A Writer in the Making...

If you've been looking for beta readers I do recommend www.critiquematch.com , www.cpmatchmaking.wordpress.com , and the latest www.betareader.io . With Critique Match and Betareader.io, you will have to upload your manuscript, whether its pages or the full document. I do advise reviewing the tutorials, and anything else can be asked in the help desks. I will say what's been working for me, is offering to be a beta reader. Of course, I don't offer in the hopes of "what can you do for me?" If a story sparks my interest and I have the time, I don't mind helping a fellow author in my genre. I know I can't read everyone's work, but I aim to sharpen my skills when it comes to plot development, character arcs, narratives, etc. Doing this, however, I have found authors are more open to reading my work since I took the time to read theirs. Again, I'm happy to help because I love reading and writing, but this has definitely been an asset to my works in pr...

Match-Made Christmas will be released early, July 6, 2019! Not only that, it'll be available in paperbacks through Amazon! Pre-order the ebook today! http://books2read.com/u/mvvjRz

My interview with The Honest Writer Sadie Chelsea is up at anchor.fm/daria-white Listen in to hear her tips and enter to win a FREE book from her. Also, listen to her interviewing me at her podcast Pick up the Pen https://anchor.fm/pickupthepen

I'm being interviewed this week on Pick up the Pen by Sadie Chelsea from The Honest Writer. I'll also be feautring her on my podcast this week as well! Sadie's speciality is unleashing the writer within. Stop allowing fear to kill your dream. Or maybe it's been lying dormant inside you and it needs to come out. Tune in this Friday to both Pick up the Pen and Writer in the Making! We're both psyched about this collboration so I hope you all enjoy. My website  www.dariawhite.com Writer in the Making  anchor.fm/daria-white Sadie Chelsea thehonestwriter.org

What is head-hopping? It's not the same a omniscient point of view, but head-hopping is when you're reading the story through the eyes of one character. Then from there you shift to another POV in the same paragraph or scene with no indication of a change. I've been advised to keep the POV consistent with one character for an entire chapter, but I have been know to bounce back and forth between my main characters. There will either be a parapgraph break in spacing, or I'll change the POV in the next scene with a symbols, such as hashtags or four asterisks. The bottom line is the less you confuse a reader, the better. Not only do you want your story to be polished, you want it to be clear. There's a difference between raising questions for your plot and posing questions because your readers are lost. Until the next tip!😃

It's here! The cover for Match-Made Christmas !Available for pre-order at all major retailers soon. https://books2read.com/u/mvvjRz

I am currently looking for beta readers for Match-Made Christmas ! Sign up will be open from now until April 2nd. I've recently discovered a website  https://betareader.io/ which is still in the beginning stages of helping authors find beta readers before officially launching their books! I decided to try it to see how I like it! This is my first time working with beta readers so it's definitely a learning experience for me. I'll let you know my results with it and was it helpful for me. Sometimes it's trial and error with some things as we learn the industry, but you'll never know unless you try. If you're interested in being a beta reader for me, click the link below to sign up. Thanks so much! https://read.betareader.io/discover/5c87e6f6bc25b8002d617816

New episodes on my podcast! These are follow ups to critique partners along with writing strong openings/hooks for your book! Recently I reached out to a developmental editor who answered my question on how to write hooks and starting your story in the right place. Her answer? Work backwards. Listen in to hear more! Working with CPs? Researching it out, I've discovered CP Matchmaking on Twitter. Use their service if your looking for critique partners. How does it work? Listen in! anchor.fm/daria-white

Currently, I publish with Smashwords.com . As a writer, I can publish my books for free and they are distributed to major retail stores i.e. Apple Books, Barnes and Noble, Kobo, etc. How has this worked for me in comparison to the traditional route? While there are a few manuscripts I want to submit to publishers, as a self-published author I enjoy the freedom of writing in my own time. I set my own deadlines, and I discipline myself to meet those dates. Do they change? Of course, life happens all the time, but again, I have the freedom to make that decision. A downside to this is everything depends on me i.e. professional editing, cover design, marketing, and promotion, etc. It's a lot of work for one person to handle, and I have yet to develop a full team around me to help with my brand as an author. So far, I have an editor and a cover designer. I'll leave the links below in case you're looking for either or. 😄 I love my cover designer. While there are others that a...

  Arranged : A Clean Billionaire Romance by Trisha Grace From the first chapter, this story engrossed me. I love Hayley and her spirit. She realizes her "dream" husband is just a dream, but due to unforeseen circumstances, she must press into her faith to take care of a man that doesn't want her around. Julian doesn't see Hayley as his wife, but her kindness towards him has him questioning her intentions. I love Trisha's depiction of both faith and love in this story. Hayley and Julian are both relatable, but Hayley is definitely my favorite in this story. I love her strength, her faith in God, and how she depends on Him to help with her rocky marriage. I look forward to reading more by Trisha Grace. Beautiful story, with even more twists and turns to keep us readers guessing.

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...

Character Arcs, what are they? In Creating Character's Arcs by K.M. Weiland, it's how the protagonist begins in your story, the journey of your protagonist, and how he or she ends up at the end. The author goes even further to ask, what's the "lie" your character believes? For example, Ava may begin in the story wanting to be loved and seeking a marital relationship. Her lie? No one will love her for her because her last relationship ended with her fiance dumping her on Valentine's Day. She's feels worthless. From there, whatever our inciting incident is (main dramatic event of the story), Ava goes on her journey, which pulls her to face her lie versus staying the same. Maybe she meets a new man, and the conflict is breaking down her walls since he's sincere in his approach. By the end, does she change for the better or worse? Does she experience what she needs (i.e. spiritual/emotional freedom) versus what she wants (seeking love)? When I first s...

I saw a post on Twitter and the question was asked, which writer's guide are the most helpful? Then I got to thinking, do writers even need one? Aside from critique partners, editors, and beta readers (another post for another time lol), what else is useful during the writing process? What if you're new and don't know how to structure an outline? What if you have a plot hole, or maybe your descriptions fall short and you need a fuller vocabulary of words to choose from? For me, I definitely fit into this category. I'll be honest and say my weaknesses include naming emotions, using weak verbs, and... drum roll please... crutch words "just", "admit," and my personally favorite in dialogue, "you've got to be kidding me." Now, while there are times these things can be used, the key word is sparingly . I've learned that readers want an experience when they read a book. You've got to touch their hearts with a story. As a romance a...

We've all heard as writers "show and don't tell," while others have heard "show and tell." Which one do you choose? I have found it's best to find a balance. If your details are not moving the story, then of course tell your readers, "Mya went to work." On the other hand, if she gets into an accident on the way or she meets her hero (love interest) because he's her new boss, then show it. Ex: "Mya gripped the steering wheel. Her radio clashed with traffic noises outside, but she sung along to the tunes anyway. She could use another cup of coffee, but stopping on the way--out of the question. Five will be here soon and I can go home. If only she could keep her eyes from drooping, but her boss's thick eyebrows would raise if she trotted inside the office late. Then the purr of her motor came to an end as she cut the engine, finally parking in her spot. Then she saw... Greg? " This is a rough version, but get you the point, ...

Christmas has come and gone so quickly. Despite that, I hope you all have enjoyed it with the ones you love. Only a few days left until the New Year. In advance, Happy New Year!😄😃😁

I don’t remember where I read this quote, but I understand more than ever the phrase “get it written.” Today I made the mistake of “editing as I go.” I’m trying to get better at balancing showing and telling, and usually showing takes longer. So while I attempted to make a word count for my next chapter, I ended taking at least two hours in the previous one “editing.” So... I’m going to get back to writing first. The first draft is meant to be as raw as possible. I can’t worry about it being correct  right now, just “get it written.” I wrote a previous post about what I would say to aspiring authors, well today I’m saying “get it written.” Don’t worry about the showing. Don’t worry about repetition. Don’t think about your common mistakes. Don’t worry about anything. Just write your story. Once you do that, then go back. You’ll save time in the long run.