Don't worry. I'm not a week behind. Since both Bailey and I had a busy last week, we decided to do First Friday on, well, the second Friday for this month. Just go with it. First Friday is a blog thingamajig my dear friend and CP Bailey and I started as a way to encourage us to blog more frequently, with the other goal being to enjoy said blogging.
Today's topic (thanks Twitter for the feedback!) is Pet Peeves of the writing kind. In particular, over blocking and the overuse of dialogue tags.
I know we all can relate to the dream-sequence-as-introduction and the describes-self-in-mirror loathing. Those two things definitely land on my writing-related-shit-that-pisses-me-off lists. Since we all already feel the unhappiness in those areas, I decided to focus on two other pet peeves of mine:
1) Over Blocking.
Example One: He stood. He walked across his room to his door. He opened his door. He walked down the hall. He saw his dog drinking of the toilet. He kept walking and turned down the hall. He reached the kitchen and poured a cup of coffee.
Example Two: The brick floors under his bare feet made him want to jump back in bed, but instead he made himself march to the door and down the hall. Slurping told him the dog had found the toilet again, but he beelined for the sizzling coffee pot before he even thought about dealing with the dog.
How does example one make you feel?
Ok, so 2 isn't a great example, but it works for my point.
Blocking is, essentially, what your character is doing. It's the actions and movements (walking, crossing the room, opening the door etc). Writing needs blocking. Blocking gives us context for characters and our settings, and how characters and settings interact with one another and themselves. Without it, we would have lots of dialogue and facial expressions and exposition. We would also be pretty confused. Blocking has a purpose, and sometimes it can be required to set context, and other times it can help add layers to a scene.
The problem becomes when we get all this stiff, telling blocking movements instead of showing. See example one. Sometimes, brief telling blocking works. We don't need major detail every time a character walks across his room for example. Too much of that, though, is when things fall flat (and annoying) and tend to tell more than show. Example two gets us from the bedroom to the kitchen with (a little) more showing (we can figure the floors are chilly, and we get more of a feeling for him, the frequency of the dogs toilet-drinking etc). I picture stick figures in example one, and, in the very least, slightly more dimensional clothed stick-figures in example two. If you think about characterization, senses and showing while blocking, it can help provide more natural-feeling choreography to the scene.
PS. I got really worked up over blocking. I will be writing a post complete on good blocking.
2) Over Dialogue-tagging
While I'm a little more lenient on an overuse of "said" a million times in a dialogue scene, since readers tend to almost ignore that word, seeing dialogue tags when they aren't needed irks me. Also, dialogue tags that are not "said" can get to me unless a) they are used sparingly b)the author is the shit no matter what c)the tag fits the character or scene perfectly. Anyway, while an overuse of creative tags can be irksome, my main point in this peeve is simply overusing the dialogue tags in general, when they aren't necessarily.
Let's pull some logic here:
A) The dialogue should give us an inclination to the character. This doesn't always happen, of course, but there are times when we can figure out the character based on what he/she is saying.
B) If you have only two characters talking, and you're blocking (see what I did there) and whatever else makes sense and isn't jumping all over the place, then we don't need a "it said" (the "it" was just for Bailey- go read her peeves after this ;) ) after every piece of dialogue. THERE ARE TWO PEOPLE. We can figure this out.
C) If you have dialogue followed by an action, see above. Example:
L writes down a sentence with an ambiguous pronoun.
B grabs her by the collar of shirt and begins shaking her. "Ambiguous pronouns must die!"
I promise, I'm not going to be like "Who the eff said that?"
D)
"Hi," she said.
"Hi," her friend replied.
"I hate butterflies," she said.
The other girl said, "I know."
"They're so creepy with wings and shit," she said.
"Right," her friend said.
"I also hate goats," she added.
"Goats or demon goats?" she said.
She said, "Both."
HOW ANNOYING IS THAT? I can't even continue the example. Also, yes, I know there is nothing but dialogue there so it's not a good example, but that's the point. Even if we blockified and facial-expressionified and leveled up that scene, all the tags would still be hair-pulling worthy.
What are your pet peeves?
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Hello wonderful people!
It's been TWO WEEKS since FIERCE released. Thought I would pop in and give a reminder about upcoming Fierce events and what's been going on the past two weeks. Those two weeks have been awesome, terrifying, nausea-inducing, joyous, and, occasionally, frustrating. Fierce is my first work that's out there (besides a few poems and some articles), and there are so many components to that. I tend to be a worrier, and have a pretty logical-thought process. I've been called methodological like five times by various people over the past week, so yes, I tend to make decisions based off logic. Which means, publishing can be downright terrifying, especially when you know the market and you know that the market can both help and hurt you, and you're publishing a book that is not cookie-cutter in the current market. I had a few days rough days mixed with the good. But, today has been a revelation. I started working on Shane's novel, and within typing the first sentence, all those worries and negative thoughts vanished. I've been so caught up in the marketing and business side and worry side over the past week. I feel back in balance now. I'll tell you more about Shane's story soon, and my other projects. I'll give you a hint: Think the authenticity and originality with Fierce, and add some new dynamics, new subcultures, and increase some steaminess. Please, please, please, if you enjoyed Fierce and want to lend your support, consider writing a review. Reviews and word of mouth are what helps allow us to keep writing, so please post your reviews on Amazon and Barnes & Nobles. Don't forget, ebooks and print are also available there. There are some really nice reviews, so check 'em out :) If you write a review and want some swag, email me :) I consider Fierce to be diverse contemporary NA, and definitely diverse MMA fiction. It's been called original, unique, and authentic. There is a lot of MMA erotica out there--please be aware that Fierce is not erotica. If you're wanting something different, please check the book out. I know we all want diversity in NA, ranging from diversity within genres to more genres. And a reminder: Fierce's Blog Tour will be happening from September 15th-26th. Check out this link for more info or to take part. Also, I'll be involved in some #NALitchat fun in a few weeks. Stay posted, I'll give you more info as the date gets closer. Oh, and I'm sending out swag the next few days, so if you have won stuff or asked for swag, keep an eye on your mail. If you've been following my blog, you'll know that for the past two weeks, I've been hosting interviews and guests post that share common threads of being a girl in a male-dominated sport/hobby/art and passion. I have one more post for tomorrow, but here is a recap of the past blogs post in the Squishing Gender-Stereotype series:
If you think you would like to be featured in a future Squishing Gender-Stereotype program, send me an email. Yesterday, Fierce was officially released. I want to say THANK YOU to everyone who participated in the release blitz, who entered the giveaway, who spread the word with your own tweets/posts/blogs and by retweets. Seriously, thank you so much! I am still getting through the blogs that participated. It may take me another day, but I will get to yours! I thought I would link to a few of be to that have reviewed it. As a writer, I believe reviews are mostly for readers, and aren't my place to poke around in, but here are some snippets from reviewers that participated in the blitz (link to full review) that I wanted to share. Below is my face while reading these. Love them! "Fierce is original and has definitely lived up to its title. I have never read a material like this" -Liza from From I Dare You To Read, 5/5 stars. Read the entire review & post here,
"Where do I even begin with this book? I absolutely LOVED it. It was refreshing, realistic, heartfelt and powerful. The characters were so well written and brought to life off the pages of this book. The storyline was believable and I stayed up till the wee morning hours to finish this book!... In a world of characters and storylines with needy situations and dependent personalities, this book was refreshing."- From Tina at Typical Distractions Blog, 5/5 stars. Read the entire review & post here. "This is a beautiful story and I highly recommend it to lovers of romance." Sue from BookLover Sue Blog, 5/5 stars. Read the entire review & post here. "...I would highly recommend this book to others, he fact that it was not your typical MMA fighter book drew me in and keep me intrigued until the very last sentence." -Sassy Divas Book Blog, 3.5/5 stars. Read the rest of the review & post here (ALSO, they made some awesome image teasers! Check them out!). "I love her and Max together."- She Hearts Books, 4/5 stars. Read the entire review & post here. And, while this is not from the blitz, my amazing CP and one of my best friends wrote this awesome post. "she deals with constructing her identity from the complex and complicated constructions of womanhood, of femininity, of athleticism, and of romance. She's a flawed character and a blunt narrator; she's both strong and weak, and knowledgeable and ignorant, and she can totally kick your ass. Through Tori and Fierce, Kelso gives readers a detailed, realistic, and sometimes unforgiving glimpse into the MMA world. It's incredibly obvious that both narrator and author are passionate about MMA, and the sport is given ample respect and critique." - Bailey Knight. You can read the rest of her thoughts here. Thank you all again for helping spread the word. Thank you reviewers for reviewing! I TRULY TRULY hope you'll consider reading Fierce and if you do, I really hope you enjoy it. As of now, there are a few hours still before the giveaway ends (for a copy of Fierce and a giftcard). You can get to it through any of the release blitz blogs, but also at Inkslingers PR. And Monday, I'll have Invicta Pro-Fighter Jodie Esquibel on the blog, so be sure to stop by! We'll talk MMA, her career, and being a women in the professional fighting world. Fierce if officially available!Tori's MMA career was taking off... ...until she beat the wrong man. Her training partner, nursing a bruised ego, snapped—shattering her trust and confidence. Three years later, Tori’s keeping her fists to herself as she struggles to put herself through college. But when a group of gangbangers hassle her at work, old habits kick in and her fists fly. Max Estrada, a frequent diner customer, steps in and gets them out of hot water, but Tori is still fired... days before tuition is due. With no other option, she’s forced to take a desk job at her old pounding grounds, where her demons still haunt the cage and the temptation to go glove-to-glove with familiar pro-fighter, Max Estrada, is too much. The sexy Colombian draws her back into the world of MMA and revives her dreams of becoming a professional face-puncher—until Will, her old partner and current Middleweight Champion, struts back into the gym. The secret they share is an unexpected liability to his career, and he's determined to keep her silent. With her life on the ropes, Tori will have to face the past for a shot at winning back her future, or carry the weight of a loss even greater than before. Fierce is a NA Contemporary Sports Romance/ Sports fiction with romantic elements. It's suitable for upper YA and adults, in my opinion. Formats available: ebook and paperback
What are you going to get with Fierce? Well, I think that's for you to decide. However, I will say this: Fierce is unique. It's gritty and authentic. It's not the normal NA Romance (If you want a lot of romance/sex, it may not be the book for you). It has funny moments, and serious moments. It's an authentic look into the always breathtaking, often painful, and occasionally heartbreaking MMA world with dimensional, passionate, flawed characters. It's a love story in more ways than one. Praise for Fierce: "A unique twist on the fighter trope-- FIERCE is a compelling, original read with my favorite kind of heroine (a kick-ass one)." - New York Times and USA Today Bestselling Author Cora Carmack "If you're looking for a strong heroine who stands out in the New Adult contemporary world, L.G. Kelso's Fierce is the book for you. Why I loved it: A complex heroine dealing with inner and external obstacles; a romance that isn't the character's main goal (though it is hot!); powerful voice and an authentic journey into the MMA world." -Diana Gallagher, author of What Happens in Water (Fall 2015, Spencer Hill Press) Reviews: I strongly believe that reviews are for readers, and not the writers, but I have seen a few reviews for Fierce. "Fierce is original and has definitely lived up to its title. I have never read a material like this ... Raw and intense in small details. The author knows her theme. She knows where to punch the readers..." 5/5 Star review by Liza Dequilla (I Dare You To Read)'s Reviews. See rest of the review here (Loved this review!) "Fierce is a story of overcoming fear and failure, it truly is a case of what doesn't kill you only makes you stronger."- Book Angel Emma Here is an excerpt shared for the Release Day Blitz (this excerpt is for you, romance fans) Thank you all for helping me share this day!
For the next two weeks, I'm going to host some interviews and guest post about people who are super passionate about their sport/art/hobby, and also about/by women in male-dominated sports. I have some fighters you may know of stopping by the site, and some authors and writers you may know as well! One more Fierce note: Release Blitz, through Inkslinger PR, is going on today, and there is a giveaway. THANK YOU TO ALL PARTICIPATING!!! Fierce releases Thursday, the 14th (as in, next week!).And here's a GIVEAWAY! Enter to win a free copy of Fierce, a coffee mug, and some swag. And a big thanks to the fantastic blogs hosting the teaser. Be sure to check them out! Self-doubt. That thing that makes you look like a strung-out Family Guy character (see above). Honestly, my writing is one thing that I rarely struggle with regarding insecurities. It's not to say that I don't have them, and that I don't have those times of am I ever going to be able to write any decent?. Because I do. We all do. But writing has always been my escape. It's been what gets me away from other insecurities, how I deal with others, how I sometimes ignore or face other kinds of doubt. But self-doubt is a sneaky asshole that lurks and waits until you are most vulnerable. The past few days, I've felt like Hermes here in this gif. I've felt it there, starting to form, in my mind. And now, well, it's here. This, I believe, specific self-doubt is, as Carrie said, Debut Jitters. Regardless of the name, it's still there and, frankly, I'd like it to GTFO. Fierce comes out in less than two weeks. I really am excited, but I also want to hide in a cave, at the same time.
I've started rewriting (like, completely; Literally rewriting, not just revising) an old book of mine. My first book. Already, I'm putting to use what I learned in this process with Fierce. From my own writing (I have a horrible addiction to the word "just"), to story, to character. From structure of one sentence to the structure of an entire novel. And it's fantastic. It's also terrifying, because I already feel like I've learned quite a bit and it's having a positive influence on this book. True, it's a different beast because it's paranormal (my heart lies with the fantasy, and I've been a fantasy writer long before I fell for sports contemporary). There are differences between the genres, no doubt. However, even the bare bones--take away the plots, the subplots, the foreshadowing etc--and just the writing is different. Improved. Far from perfect, of course, but improved. I was talking to my husband about it this morning, and the fear of putting something out there that isn't the best thing I could ever write. I know, that sounds stupid to most of us writers, but I'm sure we've all shared the thought a time or two. My husband, who isn't a writer (or even much of a reader), looked at me and said, "Of course it's not going to be the best thing you write. It's your first book [that you've published]. Your next one will be better, and the one after that will be better. If this book was going to be the best thing you'll ever write, there's a problem." And he's right. As writers, we want to improve. We want to grow. I always want to be improving my craft. It's still nerve wracking to start that journey though. I look at the few chapters I have of the other book, and I see growth. I see things in Fierce that I would change. It's true that books are never finished; they, instead, are simply due. It makes me feel guilty, though. As though I'm somehow not being my best, even though I am for the current time, for the current me. But knowing that I'll (hopefully) continue to grow and learn and get better at my craft, makes me feel almost guilty for the now. My husband had a good point about that, too. It is the best completed work up to this point. My craft and stories will improve over time, and I'll learn more over time. But right now, I am putting my best face forward. I do know that I would never put anything out there that I didn't deem should be. I'm not in a hurry. My CP Bailey knows this as we have discussed it. I knew my old book wasn't anywhere near ready, and that's why it sat in a file for over a year, never being opened. It's why I've abandoned other projects. I've picked up books that seemed rush. I've picked up books that I wonder if they were written the night before. I've picked up books that made me wonder if the author really cares. Know that I do care. That I'm not one to push something out there into the world, before it's ready. It's this feeling--this care not to let readers down, the fear to not to give my best--that causes this self-doubt. Of course, other things can give the self-doubt steroids. Not having support, getting criticism for the sheer point of someone wanting to criticize, people not understanding why you do what you do. All of those things can egg it on. Know that I am putting out there what I think is ready. I've taken the time and steps to make it worth your while to read it. I've bled into that story, truly. I've taken pieces of myself and the life I see around me, and inked them into the pages. FIERCE is the best I can offer you right now. It's got heart and soul. I hope that my writing does improve. I hope that this other book continues to grow my craft and be better than the last. I hope the one after does the same, and so on and so forth. Fierce is funny and serious. It's a love story and a story about moving forward. It's a story about romantic relationships and non-romantic relationships. It's about being yourself when no one wants you to be. It's about passion, and having a passion that drives your into world. Fierce in many ways is an embodiment of the saying "You never know how strong you are until being strong is the only choice." Except there are other choices, and those are heavy decisions for these characters. I guess self-doubt is often the beginning of a new journey. I've looked at it. I've studied it. I've accepted it has a place, sometimes even a purpose. For those occasions when I can't kick it out, when I can only get it to back off, I know I've got some wonderful people who can help me make peace with it. Last week, we got a look at Tori, the main character in Fierce. This week, I want to introduce you to Max. Max 'The Lobo' Estrada: I'm not going to give too much away here. You can find out about Max in the synopsis (pro-fighter, Colombian), but there's also a nice surprise (at least I think so) that you'll find out only by reading (hint: it involves books!) Here's a teaser of your leading man in Fierce. I'll be honest, these teaser stirs up my emotions, because I know the exact scene it's from, obviously. And, well, it's nice to look at, right? I'll post another Max teaser on Thursday Want to know more about how I picture Max, and my physical inspiration for him? Check out my Pinterest Fierce Board. You can also google Roger Huerta :)
We are less than a month away from the release of FIERCE (8/14/14)! So, in preparation, I thought I'd share with you a little bit about the characters, and some teasers, over the next few weeks. Today, here's a glimpse at your leading lady, Tori "the Amazon" Rhoads: When you first meet Tori, she's an ex-pro MMA fighter. You will have to read to find out why she left her dream of becoming a professional face-puncher behind.. Ever since, she's been trying to live up to her plan: graduate college, career, marry a guy who can't throw a punch to save his life, get old, die, and all the while keep her fists to herself.
She can be rough around the edges, a little explosive, and her exterior isn't exactly soft. After all, she's grown up in a male-dominated world. Not only has she grown up in it, but she's lived it. But, of course, there's always a side of themselves everyone keeps hidden. She may have been called a tomboy a time or two (or maybe more than that), she says things that surprise even the guys, and she's always prepared for a fight. Here's one last quote from her: "...where my dreams were fermented in the bloodstains on the mat, and the ghosts of my nightmares still haunted the cage..." Yes, this blog title needs to be all capitalized BECAUSE I CAN SHARE WITH YOU THE COVER FOR FIERCE. Which makes all of the following ! totally okay !!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! Fierce comes out August 14th, 2014. Ready? READY? And here is the jacket!!!
And here is that quote that's on the cover: Yup, I'm freaking out a bit about having one of my favorite NA authors on the cover!
![]() Forever ago, the lovely (and my #pitchwars mentor) Diana Gallagher tagged me in the Writing Process blog hop. Seeing as I've been a scattered mess the past few weeks, I am just now getting to participate... Thanks, Diana! Check Diana out--she's a wonderful person, a gymnast and has a book that sounds awesome due out next year. What am I working on now? I've just finished the final pull on FIERCE, and am preparing it to be sent for formatting. Pretty much, I've been living in Tori and Max land to the point of delusion. Soon, once I get a few more things finalized for FIERCE, I will work on two different projects. They are both very different from FIERCE and the companion novels (in the works) to FIERCE. For one, they are a different genre. How does my work differ from others in its genre? Oh man. In so many ways. Since FIERCE is my current blackhole, I'll discuss that. The biggest difference, I think, is the authenticity you'll find in FIERCE. MMA and other combat sports aren't one dimensional, as I often see them portrayed in fiction. Neither are fighters. I hope that I show the complexity involved. I do combat sports, and it's something I am very passionate about. There is romance, but it isn't the only focus. At times, it is the center of the scene, but in others it is in the background. Overall, the character has an arc that is not related to romance. It can be light and heavy, funny and serious. Why do I write what I do? I write a lot of speculative (paranormal, fantasy-urban and dark) fic, and some contemporary. I don't know that I have a simple, brief answer to this. Really, it just comes down to this: I love it. I love writing the spec and the contemporary, and while they both have different pros/cons, overall, I love it. How does my writing process work? Well. Ummm. Once again, I don't have a nice, easy answer. It an change depending on the work. But, in general, it goes something like this: -Scene idea (or character idea, or "atmosphere" idea) -First scene -An idea of a scene I want to be at around the mid point. -Sometimes, I'll know where I want it to end or the overall series arc if it's a series. Sometimes, I have no idea. -And then I write. Occasionally, I plan, but I'm more of a panster. If I do plan/outline, I only do an act at a time. I may have an idea where I want it to end (though not always- I don't for my next project), but I only will outline one act if I do want to do some planning. I don't do much "character planning" until I have a few chapters done. In short, I have to get something down. It's weird, because in daily life I'm a huge planner, but it changes when I sit down to write. FIERCE started with me wanting to put into words the beautiful and amazing art/sport/culture I had found; I wanted to combine two very important things in my life. I knew Tori was tough--after all, she had to be to make it where she did. I knew that something shook her core and the foundation of her life, but I didn't know why--I didn't know her story--until I started writing. Up next... My fantastic friend and CP Bailey Knight. (Remember you saying you would bribe me, Bai? A blog post for a blog post? Here you go!) Bai and I chat frequently about the writing process, but I always want to know more about what she's up to and I think you all should check her out, too. She's got a story I can't wait to get my hands on. |
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