As most of you know, I’m on a deadline and trying desperately to finish my book. Not because it’s due in a week and a half (I know I’ll finish on time) but because I’m at that point where I’m panting toward the end, honestly and truly curious about how it will all turn out.
So there’s no guest blogger today because frankly, I forgot to sign anyone up!
But I did read a great article a few weeks ago written by author Steve Berry, so he’s sort of our “de facto” guest blogger…only he doesn’t know it. In the interest of copyright (and with all due respect to fair use,) I will not reprint his entire article, but you can link to it RIGHT HERE. I thought I’d add a little commentary to a few of Mr. Berry’s ideas and hope he doesn’t mind.
From what I understand, this list came from a speech he gave at a wonderful event called the Maui Writer’s Conference. Now, I’ll say right up front that I’ve been to Maui and it really wasn’t my favorite place in the world. I’m much more of a Honolulu/Oahu girl. I like things to do. But as far as writing retreats go, you can do a lot worse than Maui.
I think Mr. Berry’s EIGHT rules should be required reading of all new writers (and old writers, truth be told!) There’s something wonderful about taking the whole of writing well and making it simple. I’m going to have to try Mr. Berry’s books. I do like a good thriller. I’ve heard of him, of course, but I’ve never read him, something I must remedy! Anyone who can boil so much good advice into so few words has my utmost respect. I’ve linked to the original, but here’s just a few of my favorites:
Steve Berry’s 8 Rules of Writing
Maui Writers Conference, Honolulu, September 2008
At the 2008 Maui Writers Conference, bestselling thriller writer Steve Berry says there are eight key rules that all writers must know and follow:
1. There are no rules. You can do anything you want as long as it works.
Ha! This would be my favorite rule since you all know I’m a no-rules kind of girl. “As long as it works” is a great qualifier. How do you know if something works? Well, by giving it to a reader…not someone who is going to tell you how brilliant you are or who is going to stoke your ego or who doesn’t really know good from bad, but someone who is a really tough sell. An editor is good. An agent is good. My mother is the best, but I’m not sharing her. FYI, not everyone’s mother is a good choice. Mothers are wired to praise their kids. Not that mine doesn’t praise, but she’s a tough critic when it comes to writing. Trust me on this.
3. Don’t confuse the reader. Don’t misuse point of view. Don’t do too much at once.
I see this one a lot in unpublished work or in really amateurish work. To me, it’s when the author is trying too hard to be complex or is setting up a gazillion story questions without compelling the reader to give a damn about the answers. And yes, head-hopping is really tough to pull off. And I don’t want to hear how X author or Y author does it all the time. See Rule #1.
5. Shorter is always better. Write tight. It makes you use the best words in the right way.
Wow, this is one I need to remind myself of during my edits next week.
8. You must tell a good story. Bad writing can be forgiven with a good story. A bad story with the most beautiful writing cannot.
Again, how do you know if it’s a good story? Well, I think a good story comes when you have respect for your own storytelling, when you strive to work harder than any other writer out there, when you put your mind, heart and soul into a book and consistently ask yourself, “Is this the best I can do?” Is this the most surprising plot twist or the most compelling character I can come up with? Is my blond-haired bimbo a stereotype or have I given her a fresh twist? What about my Latin lover? Is he just all about the hot or does he have some sort of unexpected appeal? Push yourself. Strive for the best…and always remember, it’s about the story, not about you.
My book taught me that very lesson this week when my characters simply would not do what I wanted them to do. I’m glad they fought and I lost because the story they wanted to tell is much better than the one I was planning on.
So…what rule have you heard or do you adhere to that helps you push yourself as a writer? And have you read Mr. Berry?
By all reports, Julie Leto was a sweet child once, somewhat shy, preferring to play quietly in her room making up stories. However, being raised with three brothers in a loud, primarily Italian household did have its influences and Julie discovered her inner tough girl. That’s probably why most of her heroines kick serious butt. Writing sassy heroines has worked out, as she’s sold over forty books to four publishers featuring strong, confident women. Julie lives in Florida with her daughter, a spoiled dachshund, a haughty lynx-point Siamese and a wide range of relatives all within driving distance.
Destiny
Dirty Little Secrets
Once Upon A Valentine
Through The Night
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Hi guys, I’m off to a writer’s retreat so I don’t have time to hang around today. I’ll read this when I get back tomorrow or if they have internet access down in Manitou Springs.
Take care and have a great day,
Cher :banana:
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Wow, that was short and sweet!
I think right now, having just finished my 3rd and final round of edits, I’m wondering about voice. My editor, and the final line editor, didn’t really re-write a ton of stuff, but as I just finished reading back though the story I’m not really sure it sounds like me. And maybe that’s just because I’m in the middle of it, neck deep in it, and so it’s hard to be able to see it objectively.
And that’s where I struggle with all these rules. How do you do all the things you’re supposed to do: write shorter, write tight, don’t use adverbs, show don’t tell, etc, etc, etc, and still find your unique voice.
And I know you’re not going to be able to really give me an answer to this, it’s just something I have to figure out on my own. But right now – after these edits and with my pounding headache – it seems like an impossible search.
I’m glad you’re writing is going well and that you’re excited to be closing in on the finish!!!
Hope it’s a great weekend for everyone!!
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I am not a writer, but I struggle to be succinct.
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Hi Julie! Thanks for the link and huge thanks for your commentary. I’m revising right now so these rules are great reminders. I haven’t read Mr. Berry’s books either. A friend of mine went to the conference this year though – and guess what? It wasn’t in Maui this time, but Oahu.
Have a great week finishing up your book!
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Jodie, I just wanted to respond to this: >>And that’s where I struggle with all these rules. How do you do all the things you’re supposed to do: write shorter, write tight, don’t use adverbs, show don’t tell, etc, etc, etc, and still find your unique voice.>>
I think it goes back to Steve’s rule: There are no rules. You can do anything you want as long as it works.
I firmly believe that. This isn’t an excuse to write crap, but you have to do what works for YOU. Back when I was pre-published, I used to get caught up in all the “rules”, too. And it drove me crazy, because I felt so restricted, and it suffocated my writing. So, I decided that there are definitely some things I need to work on, but other things, if they worked for me and my voice and flow of writing, then I wasn’t going to worry about it. After that decision I became much more relaxed and I was able to write a good story without having to worry about “rules”.
I know there are some people who probably read my books and think, Oh, I can’t believe she did that, or she uses too many adverbs, or she could have written this a whole lot tighter, in fewer words. Well, that’s just not how *I* write. And I just don’t think about the bulk of “rules” out there while writing. I just write what my head, heart, and voice tells me to.
It’s also a learning curve in the beginning, when you’re pre-published and trying to absorb all those “rules”. Again, do what works for YOU — and even as you continue to grow as a writer, your own personal style and voice will change. But don’t take the joy out of writing because you have a list of rules you THINK you have to follow.
I might be wrong in saying all that, or maybe one of the other plotmonkeys has a better way of explaining things. I just wanted to tell you that ultimately, trust your instincts when you write. Yes, you need to polish a manuscript so it shines, but if there are a few extra adverbs in the manuscript, will it really matter if you’ve written an awesome, compelling story? Probably not! :wink:
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Hi Julie, Hi Janelle, :wave:
As you all know I’m not a writer but I love to read. Whatever the Plotmonkeys are doing with their writing, it works! Each of you have written books that I love. Keep up the good work & thanks for giving us entertaining books to read. :flower4you:
Cher, I hope your writer’s retreat is good. Enjoy!
Everyone have a good Saturday, do something fun!
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Janelle, you said it just fine.
You’re never going to please every reader…the one person you have to please, at the very least, is yourself. That said, there are always things I want to improve on, but my bottom line is making sure the story works as a whole and not get too caught up in the “parts.”
Alannah, I think the fact that you said your editors didn’t change much is very telling. I’ve always worked with very strong editors who challenged me. That always gave me the feeling of working with a safety net–knowing that if I took a chance that didn’t work, I had someone else to “catch me.” When you don’t get editorial input, that can make you feel like you’re swinging in the air without any support. Editors should edit.
If an editor doesn’t edit, it doesn’t mean your work is perfect. It just means the editor didn’t edit, IMO. And some editors just don’t. They change the obvious stuff, but don’t dig any deeper. All editors are different just like all authors.
You might feel more confident if you find a critique partner or a beta reader…someone who will challenge you. After you’ve done a few books, though, you’ll build up your own confidence and sense of your voice.
I’ve said before…I really never “recognized” my voice until my third published book. My first two books had my voice, of course, but by the third, I was finally hearing for myself. So give yourself some time.
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Janelle – thanks!!! I kind of chuckled as I read your comments because I’ve heard you say before you feel like you use a lot of adverbs, or it’s been mentioned to you, or something along those lines…but I love your writing. You know you’re the reason I’m here! I also love your long, flowing sentences. They pull me in and allow me to get lost in the story.
My long, flowing sentences had this commnent: “Long and acrobatic, needs shortened and tighter.”
It wasn’t that I was trying to copy your style, but that was one of the times I said 
And Julie, maybe I should have been more clear. I had 974 comments/changes!!!!
I had to rewrite a few things, things that didn’t work and that needed more clarification, etc. But I mosly had comments like “long and acrobatic sentence”, “sounds awkward”, 45 adverbs on a single page highlighted :giggle:. That type of thing.
I think Janelle really nailed it. I get so caught up in deleting all the junk words, deleting as many “ly” words as possible (no more than 2 per page), making sure there aren’t too many “was”es, that I feel so constricted that I can’t write.
But like you said, I’ve heard others say it took them several books to find their voice so I need to just be patient and keep plugging away. Hopefully I’ll uncover it somewhere in there!
Thanks for the great advice!
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The first draft of KISS OF THE PHANTOM is COMPLETE!
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Okay, 45 adverbs on one page is kinda extreme. :giggle:
I do still sometimes get carried away with adverbs, and those long, flowing sentences — and Carly is quick to point them out when I go overboard. That’s why it’s always good to have a critique partner you trust — one who helps strengthen your work and writing, but doesn’t make you feel like you have to obey a lot of rules.
I think the thing about editors is that they all have their own “peeves” when it comes to reading and editing an authors work. Maybe your editor has a problem with long, flowing sentences and likes sentences to be more succinct and tight because that’s what THEY prefer. And you could ask any one of us Plotmonkeys about Brenda at Blaze and we could all tell you what her peeves (likes/dislikes) are, LOL. And we’ve all had line-editors-from-hell who have completely and totally destroyed our stories, or our voices, because they’d added their own personal likes/dislikes to the editorial process.
It really is a fine line. For me, it’s about trusting my gut instinct, trusting my voice, and trusting that if I do get carried away on something that Carly will point it out before it becomes a problem.
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Wow, Julie!!! Way to go!
I actually have several critique partners that read through the story and helped me tremendously with it before I submitted it. One of them pointed out my excessive use of “was” and it’s become a huge joke between us – and I’m oh so very aware of “was” as I’m writing now.
And one of the others things I had tried to do was vary sentence length and structure, so it wasn’t all the same. But I think every time I did that I got busted on the “long and acrobatic” thing. But like you said, that could just be something this editor is sensitive to. Hopefully I’ll be working with her again, and I’ll know better how to work around that.
One thing I know for sure, it’s a learning process and I’ll NEVER learn it all. Ever! But I keep trying to kid myself into thinking I can. :giggle:
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Go, Julie! Go, Julie! You rock, lady!
Break out the bubbly and 
“was” and “that” are my big goof-ups. I’m finally figuring out what process works for me. I used to write a chapter and edit the hell out of it. By the time I was ready to move on, I struggled to pick up the thread again. By participating in NaNoWriMo, I finally learned to JUST WRITE. From start to finish. Warts and all. That’s what the editing process is for. I can freeze those warts and get rid of them once the body of the book is finished. I’m also learning that “over-writing” (going WAY over the acceptable word count) is okay. The process of cutting out words to get back down to the submission count leaves me with tighter sentences, tighter plotting, and tighter descriptions. All good things.
I think Mr. Berry’s #8 should be cross-stitched, tattooed, painted on a poster, sticky-noted, and memorized. If the story is a good one – solid and interesting, bad writing can be fixed. A story that sucks? All the purple prose in Cairo won’t make it a good one.
Thanks for another informative and thought-provoking “guest blog.”
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Congratulations, Julie! That’s fantastic news!
As for rules for writing, I definitely live by the one about being short and sweet – in both my story writing and my critical essay writing. I didn’t really notice this until I was in college and struggling to make page count for my essays, but that’s just the way I write. Writing clearly and concisely was always something I’ve done without ever thinking too much about it. In my mind, it was always ‘why stretch something out when it can be said so much more clearly in fewer words’. That wasn’t always helpful on those days when I was trying to make my 6-7 page essay stretch into the 8 page minimum. Lucky for me, though, I had professors who told me that as long as the paper was clear and thorough and made the point I was trying to make, not making page count wasn’t as important – which in a way circles around to the last rule stated in the post about a good story (or topic for critical essays) being more important than anything else.