Writing 101: It's Raining Thats

There's a word that many writer overuse, and that's that. Every time that they should be using who to describe a human, I find that they're using that instead. Instead of which, we get that -- and that's a real problem that needs fixing.

That Which Makes Us Look Bad

Make a copy of your book document, and store it in a different file. Now, access the "Find and Replace" function and replace every single occurrence of the word that with * instead. Now, read your book in that new file. If you're like many indie writers, you'll find that most of the times you use the word that, it's totally unnecessary.

Not just unnecessary -- it makes your book clunky and in some cases comes across as very poor writing. You'll notice that I've stressed every single occurrence of the word that in this post, and you'll also notice that I've added many unnecessary uses of the word. But I find that I'm full of examples today, so here's more:

"I didn't know that Ella used to date Mark!" Claire exclaimed, wide-eyed, an expression that made her look a little comical. 

Krista nodded. "The boy that wears the red hat told me," she twirled her fingers around the necklace that her father gave her (that she'd never liked) as she answered.

How many of the thats in that example can I eliminate? If you answered all of them, you're right. There isn't a single occurrence of that in the above text that I can't remove if I want -- and, I do.

"I didn't know Ella used to date Mark!" Claire exclaimed, wide-eyed, an expression which made her look a little comical. 

Krista nodded. "The boy who wears the red hat told me," she twirled her fingers around the necklace her father gave her (which she'd never liked) as she answered.

 That, Which, Who

Many times, that can be eliminated in sentences entirely -- but sometimes, writers are using it improperly in place of who and which. Learning when to use that and when to use which is actually pretty tricky stuff, but you know you should be using who when you're talking about a person (so that one's easy).

According to the rules of writing, you're supposed to be using which instead of that when you're writing non-restrictive clauses. See? It's already tricky. Here's what you need to know, in brief:

The word that is used to point to something specific in the sentence: that necklace, that expression. Eliminate the word that points to in the sentence. Does it still make sense? In the example above, is that expression the main focus -- or is it Claire's comical face? When you're writing about the necklace, are her feelings the most important part of the sentence?

That is only used when it's pointing toward a specific word or phrase the sentence just can't do without. That boy in the red hat, That table is really unsteady. You wouldn't say which unless you were asking, right? If you find that you can substitute which for that and lose absolutely nothing in the translation, it's safe to assume which is supposed to be there anyway.

Over use of that makes writing very, very bad, and I've found that the word can be eliminated more often than not. To prove it, keep reading to get a complete version of this post with all that unnecessary junk removed, and you'll see the difference.

Writing 101: Quotation Punctuation

Without quotations, you can't have dialogue. It seems simple enough -- every time a character speaks, just wrap quotation marks around every word they say. But where do the commas go? How should the periods be placed? There's nothing simple about using quotations in a story, because you've always got to add extra punctuation along with them. Are you doing it the right way?

The US vs. The UK

There are different styles of using quotation marks around the world, and therein lies the confusion. But on either side of the Atlantic, there are specific rules to follow -- and I love having specific rules to follow. Always embrace the rules of writing, because they're your friend.

Writing 101: Getting Rejected

The publishing industry is a traditional world institution, and it's an open secret that book sellers and literary agents are looking for certain qualities in the authors and books they choose to support. Many writers turn to self-publishing to avoid all those rejection letters and bad feelings, and some indies who have thumbed their noses at the traditional publishers are laughing all the way to the bank. But if you think that self-publishing is going to save you from getting rejected, you're wrong.

Rejection Letters

As an indie writer who self-publishes, you aren't going to be receiving those rejection letters and emails anymore. However, you're exposing yourself to something that hurts just as much: public reader reviews. If you thought those form letters were bad, you haven't seen anything yet.

Reader Reviews

Indie writers still get rejected, and frequently, by the general reading public. It takes very little effort to access a link, click a button and write "this sucks" on someone's hard work, and indie forums are filled with writers who have been struck with seemingly mean-spirited one-star reviews. These comments can be much more painful than receiving rejection letters, because these comments are from people who actually read and even purchased your work. Your job, as a self-published author, is to take in those comments and truly attempt to understand what the readers are telling you...no matter how much it hurts.

Admittedly, if a reader has nothing more to say than "you suck," it's going to be rather difficult to know where exactly you went wrong in their eyes. But the majority of readers who bother to leave a review do have something worthwhile to say, especially if that "something worthwhile" is negative. We would all love to receive nothing but 5-star reviews that praise our work in superlatives, but that's not very likely -- nor is it at all helpful. Only through criticism do writers get better, and no one is so amazing at their craft that every single reader responds with gushing, glowing praise (no one). 

You have to learn how to look at your reviews, and each comment therein, objectively. A negative review may feel like a punch in the gut, but most of the time it is neither a personal attack nor hateful criticism. In many cases, even negative reviews have honest feedback to offer, and you do yourself a disservice if you don't pay attention. Look at the reviews, read each word, and try to figure out what your readers are saying.

Readers aren't always easy to understand, so you may have to read carefully and think about what they're saying to you. If a reader says the book doesn't flow well or that it's slow-paced, look at your novel and try to locate points when the plot slows down or stands still altogether. Sometimes, very lengthy descriptions can slow down a book's pace. Try spreading those descriptions out a bit, breaking them up with action and dialogue, to make the book feel a little faster and more interesting. If the reader says your dialogue is stiff or stilted, take the time to read spoken passages out loud to yourself. Always ask yourself if this is really how people sound. When you hear the words out loud, you may find there are many little changes you can make.

If a reader complains about your formatting, justification or spelling, there's no reason to leave those mistakes in place. Edit and re-edit -- and re-edit again -- as many times as needed until you know you're presenting a visually stunning, technically perfect work. Don't allow your book to get bad reviews for something that's so simple to fix...especially justification (because I cannot stress this to you other indies enough, and I can never expound enough on how ugly left justification looks on the Kindle).

Now, if your reader says something about your personally ("this writer smells bad," "this writer is ugly," "I think this writer is a Republican") then you have grounds for dismissal. Clearly you don't need to pay attention to these personal comments, and you are well within your rights to flag the review and ask Amazon (or whoever) to remove it. But don't confuse criticism and feedback with a personal attack. If someone says, for example, "this writer isn't a very good writer," that is a real criticism. You might try looking at your other reviews, and re-reading your work, to find out why someone might make such a hurtful statement.

Because here's the best part of being an indie: you're in control, so you always have the option of changing and improving  your book. Those traditional guys? They put their stuff on paper, and then it's practically set in stone. While their books never change, yours can always continue to get better and better. Bad reviews are really just a first offer; you can change your content, and start turning those negatives into glowing positives if you really pay attention and keep an open mind. Your book is your baby if you're like most writers, but it isn't perfect and neither are you. If you can't take negative feedback and respond to it in a professional manner, get out of the industry.

Rejection is always everywhere when you're a writer, and that's a fact you've got to face...or you've got to leave.

Writing 101: How to Use Parentheses

No, it's not a typo -- parentheses is the plural of parenthesis. The first rule of using them is that there should always, always be two, but thanks to their natural shape it shouldn't be too hard to keep track of that. The rest of the rules of using parentheses may not be so easy to remember.

  When Are They Used? 

 The parenthesis doesn't appear a whole lot in fiction writing, but it can be an effective tool when it's added rarely. In fiction, parentheses most often indicate an aside, or an extra bit of information, that the author is giving to the reader or reminding the reader about. In most all situations, parentheses won't appear inside dialogue. When they do appear in dialogue, parentheses usually denote something that has not been spoken aloud by the speaker; rather, they are used to express the speaker's thoughts or provide some extra information. Using parentheses inside dialogue is very rare, and shouldn't be added just for the heck of it. 

How Are They Used? 

Parentheses quite literally isolate a single phrase, sentence or thought from the rest of the words around it -- and you don't have to use any special punctuation before or after using a parenthesis. The parenthesis by itself is a punctuation, so you don't want to double up unless you're ending the sentence directly after the parentheses are closed. With the exception of separate thoughts and sentences within the parentheses, no punctuation should appear inside the parentheses. If you're ending a sentence immediately after the parenthetical text ends, always put the period outside the parenthesis. Some examples might make it easier to understand: 

Johnny and Anne appeared to be in love (though they'd broken up about a dozen times in the past).

Notice the period placement in the above sentence. If the period were to appear before the final parenthesis, it would be woefully incorrect. However, punctuation may sometimes be necessary even inside parentheses. Example: 

Johnny and Anne were fighting again, and everyone was holding their breath to see what would happen next (and save their wind for the rush toward the nearest exits, an exodus that would surely begin once the argument escalated).

Without the comma that appears in the middle of the parenthetical text, that phrase isn't going to look pleasant or read correctly. However, you'll notice that the period of the sentence still appears outside the parentheses. Remember, only punctuate inside them if it's relevant to the specific phrase that's being isolated -- normal punctuation rules still apply to the sentence as a whole. 

When used sparingly, parentheses can be a powerful tool for making text stand out and getting points across to the reader. Like every other kind of special punctuation, however, overuse of parentheses will have a negative effect on the entire book.

Writing 101: All About Poetry

I do a lot of writing about prose, but many writers who write it have also tried their hand at poetry at some point -- including me. So if you've ever scribbled a sonnet, composed an ode or created a song (or wanted to), this post's for you.

Are There Rules in Poetry?

Anyone who's ever read Lewis Carroll may think that poetry is a genre that knows no rules, but this isn't actually the case. Depending on the type of poem you're writing, there are specific and distinct rules you're required to follow.

For example, a sonnet almost always has 14 lines of text and a very specific rhyming pattern. If you're writing a traditional English sonnet, Shakespearean fashion, it must have 14 lines and it must be written in iambic pentameter. In the iambic pentameter style of poetry, an unstressed syllable is followed by a stressed syllable; the pattern is repeated five times. If it sounds complicated, that's because it is. Sonnets are celebrated because they're terribly difficult to write; if they come out sounding great, it's truly an artistic masterpiece. In a traditional English sonnet, the rhyming pattern is: a-b-a-b, c-d-c-d, e-f-e-f, g-g.


If you're determined to follow rules in poetry, try something a little simpler -- maybe a haiku, a form of short Japanese poetry. Or is it simpler? In traditional haiku writing, two separate ideas are juxtaposed with a cutting word between them to show the line of separation. There are three lines of text in a haiku: 5, 7, 5. It's a common misconception that a haiku contains 17 syllables. This is not true. A haiku contains 17 on, which is a word sound. For example, there are three syllables in the word Tokyo, but there are four on (to-o-kyo-o). In modern haiku poetry, it's not necessary to follow the 17 on rule -- but the juxtaposition of ideas remains a very basic mainstay of this particular type of poetry.

In ballad poetry, the words are usually used to tell a story and often these types of poems contain a repeated refrain. Songwriting is a form of ballad poetry. There are literally dozens of different kinds of poetry, some that are built around certain themes, some around certain rhyming patterns, some that have both. But if you want to chuck all the rules and go your own way, you absolutely can.


One of the great things about poetry is that it doesn't have to follow any rules to be great -- just ask Emily Dickinson (clearly, that's just an expression). Weird punctuation, unpatterned rhymes, no rhymes at all; poets are free to do whatever they want if that's what they desire. But if you want to write a specific type of poem, make sure you do your research and follow all of the rules.

Bookluvrs Review Justice!

 "The plot twists completely caught me off guard...and I LOVED IT!" Read the full review from Erin, Bookluvrs blogger.

Writing 101: Putting Your Book in Print

Electronic books could become the norm in a few short years. More and more people own ereaders, and the traditional publishing industry is paying serious attention. But the world is full of purists, too, and really nothing can compare to the solid weight of a book in hand and the joy of flipping another page. Cast a wider net, and reach more readers, by putting your book in print.

Turning an eBook into a Print Book

Even in self-publishing, it's possible to create a print version of your book with a full-color cover, interesting blurb and an actual bar code. The best part: you can do it without spending money.

Writing 101: How to Use Commas

Seems a little silly, doesn't it? Using commas is as basic as learning the alphabet, and every writer has peppered them into their work at some point. But honestly, I'm not trying to waste your time. I'm trying to help, because in the vast majority of indie books I've read I have learned something: many indie writers don't know how to use commas correctly. You might think you've got a firm grasp on them, roll your eyes at today's lesson and move on to greener tip-giving pastures. I beg you not to do so, especially if you know that I've read your book in the past. Because chances are, you've already made more than one unforgivable error in your ebook.

What Role Do Commas Play?

If you're going to use commas, you ought to know what they represent. You can't just shake up a bag of commas and throw them into your work at will. They're used to create natural separation and pauses in the middle of sentences, and they're an important part of speech. I'm using them now to link related thoughts and split up different phrases, because otherwise everything I'm writing might read as flat and monotone. 

Speaking Names

There seems to be some confusion about where to include commas when one character is speaking to another. Let's clear that up. Any time any character addresses any other by name -- and it can be a nickname, a proper name, a pet name, any kind of name -- that name must be prefaced and ended with a comma unless the name starts the sentence or ends a sentence. Examples:

"Susan, did you get that book?"


"Did you get that book, Susan?" 


"About that book, Susan, did you get it?"

Commas before and after, every single time unless the name starts or ends the sentence. You do not need to follow this rule if the character is talking about another character, only if they are talking to the character. Examples:

"Did Susan get that book?"


"That book I told her about, did Susan get it?"

Serial Commas

It's easy to get confused when using serial commas. In the traditional AP style guide and in most journalism, serial commas are used in a very specific way -- they are not used before the word and. Examples:

The mugger was tall, thin and grey-haired. 


She was wearing a pink, ripped and baggy pair of overalls. 

However, you are writing a book. You are not writing in traditional AP style (and you should not be if you are, because prose is different). Therefore, you can use serial commas before and if that is your desire. In book-writing, either way is correct. You can also eliminate and entirely if the sentence still reads well without it. Examples:

The mugger was tall, thin, and grey-haired. 


She was wearing a pink, ripped, baggy pair of overalls.

Conjunctions

It's a little tricky to know where to put your commas when using conjunctions (linking words). What's a conjunction? Glad you asked: among others, they include for, and, but, or, because. In most cases when you're using basic conjunctions, the comma goes before the conjunction. Examples:

She asked me to move, and then scooted around the chair. 


He was smiling at me, but it didn't look very sincere.


Either I was crazy, or the commas were totally in the wrong places.


Mastering Commas

Once you learn the specific rules of comma usage, your book will flow more smoothly and look much better -- and you'll actually look like you know what you're doing to your readers. There are lots of ways to use commas, and these are only a few of them. Always read over what you've written, commas and all, and "say" the words to yourself in your mind. Pause at every comma, just for half a second or so, and "listen" to the sound of those words. If you're pausing in the wrong place, or the writing sounds jerky, you've got your commas in the wrong places. Fix them!