My first published story ‘Angel Blood’ is due for release in Australian Literature: A Snapshot in 10 Short Stories at the end of this month. In the lead up to its release, I was lucky enough to be interviewed on The Australian Literature Review. In the interview I answer questions about the story ‘Angel Blood’ and my writing in general. You can find the interview here:
Aussie Author Month – John Marsden
As part of Aussie Author month I’m going to be doing a series of blog posts focusing on some of my favourite Australian authors—authors who have inspired me in my own writing.
For the first post I want to focus on one of my all time favourite authors: John Marsden. I started reading John Marsden as a teenager and he immediately became my favourite teen/YA writer. He also inspired me to really strive for my writing dream; knowing that an Australian could become such a well known author, not just here, but overseas as well, was a big push for me.
Marsden has written a multitude of books over the years, primarily aimed at teens. At one stage I had read every book he’d ever written. In year eight, my English teacher read our class 
Tomorrow When the War Began (which I’d already read by then)—every student in my class loved it and there was an influx in the library to borrow the next book in the series. Even the boys.
So how is it that Marsden, nearly a decade before the Harry Potter phenomenon, inspired teens, including reluctant male readers, to get reading?
Voice
This would have to be the number one factor in the appeal of Marsden’s books to teens. Marsden has a way of writing teenage voice realistically that draws teens into the story. Teens feel like they’re reading about someone their own age—they can relate to the feelings and thoughts of the character, because it’s how they think and feel. In particular, I find his ability to write in the voice of a teenage girl particularly brilliant (how many grown men could channel the voice of a teenage girl so realistically?).
“To be honest, which I swore I’d be, we’d all had those delusions at times. They were only daydreams, to liberate our families, to fix everything, to be heroes… In reality the prospect of doing something like that was so horrifying and frightening that it made me ill to think of it.” (Tomorrow When the War Began, pg. 232)
“I was giving your ear an erotic experience and you were giggling and pushing me away. The only thing that stopped me going further was all the people around, and Mr. Rossi. Like, he might be a good bloke, but if he finds two of his students having sex in the middle of an excursion he’s not exactly going to give us a pat on the head and an A in Art.” (Dear Miffy, pg. 75)
Characters
The characters in Marsden’s books come alive from the first page and make you want to know their story. Part of that is their voice, which I mentioned above, but it is also the layers of depth each character 
possesses. In books like Letters from the Inside and So Much to Tell You, the stories of the main characters unfold layer by layer. From the beginning the reader knows there is more to this character, some secret, and as the story unfolds we get glimpses of the secret, until we find out the whole story. In other stories, such as the Tomorrow series, we see the main character put in tough situations and continually growing as a character through these situations.
“I don’t blame you for being scared of me. I don’t like it but I don’t blame you. I’m scared of myself sometimes.” (Letters from the Inside, pg.96)
“…I started trembling and sobbing and hugging myself. I leaned against the wall then slid down until I was on the floor. It seemed like something outside me had taken control. It shook me like I was a washing machine. I knew what it was of course. The image of Shannon, lying there naked and tied up, her blood, the death that I saw in her eyes: Where was I supposed to put that?” (While I Live, pg.266)
Description
Part of what makes Marsden’s descriptions so effective is the way they’re written from the character’s perspective. His descriptions give the reader a clear picture, while showing the reader how the character views his/her world. He very rarely alludes to the characters’ physical descriptions, unless it’s relevant.
“…Lisa came in, went to her bed and lay on it face down. And after a few moments she began crying! I could hear her. And I could see her shoulders shuddering. Lisa, the strong one, who never cries! It got worse: her crying became louder, uncontrolled, sobbing. From deep, deep down… I fluttered around the dorm wanting to help her.” (So Much to Tell You, pg.39)
“… we ran the way rabbits do when they get a sniff of the warren and think they can just make it. We put our ears back, kept close to the ground and went for it… The fence loomed up at me. I dived to go under it. Still like a rabbit. Beside me Fi did the same. As we went down, the first shot wailed above our heads.” (Darkness, Be My Friend, pg. 234)
If you (or your kids) have yet to pick up a book by John Marsden, I highly recommend picking one up.
If you have (or write for) preteen boys, try Staying Alive in Year 5. For teen girls, try So Much to Tell You. For teen boys, try Dear Miffy. And everybody should read Tomorrow When the War Began at least once in their lifetime, it’s a Aussie literature must-read.
A side note in regards to Aussie Author Month:
One of the aims of Aussie Author month is to raise awareness and funds for the Indigenous Literacy Project – a project that aims to raise Literacy levels amongst Inigenous Australians living in rural and remote communities. You can learn more here: http://www.indigenousliteracyproject.org.au/ and you can donate to the project as part of Aussie Author month here: http://www.gofundraise.com.au/page/ausbooks
Helpful Writing Sites and Blog Posts March 2011
I’m excited this month to introduce a new addition to my blog. If you look up at the tabs above you will see a new one titled, ‘Helpful Writing Sites and Blog Posts Masterlist’. In this master list I have gathered all the links from all the past editions of ‘Helpful Writing Sites and Blog Posts’ into one place. This way you won’t have to go searching through all the past editions to find the link you’re looking for. To make it even easier, I’ve put the links under headings, such as: ‘dialogue’, ‘openings’ and ‘queries’, so if you’re looking for information on query writing, go to the ‘queries’ section or if you want a stronger opening, go to the ‘openings’ section. From now on, whenever I do one of these monthly posts, the links will get added to the master list.
Now, onto this month’s edition:
Writing
How to Get Published: A Flowchart
A great flowchart (and checklist) on the writing process and a great way to know if you’re ready to query.
My Writing Success: The ONE Thing That Helped Me Most
Author Jody Hedlund explains the one specific thing that helped her most on her journey towards writing success.
Using their soon-to-be-published anthology of stories as examples, The Australian Literature Review outlines the elements of effective story opening lines.
Story Skeletons: Teaching Plot Structure with Picture Books
Although this post is meant to be a teaching tool for young readers/writers in the classroom, it’s a great post for writers of picture books as well. It focuses on the basic structures used in picture story books and includes examples of each structure.
Where Should a Second Chapter Start?
There’s always a big focus for writers on getting that first chapter perfect, but what about chapter two? This post looks at building a strong second chapter.
Five Ways to Show Emotion in Your Writing
Based on the book From Where You Dream: The Process of Writing Fiction by Robert Olen Butler, this post looks at expressing emotion in your writing with a focus on showing vs telling.
Genre Novels – Word Count Rules, Subgenres, and Guidelines for Getting Your Book Published
A short guide to word count rules and subgenres for the various genres (fantasy, romance, historical, mystery, thriller, horror, YA, and Western).
Ten Mistakes Writers Don’t See (But Can Easily Fix When They Do)
Before you submit your work, double-check to make sure you haven’t made any of these mistakes that are easy to fix. (Sometimes this is where a critique partner can come in handy.)
NOTE: For number one, I find Wordle is a helpful website for weeding out crutch words. For number nine, reading aloud is a great way to pick up on awkward phrasing.
The Doctor is in the House – Novel Diagnostics
An exploration of common problems found in the beginning of a manuscript that can be an indicator of problems in the rest of the manuscript.
Queries/Pitches
A look at how to write an effective query in only 140 characters.
Rites of Submission: Cover Letters and Query Letters
This article includes two sample letters: an example of what not to do (including common mistakes) and a successful letter.
How I Got My Agent (Part 1: The Parts of a Good Query)
Author Susan Dennard shares advice on writing a good query letter, using her own successful query letter as an example.
Synopsis
How to Write a 1 Page Synopsis
A break down of the key elements needed for a one page synopsis. Includes worksheet.
Motivation
A reminder from author/agent Mandy Hubbard that is hard to become published, and why it is important to stick to it and not give up.
Social Media
Using these writer hashtags on Twitter is a great way to meet fellow writers. A comprehensive list of writer hashtags, including a schedule of writer chats on Twitter.
8 Sentence to Immediately Cut From Your Twitter
These 8 bio mistakes may be costing you followers and you may want to avoid them. Includes two things you may want to include instead.
Blogging Tips: Tips for Increasing Your Followers and/or Subscribers
Rachael Harrie has some great simple tips for building up a following on your writing blog.
Facebook for Authors: How to Get Started
Agent Nathan Bransford gives some helpful tips on starting up a Facebook author page.
For Fun
9 Things Everyone Needs to Know About Writers.
Very funny and very true. Pass this list on to all your non-writing friends.
Speaking of Facebook author pages, I’ve just started one of my own. You can find it here: http://www.facebook.com/JoHartAuthor or on the Facebook link on the sidebar of this blog.
10 Ways to Get Inspired: How to Start Writing Now (Guest Post)
I’d like to welcome freelance writer and blogger Alexis Bonari to my blog today. Alexis will be guest blogging on the topic of getting inspired to write.
10 Ways to Get Inspired: How to Start Writing Now
As a writer, I’ve often run into the problem of being mentally prepared to write and then discovering that the muse has skipped town. It’s a form of writer’s block, but it’s more frustrating because the conditions seem right when the ideas just aren’t there. It can be difficult to get into a “writing mood” – and once you’re there, you want to write, so finding fast inspiration is important if you’re going to take advantage of your most productive time. Here are ten of my favorite ways to get inspired when I’m ready to write.
1. Describe an Emotion in Fine Detail
The next time you feel a strong emotion, take a few minutes to write down a detailed description of it. This is a great reference when you’re feeling uninspired.
2. Use Visual Stimulation
Many writers are visually stimulated, so try looking at art, reading a magazine that’s full of images, or watching a short film. You might be inspired to develop and write about a visual idea.
3. Analyze Compared Writing Styles
Read two different pieces of writing, such as a news article and a poem, and think about the similarities and differences between them. This can inspire you to create your own combinations of style characteristics, or you might just decide that you feel like writing your own poem.
4. Relocate
Get out of the office and find inspiration in a different location. Writing in the park or art museum always helps me find a few good ideas to develop.
5. Shift Your Perspective
Try to see the world through someone else’s eyes. Pretend you’re a character from one of your favorite pieces of literature, or make up your own – then write about the differences in the way you think. It’s a great way to develop characters and take notice of what makes a personality unique.
6. Describe an Object in Fine Detail
Choose something that’s important to you and describe it in full detail. For example, I wear my great-grandmother’s watch every day because family and heirlooms are important to me. Describing it in detail helped me to appreciate it and to dig deeper into its personal value, which inspired me to develop those ideas in writing.
7. Give a Play-by-Play Description of a Favorite Activity
Describe the action of riding a bicycle, playing an instrument, or “throwing” pottery. If you have a hobby, it’s easy to be inspired by describing the precise movements you make when you do it. This connects you to the activity and helps you to appreciate its role in your life.
8. Take a Bath in Sound Waves
Get out of your comfort zone and listen to a type of music that you’ve avoided in the past. In my case, that’s country music because I simply don’t enjoy it, but I’ve found that it’s full of evocative ideas that I can use in my writing. You might even find a favorite new artist in an unexpected genre.
9. Watch & Learn from Interesting People
Find a comfortable park bench or camp out on the beach, then simply watch the people passing by and come up with some ideas about who they might be, where they’ve come from, and what their futures might hold. This is also a good character development exercise, so write down the ideas that seem to have the most potential.
10. Continue an Overheard Conversation
I’m not encouraging you to eavesdrop, but we’ve all overheard conversations by virtue of being in public. Sometimes, words catch your ear and you recognize a great idea for a piece of writing – and that’s okay. It’s also inspiring to hear a few sentences, then extend the dialogue backwards or forwards to create context and lend more substance to your ideas.
Alexis Bonari is currently a resident blogger at College Scholarships, where recently she’s been researching Pell grants as well as student loans with poor credit. Whenever this WAHM gets some free time she enjoys doing yoga, cooking with the freshest organic in-season fare, and practicing the art of coupon clipping.
Pitches and Queries and Updates, Oh My!
I want to cover three separate topics today: the Twitter pitch, query critiques and an update on the 100 Stories for Queensland Anthology.
The Twitter Pitch
Earlier this week literary agent Jennifer Laughran (aka @literaticat) of Andrea Brown Literary agency decided to have a bit of fun on Twitter. She gave everyone one hour to tweet her a pitch of a (real or fake) manuscript. I LOVE Twitter pitches. You think it’s challenging to condense a 50-100k word manuscript into a 250 word query? Try condensing it into a 140 characters or less pitch. Not only do you need to capture the essence of the main plot of the story, but you have to make it hook too, which really boils down to showing what makes your story unique.
Following her ‘Tweet-a-query’ session, Jennifer Laughran posted her conclusions about Twitter pitches on her blog, stating “…the lessons here are applicable to the regular query process too.” You can find her post here, as well as the four pitches she thought stood out above the rest.
As another follow-up to the Twitter pitch session, teacher and writer Tamara posted on her blog a breakdown of the Twitter pitch. You can find her post here.
Query Critique
Last week I blogged about my endeavour to continually improve my query. As a recap, I’d been writing, revising and rewriting a query for my YA fantasy. I submitted to ABNA as a test for myself to see how effective my query was before submitting to agents. I didn’t pass the pitch round. So I have been revising and rewriting the query some more. In the meantime, I came across author Susan Dennard’s blog and she just happened to be starting a new feature on her blog where once a month she takes on ten queries and critiques them. She then randomly selects two of these queries to also go up on her blog for community critique (either as it is or with revisions following Susan’s critique). I was lucky enough to be one of the first ten to submit my query to her when she opened the gates for queries this month. She gave my query a fantastic critique (my main problem was being too vague, I needed to be more specific). Then, my query was selected as one of the two to be put up for community critique. I’ve received some more great feedback already. You can see it (and offer your own critique if you want to) here.
Susan next opens her doors for queries for critique on the 4th of April. It’s well worth submitting, because Susan gives great critique. You can opt not to be put in the draw for the community critique if you don’t want to, but Susan’s critique alone is worth it. Be quick though, because only the first ten get in each month.
Anthology Update
The 100 Stories for Queensland anthology (an anthology to raise money for those affected by the devastating floods in Queensland) was meant to be due for release on the 8th of March. Due to unavoidable circumstances, the release date has been pushed back. At this point I’m not sure when the new release date will be. I do know the anthology has already been edited and formatted and is currently being looked at by proofreaders. I’ll let you know when I know more.
5 Things I’ve Learned About Writing Query Letters
I recently decided to enter ABNA (Amazon’s Breakthrough Novel Awards) as a test to see if I could get past the pitch round. I’ve written and rewritten my pitch/query dozens of times, but still wasn’t sure if I was hitting the mark. I didn’t make it through the pitch round, and this confirmed for me that I need to work more on my pitching skills before I start querying my MS. Yesterday I wrote and rewrote my pitch a dozen more times. I read blog after blog on writing queries. Then I rewrote again. I’m still not sure if it’s there yet. I’m letting it sit for a few days now before I go back to it. But after reading so much information on queries, I thought I would share some of the most important things I’ve learned about writing queries – not just yesterday, but since I first started researching queries.
1. Make sure you include both the TITLE and WORD COUNT for your MS.
2. You need to include WHAT YOUR PROTAGONIST WANTS, WHAT IS PREVENTING THEM FROM ACHIEVING IT and WHAT IS AT STAKE IF THEY FAIL.
3. Keep your query BRIEF and CONCISE – don’t ramble or try to include every single plot point. 1 – 2 paragraphs is sufficient for describing your MS. Try to keep it under 250 words.
4. In your bio paragraph only include information relevant to writing or your subject area. Include relevant publishing credits and writing associations you are a member of. Don’t include how many dogs you own or that writing competition you won when you were twelve.
5. ALWAYS CHECK SUBMISSION GUIDELINES! I made this red, because most agents will tell you it’s their biggest pet peeve when writers don’t check guidelines before submitting. Make sure you spell the agent/editor’s name right. Make sure the agent/publishing house actually accepts submissions in your genre.
If you’re looking for some GREAT SITES ON QUERIES, here are some of the best I’ve come across:
How I Got My Agent (The Parts of a Good Query)
Cover Letters and Query Letters
Some GREAT QUERY HASHTAGS to follow on Twitter:
#queries
#queryfest
#querychat
And finally, if you head over to Write on Con they have some great query critique competitions running at the moment. All you have to do is comment on the prize you want and you could win a query critique for your YA, MG or PB manuscript.
How ‘Sisters Red’ Can Make You A Better Writer
Since I began to really start focusing on my writing seriously (reading writing blogs, writing websites and books on the craft) it has affected the way I read. Now when I read, I sometimes find it hard to really immerse myself in a book because I can’t always switch my writer’s brain off. I pick up spelling and grammatical errors and I think to myself ‘that’s so cliche’ or ‘this passage is full of purple prose’. So when I find a book that draws me in so deep and is so well written my writer’s voice is nowhere to be found, I know I’ve found a really fantastic book. It makes me wonder, what has this writer done differently to make me fall in love with these characters and keep turning pages well after I should be in bed because I can’t put it down? Because I want to be able to do that in my writing!
I don’t usually do book reviews on here, but this past week I finished two books I found so addictive to read I couldn’t put them down. One was The Princess Diaries by Meg Cabot, which I have been meaning to read for ages 
(ever since the movie came out). I loved it because the voice in that book was so authentic and real. But, the book I want to explore today is Sisters Red by Jackson Pearce.
Sisters Red by Jackson Pearce
Great Hook
I’m a sucker for fairytale retellings, and in particular Red Riding Hood retellings, which is what drew me to this book in the first place. The concept immediately interested me: The Red Riding Hood characters (in this case two sisters) are attacked by a werewolf when young and grow up into werewolf hunters, aided by their best friend, a woodsman. Talk about a great twist on the old fairytale!
Tense
Many agents and those in the literary world warn against writing in first person present tense because it is so hard to pull off effectively and naturally. Jackson Pearce managed to not only pull off writing Sisters Red in first person present tense seamlessly, she also did it while switching POV between the two main characters of the story (the two sisters). One of the reasons present tense worked so well for this story: there was a lot of action and the present tense allowed me to feel as though I was a part of the action as it was happening.
Voice
The two sisters were so well developed, each with their own individual voice, that even without the header indicating which sister’s POV it was at the start of each chapter, I still would have known which sister was speaking. Both had strong, distinct voices. I was immediately pulled into their story.
Suspense
Talk about nail-biting. Particularly towards the end I couldn’t stop turning the pages because I was so afraid of what was going to happen to the main characters. Pearce kept putting them in tougher and tougher situations and I knew one of them couldn’t possibly come out of it alive, I just didn’t know which one, if any!
Relationships
The relationships between the sisters and between each individual sister and the woodsman are all unique and continually develop over the course of the novel, while always intertwining and affecting each other. Yet no relationship is more important than another. These relationships are always at the centre of the story and drive the plot.
Other Reasons it was Great Writing
There was never a lot of description of the main characters, except when describing Scarlett’s scars, yet even then the description was never detailed, it was wound into the story. She focused more on the characters’ emotions, reactions and motivations.
I also loved that Pearce researched the little details to make them more authentic.
Jackson Pearce’s follow up novel Sweetly (a fairytale retelling of Hansel and Gretel where a brother and sister become witch hunters) is out later this year. I’ll be looking out for it. This for me defines a great writer – I loved her book so much that I can’t wait for her next one to hit the shelves.
If you are a writer, particularly if you are interested in writing YA, paranormal, action or fairytale retellings, this book is worth picking up and reading.
Helpful Writing Sites & Blog Posts February 2011 Edition
Before I do this month’s roundup of helpful writing sites and blog posts, I just want to send out my thoughts and prayers to those in New Zealand affected by the earthquake. If you wish to donate to the New Zealand Red Cross to help out those affected, here is a link: New Zealand Red Cross
Onto the most helpful sites and posts I’ve come across this month:
Writing
This is by far the best site on punctuation I’ve found. It covers colons, semicolons, commas, dashes and apostrophes. It is very straightforward and clear and makes understanding how to use punctuation very easy. I always thought I was good at punctuation, but reading so many complicated posts on punctuation on the internet has often left me confused on whether I’m doing it right. This site is now my go to site when I need clarity.
The Very Basics: Ten Things All Writers Need To Do
Ten things writers should do if they want a shot at getting published.
Killzone author James Scott Bell outlines opening chapter no nos based on statements by literary agents.
Five Tips for Your First Five Pages
From things you shouldn’t do in your opening to things you should do.
This post explains the difference between a conversation and dialogue.
8 Ways to Pile on the Fear in Your Horror Fiction
Great post for horror writers looking for ways to amp up the fear factor in their writing.
A look at the way J.K. Rowling uses touch in the Harry Potter series as a way of showing emotion, rather than telling.
A great post for fantasy writers on creating a magic system that fits best with the world in your novel.
Lovable and Admirable Characters
We all want to create characters our readers will want to read more about. Author Denise Jaden shares some advice she received about qualities your main character should have to ensure he/she is engaging and lovable.
How to Get the Biggest Bang for Your Plot Point
This post outlines where your main plot points occur in your manuscript and what you should be doing at these points to create a deeper connection with your reader.
Tightening Your (Manuscript’s) Belt
A checklist for eliminating unnecessary prose.
7 Ways Glee Can Improve Your Fiction Writing
Joanna Penn uses the popular TV show ‘Glee’ as a metaphor for ways to improve your writing.
Queries
How to Write a Bio for Your Query
Dot point list of what to include and also includes an example of what to do if you have no writing credentials.
What Your Query Says About Your Book
Your query letter is your first impression of your manuscript. This post tells you how much an agent can tell about your manuscript just by reading your query letter.
Corinne Jackson shares an original query letter she wrote that kept getting rejected, tips she received from a literary agent to improve the query and a revised query she wrote using the tips from the agent that resulted in requests for partials and fulls.
Just for Fun
For anyone on Twitter, you’ll be able to relate to these ‘stages’.
AusLit Australian Literature Anthology
February 2011 has so far been a very good month to me. Earlier in the month I received news I had made the final list for the 100 Stories for Queensland anthology, an anthology to raise money for those affected by the terrible floods at the beginning of the year. Today I have some more exciting news to share. My short story ‘Angel Blood’ is to be included in the AusLit Australian Literature anthology due to be released in April. The anthology features ten stories by a range of commercially published and emerging Australian authors.
A little about the authors involved:
Kerry Brown is a children’s book author with two currently published picture books Poppy Wash and Can I Cuddle the Moon.
JJ Cooper is the author of two action thrillers, The Interrogator and Deadly Trust.
Rebecca James is the author of pschological thriller Beautiful Malice.
Fleur McDonald’s novels Blue Skies and Red Dust feature strong female protagonists living on the land.
YA fantasy author Michael Pryor is the author of several series and stand alone novels, including ‘The Laws of Magic’ series and the ‘Doorways’ trilogy.
Sam Stephens
Sam Stephens is an aspiring novelist. His award winning short stories Daddy and The Surgeon can both be found on The Australian Literature Review website.
Michael White is author of Equinox, The Medici Secret and The Borgia Ring. He also writes the ‘E-Force’ series under the pseudonym Sam Fisher.
Belinda Dorio and Sonali Rajanayagam complete the author list for the anthology.
When to Murder or Marry Your Darlings – Guest Post
Today I’d like to welcome freelance writer and blogger Maria Rainier to my blog.
When to Murder or Marry Your Darlings
You’ll find no relationship advice here. You might, however, find hope.
Most writers are not only familiar with William Faulkner’s blood-curdling wisdom, “Kill your darlings,” they’re haunted by it to the point that they take a carving knife to their laptops in the editing stages of a manuscript. Sir Arthur Quiller-Couch beat Faulkner to the punch, however, and is the lesser-known genetic father of the original quote:
“Whenever you feel an impulse to perpetrate a piece of exceptionally fine writing, obey it—whole-heartedly—and delete it before sending your manuscripts to the press. Murder your darlings.”
When Your Darlings are Dull
So, that lyrical paragraph that flows like winter-fresh water down spring-green hills, admittedly ad nauseum? Cut it. The sentence that, while choppy, is so delightfully tongue-in-cheek you could choke? Give it up. And that character who’s so saccharine and giggly that you feel really bad about sending her to the chopping block? Well, that’s not exactly what Quiller-Couch or Faulkner meant, but go ahead and bring the axe down on that one, too. Less is more, after all.
That’s the theory, anyway.
When Your Darlings are Darling
We can’t all of us be Charles Dickenses or Tolkiens and write entire pages of descriptions without anything happening and without losing readers. Had Quiller-Couch met with either of these beloved authors, those bits would probably have been cut. Can you imagine, though, a 500-page Lord of the Rings novel?
Sometimes, your darlings are there because you love them for reasons no one else will and you’re blinded by your own affection to know better. Other times, you love your darlings because they’re delicious. Murdering them would be a disservice to your audience. By the time you’re done carving up your edited manuscript, it looks like Mr. Skellington who’s probably still hanging around in your old high school biology classroom.
If you can’t tell already, I love words. Asking me to murder my darlings is like telling me to shave my head. Sometimes, it’s refreshing and I can hide away the loose tendrils in a folder somewhere in My Documents. Other times, I notice that after my darlings are gone the manuscript seems to make less sense. It looks barren and cold, and whatever words I add in to patch up the disjointed parts comes in unevenly and looks, well, fuzzy.
Whenever this seems to be the case, do what everyone else has told you to do: sleep on it. Wake up, shower, take the dog to the dog park, and then return to your laptop with a cup of tea and examine the massacre. Feel free to make the mistake of asking your significant other what he or she thinks. (“Yeah, that looks fine. Was there anything else you wanted, honey?”)
Other times, however, you can tell Quiller-Couch and Faulkner to mind their own business.
Maria Rainier is a freelance writer and blog junkie. She is currently a resident blogger at First in Education, where she’s been performing a bit of research into the gender wage gap problem. In her spare time, she enjoys square-foot gardening, swimming, and avoiding her laptop.
Jo Hart - Author 