What Can a Writing Coach Do for You?

Posted on May 15, 2012 by Lynnette Labelle

As a freelance editor and fiction writing coach, I often have people ask me what I do as a writing coach, so I thought I’d put it all together in a post.

Writing coaching means different things to different people and that’s the beauty of this service. It’s flexible, so I can truly cater to your editorial needs. Here are some examples of things I’ve done for past clients:

-reworked the beginning of the novel to include the inciting incident
-ensured GMCs were clear throughout the novel
-focused specifically on creating realistic dialogue
-added emotion to the story
-turned one dimensional characters into three dimensional characters
-worked telling into showing (where needed)
-revised a character’s POV to deep POV
-reversed reaction/action to action/reaction
-concentrated on dialogue and action tags
-removed info/backstory dumps and sprinkled the information into the text instead
-targeted and corrected POV slips
-reworked characters to make them more likeable
-added or deleted setting details from the work
-created tension and conflict
-fixed weak protagonists or villains
-brought attention to actions that weren’t properly motivated
-verified and corrected pacing
-sought out clarity issues
-watched for unrealistic actions/characters/plot
-tightened the prose
-checked plot outlines for holes and undeveloped characters
-set up outlines for a series
-brainstormed scenes, chapters, and books
-created hooky queries*
-put together several different lengths of synopses*

Basically, the possibilities are endless. With writing coaching, you can resubmit your chapter or scene as many times as you want. We’ll discuss what’s working and what isn’t and then I’ll make suggestions on how to improve the work. I can help you one chapter at a time or go through the manuscript to correct specific flaws. If you have to learn certain elements of the craft, I’ll teach you what you need to know.

Some writers request writing coaching for their entire manuscript. Others will use the service for a specific purpose and then turn the manuscript over for developmental copyediting or proofreading. And some writers only need a little bit of writing coaching before they continue on their own. Like I said, this is a flexible service. You tell me what you need and we’ll develop a plan just for you.

*Both queries and synopses can also be reworked through a package rather than writing coaching. Ask for details.

Now, let’s turn the spotlight onto you. Name your biggest strength and weakness as a writer.

Lynnette Labelle
www.labelleseditorialservices.com

Share
Posted in Blog | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , | Leave a comment

The Three-Act Structure – Part 3

Posted on May 8, 2012 by Lynnette Labelle

Now, let’s look at the final act of the three-act structure.

The end of the story approaches and the protagonist must venture into the most dangerous and frightening area, where she’ll face either physical or psychological death. She’ll use everything she’s learned so far on her journey toward this struggle.

As the climax nears, you need to increase the pace by shortening the chapters and keeping the action going.

Make sure the ending is emotional, especially for the protagonist. In a romance, this is where the hero and heroine will realize they really are meant to be together.

The protagonist must have grown by now. If the reader were to look back from beginning to end, she should see a constant growth within the character’s arc (with possible temporary setbacks along the way).

Unless this is a continuing series, for the most part, story questions are answered and loose ends are tied up.

There are two typical beginner mistakes to avoid once you get to act three. One tendency is to rush through the ending because the writer is so excited about completing the work that she hurries through one of the most important parts. Slow it down but not too much. The ending shouldn’t drag. The other error I see is when the writer doesn’t want to the story to end, so she prolongs the ending. Remember, typically, act three is only a quarter of the novel’s length.

Understanding the fundamentals of the three-act structure is necessary when creating your best seller. Hopefully, these posts have shed some light on the subject.

Have you ever read a story that up until act three kept your attention but somehow fizzled out by the end? How have story endings disappointed you? Why? Were they rushed? Were story questions unanswered?

Lynnette Labelle
www.labelleseditorialservices.com

Share
Posted in Blog | Tagged , , , , , , , | Leave a comment

The Three-Act Structure – Part 2

Posted on May 1, 2012 by Lynnette Labelle

Last week, we talked about act one of the three act structure. Now, let’s look at act two.

Many beginner writers mistake the middle of the novel, act two, as a simple transition period between the start and end of the story. With a misconception like that, it’s no wonder there are so many saggy middles out there. Instead, act two should be given just as much importance as acts one and three. While the beginning must hook the reader, the middle must keep her interested. That’s not done by adding backstory dumps to fill the pages and increase the manuscript word count. However, some backstory should be added at this point. When properly executed, this is the optimal time to show us a little more about the characters so we can better understand their motivations.

Act two is the place to deepen the reader’s understanding of the story. Add more challenges for the hero/heroine to overcome. Heighten the conflict and show the reader that life for the protagonist can’t continue unless something is done about the situation. If appropriate, show the ticking of the clock, that the deadline is fast approaching. The characters should become more emotionally attached to their goal. Raise the stakes and the characters’ motivations. Show that the protagonist is able to change, but set this up carefully. She can’t be unwilling to change in one chapter and then open to it in the next. It must be a gradual change. Maybe she shows signs of change as she overcomes some of the hurdles put before her.

This act ends with a crisis, where the protagonist must face her worst fear. At first, she’ll react to the situation by cowering away but will eventually realize she has no other choice. She must rise to the challenge, and once she does, there’s no turning back.

We’ll discuss act three next week.

How is the middle of your story? Is it sagging? Hopefully, this post will help you determine whether or not it is and how to fix it.

Lynnette Labelle
www.labelleseditorialservices.com

Share
Posted in Blog | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , | Comments Off

The Three-Act Structure – Part 1

Posted on April 24, 2012 by Lynnette Labelle

The three-act structure is a fundamental part of storytelling. Without it, your story won’t have all the necessary elements to make it as great as possible. Let’s look at the first act in this structure.

Act one usually consists of the first quarter of the story. This act has a lot to accomplish. It must hook your readers, introduce the characters and their world, and start the external conflict. That’s when the inciting incident comes into play. This event or situation threatens the protagonist’s safe, every day world, and sets the story in motion.

Where do you go from there?

-The story problem/conflict is established.
-The stakes are revealed. (What does the protagonist have to win or lose?)
-Subplots may be introduced once the main plot is obvious. (This is very important. Otherwise, the reader gets lost trying to figure out where the story is going and who to root for.)
-The glue stick factor is created. This is a place or situation that glues the characters together as the conflict break everything else apart.

How does act one end?

Before moving on to act two, a crisis must occur and the protagonist usually accepts the challenge.

The problem many writers encounter is they try to put too much into act one or they believe they should save “the important parts” for the middle of the story in an effort to prevent a saggy middle. In reality, you need a balance of both. Too much information could confuse or bore the reader. Not enough could frustrate her.

The two other difficulties writers have with this act is not establishing the story conflict soon enough (or at all), and not revealing the stakes. For example, it won’t mean a thing to the reader that the diner’s closing forever, unless they realize it was passed down to the protagonist from her parents. Not only does she feel an obligation to keep it afloat, but financially, she can’t afford not to.

Understanding the necessary elements in each act will help you avoid these types of mistakes.

We’ll discuss the second act next week.

Lynnette Labelle
www.labelleseditorialservices.com

Share
Posted in Blog | Tagged , , , , , , , | Comments Off

Dialogue Disasters

Posted on April 17, 2012 by Lynnette Labelle

We know we need to include dialogue in our stories, but what about bad dialogue? How can dialogue go wrong? Let’s take a look at some common dialogue blunders.

Chitchat: I’ve talked about this before. It’s when a character goes on and on about nothing. Or when two characters exchange small talk about the weather or what they had for supper. The point is that this type of dialogue doesn’t move the story forward and doesn’t add to the development of the characters. While it’s true we speak like that in real life, we don’t want to read about it in fiction.

The Filler-Inner: This is when the author uses dialogue to tell the reader about something in the past. This can work, but must be done in a way that it doesn’t come across as fake. For example, Bob says, “As you know, Mary, we broke up three years ago.” This doesn’t represent true dialogue because Mary obviously knows this already, so the only purpose it serves it to inform the reader. Instead, this same message should’ve been in either Bob or Mary’s inner dialogue so the reader sees his or her thoughts on this, but the writing doesn’t come across as amateurish. The other way to approach this is if you really need to show the reader something that happened in the past and you want to do it through dialogue, have Bob tell another character who doesn’t know his history. For example, Bob could tell the detective, “I haven’t seen Mary since we broke up three years ago.”

Drama Queen: This is when dialogue is filled with exclamation points, but it’s also over the top. For example, “Johnny, how could you do this to me! After every thing we’ve been through! Tell me I’m wrong! Tell me you’re not leaving!” Granted sometimes you want ONE character to be a drama queen, but this has to be done on purpose and don’t make this character one of your main characters. Just as drama queens can be exhausting in real life, they are in fiction.

Name Dropping: Too many new writers name drop. All. The. Time. This is when the characters call each other by name several times a page. Think about it. In real life, we rarely call people by name when we’re having a discussion with them. It comes across as condescending. For example, “Yes, Bill. I see what you’re saying. Now, Bill, what if we each took a different route and timed it? Then, we could see which is the fastest.” The reader should know who’s talking because of the way the text is set up with action tags, inner dialogue, or narration, so there’s no need to have the characters call each other by name. Occasionally, you can do this, but it should be RARE.

Telling Emotions: This is when a character tells another character (and the reader) how he feels rather than show it. For example, “I’m so angry that she left me. I just want to kill someone.” Instead, maybe he should slam his fist through a wall, stomp his foot, grind his teeth, make a fist… anything but this.

Dialogue should read naturally. If you know and feel your characters, the words will flow. However, if you’re still struggling with dialogue, try paying closer attention to how others speak in real life, on TV, in movies, and in published novels.

Which dialogue disaster bothers you the most? What other blunders do writers make when writing dialogue? What is your dialogue weakness?

Lynnette Labelle
www.labelleseditorialservices.com

Share
Posted in Blog | Tagged , , , , , , , , | Comments Off

How Original Is Your Story?

Posted on April 10, 2012 by Lynnette Labelle

We often read on agents’ blogs, “The story wasn’t original. Seen it a million times before.” While all plots are forms of stories that have been told in the past, you still need some kind of edge, something that’ll make the reader want to read your version of this tale. Maybe you have a different twist or an unusual character in your story that makes it compelling. Or maybe it’s your voice that intrigues the reader to turn page after page. Whatever the case may be, you need something.

How original is your story? Have you done the research? Have you not only read books in your genre but searched for stories similar to yours and compared them to your plot and character ensemble? If you haven’t, you might want to consider adding this to your “To Do” list.

Coming up with something original but not too “out there” can be tricky. Sometimes writers blend genres to try to accomplish this. Some are successful but many flop. Other times, writers will come up with odd characters in hopes that will seem original. Well, odd can be original, but you don’t want to go overboard. You have to find a nice balance between what’s been done, what hasn’t, and what’s acceptable.

Awareness is key. Do your homework and know how your story stands up in the world of publishing.

What are some of the tricks you use to make your story original?

Lynnette Labelle
www.labelleseditorialservices.com

Share
Posted in Blog | Tagged , , , , , , , | Comments Off

Writing Conferences: When Is the Best Time to Go?

Posted on April 9, 2012 by Lynnette Labelle

Conferences. Conferences.  Conferences.  Many writers attend them.  Many authors recommend them.  But when is a good time to go?  Should you jump right in before you’ve
written your first book?  Should you wait until you’re ready to query?  Maybe you shouldn’t go until you have a novel to pitch. Perhaps you should hold off until you have an agent and can meet her there.  Or maybe it doesn’t even make sense to go unless you have a book to promote.

Of course, you could go to a writing conference at any one of those times during your writing journey. But the easiest way to make the decision, other than finances, is to decide why you’d like to attend a conference. Once you know why you want to go, you can figure out when would be the best time to fit a conference into your busy schedule.

If you’re a beginner, you might want to postpone a trip to a conference because they can be quite expensive. Most workshops are an hour or two long. While there are often many to choose from and you can keep yourself busy for days going to these classes, at some point, you’ll hit information overload. And, depending on your ability to take notes and whether or not the presenter has a decent hand-out, you may not retain as much as you would’ve
liked. If you’re looking to learn the craft of writing, you’d be better off taking online classes, reading books about the craft, and joining writing or critique groups.

If you’re an intermediate writer, you may have learned as much as you can through online classes and books, and now need to ask specific questions to experts. Unless you hire a writing coach or an editor, or know a published author, you won’t really have the opportunity to get an expert’s advice. Attending a workshop at a conference could give you the chance to talk to an industry expert either during or after class.

If you’re an advanced writer, you might be more interested in going to workshops about the industry. What’s hot in the market? Who’s buying what? Often, you’ll be able to attend panels with publishers and agents, who’ll reveal what they’re actively searching for and what’s been overdone. You might even want to schedule a pitch or two.

That being said, writing conferences are a lot of fun. If you have the opportunity to attend one and can afford the entrance fee, the hotel bill, the cost of eating out, and travel expenses, you should go.

When did you go to your first conference? When do you think is the best time in a writer’s career to attend a conference? Tell us about your experience at conferences.

Lynnette Labelle

www.labelleseditorialservices.com

Share
Posted in Blog | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , , | Comments Off

Agents Want to Know – Part 2

Posted on March 27, 2012 by Lynnette Labelle
Last week, I told you about one of the questions agents could ask before they’ll take you on as a client. Here’s another one—and it comes in many forms.

-What’s your next book about?
-What else are you working on?
-Where do you see this series going?

Regardless of how the agent asks the question, she’s looking for a certain answer. She wants to see that you’re not a one-book-wonder. If you don’t know what you’re going to write next, that’s a red flag for her. Editors at publishing houses like to make a two or three book deal with an author if they truly believe in the writer’s ability and the marketability of her work. Knowing this, the agent will ask you to complete a plot outline or synopsis for your next TWO books. They don’t have to be a part of a series but should be in the same genre as the book the agent will pitch. She’s looking for material she can sell to the publisher, so she can convince the editor, during these very competitive times, to take a chance on you.

What’s even better is if you can supply her with that second book and the outline for the next. This will show both the agent and publisher that you have the potential of becoming a career author. In fact, I’ve seen a big NY publisher have two of the three books at signing and wait for the author to finish the third so they could publish the novels one after another and heavily promote them. While it meant the author had to wait a little longer before seeing her book in print, she’s very fortunate. With three books on the line, the publisher will do everything possible to ensure these books sell well.

It’s also a good idea to have a sense of how long it takes you to write a book, including all of its editorial stages. That way, you’ll know what kind of commitment you can make. Are you realistically able to write and edit three books a year or are you only able to produce one novel annually? It’s best to know this going in because giving the agent or publisher false expectations, by telling them what they wanted to hear, will only disappoint them in the end if you can’t deliver. Depending on how far you were from hitting your deadline, it could cost you the contract. So, start that timer now. Figure out how long it’ll take you to complete the first draft and every draft after that.

One last thing I’d like to mention is digital publishing. Before you talk to an agent, you need to have an idea where you stand on this issue. Some agents help authors self-publish. Others won’t. Some agents want you to do a combination of self-publishing and traditional publishing. Some don’t. Some agents will specifically target the big NY publishers’ digital lines because they’re more open to new authors. If you only want to see your book in print, you need to let the agent know before she starts shopping around. Plus, knowing how you feel about digital publishing will help you decide if the agent is a good fit for you. Even though the agent has to first want to take you on as a client, you are hiring her. If you don’t share the same vision for your career path, you may want to keep looking.

What other questions might an agent ask before agreeing to sign you as a client?

Lynnette Labelle
www.labelleseditorialservices.com
Share
Posted in Blog | Tagged , , , , , , , , | Comments Off

Agents Want to Know – Part 1

Posted on March 20, 2012 by Lynnette Labelle

There are two questions agents frequently ask writers before they sign them. The problem is most writers are caught off guard by these questions and don’t always answer them the way they would’ve liked. I’ll let you in on the secret so you can prepare ahead of time.

Question #1: Why do you want to be published?

Seems like a simple enough question, right? Wrong. Well, sort of. The agent isn’t just interested in your answer but your attitude. Let’s take a look as how some of your answers COULD be perceived.

Answer #1: I just want to get my story on paper.

Agent’s reaction: Then you don’t need me. If you’re not going to take this seriously and consider writing your new career, I’m not interested.

Answer #2: I want to share my stories with the world.

Agent’s reaction: Why would anyone want to read your stories? What makes you more special than any other writer out there? If you don’t know what’s unique about you and you can’t sell yourself, how am I supposed to?

Answer #3: I want to become a bestseller and make a bundle.

Agent’s reaction: Get real. Do you know how hard it is to become a bestseller? Do you understand how much work is involved? Why do I get the feeling you’re not interested in the writing, just the possible financial benefit. Oh, did I mention you’ll make next to nothing with your first book and possibly every book after that? If you want to become a millionaire, buy a lottery ticket. Your odds are probably better.

Answer #4: I want to be famous.

Agent’s reaction: *Rolls eyes* That’s not going to happen overnight. Are you willing to put in the time and sweat? What if you don’t amount to more than a midlister?

So, what are the agents expecting to hear? They want to know you’re committed, that you understand this journey is hard, long, and not always rewarding. They want you to dream and to set goals, but they need to believe you’re willing to work to attain those goals. In reality, there’s nothing wrong with the answers above as long as you explain them. Don’t give the agent a chance to react in the ways I described above.

Next week, we’ll look at the other question agents tend to ask.

Why do you want to be published? Or if you are published, why did you want to become published?

Lynnette Labelle
www.labelleseditorialservices.com

Share
Posted in Blog | Tagged , , , , , , , , | Comments Off

Lesson of the Day: Altar and Alter

Posted on March 15, 2012 by Lynnette Labelle

Today, I’m starting a new series called Lesson of the Day. These short lessons will focus on grammar, spelling, word usage, and other writing related topics.

Let’s look at the proper usage for altar and alter.

Altar: is a noun meaning a table used for sacramental purposes; a usually raised structure or place on which sacrifices are offered or incense is burned in worship —often used figuratively to describe a thing given great or undue precedence or value especially at the cost of something else <sacrificed his family life on the altar of career advancement>

Alter: is a verb meaning to change or to make different without changing into something else.

Watch this site for more lessons of the day.

Note: The definitions used in this post are from The Chicago Manual of Style and Merriam Webster.

Share
Posted in Blog | Tagged , , , , , , , , | Comments Off