The Tail and Tale of a Dog

Posted by Dawn Ross on January 10, 2021
Posted in: Miscellaneous. Tagged: , , , , . Leave a comment

I was heartbroken. After eleven wonderful years, I had to put my beloved dog Sephi to sleep. She had been with me through so much – divorce, moving out of state away from family and friends, and rebuilding my life. Sephi, short for Persephone, was my rock and now she was gone.

Chow/Labrador mix named Sephi
Persephone (Sephi) – April 2001 to November 2011 (Chow/Lab/Shepherd mix)

I was devastated. I took two days off from work. Honestly, I wanted to take more but couldn’t. The following days were filled with misery. Even though I had my dog Maya and a supportive new husband, my life had a hole in it.

Maya – August 2007 to present (Labrador)

I wanted another dog, not to replace Sephi, but to lift my spirits with a new creature to love. My husband and I discussed it. He suggested we wait until after the holidays. Sephi passed in November, so I waited.

When I asked my husband what kind of dog we should get, he said a smart one. Sephi, bless her little heart, wasn’t the sharpest crayon in the box. The most intelligent dog I’ve ever had was a Sheltie named Cassie, but I didn’t want another Sheltie. I decided on a Border Collie instead.

Being an advocate of rescuing animals rather than purchasing them, I began my search through rescue groups. Thank goodness I also told my Facebook friends my plan. Someone replied to my post and connected me to her friend who had been trying to catch this Border Collie mix who had been living in Pierson Park for at least three weeks.

Dog Living in Pierson Park, January 2012 (Border Collie/Australian Shepherd mix)

Despite the long drive, I went to the park to help her catch him. The dog came close enough for us to pet and for us to determine his sex, but he was wily. Every time I pulled out the leash, he ran off. The park had a wooded area that he’d run to, making it more difficult to catch him. At one point, I cornered him against a fence. He freaked out. I worried he would bite me, so I backed off.

I was unsuccessful that day, but I determined to try again. The following day went much the same as the first. He’d get close enough for me to touch, but I couldn’t outsmart him and get a leash on him. After several hours, I gave up, tired and dejected.

I still wasn’t ready to give up, though. I couldn’t leave him there during the cold month of January, knowing he lived out there all alone. I prayed over and over, asking God to help me catch him and to keep him safe for another day.

After a sleepless night praying and worrying, I drove the distance for another try. Within ten minutes, a miracle happened. The dog, knowing what I intended to do, wouldn’t come to me. As I prepared for another long stake out, an old man drove up and asked if I needed help. He had been coming to this park nearly every day for at least two weeks to give the dog food. The dog walked right up to him with a wagging tail. At my request, the man picked him up and put him in my car. Angels sang and I praised God. I cried with relief and gave the stranger a hug.

Initially, my husband told me I had to take the dog to the shelter so he could get an evaluation and eventually be put up for adoption. However, I called my husband, prepared to beg him to let me keep the dog. I had a whole list of arguments lined up. However, I didn’t need to use a single one. He said yes.

I took the dog to the vet first thing. They checked him for a microchip and found none. Then they examined him and estimated him to be about a year old. Other than being skinny and having a bacterial infection in his gut, they gave him a good bill of health. Next, I took him to a type of pet groomer where the patrons wash the dogs themselves using the groomer’s supplies and equipment. I bathed this poor scared dog with flea shampoo and picked off his ticks. He was already a beautiful dog, but the bath made all the difference.

Finally, I brought him home. He didn’t care for my dog Maya at first, but Maya loved him. He was also nervous about his new environment. His fluffy tail tucked between his legs as he cautiously sniffed around.

Meanwhile, I checked every means I could think of to find out if anyone was missing him. I also left my information with local shelters and posted about him on social media. No one ever claimed him. Yes! He was all mine. I named him Pierson, after the park he had been living in.

It took time for him to warm up to us. The process was like watching a flower slowly blossom. Day by day, he raised his tail higher and his ears moved more forward. After a week or two, he pranced about the house like he owned the place.

Me and Pierson one day after his rescue.

It turns out he has a few health and behavior problems. He has seizures once in a while and he is prone to bacterial infections in his stomach. He has coprophagia, which means he likes to eat poop; he barks a lot; and he hates other dogs (except Maya, who he adores). He also has a high prey drive. I can’t tell you how many small mammals and birds he’s killed. Oh, and he doesn’t care for small children. However, when we brought our newly adopted son home, it took much less time than we thought for him to adjust. He’s about ten years old (estimated age of one year at time of capture on January 10th, 2012, plus nine years in our family). He’s still very lively for a senior dog. Even though he can be naughty at times, he’s a wonderful companion and beloved member of our family. I love Mr. Pierson Fluffybutt so much!

Mr. Pierson Fluffybutt in Spring 2012
Mr. Pierson Fluffybutt in January 2021

Writing Book 1 and Book 2 Updates

Posted by Dawn Ross on December 12, 2020
Posted in: Sci-Fi Part 1 - Revised 3, Sci-Fi Part 2, The Dragon Spawn Chronicles, The Dukarian Legacy - Fantasy Novels. Tagged: , , , , , , . Leave a comment
The Dragon Spawn Chronicles

Despite Covid’s attempt to bring me down, 2020 has been a good year for me, especially with my writing. I have stayed on task for my writing goals, I received great reviews on book 1, and book 2 is just about ready. Here are some exciting updates:

ProWritingAid

I heard so much about the ProWritingAid tool that I used part of my stimulus check to purchase a lifelong membership. It is such a wonderful tool for finding echoes, overused words, hidden verbs, and so much more. It’s so wonderful, in fact, that I’ve been using it to re-review book 1.

New and Better Editor

I had a decent editor for book 1, but they were not available this time around. So I found a new editor for book 2. She is more thorough. As such, I will be using her to go over book 1 as well.

New Ideas for Book 1

After receiving a 3-star review from Reedsy, I asked for more help on book 1. I received some fantastic feedback. Thanks to the feedback, I’m adding fight scenes with the Grapnes and a new character named Sergeant Ander Vizubi. Hopefully, these things will spice up the drama with action and provide new scenery so that everything doesn’t take place on a spaceship. Check out an excerpt later in this post.

(If you’ve already read book 1, let me know and I will send you the new parts so you don’t miss anything.)

Book 2 Release Date

I received editing suggestions from my content/line editor. A little revising is needed before it’s sent to a copy editor. I also need to design the book cover. I could have all this done by January, but I want to finish revamping book 1 first. Because book 1 still needs to be reviewed with my ProWritingAid program and survive my new editor, I will not be ready to re-release book 1 and release book 2 until March 1st. This is only 2 months behind my goal, so I’m very happy.

New Excerpt for Book 2

Hapker jogged to the transport pad with his combat helmet under his arm. The nanite infusion of his armor allowed him to move easily despite the thicker material. It had more mass compared to the enviro-suit but didn’t weigh him down. His own imagination did that.

He rounded the corner to find two squads of PG-Force officers prepping their weapons, readying their gear, or personalizing the settings on their augmented helmets. Hyped chatter filled the room until heads veered his way. He caught a few snide remarks, but no one spoke to him directly.

Lieutenant Gresher met him with a disarming grin. “You’re just in time, Commander. We will be ready in four.”

“Give me the sitrep,” Hapker said as he turned to the weapon locker.

The lieutenant snapped on his tactical belt and packed it with ammo and utilities. “A shuttle from the Cougar has landed in stealth-mode not too far from our science team.”

Hapker’s muscles loosened. Just Grapnes. No Tredons. He opted for a regular phaser rather than the more powerful RR-5 rifle. “From the Cougar? Virtuous Dealings left them behind?”

“Apparently, Sir. Our people noticed them, but not in time. The Grapnes activated a transport blocker.”

“Crap.” Hapker shook his head and exchanged the phaser for the rifle. “So they have our people as hostages.”

“Yes, Sir. Five.”

Hapker groaned inwardly. Whatever these Grapnes were after, they were desperate to get it. “What do they want?”

“We don’t know yet. The captain says they’re not responding.”

“What’s your plan?”

“Officer Chandly found the range of their transport blocker. We’ll encircle them to show them what we’re capable of. It might prompt them to surrender our people and leave.”

“And if not, I’ll negotiate.” Hapker considered the regular phaser again so he wouldn’t look intimidating as he tried to project reason, but the situation was already too volatile. “Sounds simple enough. Will heavy artillery be beamed down with us?”

“Yes, Sir. Chandly is coordinating it so we all arrive at the same time.”

“I’ll follow your lead,” Hapker said with a nod as he put on his helmet.

An officer made a face, no doubt wondering why he allowed Gresher take charge when he hadn’t let Lieutenant Sharkey do it in the initial encounter. He pondered on that himself as he followed Gresher’s team onto the transport platform.

The first incident wasn’t pre-planned, and he hoped there’d be a chance to neutralize trouble before it started.

No. If he can’t be honest with himself, who can he be honest with? The truth was he wanted to prove himself to the captain. It would’ve been smarter to allow Sharkey to take command. She had long since earned the respect of the officers, making her the best one to lead if the situation had worsened.

He phased onto the dismal planet and fell in beside Gresher as he mobilized the team toward a materializing railgun. Unlike the last time, he didn’t run far. An easy sprint put him in position behind the machine where he watched the other weapons appear. Like a one-minded hive, the officers snapped into their designated roles with precision and focus.

“Two turrets in my line of sight,” Sergeant Ander Vizubi called out.

Hapker glanced at the older man, taking in his solemn demeanor. Vizubi opted for the compact helmet, allowing Hapker to see his big nose and his dark grey-flecked hair. The sergeant might be the oldest PG-Force officer here, but he was hardly the least fit. According to the most recent health evaluation, age had not diminished his eyesight or his reflexes.

“Five turrets reported,” Gresher called out. “Fireteam alpha, target aft and starboard. Fireteam beta, port. Gamma, dorsal. Delta, forward.”

“Line of sight into port hatch,” an officer announced through the comm. “No sign of our people.”

Before Gresher could give an order, energy blasts erupted from the turrets. Hapker fired at them in return, then ducked behind his shielded railgun.

“Their shield is holding, Sir,” Vizubi called out. “We should use the railguns.”

“Our people are inside that ship, Sergeant,” Gresher replied. “Keep firing until the shield gives.”

Hapker adjusted his rifle to rapid pulse and took aim again. The energy blasts fell onto the shield and dissipated. His power cell depleted to a quarter strength before he stopped. “This isn’t working,” he said to Gresher. “Do we have a frequency finder?”

“Yeah, but they’re masking it somehow.”

“If we can get close enough…”

“Cease fire!” Gresher glanced at his power cell. “Scheisse,” he cursed. “What kind of shield do they have on that damned thing?”

“It can only be a Lazarus shield.” A shield within a shield where the depletion of one initiated the other as it regenerated.

“How did they get such high tech?” Gresher seemed to say to himself. “God, I hate those things. We’ll use half our arsenal before that thing goes out.”

Hapker agreed. “They have our people for a reason. They must want something.” He powered down his rifle and handed it to the lieutenant. “I need to find out what it is.”

Gresher frowned. “You’re going over there? We’ll cover you, but I can’t guarantee it will help.”

“I’ve got to try. Give me a frequency finder. I’ll transmit the information as soon as I can but do nothing until it’s obvious they’re not willing to communicate.”

“Understood.” Gresher detached the small device from the side of his helmet and handed it to him.

Hapker put it on, waited a few seconds for his visor to recognize and accept it. When the icon appeared on his visor, he eye-clicked it. With the frequency finder activated, he inched out from behind the railgun with his hands up. His stomach soured at the thought of Bracht commenting on how he surrendered twice now. This set a bad precedent, but it was the best option.

“Cover him,” Gresher said through the comm.

Hapker eyed the turrets as he took slow steady steps. The frequency finder remained at zero and he willed it to move.

“That’sss far enough,” a voice called from the shuttle.

Hapker’s muscles went taut. He held his breath as a Grapne with a beige patch over one eye appeared from the open hatch and strode down the gangway. Another man hunched behind him. The skinny figures approached, the leader with a grin that matched the mischievous glint in his eye. The second Grapne huddled close to the other’s back.

Hapker faced the cycloptic man and spoke through the mic. “Where are our people?”

“On our ship. My captain sssays he will releassse them when we have the Tredon children.”

“What do you want with them?”

“Justisss,” the Grapne hissed.

“Justice for what?”

“Not your consssern. Hand them over and we’ll sssend out your people.”

Hapker clenched his jaw. Why wouldn’t they tell them anything? What were those children to them?

He stepped forward hesitantly. The frequency finder remained at zero. “We don’t negotiate with terrorists.”

The Grapne straightened and frowned. “We are not terrorisssts. We are the victimsss.”

Hapker took another tentative step. “Victims don’t kidnap innocent people.”

“We must have the children. Give them to usss and all will be well.”

Hapker moved closer. The frequency finder zipped through some numbers but returned to zero. One more step. “Tell me why you want them so badly.”

“Tell them,” the cowering Grapne said in what would have been a whisper if Hapker’s helmet hadn’t picked it up.

The one-eyed man smacked him on the shoulder. “If we told them, they’d keep them for themssselves, now hush.” He turned back to Hapker as though nothing had happened.

This mystery roiled through Hapker’s gut, but these Grapnes wouldn’t tell him anything so long as they had the upper hand. He stepped again and numbers rolled up on the frequency finder.

The one-eyed Grapne put up his palm. “Don’t take another ssstep, or your people are dead!”

Hapker held his hands out in mock innocence as he eye-clicked the information to Lieutenant Gresher. Before the Grapne could say anything else, phaser fire erupted from the squads.

“Defusers activated,” Gresher announced in the comm as he and the other officers flooded forth.

Hapker let his tension fall away. The defusers would keep the Grapnes from shooting their people with phasers. Hopefully, they didn’t have firearms.

The cowering Grapne screamed in a high pitch and covered his head while the one-eyed man flinched at the sound of his turrets being taken out. Then his eye bulged and he threw his hands up. “I sssurrender. I sssurrender. It wasn’t my idea. It was our captainsss. Please don’t shoot me. I give up.”

“Situation secure,” Gresher announced.

Hapker confronted the Grapnes. “You’re not getting the children so you might as well tell me why they’re so important.”

The Grapne’s dismay changed into a simpering smile that showed his yellowed teeth. “You must arressst us. We have violated your tressspassing laws.”

Hapker’s skin prickled. “Why do you want the children?”

“We sssurrender. Arressst us. We underssstand if you mussst impound our shuttle.”

Hapker’s expression tightened. “We will arrest your captain. The rest of you may go, but you must go now.”

The Grapne’s one eye widened. “No. We can’t go. Our ship isss gone. Our shuttle can’t travel far.”

“Crap,” Hapker whispered. Per Cooperative policy, only the higher ranking Grapnes could be arrested. The PCC wouldn’t allow him to leave the others stranded and bringing them onto the Odyssey was a bad idea. People claimed Grapnes were unintelligent yet devious. Whatever they were after, they would undoubtedly create more trouble to get it.

“Lieutenant Gresher,” he said through a private channel. “Do we have enough security to monitor the Tredon boys as well as the Grapnes and keep our passengers safe?”

“We can’t watch too many people at once unless they all stay in one place, which I doubt they’ll do.”

Hapker put his hands on his hips and blew out a breath.

“We have the important places already guarded, though,” Gresher added. “And if they’re after the children, they have our protection.”

Hapker raised a hand to stroke his chin and struck the helmet. Gresher made good points. Despite having more misgivings about the Grapnes than the Tredon children, he didn’t have enough justification to treat them differently.

“Fine,” he said to the Grapne. Get your people out here. After we inspect them and your shuttle, you may park it on our ship.”

The one-eyed Grapne bowed. “Thank you. Thank you. Your hossspitality is mossst appreciated.”

Hapker held back an eye roll and met up with the lieutenant. “Gresher, they’re all yours.”

As the man took over with the Grapnes, Hapker gazed over the dull land. A craggy outcrop loomed only a kilometer away. Some slopes appeared flat enough to hike and its cracks and crevices offered good handholds for rock climbing. He sighed. If only he could go exploring rather than babysit.

.

Let me know what you think! Keep in mind, this hasn’t been reviewed by my new editor yet.

Thank you for stopping by and checking on my progress for writing book 1 and book 2. I hope your 2020 went well and that 2021 is better.

Step Nine: Polish the Novel Plus Writing and Editing Quotes

Posted by Dawn Ross on October 23, 2020
Posted in: Writing. Tagged: , , , , . Leave a comment

You’ve received your manuscript from your copy editor. The final step is to polish the novel by fixing spelling, grammar, and punctuation errors. Then congratulate yourself, you’ve written a novel!

There’s not much more to say about polishing your novel, so here are some fun quotes about writing and editing:

Editing is not my favorite thing about writing. I wrote this quote after reasoning why editing is so important.
I’m very good at making to-do lists. Lists keep me on task and help me reach my writing goals.
I’ve deleted a lot of boring crap from my drafts. How about you?
Writing isn’t as simple as putting down words, but it is the first step. The hardest part comes when you revise and edit.
These quotes are helpful when you’re participating in NaNoWriMo in November. Don’t worry about showing your story. Just write. Instead of wishing you could write a story, you can actually do it. No more blank pages!
I don’t write for fame or money. I write because there’s a story inside that I want to bring to life. Why do you write?
I have files of chapters and stuff that I’ve deleted from my manuscript but couldn’t bring myself to trash. How much deleting have you done?

Step Eight: Hire a Copy Editor

Posted by Dawn Ross on October 6, 2020
Posted in: The Dukarian Legacy - Fantasy Novels. Tagged: , , , , , , , . Leave a comment

The last editing step in writing your novel is to hire a copy editor. A developmental editor looks at your overall story. A content or line editor helps you polish it. And a copy editor helps you fix the smaller mistakes such as spelling, grammar, and punctuation.

Have you ever purchased a book and been so annoyed by all the typos and punctuation errors that you could never finish reading it? Those errors might seem small to you, but they pull the reader out of your story. To ensure their full engagement, it is vital that you hire a copy editor.

Even if you’re good at editing, it is easy for your eyes to glaze over your own words. I can’t tell you how many times I missed something because I read it as how it should be instead of how it was. Words I misspell because the spell checker doesn’t pick them up: ‘form’ vs ‘from’, ‘he’ vs ‘the’, ‘though’ vs ‘thought’, and dozens more. Other things I tend to overlook are when I don’t close the quotes, when I should or shouldn’t have a comma, or I forget a word like ‘a’ or ‘the’.

When searching for a copy editor, make sure you review their bios, read the reviews of their other customers, and ask for a sample edit. If they don’t find any errors in your sample, great—but be wary. Perhaps they aren’t as detail oriented as another editor might be. It helps to research multiple editors and compare before deciding on one.

Don’t skip out on a copy editor just because it’s not in your budget. I know hiring editors is expensive, but you don’t want to get a bad reputation and hurt your sales. Invest and make your novel the best it can be.

What are your most common errors when it comes to spelling, grammar, or punctuation? What are some funny or annoying errors you’ve come across when reading other’s work? Do you believe it’s important to hire a copy editor? I’d love to hear from you.

Step Seven: Revise Your Novel

Posted by Dawn Ross on September 24, 2020
Posted in: Writing. Tagged: , , , , , , , , . Leave a comment

To clarify from my last post, this image represents how much my editor shot up my story. 🙂

Step seven in the writing to publishing process of your novel is easy. Revise your novel by making the changes highlighted by your content or line editor. Hopefully, they will be easy to fix. But maybe they highlighted a common writing error you make. Or perhaps they noticed a plot hole or an entire chapter that could be improved.

Either way, take their suggestions with an open mind while also keeping your voice and the story true to what you want it to be.

The first time I got a manuscript back from a content editor, I was crushed. There were so many red lines and several chapters that needed improvement. To be truthful, she had to educate me on the proper way to create a story arc. After getting over my hard feelings, I realized she was right and made most of the changes. My first novel is now ten times better than it was before.

Not all your editor’s feedback will be applicable. This same editor also suggested changing my main character. Although I agreed he needed to be improved, I did not like her suggestions. An editor for my second novel suggested renaming some people because she thought they were too complicated. I disagreed. It’s okay to disagree. Just make sure you’re not disagreeing because you’re defensive about the feedback. The editors are there to help you. It’s in both of your best interest to make your novel the best it can be.

What has your experience been with a content or line editor? How much of your novel did you need to revise? What improvements did they suggest? I look forward to hearing from you!

Step Six: Hire a Content or Line Editor

Posted by Dawn Ross on September 15, 2020
Posted in: Writing. Tagged: , , , , , , . 2 Comments

This is how it feels when I get my manuscript back from a line editor. But it’s worth it.

In previous posts, I mentioned a developmental editor. But this type of editor is needed much earlier in the process when you need help with the overall story structure. At this point in your writing and editing process (step six), you need to hire a content or line editor.

In researching the definitions of these two types of editors, the distinction seems to be blurred. The gist of both are they look less at the overall flow and structure and more at the line-by-line construction.

By strict definition, line editors look at your word usage. They can help you find inconsistencies with point of view or tenses. They can help you find better words for your descriptions or better ways to write your sentences.

Content editors might provide help on a broader scope, but not as broad as a developmental editor. They might notice plot holes or point out flat characters or scenes. They could let you know when some scenes are too slow or when you accidentally fall into telling rather than showing.

Ideally, you’d like an editor to do both line and content editing. Honestly, in looking at the services of several editors, I found they described their line editing to include features of content editing and vice versa.

When searching for an editor, be sure to read the specifics on their services and ask them if they will do a sample for you. Submit a sample to a handful of editors and review the results to see which feedback fits better with what you need.

This type of editor is not cheap, but it can make a world of difference. I am at this state with my second novel. And while I feel my writing is spot-on, I am amazed with all the things my line editor found in the sample I sent her. In some ways, her red lines and comments were daunting. But I loved how much better my writing came out with her suggested improvements.

Whether you’re going to submit your novel to a literary agent or self-publish it, a content or line editor is a great investment. Let your writing get the attention of a literary agent or give self-publishers a good name by publishing something that will knock their socks off. Make your novel the best it can be!

Do you have any suggestions or recommendations when it comes to content or line editors? I’d love to hear from you.

Step Five: Rewrite Your Novel Again

Posted by Dawn Ross on September 1, 2020
Posted in: Writing. Tagged: , , , , , , , , , , , , , . Leave a comment

After all that work, you might have to do rewrite your novel again. But why? The biggest reason is because your beta readers might have pointed out issues you missed. Or perhaps they gave you ideas on how to improve your story. Here are just a few things beta readers might point out that will require you to rewrite your novel:

Not enough conflict – Perhaps a beta reader said parts of your story are too slow. This is usually because there’s not enough tension or conflict in your story. Review your character(s) goals, motivations, and conflict.

Weak characters – Perhaps one or more of your characters are flat. Maybe they’re too nice and never make mistakes. Or maybe they’re just not interesting. Consider both their strengths and their flaws and use them against your character. Give them goals, motivations, and conflict. And be sure to show the character rather than tell the reader about your character.

Boring scenes – An occasional slow scene is a good thing for pacing. But too many slow scenes in a row can cause your reader to put down your book. If your beta reader tells you a chapter is slow, consider your options: delete it, spice it up, or leave it as is because the proceeding and succeeding chapters are fast.

Needs rising action – Having your character go from one bad situation to another without the stakes getting higher can be boring. You must raise the stakes with the worst possible dilemma your character faces being toward the end.

Show don’t tell – Don’t tell your readers about your character or about the scene. Show it to them through your character’s viewpoint. For example, ‘Sally was mad’, is telling. ‘Sally clenched her fists and bared her teeth’ is showing the reader that she’s mad.

Point of view problems – Unless your writing in omniscient point of view, make sure your story is told through one character at a time. If you need the story told from multiple characters, separate each character’s point of view by chapter or by a line break.

Choppy writing style – Vary your sentence structures. Don’t always start with a subject. Start a few sentences with a subordinating conjunction. And start very few sentences with an adverb, verb, gerund, infinitive, or coordinating conjunction. Also look at your sentence lengths. Your sentence lengths should vary. Don’t write a bunch of short sentences in a row unless the action of the scene calls for it.

Same mistakes over and over – Your beta readers may point out that you overused certain words. Words like was or that, or even smiled or nodded can be way overdone. Or maybe you don’t use your commas properly or you start every sentence with he or she.

As you review the feedback from your beta-readers, keep in mind that not all feedback is created equal. Some feedback might be opinions you don’t share. Some feedback might be wrong. Don’t despair if your manuscript comes back with a bunch red lines and comments. Not all will apply, and these corrections are a learning opportunity. Rewrite your novel knowing that each change is an improvement.

Tell me about the feedback you’ve received from beta readers and how it made you a better writer.

Step Four: Getting Feedback on Your Novel

Posted by Dawn Ross on August 18, 2020
Posted in: Writing. Tagged: , , , , , , , , . Leave a comment

You’ve heard the phrase, “You don’t know what you don’t know.” This is why it’s so important to get feedback on your novel. Would you rather get negative feedback before publishing or get it after?

You’d think getting feedback would be easy to do. Maybe it is. But getting the right feedback is not. The biggest issue is reader bias. The next concern has to do with the potential costs. I’ve put together some ideas on how to find beta readers as well as a list of things to be aware of when getting feedback from your beta readers.

Where to Look for Beta Readers

  • Family of friends – This is a good source but beware of the possibility of heavily biased feedback.
  • Social media – Ask people on your social media accounts for help. This is easier if the followers of your social media pages are readers or writers. Some readers and writers may have formed their own private critique groups and may ask if you want to join.
  • Your Community – Check if there are any writing groups in your community. Groups may be organized by like-minded individuals or by organizations such as your public library.
  • Online Writer Platforms – scribophile.com, critiquecircle.com, and other online groups are a great place to find writers and readers. Some have free memberships and some you have to pay for. If they are free, though, you probably need to return the favor for other writers. Of course, reading the work of other writers can help you learn.
  • Alternative Options – I’ve used simbi.com and fiverr.com to find beta readers. The drawbacks of these sites are you have to give something in return. With Simbi, it’s an exchange service. And you must pay those on Fiverr. There’s a risk that the feedback you receive may not be the feedback you need.
  • Developmental Editor – This is probably the most expensive way to get feedback. But if you’re new to writing, it may be the best way. Someone you pay isn’t going to pull any punches. And they will be better able to tell you how to fix your writing.

When Reviewing Beta Readers

  • Look for readers who are interested in your genre and writing style. For me, I need to look for fantasy or sci-fi readers/writers who prefer character-driven stories over action-driven stories. Another writing style to consider is whether your beta reader prefers close-third over omniscient or first-person point of view.
  • Beware of the readers who tell you everything about your novel is great. Someone with such vague feedback might be afraid of hurting your feelings.
  • Not all the feedback you receive will be good advice. People have their own preferences. For example, some might prefer more detail while others prefer less. A way to distinguish between preferences and applicable advice is to get multiple readers. If multiple readers are saying the same thing, they are probably right.
  • If you receive feedback you think is questionable, do your research. For example, if they say you’re using too many adverbs, check online to see why using too many adverbs in your writing might weaken your story. Or if they say you need to use close third-person point of view, research the different types of point-of-views used in writing. Look for the pros and cons of each and decide what’s best for your writing and as well as what your audience prefers.
  • Don’t take negative feedback personally. If they rip you a new one without also giving you the reasons behind their opinions, then they’re too immature to be worth your time. If the feedback seems riddled with an overwhelming number of things you need to fix, remember that feedback is an opportunity to learn and to make your story the best it can be. You’re not a failure unless you give up.
  • Negative feedback should be explained. If someone says something about your writing isn’t right, they should be able to tell you why. This gives you the opportunity to research and to decide for yourself whether it needs to be changed.

Finding the right beta reads to give me feedback on my novel has been a trial and error process. Some were too lavish with praise and others were too critical. Many gave sound advice, but personal preferences occasionally seeped in. One of the hardest things, though, was finding people who have the time to give me feedback. Providing a detailed review of someone’s writing is hard work. So if you get someone willing to do this for you, be sure to thank them profusely, don’t take advantage of their hospitality, and offer them something in return (such as an exchange review, their book cover design, marketing for them, or any other service that you have skill in).

How do you find good beta readers? Do you have any other advice to offer when it comes to getting or giving feedback on a novel? I’d love to hear from you.

Step Three: Rewrite the Novel

Posted by Dawn Ross on August 4, 2020
Posted in: Writing. Tagged: , , , , , , , , , , , . Leave a comment

What?! After all that hard work I put in, now you want me to rewrite? WTH.

Before you get angry with me, ask yourself if you are truly ready for a stranger to read your novel and post a review. Chances are the answer is no.

You wrote the first draft of your novel in step two. If you’re the type of writer who likes to take their time making sure every sentence and every scene is perfect, you may not have to do much when rewriting your novel. The more time you spend writing the first draft of your novel, the less time you will need to spend on rewriting the novel.

Since I like to write the first draft quickly, I spend more time on the second draft. Here are some of the things I do in this second draft:

Develop the Scenes

Sometimes when we write, we’re so caught up in writing the action and dialog that we forget to flesh out the scene. When you read your rough draft, look for places where you told the story rather than showed it. Look for places where the mood of a scene can be improved. Where is it taking place? What does this place look like? What time is it? What are the characters doing? What are they wearing? How does the point of view character feel about what he or she is doing? How do they feel about where they are? How do they perceive the other characters?

There are a myriad of questions to ask when fleshing out your scenes. But don’t get too caught up in it. For one, you don’t want to make the scene too boring by adding too much detail. For another, not all scenes require a lot of description. If you’re writing a high action scene, for example, your point of view character wouldn’t take a lot of time noting what the scene and the other characters look like. And If you’re character wouldn’t do it, neither should you.

Make Story Changes

A story doesn’t always come out right the first time you write it. Does a scene contribute to the plot? Is something missing? Is something not working? Is it too long or too short? Is the transition from one scene to the next too jarring? Are the events in the proper order? Does the plot make sense? Is everything too easy for your character?

Add scenes – Sometimes you find you need to add characters, events, or other elements. Perhaps after you wrote your story, you realize how cool it would be to add a sub-plot. Or maybe you realize you need another character to help push your main character along or complicate things for him.

Delete scenes – Don’t be afraid to remove what doesn’t work. You might love a particular scene, but it doesn’t contribute to the plot. Or maybe you realize one scene is too much like another scene, and one of them needs to go. If you hate the idea of deleting, copy and paste it into a new document and save it.

Switch scenes around – Maybe you realize your protagonist needs to meet your antagonist earlier in the story. Or maybe your character faces the hardest part of their journey too early. Your character’s journey should get increasingly difficult. Sure, he can solve a problem and be in his happy place somewhere in the middle of the story, but something worse needs to follow. And make sure his worst moment is near the end. A subplot might be another reason to switch scenes. Maybe the subplot concluding after the climax drags out the end of the story and needs to conclude earlier. The more subplots you have, the more you may realize scenes need to be switched.

Change scenes – Maybe you want something different to happen. Maybe instead of robbing a bank, you want your character to rob a jewelry store. Maybe your character’s friend Jan as a side character is too boring and Tabitha would be much more interesting. Maybe the stakes are too low and you need to jack things up.

Minor Editing

Don’t get too bogged down with editing. Chances are after you get feedback on your novel in step four, you may have more rewriting to do. Simply read through your story and fix the things that stand out the most.

I spend more time on my second draft than I do any other draft. I want to make sure I have all the story elements right before I let beta readers or developmental editors read it. You might be different in that your first draft took longer. Either way, it is a good idea to do a first and second draft before you let anyone read your novel.

Can you think of another reason why you might want to do a second draft of your novel before letting anyone read it? Can you think of other elements you may have to rewrite in a second draft? I’d love to hear from you.

Step Two: Write the Novel

Posted by Dawn Ross on July 22, 2020
Posted in: Writing. Tagged: , , , , , , , , , . Leave a comment

There are many steps to writing and publishing a novel. The first step is the outline, which you can read about in last week’s post. This second step of actually writing the novel is by far the most enjoyable. It’s the step where your imagination gets to take flight and come alive. So sit your butt down and write! But first, here are a few things you can do to stay on track and keep motivated.

Set Writing Goals

Write up a document that establishes your goals. Start with a broad goal, such as “I will finish this novel by April 1st”. Then break the goal down into parts. Ask yourself, “When will I write?”, “Where will I write?”, “How many days a week will I write?”, and “What times will I write?”. Finally, set milestones. You can aim for words per week or day, or pages or chapters per week.

One thing about goals is to remember they are flexible. Don’t beat yourself up if you don’t reach a goal. Life happens. If you don’t make a deadline, it’s not a big deal if you push back the timeline. Or if your initial plan was too ambitious, it’s okay to make a new plan that gives yourself room to breathe. Remember, you only fail if you give up.

Create Accountability

Some people are good at accountability while others need help. If you’re someone who does better when you have to answer to someone, consider these options:

  • Tell your friends and ask them to follow up with you once in a while.
  • Join NaNoWriMo.org and find writers in your community. It’s free! I love the NaNoWriMo team in my community. Every November, we prepare to write 50,000 words. We communicate online and we gather one to two times a week to check in with one another and write together.
  • Sign up for the 100 Day Book program on The Write Practice. This program gives you and other writers the challenge of writing a novel in 100 days. Every week, you have to check-in and let everyone know if you met your goals. This program costs, but you get a monetary reward at the end if you succeed.
  • Find another online group that can encourage you and gives you a sense of accountability.
  • Join a writer’s circle in your community.

Establish Rewards and Consequences

Do you think you will be better motivated by rewards? Consider your guilty pleasures—the things you don’t get very often but enjoy. Those things can be food, drinks, material things, or activities.

  • A food reward might be as simple as a candy bar to as extravagant as a dinner at your favorite restaurant.
  • Drink rewards can be one of those expensive coffee drinks from your favorite coffee shop, a deluxe smoothie or milkshake, or an expensive bottle of alcohol (like wine or Crown Royal).
  • Material things can be a new video game for your PS4, a dragon figurine to add to your collection, a new writing journal, and so on.
  • Activities can be a night at the movies, a pedicure, a massage, a day at the museum or art gallery, a day at the lake or beach, or even an out-of-town stay (like a camping trip or hotel stay in a tourist town).

Base rewards on your level of achievement. A candy bar might be rewarded for reaching 5,000 words while dinner at your favorite restaurant might be when you reach 25,000 words. The more you’re motivated by rewards, the more reward milestones you should select.

Consider the consequences of not achieving your goals. Let’s say you didn’t write as much because you spent too much time playing a video game or watching Netflix. Grounding yourself from those things are excellent consequences. If you’re not reaching your goals because of work, school, or family, do not ground yourself from those! Rather than establish a consequence for normal life things that keep you from writing, re-align your goals to be more realistic instead.

Find Inspiration

There are several ways to maintain inspiration. The number one thing I like to do is review why I want to write in the first place. I write because I want to get the story out of my head, because I like the feeling of achieving something worthwhile because I like the escape that writing offers, etc. Other inspirations can be searching for inspirational quotes from your fellow social media writers, creating a Pinterest board of images that relate to the story you’re writing, watching a movie or television show that inspired your story, and more.

Screw Perfectionism

This first draft of your novel is not supposed to be perfect. Don’t get too fixated on editing typos or grammar, or even wording. Just write and get your ideas out. My rough drafts are so rough that I talk to myself in my writing. For example, I might type:

Okay, I might have a plot issue here. I realized that I forgot all about the clue I planted back in chapter two. Review this and consider either deleting the clue-plant or implementing its reveal.

I usually put these blurbs in the document with parenthesis around them and in red-colored text so they stand out. If your writing goal is based on the number of words, it’s up to you whether you want to count these blurbs. Personally, I count them because they are still related to my story.

Writing a novel is not easy. You might see a lot of people in your writing groups who want to write a novel, but most of them don’t get beyond the first draft. So if you can finish the first draft of your novel, congratulate yourself on beating the average. What have you done to keep yourself motivated to write? Are you goal-oriented or do you need outside encouragement? Are you motivated more by rewards or consequences? Explore the many possibilities!