggling to remember why I even began this writing journey in the first place. Along with all the typical highs and lows, I was facing deadlines, trying to meet promotional and marketing demands, and juggling commitments at home and work. I’m ashamed to admit, this led to an extended period of self-pity, typified by the one question repeated over and over in every situation—why? Well, God had an answer for Job when he asked that question, and He had an answer for me—you didn’t get where you are by yourself. I brought you here, I will lead you on. Follow Me.

TWEETABLES

5 Keys to Finding Your Focus by Elizabeth Ludwig (Click to Tweet)

Practice loving God. Everything else will follow~ Elizabeth Ludwig (Click to Tweet)

Remember God’s plan and cling to it~ Elizabeth Ludwig (Click to Tweet)

Elizabeth Ludwig is the award-winning author of No Safe Harbor and Dark Road Home, Books One and Two in the popular Edge of Freedom series from Bethany House Publishers. Her literary blog, The Borrowed Book, enjoys a wide readership. Elizabeth is an accomplished speaker and teacher, often attending conferences and seminars where she lectures on editing for fiction writers, crafting effective novel proposals, and conducting successful editor/agent interviews. Along with her husband and children, she makes her home in the great state of Texas. To learn more, visit ElizabethLudwig.com.

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Micro-Tools of Suspense

By Ronie Kendig

Microscopic. Micro-changes. Micro-expressions. They’re little pieces that cumulatively make a big difference. That is true of writing and of suspense as well—we have micro-tools for fine-tuning suspense (a scene or a whole novel). 

Suspense is not merely someone or some city in danger. There is more involved in creating suspense than putting a weapon in a villain’s hand or having the heroine fighting for her life. Outside the plot and your characters, suspense is nuanced throughout a story using many techniques, but we’ll focus on two: word choice & placement, sentence/paragraph length and pacing. 

Don't use words too big for the subject. Don't say 'infinitely' when you mean 'very'; otherwise you'll have no word left when you want to talk about something really infinite. ~C. S. Lewis 

The point? Be intentional with your words. Word choices should: 

1. Reflect the pace – the more general the word, the more benign the impact. Make them matter!
2. Reflect your character – your characters should not all sound alike
3. Reflect the mood – use more intentional words to mirror what your character is feeling of what’s being done to them. Our word choices change when we’re frustrated or angry; so should your character's words. 

Consider word choice placement. In my “Mind Magic” workshop, we talk about “white/negative space,” a marketing/design concept that capitalizes on the negative (white) space of a design, letting the audience’s brain naturally fill in the rest. Also, speed readers are often taught to read the beginning and end of a sentence, and the beginning/end of a paragraph and then let their brains fill in the rest.

Negative Space forms face

By being intentional with word placement, writers can use the white/negative space concept to capitalize on what readers’ brains do naturally—fill in the rest—to create hooks. We’re taught to do this at scene and chapter breaks, but we should also be more intentional with word placement throughout our scenes and chapters. We have stronger words now that we don’t want to bury in the middle of a sentence or paragraph. If you have to, rearrange so the stronger words are more easily detected and a quick (often unconscious) first impression of what’s coming is engaging. 

Another topic in the "Mind Magic" workshop is length, which applies to blogs, articles (ahem), books, speeches, and so on. Ultimately, no matter if it’s a sentence or a paragraph, length determines viability and interest. Think about Twitter, which restricts tweets to 140 characters. Today’s society wants things faster, and we need to keep that in mind when writing scenes. Here are a few tips for brevity in writing:  

1. Monitor Sentence/Paragraph Length – Make it as simple as possible for a reader to move through and enjoy your story. Sentences should be a natural length and there should be a variety of lengths as well. It’s a good idea to break narrative passages into smaller chunks and ensure that each is vital to the story.
2. Fragments Are Our Friends (Sometimes) – it’s okay to cut a sentence short if it fits the character, pacing of a scene or chapter, or the mood (more suspenseful). Fragments are wonderful for creating a jarring presence, which is perfect for action or surprise. 
3. Shorter Sentences Create Movement – Shorter sentences are read faster (obvious, huh?) paragraph and a sentence are great ways to increase the reading speed, giving the reader a sense of faster movement with the characters. 
4. Longer Sentences Allow for Breathing – if you’ve amped up a scene and sliced/diced sentences, then draw it back down after with longer sentences that allow your readers’ breathing to slow. Think of it as the giddy (or nervous) exhale of relief after a roller-coaster ride.

Suspense nuances really ratchet up the tension and your reader's heart rate! Were these tips helpful for you? Do you have a question for Ronie to address about writing suspense? Comment below! 

TWEETABLES

Micro Tools of Suspense by Ronie Kendig (Click to Tweet)

Be intentional with your words~ Ronie Kendig (Click to Tweet)

* * * * * 

Ronie Kendig is an award-winning, bestselling author who grew up an Army brat. After twenty-five years of marriage, she and her hunky hero husband have a full life with their children and a retired military working dog in Northern Virginia. Ronie can be found at:

     www.roniekendig.com

     Facebook (www.facebook.com/rapidfirefiction)
     Twitter (@roniekendig)
     Goodreads (www.goodreads.com/RonieK)
     Instagram (@kendigronie)
     Pinterest (http://www.pinterest.com/roniek/)!

DOWNLOAD Ronie's newest release--the FREE digital prequel novella, THE WARRIOR'S SEAL! 

CONSPIRACY OF SILENCE (Tox Files #1) releases Dec 6th and was given 4.5 stars & named a TOP PICK by RT BookReviews!

"...fast-moving, roller-coaster thriller..." ~Booklist

"Kendig keeps the tensions high and the pace lightning fast, with military action scenes worthy of Vince Flynn." ~Publishers Weekly

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The (Honestly) Sneaky Way to Know Your Readers

by Linore Rose Burkard

We've all heard the mantra: KNOW THY READER.

And it's a good one. It makes our writing effective. If we want to reach the heart of a reader we can only do it if we know that heart.

And yet, to some degree, shouldn't writing be all-inclusive? Some writers reach a level of universality so that their words can touch hearts for generations. Certainly this is what defines a classic.

Even so, as any editor or agent can tell you, if you write for the whole world, you write for no one.

Know thy reader is about targeting your work for your specific audience.

So, how do you get to know your reader?
There is no one answer to this question, and it is a cumulative effort, because   you learn over time who your readers are. (Even if you think you know who they are, sometimes the answer might surprise you. Too, if you write in multiple genres, as I do, the answer might surprise you.) This post is focused on only one method, and it's just a start.

That was my disclaimer (in case you missed it). This is not a comprehensive "how to get to know your reader" post.

It's just a little back-door method to getting roughly acquainted with your readership. I'm calling it sneaky, but it's simply a matter of paying attention. And that's why it's honest, and really not all that sneaky. Sorry to disappoint you. There's nothing underhanded about it. 

I'm a big fan of author newsletters. This means I have a mailing list and, like many authors, I do occasional promos to grow my list. You probably do, too. But did you know you can glean interesting information from that list? Have you spent any real time looking at the email addresses on your list? 

It's Elementary, Watson
The back-door, honest, sneaky method to knowing your reader is paying attention to what they reveal from the moment they subscribe. This isn't possible with all subscribers, but for many you'll be surprised what you can tell simply by their email handle. 

Follow the Clues
People choose email addresses based  on who they are, their likes, dislikes, character qualities, favorite color, you name it. Take a look at some of the "clues" I've gotten from subscribers.
The following are all from actual email addresses on my list. 
"voodoo doll."
"coldhearted"
"Granny of 2"                                                        
"the b1tch"                                             

"sassy"

From the above emails, I can tell that a few of these subscribers likely aren't Christian readers. This is interesting, since my books are written from a strongly Christian worldview. I like that. 

I also gather that I may have younger people as well as "granny of two." Since I now write YA as well as historical romance, I like that, too.

How else can an email address help?

Domain Names
Domains are another clue. If I subscribe to a list with my preferred email address, it bears my website URL because my domain is my name. (Linore (at) LinoreBurkard (dot) com) So anyone curious about me can check out my website if they choose because I've given it to them in my email. If they do, they've just discovered quite a lot about me. So take a peek for domain names in the addresses on your list. You may learn something about a few readers.

Again, you won't learn a great deal about most of your list this way, 
but it's a clue to the mind of some readers. Think of it as a head's up, a way to know something about some of them.

If you're like me, you'll pray over your list.  And don't think praying for readers isn't helpful for you as a writer. Prayer can help you think of new things to offer in your next newsletter, or even your next book. Also, it gives you an opportunity, as all focused prayer does, to hear God speak to your heart.
And that is never a waste of time.

So, go check out your list. And know thy reader!

TWEETABLES

Know Thy Reader by Linore Rose Burkard (Click to Tweet)

If you write for the whole world, you write for no one ~ Linore Rose Burkard (Click to tweet)

Linore Rose Burkard writes historical romance and, as L.R.Burkard, YA/suspense. Linore teaches workshops for writers, is a mother of five, and still homeschools her youngest daughter—preferably with coffee in one hand, and an  iPad in the other. 

For a chance to win a free copy of one of her books, simply subscribe to her mailing list at either of her websites (above). Winners are announced in each newsletter, which now has content for writers, readers, poets and dreamers. (That means you!) 

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The Cold Hard/Ugly Truth about Novel Writing

By DiAnn Mills @DiAnnMills

Tweet this: The Cold Hard/Ugly Truth about Novel Writing 

Writers are survivors. If in doubt, take a look at what it takes to reach publication. It’s a little scary, but if you have courage, take a look at what’s needed. 

Writing Ain’t Easy.

If every person on the planet was destined to be a writer, then everyone would be churning out one bestseller after another. How boring! How average!

So what do we writers need to survive the front lines?

1. Training. Every writer has a learning curve, time to explore the craft and apply technique to a manuscript. *The training never ends.
2. Thirst. How badly does a writer want to create worthwhile nonfiction or fiction projects? *Our thirst or passion for writing must be forefront or we fail.
3. Time. For those who claim they don’t have time to write, perhaps they don’t have the guts to carve out extra minutes and hours to pursue their goals. A writer’s time is spent in training, writing, re-writing, branding through marketing and promotion, and social media. *We all have time. It’s our choice on how we use it.
4. Touchy comments. Family and friends often don’t understand our dream of reaching others through the written word. We have a message, and our habits and commitments can meet ridicule and teasing. *Ignore the naysayers. No one needs them.
5. Turndown. Until our writing meets a publisher’s guidelines, we writers will face rejection. To reach our goals, we may sometimes need to take additional workshops and classes, hire a professional editor, or do a complete rewrite. *A turndown today can mean a contract tomorrow.
6. Trust. The Bible says that if God is for us, who can be against us? Trust in the One who purposed you to write. *Believe in yourself and the God who gave you the gift.

Now that you’ve worked past all those ugly facts and you’re still determined to be a writer, then welcome to the eccentric, bizarre, and entertaining world of writing.

What obstacles have you had to overcome as you strive toward your publication goals?

 Tweet this: The Cold Hard/Ugly Truth about Novel Writing 

DiAnn Mills is a bestselling author who believes her readers should expect

an adventure. She combines unforgettable characters with unpredictable plots to create action-packed, suspense-filled novels.

Her titles have appeared on the CBA and ECPA bestseller lists; won two Christy Awards; and been finalists for the RITA, Daphne Du Maurier, Inspirational Readers’ Choice, and Carol award contests. Library Journal presented her with a Best Books 2014: Genre Fiction award in the Christian Fiction category for Firewall.

DiAnn is a founding board member of the American Christian Fiction Writers, a member of Advanced Writers and Speakers Association, Sisters in Crime, and International Thriller Writers. She is co-director of The Blue Ridge Mountain Christian Writers Conference and The Author Roadmap with social media specialist Edie Melson where she continues her passion of helping other writers be successful. She speaks to various groups and teaches writing workshops around the country.

DiAnn has been termed a coffee snob and roasts her own coffee beans. She’s an avid reader, loves to cook, and believes her grandchildren are the smartest kids in the universe. She and her husband live in sunny Houston, Texas.

DiAnn is very active online and would love to connect with readers on any of the social media platforms listed at www.diannmills.com.

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In Writing, Little Can Be Much

by Linore Rose Burkard

This past week I took part in "National Life-Chain Sunday," during which I stood on a sidewalk with a few dozen other souls, holding a sign for passing drivers to read.

My sign had only three words: 

ABORTION HURTS WOMEN

Short. Succinct.

Sufficient.

Because little can be much.

I could have chosen a different sign, such as one bearing five words:

LIFE: THE FIRST INALIENABLE RIGHT    

This one, too, packed a big punch in few words. 

There were other signs available. But all had only a few words because they needed to be read quickly by drivers going by. As I held the sign and watched the traffic passing, I saw that we had three to five seconds, on average, in which a driver could read the message. 

In case you haven't noticed, getting attention online is not all that different.

Instead of driving past, readers surf by your carefully crafted blog headline, or email newsletter subject line, or expensive ad. Blogs, landing pages, newsletters and ads all share the need to grab attention and hook a reader--or they're gone (in three seconds or less, according to some pundits).

Copywriters know this, and make an art of crafting the perfect headlines to catch the attention of their audiences. But what if novelists practiced this? Not just creating the attention-grabbing line, but doing it with as few words as possible.  I wonder if we would become stronger writers. 

Because in many instances in writing, less is more. Little can be much.

Take description. A newer writer shared a chapter of her book with me recently in which she described a main character who had not yet entered the story in person. The description was complete, head to toe, and not badly written. The problem is that it read like a catalogue, perfectly normal, not remarkable--in a word, utterly forgettable. How much more effective had she merely singled out one characteristic of that character? He might have had a noticeable scar, or tattoo. He might have limped when he walked, or spoken with an accent; The distinct feature isn't important in itself--but ONE distinct feature would have made this character memorable, whereas a dozen did just the opposite.

Less would have been more. 

A great way to see "less is more" in action is to read effective tweets on Twitter, bumper stickers, or, my favorite, T-shirt slogans. The element of surprise, of juxtaposing an idea with an unexpected parallel, seems to work quite well here. Perhaps the principle of a startling analogy is something we can keep in mind when writing our own headlines or other copy--or even a character description. 

See how the following t-shirt slogans are short and sweet--and effective:       

• A SISTER will give you the shirt off her back....it's probably yours anyway. 
• IRONY. The opposite of wrinkly.
• Relish Today.  Ketchup Tomorrow.
• At my age I've seen it all, I've heard it all, I've done it all. I just can't remember it all.
• This IS my Sexy Lingerie.
• I'M ALWAYS LATE. My ancestors arrived on the Juneflower.

The comedic aspect of the surprising parallel needn't always be present as in the above examples. Even a serious writer can use a startling juxtaposition to make a point. 

• PAIN AND SUFFERING IS INEVITABLE.  But misery is optional. 
• There is no worse robber than a bad book. (Italian proverb)
• Life can only be understood backwards; but it must be lived forwards. (S.Kierkegaard)
• It was the best of times, it was the worst of times...(Dickens)

Whether you feel juxtaposition (a la the startling parallel) translates to writing fiction or not, it is probably a worthwhile endeavor to learn to use the principle, at least in marketing copy.

I'd like to be purposeful about trying it, as I tend to be wordy if left unchecked. And in writing, as we've seen, less can be more.

Little can be much! 

TWEETABLES

"Because in many instances in writing, less is more. Little can be much." ~ Linore Rose Burkard (Click to Tweet)

ONE distinct feature made this character memorable, whereas a dozen did the opposite.~Linore Rose Burkard (Click to Tweet)

Linore Rose Burkard wrote a trilogy of regency romances for the Christian market before there were any regencies for the Christian market. Her books opened up the genre in the CBA. She also writes YA Suspense/Apocalyptic fiction as L.R. Burkard. Married with five children, she still home-schools her youngest daughter, preferably with coffee in one hand and an iPad in the other. Her latest book, RESILIENCE, is "spine-tingling suspense, where teens carry rifles instead of school books and where survival might mean becoming your own worst enemy."   

"INTENSE!"

It's a great time to be a fan of YA novels! L.R.Burkard is back with the next tale in her dystopian series, and the bar of excellence is raised to new heights with this top quality literary offering!

                                --Deena Peterson, Blogger, Reviewer

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