Helping Authors Create Stories That Work

~ Kristina Stanley ~ 5 Comments

You know I love to write, but I also love to edit. I’m thrilled to announce Fictionary’s Story Editing Course. Try it, and maybe you’ll love to edit too!

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At Fictionary, We believe to become a successful author, your novel needs to tell a great story.

Think about some of the best novels you’ve read. What do you remember?

Like me, you probably recall a compelling character like Jason Bourne, the intriguing plot told in Gone Girl, or the fantastic settings depicted in The Game of Thrones. You remember the story.

Combining Fictionary (a self-editing tool for fiction writers) with an online course seems like a great way to give authors the knowledge and process needed to complete their own story edit.

If you’ve finished that first draft and aren’t sure what to do next, we’ve got a solution.

Announcing the Fictionary Story Editing Course

This course will guide you through your manuscript with a scene-by-scene approach to editing. Fictionary focuses on the story, not the words.

To receive the first two lessons, all you have to do is sign up for a free trial of Fictionary. No credit card required. No obligations.

The full 14-lesson course is included with a Fictionary subscription.

Lesson Plan

  • Lesson 1: How To Use Fictionary To Make Your Story Work
  • Lesson 2: Characters And Novel Structure
  • Lesson 3: How To Improve Your Plot
  • Lesson 4: How To Improve Your Settings
  • Lesson 5: How To Use Word Count To Evaluate Your Scenes
  • Lesson 6: Connect Your Readers To Your Characters
  • Lesson 7: Make The Most Of Your POV Characters
  • Lesson 8: Story Arc And Engaging Your Readers
  • Lesson 9: Finding Plot Holes
  • Lesson 10: Draw Your Readers Into and Out of Each Scene
  • Lesson 11: Maximize Your Use of Tension And Conflict
  • Lesson 12: Check For An Empty Stage
  • Lesson 13: Keep Your Timeline Clear
  • Lesson 14: Bringing It All Together

Lesson 1: How To Use Fictionary To Make Your Story Work

Fictionary can identify and help you fix problems within your manuscript by focusing on the structure of your story, not on the words. In lesson one, we’ll tackle these critical structural areas:

  1. Pacing
  2. Character names and appearances
  3. Point of view characters and goals
  4. Story arc
  5. Plot holes (scenes without a clear purpose)
  6. Flow from scene to scene
  7. Absence of tension or conflict
  8. Empty stage syndrome
  9. Confusing timelines or missing objects

 
Where Can You Get More Information?

Check out Fictionary.co for a full description of what Fictionary is and how it can help you.

Download our free Story Editing eBook.

Learn how story editing is all about evaluating the major components of your story. We call these components the Key Elements Of Fiction.  Our eBook shows you how to use the key elements of fiction to evaluate your story and become your own big-picture editor.

 

Turn Your First Draft Into A Great Story

Farley’s Friday: Boot Failure

~ Kristina Stanley ~ 9 Comments

Farley here,

Can someone send me a design for new boots?

Yesterday, we went snowshoeing. As usual, Kristina tucked my paws into little booties before we left the house.

But look what happened.

MAtt and Farley SnowshoeingSnowballs everywhere. My paws are protected, but my legs and head aren’t.

You might wonder why I have so much snow on my face when I walk on my feet.

Well, I love to rub my nose in the snow.

So really I need new boots and a nose protector.

Woof Woof.

Mystery Mondays: Madeline McEwen with Guidance, Advice, and Jokes

~ Kristina Stanley ~ 12 Comments

This week on Mystery Mondays, it’s my pleasure to host author Madeline McEwen. I “met” Madeline when she joined the Imajin Books team this year.

Her novelette, Tied Up With Strings, will be published by Imajin Qwickies on the 11th December 2017. So keep an eye out for it!

Over to Madeline…

 Guidance, Advice, and Jokes

By Madeline McEwen

Thanks for the invitation, Kristina. I gave some thought about what to offer your readers: guidance, advice, jokes?

 Guidance first–how about that infernal problem—procrastination. Have no fear, I have several solutions whether you suffer from writer’s block or information overload. Both prevent productivity. If you find your time frittered away on social media and frivolous distractions then I am here to help.

Don’t get me wrong, social media is a Godsend to the isolated hermits of this world—the sparks keeping us connected, grounded, and alert to change. However, just like other addictions, moderation if our watchword. Instead, get your Internet fix—your reward–after completing specific, measurable goals. Make yourself a numbered and prioritized list, such as: one hour of writing / editing or 500 words / three loads of laundry / replace the air filter / de-mat the dog.

If you find you’re still dithering, use a paper template to make a 3-D cube, throw the di, and then do it.

Advice: buff your humor muscles as frequently as possible.

Joke: I love “knock knock” jokes, but Debra Purdy Kong got there first.

 

Knock 1

 

 

Knock 2

 

Here are a couple of mine:-

knock3

Who Is Madeline McEwen:

Madeline photoMadeline McEwen is an ex-pat from the UK, bi-focaled and technically challenged. She and her Significant Other manage their four offspring, one major and three minors, two autistic, two neurotypical, plus a time-share with Alzheimer’s. In her free time, she walks with two dogs and chases two cats with her nose in a book and her fingers on the keyboard.

Her novelette, Tied Up With Strings, will be published by Imajin Qwickies on the 11th December 2017, the first in the new series–The Serebral Seniors–celebrating the witty sparks of a ripening generation.

You can find me here:-

http://www.madelinemcewen.com

http://www.amazon.com/-/e/B00Q41VUFI

https://www.pinterest.com/macmaddy/pins/

https://twitter.com/#!/MadMcEwen

http://www.facebook.com/madeline.mcewenasker

https://www.goodreads.com/author/show/9886841.Madeline_McEwen

http://whittereronautism.com/

 

Farley’s Friday: The Dreaded Bath

~ Kristina Stanley ~ 7 Comments

Farley here,

Snow. I love to play in snow.

But snow loves to stick to my fur.

Farley covered in snow

When I get home, my choices are a warm bath or twenty minutes of Kristina grooming me to get the snow out of my fur.

I really, really, really don’t like a bath, so I choose grooming.

The best part…If I shiver a little and pretend I’m cold, Kristina will wrap me in a towel and give me a hug.

Who would ever choose a bath over that?

Woof Woof.

Free Video Training For First-Time Authors

~ Kristina Stanley ~ 2 Comments

Screen Shot 2017-11-07 at 6.56.18 AMIf you have your first book coming out or trying to get published, check out this free video training series on building author platform by my friend Donna!

She helps you discover how to connect with your ideal-readers, understand the rookie mistakes to avoid wasting time, money, and missed opportunities PLUS learn how to present with confidence with public speaking!

https://www.yourawesomeauthorlife.com/

 

Mystery Mondays: Debra Purdy Kong on Traditional to Self-Publishing

~ Kristina Stanley ~ 20 Comments

This week on Mystery Mondays we welcome Debra Purdy Kong. I first came across Debra’s writing when I read Opposite of Dark. I loved the book and reached out to Debra on LinkedIn and was very excited to hear back from her. She’s an author who is generous with her time and her advice, which you’ll get some of below.

As you can imagine, I’m happy to host Debra on Mystery Mondays again.

Debra is here to tell you what it’s like to transition from traditional publishing to self-publishing.

I’ve just preordered my copy of Knock Knock and only have to wait 2 days for it to arrive on my kindle!

Over to Debra…

Maintaining Continuity in Changing Times

Knock Knock, front coverThey say that the only constant in life is change. This is especially true for writers. Over the years, I’ve lost count of all the magazines and publishers I’ve worked with, but who no longer exist. When the publisher for my Casey Holland series let me and several other mystery authors go in 2015, I took it in stride and decided to continue self-publishing my series.

It took time to obtain all of my rights back, but I did, and then reissued the first four books in ebook format. I’m now delighted to announce that the 5th installment in my Casey Holland mystery series, Knock Knock, will be released on Wednesday, November 8th!

The decision to keep the series going raised new issues. I no longer had access to the jacket designer and editors who’d worked on the previous four books. I needed to find professionals who would help me maintain the editing style already adopted. But even then, there were questions.

For instance, I was never partial to my editor’s decision to use American spelling in a series set in Canada with Canadian characters. But changing this in mid-series didn’t seem right either, so I sent the editor I hired a detailed list of editing needs.

I also sent the new jacket designer images of the earlier novels. She did a beautiful job of capturing the essence of the series while providing a fresh look that I’m thrilled with.

Change isn’t always easy and sometimes continuity can be a challenge, but when you’re writing a series readers appreciate it, which makes everything worth the effort.

 

Who Is Debra Purdy Kong

Debra Purdy Kong, 2016Debra Purdy Kong’s volunteer experiences, criminology diploma, and various jobs, inspired her to write mysteries set in BC’s Lower Mainland. Her employment as a campus security patrol and communications officer provide the background for Casey Holland and Evan Dunstan mysteries.

Debra has published short stories in a variety of genres as well as personal essays, and articles for publications such as Chicken Soup for the Bride’s Soul, B.C. Parent Magazine, and The Vancouver Sun. She assists as a facilitator for the Creative Writing Program through Port Moody Recreation, and has presented workshops and talks for organizations that include Mensa and Beta Sigma Phi. She is a long-time member of Crime Writers of Canada.

 

Look for her blog at https://debrapurdykong.wordpress.com/ More information about Debra and her books is at www.debrapurdykong.com You can also find her on Twitter: https://twitter.com/DebraPurdyKong & Facebook: www.facebook.com/debra.purdykong

 

Where to find out more:

Amazon: myBook.to/KnockKnock

Kobo: http://tinyurl.com/y6wejnls

Apple: http://tinyurl.com/y96xscpv

 

Writing a Stellar Book Blurb

~ Kristina Stanley ~ Leave a comment

I thought this was very helpful for anyone trying to write a book blurb.

L.M. Nelson's avatarlmnelsonscorner

write a poetry book blurb

I don’t know about you, but writing the novel is the easy part, compared to writing the book blurb. How do you take a 100+ page book and condense it to fit on the back cover of a book? And how do you make it intriguing enough to get people to want to read it? Writing a book blurb has always been challenging for me, but I recently took several classes on this topic and learned a few things that you might find helpful.

The blurb on the back of your book is all about the journey.  Who is your protagonist? What is his or her goal? What problems are they up against? Readers want to discover this journey on their own.  Give them a glimpse inside your book that draws them into the character’s world.

There are three main elements to a good book blurb.

  1. The setup. This…

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Take Your Story up Several Levels by Editor Jodie Renner – Fictionary

~ Kristina Stanley ~ Leave a comment

Today it is our pleasure to welcome editor & author Jodie Renner to share expert editing advice. Jodie is generously sharing her wisdom on how to improve your story before you share it with others. Jodie is an editor and award-winning author of three Editor’s Guides to Writing Compelling Fiction: Writing a Killer Thriller Fire up Your Fiction Captivate Your Readers Jodie’s […]

Source: Take Your Story up Several Levels by Editor Jodie Renner – Fictionary

Farley’s Friday: Are boots worth the hassle?

~ Kristina Stanley ~ 9 Comments

Farley here,

Winter has arrived, and with that my fashion has changed.

Kristina makes me wear boots. We meet in the front hall, and she puts on her coat and boots. I wait until she turns to me with the dreaded boots.

I resist the boots by stretching my toes, so it makes it hard for Kristina to get the boots on tight. I’m thinking, “Maybe I can lose the boots in the snow.”

Farley with Boots

No such luck at first.

But then we hit deep snow. First I lose one…then another…then the third.

That back one just won’t fall off. I think I’ve gotten away with this until my pads start to hurt. I flatten in the snow and try to pick the ice out of my pads with my teeth.

Kristina walks towards me. Mathew has gone in search of my boots.

I roll my big brown eyes at her and wag my tail. I hope she isn’t mad at me.

She smiles, kneels in the snow, and takes off her winter mitts. She pokes in between my pads and gets the ice out. This takes a while. Her hands turn red. She’s shaking a little, so I know she’s cold, but she keeps going.

Then she wraps her hands around my paws, one by one, and warms them up.

Mathew returns with my boots, and puts them back on. This time I’ll try to keep them on.

My humans are the  best.

Woof Woof