Self Editing Workshop Feb 20-26
Self-Editing Workshop
Feb 20-26
Want to perk up the pace of your prose? Need help pinpointing your manuscript’s weak spots? Contest judges getting you down? Never learned the difference between POV and Show vs Tell? Join Roses Colored Glasses for the Self-Editing Workshop.
Your Instructors: Layla Chase and Elle James
This workshop will help make your writing shine! Through the use of checklists, topical lectures and writing exercises for each lesson, we give you tangible examples of what to look for and how to fix it. You’ll get interactive assistance from freelance editor and award-winning author, Layla Chase, and Harlequin author Elle James.
Passive Vs Active voice, Power words & pumping up your sentences Eliminating implied or unnecessary words Gerunds, misplaced modifiers, dangling participles Point Of View and Show Vs Tell Grammar & Punctuation Style and Voice.
To enroll, send your $20 payment through Paypal from the workshop page on http://www. rosescoloredglasses.com/WSSelfEdit.htm
Deadline for enrollment is February 20, 2012.
Testimonials “I just wanted to say a HUGE thank you for teaching the Self-Editing class on Rose’s Colored Glasses. I took the class earlier this year and by applying what I learned to my manuscript, I managed to final in a RWA Chapter contest.”
“… even more than the wonderful tips and checklist and exercises, this workshop taught us how to discipline ourselves, which I love. Thank you, thank you, thank you.”
“Just want to say thank you so much for all your insight and information, ladies. I enjoyed the class and can definitely take the information and apply it to my writing. In fact, it’s been useful already!”
“I wanted to express my appreciation for the time and assistance we have been given. I have learned so much and have so much to learn. Thanks heaps and I’ll be doing this again!”
A Moment of Panic
Disclaimer: My last anatomy class was my junior year of high school…I don’t remember much except the cutie I flirted with behind me.
I didn’t know where the hyman was. I parted with mine so long ago that I don’t remember it. I was 16, sufficently buzzed, and anxious to get it done. I couldn’t tell you anything else about the experience.
Needless to say, today I had a moment of panic.
I should start by telling you that I finished a last read through of The Cancan Dancer and the Duke just before Christmas. Then today I found the Smart Bitches post about the physical location of the hymen.
SHIT! Are you kidding me? Did I do THAT!?
Of course I was at work, but I had my trusty Kindle Fire with me so I whipped it out and found the scene where the big moment happens and…whew. While I don’t specifically describe the breaking of the hymen I also don’t ignore the general discomfort I assume is normal for a virgin. Since I don’t know any (virgins, that is), once the book comes out y’all feel free to let me know if I got it wrong.
My moment of panic has passed, but I now get to live with wishing I had bothered to ask a fairly important question…
Where is the hymen?
Hopefully you all will like the book when it comes out despite my near miss with a mid vaginal hymen. 
A Letter to Amazon about Exposing my Book Purchases
ETA: I was mistaken in my original post. You must opt to make your purchases public by ticking off what you are reading and allowing the status to be made public. My apologies for the confusion.
Dear Amazon,
I saw a tweet from @moirarogersbree about your Kindle Profiles and thought…no way. But yes way. You went there. You invaded my privacy and have exposed my reading habits to all and sundry without asking for my permission. I knew about the profile’s existence, even added my bio to mine. I don’t mind a profile where content provided by tweets from my kindle about books I am reading are captured. I have chosen to make that information public by tweeting it. At no time did I wish to make my purchasing habits public in such an uncontrolled manner. I have lodged a complaint via their feedback tool on my profile:
“I would like to have my book lists not be made public. In this day and age I want control over which of my books are shown to the public due to professional concerns. I am not some teenager who does not understand the importance of controlling what aspects of their life are put on display. I find it concerning that Amazon would think that it is “OK” to make something I consider private a matter for public consumption. “
As a semi-public (technically I’m nobody, but I do participate in the romance community) figure I prefer to choose how my image is presented to the general public as do most public figures. As a private person, I have no desire to have every book I choose to purchase listed for public awareness. I have colleagues, friends, and family who I may not wish to know EVERY book I read or buy. This move on your part is as unthinking and foolish as the kids who post pictures of themselves getting drunk all over Facebook. I however am an adult with judgment. Please allow me to exercise that judgment without the benefit of your interference. I am sad to say that I will likely curtail my use of Amazon until such time as you find a way to fix this issue. It is decidedly unsavvy of you to do this to your loyal customers, and frankly disappointing.
Unhappily,
Dara Young
ETA: I have now changed my name on my profile and removed all identifying markers. I have also stated my objection to the profile in my bio. I hope that Amazon changes this to an opt in type service or at least give me a better way to opt out than individually removing books I don’t want to share. Ridiculous!
A Communications Poll…
Image by windsordi via Flickr
I’m trying to figure out how best to communicate with potential readers about things as they happen. I’m already on Twitter and Facebook, and (as you can see) I have a blog, but I know some people are lazy about going to your site or even to FB. (Heh. Me.) So, should I be doing more? Is there an overwhelming preference for how you get info about what’s happening with an author? I just want to be sure that I am doing all that I should be doing to get the word out to potentially interested readers (you I hope!).
Also, feel free to comment on what you might like to hear about. I’d love to know what interests you. 
Thanks for taking the poll!
And The Journey Begins…
As you know I have signed a contract with The Wild Rose Press (TWRP) to publish my first book. As a result of this I have found myself immersed in a new community of writers and an entire culture. As part of the Rose Garden I am learning things about marketing and most importantly about the publishing process. First up, forms. Who knew? There were lots of forms to fill out. Forms for the art department so they can design a cover and forms for the website department so they can add an author page for me and my book. There of course was the ever important contract, and even a form about me and how I’d like to participate in marketing my book.
Needless to say, when I dreamed of being published I never dreamed of forms. I thought about book covers and words. I thought about having an editor to work with and doing some guest blogs. Never, ever did I think “Oh, and I will get to fill out all those lovely forms!” Ha! It just goes to show the reality doesn’t always look like the dream. But oh what a dream it is!
I know this is just the first big step on a long journey, but I am going to take a moment to sit back, relax, and enjoy the moment! The next leg on the journey is looming, I can see it…I’ve even been inspired recently by Maya Banks’ interview on Dear Author. A plan is starting to take shape in my mind, but for this moment I am going to sit back and enjoy.
Details about The Cancan Dancer and the Duke should be forth coming…trust me y’all will be the first to know. 
So, if you’ve been making the rounds of TWRP author’s blogs have you seen anything that looks good?
Big Announcement!
A few weeks ago you may have seen a couple tweets…
I am thrilled to announce I have made my first sale! *cue roaring crowds* Okay, okay. In my head the crowd is roaring…or is that the blood rushing from my excitement? Anyway, I have sold
The Cancan Dancer and the Duke
to
I just signed the contract, so all the remaining details will come shortly. Needless to say I have taken a big step on my journey, and I look forward to sharing the next few months with you.
Romance Divas Not Going To Conference Conference (#NGTCC)
Not Going to Conference?
Attend Romance Divas’ Annual Not Going to Conference Conference June 28-July 1
Romance Divas’ annual virtual conference features workshops, publisher spotlights, pitch-your-book opportunities, fabulous doorprize giveaways and more.
It’s FREE!
And nobody says you can’t wear fabulous shoes while you’re recharging your writer batteries from home.
LIKE the NGTCC on Facebook for future updates in 2012 and beyond.
I Can Haz Grammar – Misused Words
I admit it. I am a word use cop. It drives me nuts when people use the wrong word. The DH used to say “wroth iron” instead of “wrought iron”. It drove me crazy until I finally said something. Now he says it just to annoy me. But, there are words that real words that are often interchanged incorrectly. I have a list acquired from some editing guidelines I was given, but there are plenty of these out there. One of the combos I am really bad about? Loose/Lose. I ALWAYS write loose when I mean lose. Here are some others I often see or are commonly found:
accept/except
affect/effect
board/bored
to/two/too
then/than
your/you’re
Honestly, it is so easy to type one of these and not the other, or heaven forbid auto correct is on. We’ve all seen the hilarity that is Damn You Auto Correct. Personally, I have to check some of these out to be sure I am using them correctly sometimes, particularly with affect/effect. For that I go to my absolute favorite grammar site, Grammar Girl: Quick and Dirty Tips. Another good one is Grammar Divas. So, what words do you misuse? Any fantabulous grammar sites you want to share?
Bid on Me! I’m Worth It!
Quick! I am giving away a 3 Chapter crit or Full Beta read on Bria Quinlan’s Golden Heart Auction! Go bid and help a deserving writer and Golden Heart Finalist get to RWA nationals!
http://bghauction.wordpress.com/2011/05/04/dara-young/
Superheroes Update…
My Inspiration for Karen/Aquas
If you follow me on Twitter then you may know that I have finished the first draft of the Superheroes book, Karen/Aquas and Dalton’s/Inferno’s story. Woo hoo! I am so excited by this. That means that now I can edit and polish before I look to shop it around. I know it needs some work still, it ain’t done by a long shot, but it feels so good to write the words: THE END.
Since then I have been busy prepping for the second book. Largely that’s how I know book one needs some work. I have holes I need to fill and links between the two books I need to make. No real cliff hangers, but sometimes my imagination puts the cart before the horse. Now I have to go realign things. Book two will be Cindy and Ben’s story. Of course that doesn’t mean much to most of you just yet. I hope to change that eventually.
That’s what I’ve been up to, but what have you all been doing since I have been MIA here on the blog? Anything exciting? Good news to share?
I Can Haz Grammar – Adverbs
The adverb. In particular the evil “ly” words. They are my nemesis. I recently had to go through a WIP and for a 60 page story I found 400-something words that ended in ly. That’s a lot of ly words!
As you may remember from my original grammar post (*ahem* back in January):
Adverb - words that describe verbs, adjectives, and other adverbs and specify where, when, what manner, and how much (i.e. – much, loudly, grumpily, soon)
So an adverb is a modifier. The problem is, it often leads to telling and not showing. It’s like short hand for the lazy writer. In every day conversations they serve a purpose, but when describing a scene to a reader it translates to laziness. Now, don’t get me wrong. Adverbs have their place in writing too, just not EVERY place.
Where does that leave us? Needing examples! I love examples. Here are some lines from one of my WIPs.
Orig: She looked at him a little blankly as the emergency lights from the fire truck washed them in a revolving red glow.
Edited: She looked at him, her gaze unfocused and absent, as the emergency lights from the fire truck washed them in a revolving red glow.
I like the change. It’s more descriptive, shows the reader exactly what I meant by “blankly”.
Orig: Between the glare of the badly placed can lights, the ugly red vinyl covered chairs, and the unsettling stalker-like quality to the whole evening he was pretty sure this was going to be a complete disaster.
This one I’d leave alone. I could change “badly placed” to misplaced, but I would sacrifice tone for cleanliness. Sometimes you want to keep the adverb because it just works.
Now, I am still working through a lot of these rules myself. I don’t pretend to be a Grammar Goddess, but I think i have a grasp on this concept now and I hope I have shared it in a way that is easy to understand. Feel free to comment, I am interested in learning more as I become a better writer.
CA Marshall’s Free Edit Contest!
It’s that time again! Time for another FREE EDIT contest!
Just like previous contests, Cassandra is giving away a FREE substantial edit! (That’s plot, pacing, character development, etc, up to 100k words) to one lucky reader!
CA Marshall’s Free Edit Contest!
It’s that time again! Time for another FREE EDIT contest!
Just like previous contests, Cassandra is giving away a FREE substantial edit! (That’s plot, pacing, character development, etc, up to 100k words) to one lucky reader!
The End!
I can’t believe I finally get to type this but I have reached The End of the first Superheroes book! Woo hoo! I have no idea what I am actually going to call the book and I have a crap ton of editing to do, but I am totally doing my happy dance right now. It is amazing how good it can feel to write those two little words. So, let the celebration continue for the next 24 hours and then I get to start the really hard work.
Latest Update on #Clotpocolypse
I posted an update over at Twitloss today. Go check it out for the latest on my blood clot. Otherwise, I am still plugging away at my keyboard in between all the drama. I am so close to finishing this first superheroes book, just 2 1/2 more scenes/chapters/sections (whatever it is that I am writing) to go!
Popping in to say…Hello!
Well, since January 10th I have been a busy, busy girl. In case you missed my announcement, the Ruby Slipper Sisterhood Winter Writing Festival (RSSWWF) kicked off. As a result I have been writing furiously to ensure I get the most out of this event. Since then, I have written so many words! Woo! Hoo!
19,284!
How awesome is that? If I can keep this up I will be at nearly 72K for the book before I begin editing. And well, I can’t lie…I think my editing process will end up adding words not taking away. LOL! There are a few places where I feel like there are plot holes to be filled. Which is going to up the word count. Anyway, I can’t tell you how excited I am about this book and getting to THE END. It is going to feel really good.
So, how are my fellow RSSWWFers doing? Are you making your goals? Finishing up your edits? Stop by and share your progress. Share even if you aren’t involved with the festival, I want to hear how your doing!
I Can Haz Grammar – The Basics
Parts of Speech
We all know the basic parts of speech: Noun, Pronoun, Verb, Adverb, Adjective, Preposition, and Conjunction.
Noun – The name of a person, place, thing, or idea (i.e. – door, dad, house, joy)
Common nouns - any person, place, thing, or idea (i.e. – same as above)
Proper nouns – particular places, persons, objects, or ideas (i.e. – Scotland, James, the White House, Christian Science)
Pronoun – takes the place of a noun (i.e. – his, he, her)
Verb – shows the action or state of being, and indicates the time of action or being (i.e. – waived, rode, need, eat)
Adjective -words that describe or modify nouns (i.e. – small, old, new, two, shinny)
Adverb - words that describe verbs, adjectives, and other adverbs and specify where, when, what manner, and how much (i.e. – much, loudly, grumpily, soon)
Preposition – shows how a noun or pronoun is related to another word in a sentence (i.e. – into, behind, in)
Conjunction – joins words, phrases, or clauses
Coordinating Conjunction – connects sentence elements of the same value; single words, phrases, or clauses (i.e. – and, but, for, or, nor, either, neither, yet, so, and so that)
Subordinating Conjunction – joins two clauses, the main one and the dependent one (i.e. – although, because, since, until, while)
Parts of a Sentence
The parts of a sentence are: Subject, Predicate, Phrases, and Clauses.
Subject - the person, object, or idea being described
Predicate - the explanation of the action, condition, or effect of the subject
Phrase – a group of words that are closely related but have no subject or predicate
Clause – a group of words that has a subject and a predicate
Main Clause – can stand alone as a sentence
Subordinate Clause – is incomplete and is used with a main clause to express a related idea
Examples:
Subject and Predicate -
Falling in love is never easy.
Caroline fell in love at first sight.
Phrases -
Shopping for a wedding dress is a big challenge.
The girl with the pink dress was his fiance.
Clauses -
Main Clause - Caroline fell in love with James.
Subordinate Clause – Caroline fell in love with James, but it wasn’t meant to last.
Well, there you have it my first grammar post! This was a great refresher for me, and I hope you find it helpful too. Was there anything in there that you had forgotten? Maybe something I missed and should have covered?
Note: All definitions have been taken from the Elements of Grammar by Margaret Shertzer. The examples are of my own creation.
I Can Haz Grammar
I am a self proclaimed grammar dummy. It is hard to imagine how I got here, but alas the truth shines through. I suck at grammar. It’s funny because some of my favorite teachers in school were my lit/English teachers. In particular Mrs. Dodd, who I had my sophomore and senior years is probably my most favorite English teacher. No not THE Christina Dodd, although that was her name oddly enough. But, I digress.
I guess I should start at the beginning. I love to read. I know news flash! I have always loved to read. This is very good, but also very bad. Because I read a lot, I learned how to fake my way through early grammar. I didn’t learn anything. Only the most foundational of basics like nouns, verbs, and conjunctions. I faked the rest until high school, when Mrs. Dodd figured me out. She was one smart cookie!
So, this leaves me where I write pretty well, but I have a lot of grammar challenges. 2011 is the year I want to tackle this issue. I am going to run a series of posts on grammar in an attempt to A) teach myself grammar and B) share what I am learning with you all in case it can help anyone else. I hope these posts are helpful, and of course I am NOT an expert! Please feel free to jump in and comment on my posts and correct me if I get something wrong. I am planning on trying to do two posts a month for as long as it takes me to figure this stuff out. So join in the fun or just sit back and watch the show.
Ruby Slippered Sisterhood Winter Writing Festival!
This will be so awesome! The tagline says it all: Finally! A writing festival that doesn’t span a major holiday. (You know women are running it.) Amen! I was so stoked when Jeannie Lin posted this on Romance Divas. I checked it out, and not only is it not over a major holiday…but you get to set your own parameters. I love this. So if you are in editing mode…you get to edit. If you are in writing mode, you write. If you need to do both *aahhheemmmm* you can do both. Thank you! All I can say is click on the pretty picture to come join the winter writing fun, and I hope to see you over there because I have a busy couple months ahead of me. Make sure to friend me in the forum and say hi!
Writing Milestones…
I wanted to take a moment to celebrate and say hi. Hi! *Throws Confetti* I am celebrating a small but satisfying milestone. 40K. I am at 40K on my WIP and I figure that is about the halfway mark. Please God let that be the halfway mark! I am super excited because I can see so much of the story as I envisioned it…and a few things I had no idea would happen the way they did. Go figure. I can’t wait to see how the back half goes.
I am also looking forward to 2011. Besides finishing my WIP and polishing it to a high-gloss shine, I am laying plans for the blog. I am hoping to develop a series of posts on grammar, well because I suck at it and maybe I can learn a little more by sharing it with you. I have a few other ideas up my sleeve, so we’ll see what I map out over the holidays. Have a great week!
Journey to the one…
I was thinking- I know this could be dangerous -about all the different guys I dated before I met my husband. There were more than a few, and as I think back I dated a wide variety of types. Different personalities, different jobs (or future jobs), different personal styles, etc… But they all had a purpose in developing my tastes and preferences in men. Without having dated each one, I often wonder if I would have gotten to Mr. DY, or if I had…would he have been the one?
So bear with me a minute as I reflect briefly….
I think there is a clear pattern here. Why do I care? Should I care? Well other than the fact that it led me to Mr. DY, I write romance so I am always interested in how men and women evolve through their relationships to arrive at “the one”.
In historical romance this can be harder to reveal since “dating” as we know it today was not an option. It was far more formal, but it is still possible to show both character’s previous experiences and how that impacts the current relationship. You just have to work at it a little harder.
If you follow my blog you know I’ve been working on a paranormal romance lately, and there it is a bit easier to show the impacts of past relationships. It is fun to explore in a more direct way how these experiences shape the characters reactions to the current developments.
I want to know, when you look back at the men or women you have dated, is the there a pattern that leads to your current significant other?
SYTYCW1 – I’m Out…
Image via Wikipedia
So sad to say I will not be making any happy dance video’s for you to ogle and laugh at. I did not make it to Week 10 of So You Think You Can Write over at Luv YA. However, there are a number of really fantastic entries still in it, so be sure to switch your vote from me to someone else who still needs it! Personally, I’ll be voting for….
I’M NOT TELLING!
#SYTYCW1 Week 9 – He Steals Her Breath @dyromance
Thanks to you I have made it through to week 9 of Luv YA’s So You Think You Can Write (SYTYCW) contest. Mac is starting to take action and I can’t wait for you all to actually meet him. So, please take a minute to go vote for me again. This week I am entry #2!
Remember…here is what I am promising in return:
1. Cupcakes! (the virtual kind…)
2. If I win the crit in the end I will do a happy dance, video it, and post it for you all!
3. My undying gratitude…seriously thank you for voting over the many weeks and for continuing to vote!
Zoe Archer on “Books That Don’t Fit In”
RWA San Diego had Zoe Archer speak so I had to go hear what she had to say. She spoke about The Blades of the Rose Series and how difficult it was to find a publisher for it. She took her experience and translated it into more generic advice for those writers who are working on books that just don’t fit in. Here are my notes from her speech:
Lessons Learned
1. Minimize Obstacles
- Know your book’s identity – don’t compromise the key component
- Keep unconventional elements in check so they don’t obscure the key component and main purpose of the book
- Be willing to let go of some things that aren’t absolutely needed – like maybe the setting is exotic but the leads are more in the realm of reader expectations (maybe English/American)
2. Use Analogies
- Use timely, relevant, and even classic analogies to help agents, editors, and readers understand what your book is about
- don’t be derivative, be inspirational
- don’t compare it to something it is not or you will fail to meet expectations
(Zoe described her books as Indiana Jones meets Tomb Raider + hot sex )
3. Diversify Your Promotion and Marketing
- If you blur the boundaries you need to reach out all the areas you are touching – no reader left behind
4. Assert Your Book’s Identity
- An unusual setting or time period requires excellent, air-tight research
- Make your world building clean and supportive – this is not a travelogue
- Keep your focus
- The characters must fully develop – no shorthand allowed
5. Take Your Time With The Book
- Don’t pitch it as soon as it is finished
- Revisions, rewriting, and rereading are all needed
- Don’t give them a reason to say no!
Novelty is not a selling point!
6. Believe In Your Book
- Have faith in it
- Your enthusiasm will show in your interactions with agents, editors, and readers
ETA: Another great post just out about Marketing over at Luv YA by Jeannie Lin
