Showing posts with label Blue Ridge Literary Agency. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Blue Ridge Literary Agency. Show all posts

Sunday, January 31, 2016

Gratitude to a Writing Group by Diane Bator

April 2016 will mark my 9th year as a member of the Headwaters Writers' Guild. I can honestly say I owe my writing career to the amazing members of this group.

When I first joined the group, I had already been writing for many years, but always afraid to publish the things I wrote. I never believed I was good enough. The members of this group were as gracious with their praise as they were their criticisms. At each meeting, I gained strength and belief that I did have a little bit of talent and worked hard to stitch together the things I wrote to create my first novel The Bookstore Lady, which I shopped around to several publishers. In 2010, I won a writing contest sponsored by Wynterblue Publishing. From there, my writing career sprouted fledgling wings.

It wasn't until I met a lady in an online critique group that I was introduced to my current agent, Dawn Dowdle at Blue Ridge Literary Agency. Dawn sold my first book to Books We Love, Ltd and my first series, Wild Blue Mysteries, was born. What a great celebration to hold that first book in my hands and be able to share it with the rest of the group. That was quickly followed by two more books with two more on the way.


Then in 2013 I submitted a second book to my agent. In no time, we'd secured a contract from Gemma Halliday Publishing for my Gilda Wright Mystery series. As I write this, I am awaiting the release of the third book in this series on April 11, 2016.

  

I am also in the process of writing an entire new book based on Gemma Halliday's Danger Cove series. For the first time ever, one of my main characters is an English Sheepdog found by protagonist Laken Miller. Should be a fun ride!


Thank you to all of my great friends here at the HWG! Without your love and support, I wouldn't have all these great stories to share with the world. What an amazing group we have!! 

Saturday, April 19, 2014

Editing Woes

This week I've had the honor of taking on a new critique partner who works with my agent, Dawn Dowdle at Blue Ridge Literary. Being partners, we've given chapters back and forth and, in a fit of frustration, she asked if I'd have a look at her manuscript. I agreed and was treated to a fun cozy mystery that I would love to curl up and read one day!

Over an intense weekend of editing, a few things jumped out at me that I'd love to pass along. Things that make me cringe and, if I ever catch myself doing them again... Well, I'll have to come up with a suitable punishment later.

One of the things that bothered me was those pesky -ly words. Yes, I've had my knuckles rapped by many an editor about overusing these babies. Slowly, cheerfully, graciously, respectfully, annoyingly, etc. While a writer might think they help convey a mood or a feeling, they're annoying when overused. Which means maybe one per chapter. Tops. That's it.

Another one that got me:  dialogue tags. (I have many bruises over these too!) Rather than piling on mounds of description, spread it out through your dialogue. Example from The Mystery Lady/

Her neighbor could have been sympathetic. He could have even offered to make peace. Instead, he winked and asked, “But aside from that, how are things going?”
“You’re not funny. I have two deadlines, three bored kids, and a flat pool in my yard.” She stopped ranting and pasted on a fake smile. “Other than that, things are wonderful. Thanks for asking.”
He narrowed his lime green eyes. “Was that sarcasm?”
She stared hard. Nope. No way he was her type. Too rude. Too...glistening with sweat and easy on the eyes. When her knees wobbled, she thought about her three kids. “Yeah, that was sarcasm. You’re not the brightest bulb in the string, are you?”
He grinned then studied her. “I don’t believe I’ve had the pleasure. Clancy Davidson. Mel and Daisy’s son. I’m watching the house while my mom’s in the hospital.”
“Sorry to hear that.” She folded her arms across her chest, aware he was checking her out inch by sweaty inch. “Lucy. Lucy Stephen. Hot and cranky mom of three.”

!!! Exclamation marks!! One good guideline is only use a handful per manuscript!!! Not a handful per sentence!!

If you don't outline your book, something I rarely do until the bitter end, at least re-read it line by line or have someone else read things over to make sure you have flow and continuity. Your character shouldn't be a blond at the beginning of the book and a brunette halfway through then a blond again at the end without a very good reason. Or suddenly in Chapter 23 a dog appears that they've had forever but the reader had no idea existed. 
Or a spouse who teleports out of nowhere. 

Over the course of three books, I've learned about all these annoying habits by having someone (agents, editors and critique partners) tell me the same things over and over and over. All I want to do is share the things I've learned.

Diane is an avid hiker, Reiki Master, and martial artist, who loves to make a mess in the kitchen and put in the garden. Joining a writing group was the catalyst for coming out of the creative closet and writing her first murder mystery series, Wild Blue Mysteries. She lives in Southern Ontario with her husband, three kids, and a cat who thinks he's a Husky.

Website: http://penspaintsandpaper.com
Blog: http://dbator.blogspot.ca/





Saturday, June 29, 2013

More Great News!

Hey, everyone!
Thought I'd pass on word that my novel The Bookstore Lady, the one I started to write when I first joined the HWG in 2007, is being published by Books We Love! More details to come when the ink on the contract is dry and I have them. Have a wonderful summer! Huge thank you to my agent at Blue Ridge Literary for lining it all up.