What Did You Get On Your Report Card?

Every weekday I hang out here at Writer Off the Leash for at least a little while in the morning, writing a new blog entry or shooting a vlog. It's great fun. Made me wonder, though, how bad my author website might be languishing.

So I came across a cool site that tells you exactly how your site is doing in terms of marketing and such. It's called HubSpot. All you do is enter your website and it gives you a grade somewhere between 1 and 100. You can even compare your site to your buddy's or to other websites. 

And you know what? My suspicions were correct. My author site scored a pathetic 54 while this blog earned a 70.

Go ahead. Give it a whirl. Can you beat my grade?

I Hate That Guy: Making Likable Characters

I love sarcasm. Give me a character who's snappy and snippy with their dialogue and bam...instant like fest as far as I'm concerned. So it surprises me when my snarky characters aren't always well loved. What's the deal?

Well...apparently I'm in the minority. Surprisingly, sarcasm doesn't head the list of likable traits, which  can work against me in making my characters likable.

So I went on a google search to find the top 3 ingredients that should go into a blue-ribbon recipe for creating an endearing character. 

Admirable motivations. 
Even if your protag resorts to doing something naughty, give them an empathetic reason for doing so.

Show them capable of love.
No matter how self-centered your character may be, how vile or criminally minded, the teddy bear factor must be present. Give them a pet, a younger sibling, or something else cute and cuddly to love. 

Vulnerable vs Capable
Too much vulnerability makes your character a wuss. Over the top confidence labels them as snooty. The ironic thing is that you should have a blend of both in your protag.

Interesting side note: while I searched on how to create likable characters, I came across a book that's been recommended to me several times and one I intend to purchase. Save the Cat! is really a book about how to write screenplays but one that every fiction writer should have on their shelf--especially if you struggle with connecting with your reader. And honestly, who doesn't?

Bean Counting

A visual tutorial on the money and time involved in a writing a novel.

Why is Writing a Synopsis so Hard?

"A synopsis is a cold thing. You do it with the front of your mind."
~ J.B. Priestley

Is it only me or do you break out in a cold sweat just thinking about having to write a synopsis? I can write novels. I can write devotionals. I can even whip out a mean shopping list. But writing the dreaded synopsis brings out the idiot in me. Perhaps, indeed, I have lost the front half of my brain somewhere along the way.

So what's my problem? Am I giving this too much importance? Am I trying to fit in too much information? Has there not been enough dark chocolate in my diet of late?

Regardless of reasons, there's no getting around the fact that I must polish up my synopsis in order to sell my finished manuscript. After toodling around the ol' internet for awhile, I came up with the top "3 Should Haves" in a great manuscript summary. 

Introduce your main characters, focusing most on goals, motivations and conflicts rather than on physical attributes. 
Hint: Think back cover copy.
Example: It takes a thief to catch one, and there's none better than reformed officer (MOTIVATION) Doug Harwell. He'll stop at nothing to rid the Boston streets of crime (GOAL)--until the beautiful cat burglar Rhianna Davis enters his life (CONFLICT).

For the body of the synopsis, set up each paragraph with the actions, reactions, and decisions made by those main characters.
Example: Bob kisses Donna under the apple tree (ACTION).
He makes her forget she's already engaged to Bubba (REACTION).
Donna decides to break off her engagement and run away to join the circus instead (DECISION).

Tie up the loose ends.
Never, ever leave an editor guessing. Cliffhangers are great for chapter endings, but not for a synopsis finale. You must include the resolution to your story.

There you have it. Pretty simple right? Yeah. About as simple as buying a house, selling a house, and moving all within the space of a month. But hey, if I can do that, this should be a piece of cake.

Freebies

from FreeDigitalPhotos.net

Moving is chaos. I've been pitching stuff left and right just to lighten the load. And every time I set out a pile of stuff at the end of my driveway with a big ol' "Free" sign on it, someone always takes it. It's magical, really.

For those of you who would like to score some freebies and can't quite make it all the way to my driveway, never fear. I've found a few sites where you can net some treasures for nothing.

FREE AUDIOBOOKS
For those of you who like to hear your stories read to you at bedtime, I discovered a link that tells you exactly how to download audiobooks. Okay, so really my hubby shared the link with me (thanks sweetie!). Check out Lifehacker's great advice to find this secret cache.

FREE E BOOKS
But if ebooks are really more your thing and your Kindle or Nook is woefully shy of being filled up, here's another great Lifehacker info post on where to pick up some sweet freebies.

Fall will be here before you know it. Might as well curl up with a new free book, eh? As for me...back to packing and pitching.

Drum Roll, Please

I started this blog the end of last October with the intention of chronicling my journey from start to finish on a novel. October was my thinking month. November was NANOWRIMO, when I began writing. Then it was hit and miss as to when I could grab writing time throughout the rest of the year. I'd hoped to finish it in 9 months, just like a 'real' baby. But alas. The dang thing was late.

Just like a real baby.

But I pressed on, persevered, and over the weekend...this is where the drum roll comes in...I FINISHED BRENTWOOD'S WARD! Ta-da! It took me 10 months, 11 if you count my thinking month, but hey, I finished in less than a year. That's a personal best. Here's a blurb:

There's none better than NICHOLAS BRENTWOOD at catching the felons who ravage Regency London's streets, and there's nothing he loves more than seeing justice carried out--but this time he's met his match. EMILY PAYNE is more treacherous than a city full of miscreants and thugs, for she's a thief of the highest order...she's stolen his heart.

So now that the manuscript is finished, what's the next step?

I've had 3 of my best crit buddies providing me feedback on each chapter as I wrote, but now that it's in one complete package, I've shipped it off to 2 of my other best crit buddies who will read and comment on it as a whole. While they're busy with that, I'll polish up the synopsis (which I rarely stick to). When I do get their crits back, I'll apply and send it off to my agent.

Then can I put up my feet and relax? 

Nope. I'll be too busy starting the second book in my Bow Street Runners series.

Holiday Ponderings

Who was in charge of picking the name for Labor Day? Shouldn't it be more like Rest Day? Other than emergency personnel, I don't know anyone who's not grilling up some brats or kicking back on the patio today. So I googled the history of this yearly event just to find out what it's about. Here's the scoop:

"Labor Day is always the first Monday in September. It's a creation of the labor movement and is dedicated to the social and economic achievements of American workers. It constitutes a yearly national tribute to the contributions workers have made to the strength, prosperity, and well-being of our country."

Taken from the Department of Labor

So for all you hard working writers out there, apparently this is the day to party. Grab your ice tea, toss a little umbrella in the glass, and park your rear in a lawn chair.

And don't forget to bring your pen and paper in case a fabulous plot twist pops into your head.