We Do Write: As You Wish Tours

Monday, 26 August 2013

Guest Post by Ann Snizek: Character Building

Book Title: The Jewel of Nirel

Author: Ann Snizek

Release Date: July 27, 2013

Genre: YA Fantasy, Sci-Fi

Length: Over 86,000 Words

Publisher: Snow Flower Enterprises

Presented by: As You Wish Tours

Tour Schedule: The Jewel of Nirel

Character Building

One of the main points of fiction writing is building your characters. You need your readers to connect with your people, human or not, in order for them to invest their time in reading the entire story.

I have several characters in my books that are as real to me as many flesh and blood people. I know their likes, dislikes, quirks, mannerisms… every little bit possible. This allows me to write in a realistic way.

Start out by writing up a profile for each character. Put their physical description, but don’t stop there. Add any quirks or particulars that make them who they are. This isn’t for your readers to look at necessarily, but for you to use as a reference. It allows you to track that you said they love apples on page 10 and not be allergic to them on page 110… unless of course something happens to change that fact about them.

You need to know about their personalities too. This allows for consistency throughout your writing. We each have characteristics in our personality that our family and friends can say,” that is exactly like you!” We want to have that same connection with those we read about. If we have someone in our book do something out of character, it should be known to the reader without always saying that it is out of character.

I like to pick one or two personality traits that stand out the most in each character. I develop some level of backstory for the main people… enough to understand why they are the way they are. This helps with their future interactions and reactions to events and co-characters.

The depth that you go into it all depends on you. Naturally, the main people get the most detail, but where to stop is up to you. I’ve heard that have a character write a journal helps. While not all my characters are the journal keeping kind, I have used this for a few and I like how it worked out. I even discovered a few things about them that I didn’t know.

I think the key is to never underestimate the importance of developing your characters.

BLURB

For the people of Tunuftol, and other countries on the planet Nyssa, names found them starting at twelve months old… at the earliest. Along with the names came certain skills or powers. Depending on what you did with your powers determined what type of person you were, and sometimes affected future names. Therefore, names had great importance in Tunuftol, and Krissa had more than a few… nine to be exact. Her full name was Krissa Lysandra Rue Alverna Harley Mya Magryta Freya Wittek, which is quite a mouthful.

The dangers haven't ended for our friends yet. The weather is starting to warm and the war started last fall is under way. Journey with Krissa and the crew as they struggle to keep their world safe and find their place in it.

AUTHOR BIO

I grew up in Vermont mostly and now live in Virginia with my family (those still at home). My husband and I have a blended family of seven kids. My childhood was spent moving around a lot. (non-military) About five years ago, we started home-schooling our youngest children. Now there are only two remaining in home-school. I have tried to nurture the love of books in our children and now our grandchildren -- always nurturing their imaginations. Recently, I have become active in our community with literacy, starting a local (and online) creative writing club and volunteer tutoring at the Adult Learning Center.

I struggle with Fibromyalgia and PTSD. So, have to be careful not to overdo things... I don't always listen to my own advice. I have a dry, sarcastic and corny sense of humor and always try to look at things optimistically. (again not always successful) However, I feel that if I don't give up -- for long -- then things will work out for the best eventually.

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Wednesday, 14 August 2013

Guest Post: The Search for a Critique Partner by DelSheree Gladden

Book Title: Wicked Hunger

Series: SomeOne Wicked This Way Comes

Author: DelSheree Gladden

Release Date: July 9th

Genre: YA Urban Fantasy

Length: 95,000 words/240 pages

Publisher: GMTA Publishing LLC

Presented by: As You Wish Tours

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The Search for a Critique Partner

One of the scariest things for a writer is showing their work to someone else, to another author especially. The fear of rejection and criticism can be overwhelming. Regardless, this is such an important step in polishing your writing. I’m sure most of us writers out there finish a first draft and think it is absolutely amazing. I know I’ve done that plenty of times. It’s only after someone else reads it and points out a plot hole, or a bizarre reaction, or even an unlikeable character that we can admit the book might still need a little work.

Finding a critique partner can be a challenge. You want someone who will be honest without being brutal. You have to be able to trust that person enough to show them a project that you know needs work, or call on them when you are stuck and can’t write yourself out of a plot problem. So, how do you find someone like that?

Local writer’s groups are a great place to start. You can meet up in person and have a face-to-face discussion about each other’s work. This is a great way to get to know the other writers well enough to know who you can trust with a first draft.

Unfortunately, many writers live in areas where there are no writer’s groups available. That’s when you need to start looking online. There are several great online writer’s groups like The Next Big Writer, Scribophile, Authonomy from Harper Collins, and many others. These types of sites allow you to post chapters of your work in exchange for reviewing other authors’ work. This can be a great experience because you get a wide variety of readers’ thoughts. Another benefit is that you end up making friends with other writers, which can be helpful on staying up to date on publishing news, contests, and which publishers/agents to avoid.

Another way to find a critique partner is simply to ask. Do you know someone who is also a published or aspiring author? If you don’t, ask around. Your friends and family might. I had no idea that a lady I went to church with was a writer until a friend at work mentioned it. Sometimes writers think they are the only ones struggling with a chapter, or unsure of what direction the story should go. You’re not. We all struggle with the same things, and most of us are happy to have someone to turn to for help. Writers may not have a lot of money to spend on writing services either, so working out a trade can be mutually beneficial as well. You need a beta reader, maybe another writer needs and editor or cover designer. Just ask who needs your help, and you’ll find plenty of writers willing to help you in return.

SYNOPSIS

Vanessa and Zander Roth are good at lying. They have to be when they are hiding a deadly secret. Day after day, they struggle to rein in their uncontrollable hunger for pain and suffering in order to live normal lives. Things only get worse when Ivy Guerra appears with her pink-striped hair and secrets. The vicious hunger Ivy inspires is frightening, not to mention suspicious.

Vanessa’s instincts are rarely wrong, so when they tell her that Ivy’s appearance is a sign of bad things to come, she listens. She becomes determined to expose Ivy’s secrets. Vanessa tries to warn her brother, but Zander is too enamored with Ivy to pay attention to her conspiracy theories.

One of them is right about Ivy … but if they lose control of their hunger, it won’t matter who is right and who is wrong. One little slip, and they’ll all be dead.

AUTHOR RECOMMENDATIONS

Delsheree Gladden's first book in her new YA series SomeOne Wicked This Way Comes is a riveting story of uncontrollable bloodlust that turns dealing with family, friendships, trust, devotion and love into a WICKED HUNGER~~~Susan Stec, author of Dead Girls Never Shut Up and The Grateful Undead Series.

AUTHOR BIO

DelSheree Gladden lives in New Mexico with her husband and two children. The Southwest is a big influence in her writing because of its culture, beauty, and mythology. Local folk lore is strongly rooted in her writing, particularly ideas of prophecy, destiny, and talents born from natural abilities. When she is not writing, DelSheree is usually teaching yoga, coaching gymnastics, reading, painting, sewing, or working as a Dental Hygienist. Her works include Escaping Fate, Twin Souls Saga, and The Destroyer Trilogy. DelSheree's newest series, The SomeOne Wicked This Way Come series, follows Vanessa and Zander Roth, siblings with an uncontrollable hunger for pain and suffering that will either gain them limitless power or lead them to their deaths.

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