Tiffany’s Writing Journey

A Busy Mind/Author Update

My Brain has been incredibly busy as of late. A busy mind is difficult to deal with at times when you are trying so hard to do so many things at once.

How do you over come a busy mind and focus on just one thing? Feel free to comment below and let me and other Authors know what helps you.

Aside from personal things going on in my life (and there are a fair few, unfortunately more stress right now than my husband and I feel we can handle at times), there is the revision of my current work in progress, the start of a second book and story ideas that plague my brain. A revision is a tough thing to deal with because you think you’re done and then boom, here’s several things that need to be addressed.

Now I wrote in my last post about revisions, so y’all know why I started a revision in the first place. As I read through I found several more things to address. First of all, there were the suggestions from my beta reader. Then there were things I found that needed addressed. Mostly stuff like saying ‘your’ instead of ‘you’re’ or something stupid easy like that. Things that I should have caught the last 8 or so times I’ve edited/read through it. As I’ve read through it I feel as though I just want to smack myself on the forehead like on of those gifs because I can’t believe I missed something so simple.

After you decide to do a revision, after you thought it was done and have to force yourself into the mindset that it’s not, you’ll find your mind in a different place than before. At least, that’s what happened to me. I am finding it much easier to trim the fat per say and get rid of unneeded words that don’t carry the story forward. I am finding that I am capable of perfecting (well not really making it perfect but rather just improving it, because perfect is a loose term depending on the person) the story in the ways it deserves. There is really no major plot points that need changed or anything like that but just a lot of little things. That being said, I’ve been focusing most of my writing time on the revision.

Even though I’m working on one project, I’ve been thinking of the storyline of my second book as well as future story ideas. Do you ever feel like you are just running around in circles and not really getting anywhere? Well in life and writing I have been feeling like that a lot lately. I know I will get there. I will get it done but between the rejection letters that I keep having to talk myself into not letting bother me and the many other things going on right now, I’m feeling a little overwhelmed. In many cases I have read others advice on feeling stressed while writing. Many Authors say to just step away from that project for a little while, it will help. However, I have this overwhelming drive to finish this novel and I can’t take a break until it is completely done.

I know it’s different for everyone, as far as the stress levels go and the timelines that we set for themselves. Each person will feel differently while they are on their 7th or 8th edit or on a revision period with their novel. I just hope that if that is you and you are feeling the same way I am right now, that you know that you are not alone. That you will finish your novel and you will eventually stop running in circles and go a different direction to the success that you seek. That it will take time but you should have faith in yourself, just as I need to have faith in myself.

Thank you for reading my blog…Until Next Time…JUST KEEP WRITING.

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Revisions

Revision, ugh, what a frustrating word. What do you do when a family member gives you constructive criticism on your writing? Is really another way to put it. You may be asking yourself if you even need to do a revision to your novel or if it’s fine the way it is. I personally thought I was done with mine. But it is my first official novel that I am trying to get traditionally published so I guess there was bound to be some changes that I needed to make. I mean nobody is perfect right?

So let’s start with the fact that as ya’ll may already know I have already submitted my novel to ten Literary Agents. That’s right the revision is coming after the fact. Not because of the Queries though. Instead it’s because I let a family member read it before it’s been published. My husband was the first and then another close family member was the second.

She ultimately enjoyed the novel but had some constructive criticism to share with me in regards to different aspects of the storyline. The beginning section turned out to be a little over descriptive, which made it a slow read to start but she says it picked up considerably afterwards. Which is great to know. There were some other key points we talked about as well that would give too much away if I described them here in my blog.

Now back to my first question. What do you do when a family member gives you constructive criticism on your writing? Well, the answer is simple, you take the advice with an open mind and thank them for taking the time to discuss it with you. The only way we all grow as Authors is to keep an open mind. The people in your life can be the most invaluable to your growth as an Author.

My husband was straight forward as well but not being an avid reader, and knowing the storyline already, there were some things that he missed that my sister in law picked up on. She is an avid reader. So that experience reading several different genres and having the outside prospective was key to her opinions as well. The outside perspective was because she didn’t know the in’s and out’s of the story beforehand like my husband did. He has endured (with a smile on his face and no complaints I might add), me talking about my novel in detail for six years. With that being said, I listened to her opinion in detail because it gave me a view from that different perspective.

Now some of you may be saying well, what if it’s all bad and it causes problems with that friend or family member? Well my advice to that question is this. Don’t let it. That’s right, the thing is that you are asking them for their opinion. If they take that time to give you their review, then you need to keep that open mind. It’s great that they took the time to pay that much attention to your work. It means they value the effort you put into it, which also means that you should value their opinion.

At the same time I can tell you this. If you are that worried about someone’s opinion, about it ruining a relationship or are afraid that they will be too critical, leaving out the constructive part, then don’t let them read it yet. Start with the people you trust the most. Or if that still makes you nervous just thinking about it then go with professionals. There are many official beta readers out there and/or other Authors who are very professional in their approach and some of you may be more comfortable going with one of them and that’s perfectly fine.

However, I felt like people I trust, my family members are the best for me to start with. Not in any particular order except the fact of course my husband being the first to read it because well he’s both my best friend and my husband of course he would be the first to read anything I write lol. My sister in law being second because she reads faster than anyone I know and I value her unfiltered opinion, she is always one to be very straight forward. Next will be my father, because he has supported my writing through my entire life and it’s about time he was able to read this part of my life that I’ve been talking about for so long.

My focus right now is getting through this revision as quickly as possible without missing anything. There are currently a lot of red marks across my manuscript right now of changes to make. I’m trying to thin out the beginning and I will take care of other things along the way. You don’t need to follow all the advice you are given but let it guide you to the right path for your novel and career. Basically its another re-read of my entire novel. If you have been following along, then you know that my novel is a little over 400 pages. My current changes will probably shorten it a little more and that’s ok. This will take a little bit but I am working on it every chance I get because it’s coming up on the time when I wanted to Query my next list of ten agents. But this revision will probably warrant an email sent to the previous list so they know that there were changes made. This has lit a fire under my butt so to speak and made it easier to make the necessary changes I needed.

Honestly, I’m not going to sugar coat it, there is a certain amount of fear that is accompanied with letting others read your novel for the first time. Fear of being told that you suck as a writer. Fear of being told that you shouldn’t waste your time. Fear of everyone hating it. That fear can take over if you let it. But you have to ask yourself, what if they love it? Constructive criticism can be a bad thing if you let it or it can help you become a better Writer, it’s your choice. Will you let it weigh you down or let it help you soar?

Thank you for reading my blog…Until Next Time…JUST KEEP WRITING.

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Submission/Rejection Letters

On Wednesday I submitted Query letters and Manuscript samples to 11 Agents. We are starting with an Author update in this post but don’t worry I will be glad to share some insights to what I experienced during my submission process. First of all, I would like to start out by saying how stressful it is. You may hear some Authors say that it wasn’t that bad. Honestly though, I almost chickened out a couple of times before I submitted but my bravery won over. That’s right whether you have self-published or submitted Queries to be traditionally published you are BRAVE.

There is no other way to say it other than you WILL get rejection letters. It is very rare that you hear an Author, even the famous ones, who got a deal right out of the gate. It takes courage as Authors to send out those Queries knowing that you will ultimately get several No’s before that one Yes. You are not alone. You are brave and don’t let anyone tell you otherwise.

This was the order of events that took place to get to this point:

First the idea (of course) that leads to the first draft
The editing that turned into lots of additions and removals of information
The long process which had several rounds of edits
The beta reading process
During the beta reading process, came the start of the Blurb and Synopsis
Finished the blurb, struggled with the synopsis but got there eventually with lots of complaining, snacks, almost crying, and a grey hair or two.
Then finally being finished with the novel
Which led to writing the Query letter and finishing it after multiple rewrites and edits.
Then I discovered that my novel was not formatted in the right font or font size.
I changed the font to Times New Roman, the font size to 12, the margins to 1 inch, made sure there was a header that had the page numbers, my name and my book title, which is all the suggested formatting that I found online from reading multiple sources. I know I should have started with this but now I know for future reference. We are never truly done learning.
Then I felt completely ready to start researching agents. It took about a week (considering I have a busy day job and other life things to take care of that keep me fairly busy, I am proud of it being only a week). Being who I am (slightly organized) I wanted to make some Excel worksheets (which I thanked my husband for doing, so I had more time for research) to help keep track of the information I found. I compiled a list of about fifty literary agents. I rated them by my favorites (based on the agency as well) and did a five star system. One star obviously a least favorite (meaning they didn’t quite fit with my future plans as an author and I didn’t quite fit with them). Five star was, they checked every box and I thought we would make a great fit to expand my career. Honestly there were no one stars on the list and only one person who was a two star. I based most of the choices on, a combination of if I liked what I saw with the agency in general, the description of the Author between what genres they were interested, experience and a sense of humor in their description was a major plus.
Then I found a day where I had some time and started submitting. I felt prepared and ready to start sending out those Queries. The first submission was easy. It was a copy and past into Query Manager kind of submission so It was an online ready to go submission form. However, the second one was an email. Which had to be a pasted Query letter and an attached manuscript sample of ten pages. So, I ended up having to make a few other Word documents that were formatted the same and with a copied and pasted 10 pages, 25 pages and one that was 3 chapters pasted of my manuscript. Some agents wanted the 10 some wanted bigger samples. With them being attachments they had to be separate files from the full manuscript.
Then came the waiting game

Now to elaborate on all of the Querying process I can tell you that I liked the ability to just copy and past into the body of the email instead of adding an attachment. It made it so much easier. I found my favorite way to Query was through the Query Manager website though. Like I said, it was like a submission form. Which was all laid out for you and super simple to use. There was a link to follow from the agency website and it was a matter of sometimes adding an author bio or a list of novels similar to yours, copying and pasting and clicking submit. You even get a link to the website to check on your Queries.

The Author bio wasn’t too difficult as I already wrote a paragraph in my Query letter so I discovered that I can write about myself a little so that helped. However, the list of books like mine was difficult. Just because I tend to stop reading a certain genre for the time I am writing the first rough draft of my novel because I don’t want any chance of ideas from another novel spilling into mine. I never want to use another Authors ideas accidentally in my novels.

With my rough draft being written for several years now that wasn’t the biggest issue as much as time is. Don’t get me wrong I love to read, it’s honestly one of my favorite things to do. But I love to write more, so reading a novel takes me awhile to get through. Most of the time I take months to finish one book. Unless I am beta reading or doing a review for someone of course (than I find the time). The problem is that there is just not enough time in the day. When I find that I have a few mins to work on reading or writing, I usually choose the latter of the two. When I need time to relax my brain, I’ll typically choose reading instead.

So, when an agent asked for a list of novels like mine, I didn’t have an idea other than the genres that it is similar to. I am a multi-genre Author as well as a multi-genre reader so I read all kinds of genres. Right now I am reading through the Harry Potter series, I have been on Year 5 for a month now and am about halfway through. I started them because I have never read them until now, I am a fan, I love the movies but just started reading and loving the books.

That being said, the lists of novels similar to mine thwarted me. My advice is that if you are working on the editing process of your novel, then it is a good time to read a few books like it and start compiling that list. Not all agents ask for it. Of the eleven I submitted to, only one did but I felt unprepared for that question. I know why they ask it. It’s to see what the market might look like for your novel, to see what genre you see it fitting into, where you see your novel going in terms of popularity, sales etc. Even knowing why, still made it difficult.

There you have it as far as the submitting process went. When I was finished with the 11 submissions, I had set a goal of 10 for the day, so I felt accomplished. Some took like five minutes to Query, others a good 15 minutes or so. It all depends on what they are looking for. Some it’s a Query letter and 10 pages of manuscript, others that includes a synopsis, and an author bio separate from what’s in your letter. Each submission was a little different, because you want to make sure you address each agent by name in your letter. If you can personalize it a bit is a good idea as well. Which is other advice that I have compiled from reading several articles about Querying. So in all, submitting to 11 agents took me about 4 hours (taking out the breaks lol). At the end of it, I had a migraine but I felt accomplished.

That brings me to Friday. Two days of waiting for anything to happen with my Submissions. Granted I haven’t really been expecting anything until maybe weeks so I wasn’t that anxious yet. That morning I received my first rejection email. Then soon after a second one. Now, I wasn’t upset or anything because I expected it and am expecting more. But the first one wasn’t a straight rejection letter. They said that my current novel was not a project that they felt would be a good fit with them right now but that any future projects I have they encourage me to Query again. So it was a nice rejection letter. The second was just a straight they didn’t think it was a good fit for their agency letter.

After all that, I am welcoming the rejection letters because when I find the right agent for me then it will be an offer instead. I am also anxious to get my first rejection with some in depth feedback. If it doesn’t happen, its fine but I really am ok with constructive criticism because its how we grow. For now, I will continue to be hopeful that my Query finds the right agent. Then we can get the show on the road with the publishing part.

Those of you that I am very grateful to have following me here on my blog may not aware that I also have a Facebook Group and Author Page. Please click on the links below to check them out. You can follow me on my Author page for updates as I post there more often. As well as please check out my Facebook group, it is for Authors to promote their work as well as readers to find new materials to read. Please agree to the rules for your request to join the group to be accepted.

Thank you for reading my blog…Until Next Time…JUST KEEP WRITING.

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Writing a Synopsis

Writing a Synopsis can be incredibly daunting but not impossible. Take it from me, it can be discouraging to the point of procrastination to start writing your it. But I am here to tell you not to be discouraged. Have confidence in yourself and your writing to complete this next step in your career and get that Synopsis done.

If it is the first time you’ve ever written one than there is quite a bit to learn. I researched as much as I could before I started the process. Truth be told, I wrote a few full drafts, to get it right. The first one was too vague. Second one too detailed. Third one, once polished, was right. That’s not mentioning the several I started but never finished in the beginning. Like I said, it’s difficult to sum up an entire novel.

Some of you may be saying, well how hard can it be it’s just a description of your book right? Not exactly. Let’s start with the difference between a Synopsis and a Blurb. That’s right, most people confuse the two. Including me, at first. One thing you will never hear (well technically read) me claim to be is the perfect author who gets everything right the first time. That’s not reality. Reality is, even the best writers made mistakes in the beginning and I bet they still do from time to time. Because you are never done growing and learning as an author.

Back on topic, what is the difference between a Synopsis and a blurb.

Synopsis

Is a brief summery or survey of your work. (As per the online definition).

Blurb

Is a short description of a book that appears on the cover or in an advertisement.

The difference between the two is a Synopsis is for an agent or publisher giving them a detailed albeit just the most important details including the ending.

The Blurb is vague and written to draw in the reader without giving important details away. This is written to make someone pick up the book read the cover and go, hmm I wonder how Sandy finds out who the killer of her neighbor is, I guess I have to buy it to find out.

So now that we know the difference lets begin with the more detailed information on what a Synopsis needs to include.

Basically you will include all the most important plot points, main characters, climax and resolution. All of that will be in a one – two page, 500 – 1000 word package to present to the agent or publisher.

Do not include the fact that your character has platinum blond hair or powder blue eyes.
Do not include what your characters had for lunch.
Do not include what their favorite color is.

Only include important facts that are relevant to the progression of the story. Keep it fact based, as far as the main details of the story. Need to know, absolute pertinent information.

For example, a start to a story:

Sarah is an astronaut, who hates flying. She is deathly afraid of getting on a plane but she is training to go to space. Intense training leads her to meet David. They fall in love but when Sarah breaks her back in a training exercise she has to learn to walk again. David tries to see her but she refuses. After months of rehabilitation, she tries to start her training again, only to hear that David left the program to become a pilot. They refuse to allow her to train when she doesn’t pass her physical. Overcoming her fear, she convinces David to hire her as a pilot. They get married and she spends her life teaching and helping others overcome their fear of flying.

Of course that’s just a quick example (full disclosure nothing in that one paragraph story is fact checked as far as if the idea would work) but you get the idea. Give the main details. This is not a description where you would include emotions of your characters. You want the agent or publisher to see the quick outline of the story in paragraph form. You don’t want them to have to spend too long reading it. That’s why they only ask for samples and I’m learning sometimes only for a query letter and a synopsis. They want the bare minimum to asses if they want to read more. Agents and Publishers are busy and don’t want to waste time reading something that they are not interested in.

This is just my findings on writing a Synopsis. All my research has led to me having written a Synopsis in the length that’s needed to get the point across. Think of your novel, your idea, as a business proposal. You can be as passionate as you want, that will encourage readers to pick up your book but to an agent or publisher it is first and foremost a business deal. Yes, they may love to read and love what they do but they need to know if it is a novel that they can represent to the best of their ability. As much as you need to know that they will too. If they don’t find the main idea interesting enough between your query letter, Synopsis and sample of your manuscript than they are not the right person to represent your novel. If they are willing to give you advice though, take it and learn from it.

One of the steps to finding an agent or publisher is to write a Synopsis. In my now vigorous search for an agent (which is just taking down many names right now), I can tell you that most of them will ask for a Synopsis. So, get writing it. Don’t wait a second longer. You got this! Don’t let fear stop you. You have a story to tell and a Synopsis is just one small part of a long list of things to do to get there. But guess what? That one thing will be done and you can move on to the next and the next after that until you reach your goals.

Good luck and may the writing muses be with you in your endeavors. If I can write a Synopsis than anyone can. There may be swearing, there may be snacks, and there may be rewrites but when you’re done, the smile on your face and the sense of accomplishment will be worth it.

Thank you for reading my blog.

Until Next Time…JUST KEEP WRITING.

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Life

Life can either lift you up or bring you down depending on what mood it’s in. Yes, I’m talking about life having a mind of it’s own. We never really know what kind of day we will have but we can absolutely try to make it better by trying to stay positive and make the best out of each day. Life is short, so making the most of each day is important.

It’s been awhile since I’ve written any blog posts. Life has taken a toll. My husband and I have lost two family members who we were very close to. Adding to that, the stress of normal day to day life has had an impact as well. Sometimes it feels as though no matter how much you try, life has a way of humbling you back to reality. The understanding that just when you think you’ve been through as much as you can possibly take, anything can happen.

So just as we go through loss in life I think it’s important to include tragedy in your own writing. Your characters don’t necessarily have to experience the loss of a loved one but the emotional journey a tragedy takes a person on is important. The loss of an idea or direction in life can be a tragedy as well.

Not each one has to be as devastating as losing an important person but it is a way to develop your character. To help them grow into the person they become at the end. Transitioning your characters from being naive to the situations you put them in through your story to being experienced in handling the situation set before them is essential to their growth. In a way you are helping your character grow. As we age we become wiser to life. Wiser to each and every thing that life throws at us. A character needs those transitional plot points to develop into the hardened character you want them to be in the end.

In my current work in progress, my characters go through a lot of tragedy in a sense. There are moments of self discovery. Transitional moments that make that them wiser. Learning how to navigate through life is important for both you and your character. We don’t always expect the unexpected but we do try to survive it when it does happen. That’s all we can do. Showing that growth in your characters life is essential to making them relatable to your readers. Not just with tragedy but with any unexpected event in their lives.

They meet someone unexpected
They get life changing news
Someone offers a kid gesture towards another person and they have a moment of inspiration
A tragic event happens to someone they know and they learn some lessons in life vicariously through someone else.
They make a lifestyle change

These are just some examples but there are many ways in which a character can grow as a person. Writing these ways and living the moments through your character just might help you grow as well.

Speaking of growth, I have officially finished both the Blurb and Synopsis for my novel. For those of you who follow me on Facebook you may have already seen my posts. If you wish to Follow me on Facebook or YouTube, the links will be below the last image in this post. Finishing the Synopsis was actually very trying. I have never actually completed one before this. I mean I’ve attempted to write one but never got to the final draft. You don’t typically need a synopsis for short story’s or anything but a novel. So the need to write one and get to the final draft hasn’t been substantial until now. The last novel I wrote is still in the editing stages and never got passed that before I started my current work in progress.

However, I must say that I am super excited to have reached this point. I am also about 3/4 of the way there with my beta reader for their read through. Next will be the final changes and then being sent off to be critiqued by Agents. I am fully expecting tons of rejection letters and many submissions until I find the right one but as we all know, that is just one of the parts of life that makes us stronger. Both as a person and as a Writer.

So if you are struggling with whatever your current tragedy is in life or in your story for your character, just remember that it is an opportunity to grow as a person. In this past month of losing two loved ones, I have grown wiser. Not that I wouldn’t prefer to have the people instead of the lesson in life, but just that you are reminded of some important things.

For me it has been that life is too short to miss out on any time with the people that you love in your life. Also that family and friends are very important. Don’t miss a chance to say how much they mean to you. My grandmother will always be in my heart and although I would rather her be with us right now, I know that it was her time and that in her death she was still able to teach me so much about the importance of the short but full lives we all have.

Thank you for reading my blog…Until Next Time…JUST KEEP WRITING.

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New Outlook

A New outlook sounds good for the coming New Year. I’m sure that many of you can relate to that sentiment. I am trying to have a new outlook on what to expect. For starters lets just all admit that there has been a bleak dark cloud hanging over the year 2020. So I am entering 2021 with a good outlook and a hopeful mindset.

I am writing this on my tablet but with a new case that has a keyboard attached that my husband got me for Christmas. He got it for me in hopes that it will help me be able write more as my tablet is something I have with me more than my laptop. So I have a more portable and compact way to keep up with my social media accounts, including this blog and have more opportunities to work on different aspects of my writing.

So my hopes for the upcoming year include writing more, as my day job tends to overshadow my writing this year I hope to over come that for 2021. My YouTube channel will be added to at each available chance I get. However, editing a YouTube video takes a lot of time so between, work, writing, all my social media accounts and the YouTube channel my husband and I started as a way to make people laugh, plus my overwhelming need to have a minute to relax after a long days work, it will be a learning curve still on how to find a balance.

I am also hopeful that I will find a way to finish my first novel. I am so close but there is still a lot to do. Writing a Thriller, filled with terror, action, romance and a serial killer was actually fairly easy to accomplish for me with the first draft. Then came the logistics. The details, the editing (ugh editing is the worst part really!), letting someone else read it, which ultimately involves more editing, then writing a blurb, writing a synopsis (Also turning out to be another worst part), and trying to find an agent willing to take on a multi-genre writer, can be a long process. Especially when it’s my first novel. So here’s hoping I find the time needed in this upcoming year.

Having New Years resolutions are great but be careful not to overwhelm yourself. I am setting some realistic goals….ie..

Finding a way to balance everything, as I said before. Without making myself feel unaccomplished if I don’t do something I hoped I would get done. I need to remember that I am one person and I can only do so much. But I still need to find the balance of knowing when I can push myself to do more than I set out to do.
Finding more time to write is a must if I am ever going to publish my novel, making time to do so when I can is important (which will be made much easier by my new more portable way to type).
Having a more hopeful outlook on this year. My husband and I have had a few rough years in a row here, involving extended family issues that we never thought we would face. We have been each others rocks and gotten through every bit of it because we have had each other to hold the other up when needed. So I am starting 2021 with a more hopeful perspective. I will try to focus on the positives whenever possible.
Finally, my last goal for this next year is to enjoy more of the little things. More moments that are precious. Enjoy more time with those I care about. Make time to de-stress with my husband more often, by finding ways to disconnect a bit so we don’t feel so overwhelmed all the time.

I hope that you are able to find some ways to set realistic goals to help yourself have a great New Year. Most importantly, make time for those you love. Don’t hold back when you feel like you should tell someone how much you love them, even when its not a holiday. People, including yourself deserve to hear that they are loved and appreciated. Everyone needs a little love and encouragement.

Unfortunately, I believe that there are too many people who hold back and are influenced by how others tell them to feel, that they never live their life to the fullest. So live a new year not full of regrets but rather full of happy memories.

Thank you so much for reading my blog and feel free to share a couple of your New Years Resolutions in the comments below. Happy New Year!

Until Next Time…JUST KEEP WRITING

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The Holiday Rush/Writer Update

So…it’s been awhile. Hello to all of you wonderful people, who take the time to read the blog of a crazy writer with a busy work life (unfortunately not having to do with writing as much as I wish) with an equally as busy mind trying to find time for what she loves to do. Yeah that’s a mouth full.

Anyways, I thought I would take the time on this day where I actually have a moment to do so and write a post. It is the busy Holiday season where all of the stress can start to overpower the wonderful parts about the Holidays, if you let it. But I try to enjoy what I can about this season. Just remember that everything will work out just the way it’s supposed to and take a moment every now and then for yourself, you deserve it.

For the first time in many years, most of the presents (except for those with shipping delays) are wrapped and set under the tree. All the cookies are baked and my husband and I are actually ready for all things holiday with time to spare. I tried to make things easier on myself and do a little at a time when I had the chance.

Although I know that some of you may be having stresses of your own, don’t be afraid to ask for help. Especially don’t be afraid to take a moment to drink hot cocoa, watch a Christmas movie or go for a drive to see Christmas lights. Those are wonderful memories to share with the ones you love. Life is short and those moments are ones you’ll cherish. This has been such a tough year for everyone, so a moment to lift your spirits, whether you are by yourself or sharing it with others is long over due.

As for an Author update…I am still chugging along when I can. My beta reader is reading when they can and that’s all I can ask for. My synopsis is coming along. I work on it every chance I get. I also have had other book ideas and written down notes for those. As well as written another short story on Reedsy. If you are ever on there and would like to read the three I have posted then it is under my pen name, the same as my Facebook page.

In the mean time, writing also takes research, and I take great pride in that. So naturally as I always do I have been keeping up with my reading as well :). On book two of the Harry Potter series right now, I believe it is the perfect season for them. As I am a multi-genre writer, I am also the same way with reading, of course.

I also wanted to take the time to say Merry Christmas and Happy New Year. I hope y’all have a wonderful Holiday season filled with lots of time spent with loved ones and enjoying the little things that make this season so magical.

Thank you for reading my blog…Until Next Time…JUST KEEP WRITING.

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Makeup/Hairstyle

Alright, let’s talk about makeup and hairstyles for your characters. My last post was about what clothes to wear so this seemed only too fitting for a follow up post. You either want your characters to look their best or show their hard ships.

~~ Makeup~~

Both woman and men could wear makeup. Depending on occupation of course. But mainly depending on preference. There are many who feel as though makeup makes them look better but little do they know, that they are beautiful without it. Confidence in ones appearance can make a difference between whether they are comfortable without wearing makeup or not.

Many woman are pretty adamant about makeup for everyday use or at least for work or an event. But there are others who are not. So your character can be either way. My biggest issue is when woman are depicted as always worrying about how their makeup looks, or their makeup is always flawless. Under stressful situations, or rough weather conditions, etc. I’m sorry but their, what may have been a masterpiece earlier, is no longer perfect looking. It may be smeared, running, faded slightly but I like reading a more realistic version of a makeup scenario. That may just be my preference though. However, I like imperfections in a storyline because it’s more like reality…no one is perfect. That’s what makes us all unique and wonderful in our own ways.

Sometimes you may even, like I said, describe men wearing makeup. As an everyday choice or it may be for a job. It’s a well known fact that most musicians, movie and tv stars wear some kind of make up. Even news anchors do. So if it’s a requirement for their job or a choice it could be an optional way to include it in your story.

Ways to describe makeup should be kept simple. Don’t over describe it. You will read that statement a lot through my posts. To be careful of over explaining something. Makeup can be described as easily as… ’she applied light makeup‘, to going into detail as the color of lipstick or colors in total that were used. However, an entire makeup routine can be left out. Your readers aren’t reading your novel to learn how to apply the makeup, so keep it to the point and what makes sense to give an insight to a personality or add a visual aspect to the scene.

~~ Hairstyles~~

I know, there are so many options, from colors to styles, updos, straight hair, curly hair, long hair, buzz cuts etc. But picking a said style can be based on many different things. Much like clothing (as stated in my last post), a hairstyle can be determined based on….

Personality

Career

Social life/Family life

Mood

Budget/circumstances/Availability

Time period

Maybe they just like an easier hairstyle to deal with because they spend a lot of time at work or socializing and would like something low maintenance.

Maybe they have long hair because they believe their hair is their best feature and are determined to continue to stick to the same style.

Maybe they choose a certain color, like some actresses/actors do, that they’ve kept up their whole lives and not even, they remember exactly what their original hair color was like.

There’s also the possibility that being a mother, or a father would determine the difference in their hair style.

Their mood can determine whether or not they try a new crazy hairstyle/color. Whether or not they feel bold.

Budget can determine how often it’s kept up and what styles they choose as well.

Time period says a lot. Depending on the era It will determine what styles were popular in your story.

***In my next YouTube video on my channel I will give some examples on types of makeup and hairstyles that you can describe. The link will be below the next image in this post.***

There are many ways to describe the appearance of your characters. Many things that you can do to tell a little bit about their personality. A persons appearance tells so much about them and what they have gone through in life. Sometimes it’s a teenager acting out or a mom wanting to feel like a teenager herself again. Sometimes it’s a man whose completely comfortable with wearing makeup and also dyes his hair because he’s unhappy to see any grey hair. Sometimes it’s someone who is proud to show their age and looks great with their grey hair and no makeup.

Details don’t have to be boring. They can be incredibly important as well as entertaining. What matters is how you describe it. Each sentence and each description can be used as a tool, per say, to enhance and drive your story forward. Embrace those details, make them show who your character really is. Think about your style and why you either choose to wear makeup or not…or why you style your hair the way you do…then think of your character under the same detailed microscope. Why do they look the way they do? What does it mean to them, as well as what might it mean to a reader who’s reading it for the first time?

Thank you for reading my blog…Until Next Time…JUST KEEP WRITING.

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What do they Wear?

What do your characters wear? Do they have quite the fashion sense or are they more relaxed in their choice of attire?

It may be easy for you if your character has a similar choice in clothes as you. If you have a heightened fashion sense and your character does too, or vice versa. A persons choice of clothing can be determined by so many things, so as a character that you are trying to describe, here is a list of ways to determine what clothes they might wear.

By their career…

What kind of job do they have?
Do they have a uniform?
Or do they buy clothes specially for their job?
When they get home do they rush to change into something much more comfortable? Like pajama pants and a tshirt.

2. By their Social Life…

Do they hang out with friends a lot?
When or if they do what kind of environment is it in? Do they go to clubs, bars? Or is it Fancier restaurants, museum openings and galleries?
Are they in a committed relationship? Does that effect how they dress?
Do they go on a lot of dates?
Or is it family they hang out with the most?
If they’re married and have kids they may dress different than a single young person dating and going to clubs all of the time.

3. Personality wise…

Their upbringing can effect what they wear. Like if their parents were strict maybe they either dress conservative or they dress more revealing because of how strict it was when they were growing up and now they have that freedom.
Or they just enjoy a certain color, a certain look, Pattern, or perhaps they found a shirt they love so they bought like ten of them.
Do they love to shop/follow the latest celebrity styles?
Or do they dress as to not follow the latest trends because they like to be different.
If they have a bubbly personality they may like brighter colors. Or if they have a darker more depressed outlook on life then black may be their go to. Not that everyone who wears black does (one of my favorite clothing colors is black)…it could just be a determining factor based on personality.

4. Their mood…

A bad mood may entail a certain clothing choice to go with it.
A great mood may be time for their lucky shirt or something.
Woman on their periods have certain clothes they would rather wear during said time of the month. (More comfortable sometimes looser fitting clothes). Even men may have a days that they feel like its a more comfortable kind of day.
If they’re feeling flirtatious, they may go for a sexier look.

5. Finally, this is a big one, their budget/availability/circumstances…

If they have a high end name brand style, then it may not work on a smaller budget.
Do they live an hour from the closest mall? Or five minutes?
Do they shop at second hand stores on account of a lower budget?
How realistic are you trying to make it? Meaning, mostly we tend to write a novel where they main characters have a decent enough job to have money for the lifestyle they need but we don’t always take clothing into account.
I’ve even read stories where characters have made their own clothes for whatever situation they may be in. Mostly a survival story or end of civilization type story, or even just based in another time period.

6. Leading to my next point….the time period.

Obviously that can greatly effect the attire that your characters wear.
So be mindful of what time period they’re in, as to how they would dress based also on what society deemed appropriate in that time period. Not meaning that your character necessarily needs to dress as society tells them to but if they are rebellious and go beyond the norm, make it a point to point that out. (I would have totally rocked some trousers instead of a skirt back in the day, whether society deemed it appropriate or not lol. I love reading stories that reflect a rebellious side to the way characters dress.)

It is important to include some lifestyle aspects into the world you are creating. Readers love details, especially ones that tell a bit more about the personality of your characters. Clothing is one of those fun details that you can play around with and figure out what works best for both the story and your characters. They don’t have to dress the same as you. Do some research and have fun with it. Go outside the box and be bold with who they are.

In my current work in progress I have several different clothing styles. My main character is even different from me. She wears outfits that I wouldn’t necessarily wear and is more fashion inclined than I am. The reason I made her that way is because I took the six points I made earlier in this post into account, and determined that that’s who she is. Trust me, it’s taken a little research into outfits, colors, and styles to describe it but It’s worth it in the end to make my characters all unique in their own ways.

When you are struggling to come up with ways to provide detail and personality traits of your characters in your stories, think about including clothing. It really makes a difference and it is so easy to do once you make a mental list or a physical one if it helps you more to have a visual outlook, like I stated above. Those keys points help me not only come up with their individual styles but also do it in a way that tells something about those characters at the same time.

Thank you for reading my blog…Until Next Time…JUST KEEP WRITING.

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Keeping Track of Your Characters

Keeping track of all your characters can be tough to do sometimes. I’m talking everything from main characters to the clerk at the grocery store kind of character. So I created a more organized way for me to keep track of my characters.

I used to just write them down in a notebook and keep a list but sometimes, said list would be difficult to read (all in how and what notes I wrote down). So I tried to think of a better way. I enjoy changing the way I do something in order to be more productive if it’s something I can improve on. This just so happened to be one of those moments.

Much like my timeline table, I made a character table. Where I wrote down some key information to help me keep track of all characters. The last thing I wanted to have happen was for someone to be reading my novel and say ‘I thought Susie was the only cashier who worked on Thursdays or at least that’s what she said earlier in the book.’ Just an example but I didn’t want any mix up to occur with my characters.

So in my character table I laid it out in the following way…

At the top is the title of the novel/date (year) I started writing it and that it’s for characters.
Then I have 6 columns…
- Name
- Age
- Looks
- Personality
- Relationship to MC
- Chapters/pages of description

Obviously the first two columns are pretty self explanatory, however I do add their occupation and birth date in the same block as their name.

The looks column is for their character description…what do they look like? Are there any features that stand out? Hair color/style/length, eye color, height, etc.

Personality; what are their likes or dislikes? Are they Shy? What are some important details you want to remember to readdress later on in your story? For example, a character has a temper but most of the time hides it well, however you don’t want the reader to forget that detail.

The relationship to the MC (Main Character) is important. I want to remember who they are at all times and how they relate to my main characters. All the main ones I remember of course right off the top of my head but I never want to mix up the other characters with the smaller roles that are still essential to the storyline.

Then finally of course the Chapters/Pages of Description. Meaning the point in the novel where I wrote their character description. That way if I ever need to go back and read at length everything I said when I introduced the character to the readers, then I can very easily.

*If you would like to see the actual table that I use. Check out my YouTube Channel, the link will be at the bottom of this post. Then stay tuned for next weeks video where I will expand on this topic.*

Of course that is what works best for me. There are some, whom it may not work for but a few minutes of your time creating an Excel worksheet and setting up your character table, is worth the hours you save in backtracking through your novel. The best part is that all you need to do is make it once, then print however many sheets you need for however many characters, then save the file to reuse for each new novel you write.

In the time it takes us Authors to scroll through our social media accounts, you could make something that could organize the way you write. Which also saves you time in the future. Because ultimately a persons biggest obstacle is time. There never seems to be enough time in the day.

Thank you for reading my blog…Until Next Time…JUST KEEP WRITING.

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