A Writer in the Making...

I think you all will benefit from listening to my latest episode "Hit the Send Button" on my Podcast. Any other writers out there querying? Have you been rejected before by a publisher or agent? I have. What do you do? Do you try again? Is writing a lost cause anyway since you're still an unknown? Are you independent and no one is buying your books? Are you lost in the traditional world with so many successful authors around you? Listen and see what I have to say about it. Writer in the Making--Hit the Send Button https://anchor.fm/daria-white

Should you invest in a professional editor? I've seen a lot of opinions on this, but I can only speak for me. I did invest in one. As an author, I want to put my best foot forward, which I'm sure we all do. I read somewhere that not having your work professionally edited, is like serving a gourmet meal with a hair in it. Eww! So, yeah, while there may be an error that you or your editor may have missed, a book full of them is a complete turn off to a reader. I've seen books with amazing covers, but then I look at the reviews and readers comment on the grammar being terrible or too much "head hopping." What's head hopping? The bouncing back and forth between character's points of view. For example, a reader is reading Ava's point of view in a story but then it jumps to Brian's right in the middle of a scene, with no paragraph breaks or symbols to clarify it. It's confusing reading two POVs in one paragraph. I've seen and I'm sure you h...

Hey fellow authors! Guess what? I have a Podcast! I didn't think I would go through with it at first, but I like that I get to share my thoughts and experiences with writing. I'll be recording a new episode every week, so stay tuned. Most topics will be on the writing subject from critique partners, backstory, show and tell, etc. Outside of that, I'll be sharing my personal writing journey. What makes me different from the others? You're hearing it from me LOL. All opinions are my own so nothing I say is set in stone. Should you choose to listen, please sift. Don't change what you're doing because I said it. Take a few pointers here and there and see how you can apply it to your own style. I know everyone will not like or agree with me, but I am entitled to my opinion as you are to yours. All I ask is, no negativity. It won't be tolerated--at all. The first and second episodes are available so go ahead and listen. I don't know it all but I'm will...

Recently I've seen the popularity of CPs or critique partners for writers growing. What are they? These are fellow authors in your genre or who have similar tastes as you do, and you exchange pages of your manuscript. This can be a few chapters at a time, or the full book and the both of you agree when to return the drafts to each other. How do you find them? While there are many ways, I've found Twitter to work best for me. Yes there are other social media options, along with face to face ones (writer's meetings and conferences), but in our world, the internet has taken over. I do plan to participate in YA Kim Chance's #Chance2Connect (2nd Tuesday of every month), and there's also #CPmatch by Megan Lally. What do you do with these? You use the hashtag, see who interacts, and you direct message them to get their information. If you're a right fit, awesome! If not, keep looking for the right one. How did I find critique partners? I have two currently, and one...

Recently I saw a post on Twitter referring to the use of scenes. So, it had me wondering, how do you know what scenes work best for your book? At the end of the day, you want the scenes that move your story along. Is it essential to your character's personal growth (character arc) in the story? Are you just padding your book with words to meet a word count? For example, if my character (heroine) is sitting the in the park, my reader will want to know why? Is she reflecting on her life? Why is this scene important to her story? If she meets her love interest (hero) while at the park, then yes keep it in the book. If she has a conversation about the guy with a friend while at the park, then yes save it. So, as you can see if it moves the story along to where it's changing and challenging your characters (provoking change, building tension/conflict), then include the necessary scenes in your book. On the other hand, how do you know when a scene's over? Whether you're w...