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Change is the Writer's Friend

25/2/2013

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That plot twist is over the top.

The story would take on more life if you began at Chapter 3 instead of the current starting point.

Have you considered making (insert name of dominant character here) the main character, rather than (insert name of excellent supporting character here)?

Maybe you’ve heard one or more of the questions above from your critique partners. Perhaps your beta readers or editor may have pointed to a flaw or plot hole you missed.

You sit down to think about the suggestions you’ve received and realize that you’ve strayed from your storyline or you have the wrong character taking the leading role in your book. 

Sometimes, discontent comes as a niggle. You’re not a hundred percent satisfied with your story, but aren’t sure what the problem might be. The proverbial light bulb goes on—like it did for me, recently—and you know exactly what needs to be done to improve your work-in-progress.

I’ve decided, among other things, to rework the cover of Christine’s Odyssey. The girl is perfect. The backdrop is perfect. They depict well what goes on in the book, but I’ve known for some  time that something vital was missing. 

After analyzing the cover for a bit, I realized I needed to let potential readers know the book is part of a trilogy. The name of the young adult series (to include other books) I’ll be launching is also important. The book has won an award, but it was a while back (2008), so I figured that wasn’t important.

I’ve changed my mind. Every bit of positive reinforcement helps with getting a book/series launched. I also thought that removing the border and adding a splash of solid colour would make the cover stand out more. I did a draft and sent it to the artist and I’m keeping my fingers crossed that the final product will look as good I’ve visualized it.

It’s in our nature to resist change. We’re creatures of habit, comforted by the familiar. In writing, this can be our downfall. We work on a novel for ages and think we’ve done the best job possible. A discerning reader, or the seed of an idea, can turn our vision on its ear, leaving us lost or in a state of panic.

Never cast aside any idea as worthless or being too much work, without carefully examining whether it will make your work shine brighter.  With that said, is there anything your critique partners or beta readers have recommended that you haven’t actioned because you fear it will be too much work or might send your story in a previously unplanned direction? (Yes, that was a humdinger of a sentence) Or maybe you know something isn’t working, but haven’t moved to change it for the same reasons?

My best advice? Don’t be afraid to go back to the drawing board. Opening ourselves to change can be just the thing our work-in-progress needs to take it from so-so to brilliant.



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Sticking to Your Genre of Choice

19/2/2013

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For the indie author, it’s important to know our genre/s and work within its/their parameters. At the time of writing Christine’s Odyssey (2004), vampires, werewolves and various other shifters weren’t yet all the rage.  Then, suddenly, they were all the rage and are still popular.

Since I don’t have the skills or requisite knowledge to write about paranormal people and their world (which, by the way, I think takes a LOT of work), I had to carry on with telling my own stories. Contemporary tales are my strength—read that as laziness in terms of doing research. Plus, I’m not fascinated enough with paranormal stuff to attempt to study and write in that genre.  

But anyway, in the time I wasn’t working on the book mentioned above, I wondered whether the story would do well, since Christine can’t light fires by thinking about them and she doesn’t have super powers, nor does anyone in her family.

So , maybe you’re wondering what exactly is her story.

This eleven year old has a unique situation, in that her family structure is not all that it appears to be. Along the way, she unearths facts her parents have hidden and discovers things about human nature that are not always pleasant or understandable to someone her age. Those who have already read the novel seem taken with this young character and her situation, which makes me think I made the right decision to continue to wrestle with this manuscript until the words, sentences and overall structure come out right.

Each book takes us on a journey that calls for the writer to tell a compelling tale about a particular cast of characters. The genre doesn’t matter. What does, is working with the strengths we have to craft the best story we can, in the genre we know a thing or two about.

So maybe, my 100% human girl will never be as hot a seller as a character with paranormal and/ or superhuman qualities, but her story is one I believe in and it’s written in a genre that I understand and like.    

Considering how the publishing scene has changed and the flexibility that exists for self-publishers, I’m happy that I’ve never given in to the temptation to try and write a story to fit current market trends.

What about you? Are you sold on writing the novel of your heart or are you fashioning your story to fit in with market demands?


If you'd like to find out more about Christine

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Save Your Story - Switch the POV

6/2/2013

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In editing the novels I wrote ages ago, I can’t help noticing how my style has changed. I’m worse than neurotic when it comes to editing, so it takes me longer that most to get done with that side of things.

I’m still working on Christine and she’s been in existence since late 2004. In this round of edits just past, I adjusted the point of view as I went along. Originally, the story was written in third person omniscient because of the unorthodox way in which it is told.

Some things had to be revealed from the perspective of adults and I wanted readers to have an up-close and personal experience, no matter which character was on stage. I think I’ve done a decent job of that in going for deep point of view.  The filters between reader and character/s have been removed, which I hope creates a rich reading experience.

An aside here—every time I have to edit a book (and I have a number of them to get through), I regret not learning the craft properly before I started writing novels. Sure, we have to practise, but I shoulda stuck with short stories, which would have saved me hours and hours of painful editing.

Anyway, to get back on point, by changing the set-up, the novel is even closer to where I want it to be for publication.  That said, have you ever had to overhaul a novel as it pertains to the point of view? What’s your take on having different points-of-view—including that of an adult—in a YA novel?

On another note, I’ve gone ahead and submitted this blog for the A-Z Challenge and will be blogging Christine’s story in snippets during the month of April.

 I hope you’ll join me.


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    J.L.Campbell lives in sunny Jamaica, where she's always on the lookout for story-making material. She is the author of five novels and three story collections.

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