book, writing

How About A Little Backstory?

Posted on by Brenda Poulos

As I wind down my next book, I am dealing with when to share the backstory with my readers. Perhaps discussing its importance with you will help solidify it for me.

Backstory—the part of the story that comes before the main story—it grounds the story for the “opening” chapter. It helps the author clarify what will be motivating the characters going forward… why they act/react in certain ways to story events.

The only things that should be included are those that actually drive the plot. One of these is often called The Wound—something that haunts the character—a lie the main character believes. A lie that needs to be laid to rest. 

Why?

Because the lie they believe is limiting them in some way—creating an inner conflict.  

Three ways to share the backstory:

1. Sharing the Backstory As A “Drip”– the most effective, of all backstory techniques. Essentially, it is slowly giving small pieces of information, as necessary, throughout the story so readers can understand what is happening. Backstory provides clues which change the trajectory  of the character’s arc.

2. Sharing Backstory in a Prologue-this is an extra   “chapter” at the beginning of the story, as explained above. It is set apart as a “tease” to get readers to want to know more. 

3. Sharing Backstory in Flashbacks-These are actual scenes from the past that show what has happened in the backstory. They can chop up the flow of your story, but shouldn’t be too problematic if you sprinkle them throughout the book. 

Don’t share backstory until you’ve reached a point in the story where it’s imperative that readers know it. 

If they don’t feel the need to understand what happened in the past, they may not be willing to spend the time reading all of the details.

I’m close to making a decision. Are you???

Don’t Stress Out

Posted on by Brenda Poulos

A group of us writers were discussing capitalization last week. Some were unclear about when to capitalize family names and endearments. I went to the internet and here’s what I found.


Capitalize nouns like mom, dad, and grandmother when they are used as PROPER nouns.  Example, “Dad, can I use the car?” (So, basically Dad is being used in place of his name).


However, when preceded by an article or a possessive noun, don’t capitalize. That means if the words a, an, the, my, your, our precede the noun, no capital is needed. Example, “My dad let me borrow the car.

”
But what about other words used in place of a person’t name? Words such as honey, sweetheart, darling, dear, son, and so on? 


Well, that is the confusing one. I read several opinions—each of which had different answers and reasons behind them. But, if you go by what The Chicago Manual of Style says, then here is the answer: Capitalize nicknames, but not terms of endearment (unless they begin a sentence.)  
Example: If you consistently call someone, Pookie, then that is their nickname, so capitalize it.
Example: “Where’s the toothpaste, dear?” Dear is not capitalized because it is a term of endearment and not a nickname.

Since this “rule” lies in a gray area, the most important thing is this: Use your best judgement, but be sure to be consistent throughout your entire article, book, etc.


Hope this helps if, like me, you were stressing out about this “rule” of grammar.




Advice From Olympians

Posted on by Brenda Poulos

As gold medalists were interviewed at the Olympics, many of them delivered the same message for young wannabes:

1- Practice each day with the attitude of becoming better every time you perform. 

2- Consistently beat your own record. 

3- Take pride in your achievements.

This should be the “take-away” for authors, too. We are not so different than anyone else who is perfecting a skill.

Take pride in our work and achievements. Make each book better than the last.

Pen Names, Continued…

Posted on by Brenda Poulos
Photo by Kenneth Jencks on Pexels.com

Suggestions for those considering using a pen name: 

  • Set up an email list and web page. (If you don’t want another webpage, other than the one you should already have, you can get by with a business Facebook page, only.) Use yourauthorname.com. This is your pen name, not your real name.
  • Set up a Facebook page (so you can run ads). Make sure this is NOT a personal profile page.

So, where do you buy an author or pen name. Good old Go Daddy, of course. It shouldn’t be very expensive, but you will have to renew annually. You may be surprised to find that someone else already owns the .com you want. So, be ready with a backup choice. Remember, this is how people will find you on the internet. Just as they search for the “real you” for your other books, they will likewise search for your pen name.

In case this is confusing, here’s my “real” one: www.brendapoulosauthor.com If this had already been taken, I could have chosen: http://www.authorbrendapoulos.com. If you have an additional website (like I do) you can also purchase the .org.

Why Pen Names??

Posted on by Brenda Poulos

You may find this information interesting and thought-provoking. Even if you question whether this will ever be relevant for you, it is information worth saving for the future.

For the next several weeks, I will be addressing the controversial topic of pen names. The internet has A LOT to say about pen names, but because it is from so many sources, I have condensed it HERE.

Anne Rice, Dr. Seuss, Mark Twain, C. S. Lewis, George Elliot, Lewis Carroll, George Orwell. These are just a fraction of the Pen Names used by authors over the years.

A pen name may be used to make the author’ name more distinctive, to separate the author from their other writings, to disguise the author’s gender, to protect the author from retribution for their writings (if their political or religious viewpoints may be seen as radical or unpopular), to allow an author to try writing in multiple unrelated genres, to conceal/protect family relationships, assure the author’s privacy, or for any of a number of reasons related to the marketing of their work.

There is nothing illegal about using a pen name. If you are self-publishing through Amazon, follow the directions I will be sharing. They assure that your privacy will be protected on Amazon; however, there are ways you can be “found.” (After all, the internet shared the names above, along with hundreds of others). Amazon just makes it more difficult for you to be “found.” 

The essential requirement is that your pen name be memorable ( more memorable than your real name). Try to come up with a name that suits your genre and writing style—a name that sounds like the age range you are targeting with your writing and represents your genre. (A fun exercise is to use one of several Pen Name Generators you can find online.)

At the time you setup your Author Central Account, KDP asks for an author name. Give your pen name under the ‘Primary Author’ section.

Once your book is published, your pen name will be shown on your Author Central account-Bookshelf page. Your real name will not be visible on your Amazon book page once your book is published. 

When using a pen name your real name stays anonymous. Your actual account is set up under your real name, so you will get payments in your real name. 

Note: Once your book is published, you CANNOT change your book’s primary author field. (You can create a new edition with the updated author name, but this may be a hassle.) Just be careful when filling out the information boxes.

I look forward to sharing more next week!

Tell Your Story

Posted on by Brenda Poulos

If you watched the Republican National Convention this past week, you heard from average Americans who had been invited to speak. We hung on their every word—a testimony to the power of story.

This experience reminded me of why biographies, autobiographies, and memoirs have become so popular. 

We all love a good story. If you have one, tell it.

If you know someone with a meaningful story, encourage them to share it.

There will always be a thread of truth that will tug at someone else’s soul—a common theme or experience that will resonate with them.

And that, my friends, has the power to echo into eternity.

A Little Fish in a BIG Pond

Posted on by Brenda Poulos

The global book publishing industry releases over 4 million titles each year. China leads the pack with over 444,000 titles annually. Second is the US, followed by The United Kingdom with about 186,000 new titles each year.

So, what does that mean for readers?  Lots of choices.

And for authors, it means there is an immense amount of competition out there.

What to do about it? Authors need to do their best to submit quality work at a competitive price.

But, that’s not all.

We must market our books in order to get noticed—and advertising is expensive. In fact, it can cost authors more than $100 just to offer their books on free promotions. That’s right. You pay a marketing website a hefty fee for your right to give your books away!!!

Many of these opportunities are with companies that do a great job of promoting new titles. That’s why they are used so often.

I have received literally hundreds of emails from advertisers/ marketers over the past ten years. I have used very few. I was pleased with some. Not so happy with others.

My best advice is to spend a few hours on the internet looking at various websites and get the opinions of your peers before you plunk down the cash.

Whether you self-publish or publish “traditionally,” you are responsible for most of your advertising. So, don’t miss this crucial step in the writing process. 

Without it, your book will only be one out of 4 million this year.

Mending Fences

Posted on by Brenda Poulos

My novella, Mending Fences, is now on Amazon in both Kindle and paperback formats. 

 I previously published this novella in a collection alongside three other authors. It is now available as a stand alone novella with special pricing.

After the death of his beloved grandfather, Mason finds himself torn between the needs of Rose, the aging grandmother who raised him, and the demands of Lee Ann, the mother who abandoned him as a baby.

Mason’s relationship with Lee Ann is turbulent and complicated. After marrying the wealthy Rex LeMasters, Lee Ann charged back into Mason’s life, reclaiming him and his older sister, Glory, and moving them from the family ranch in Boise, Idaho to Green River, Washington when Mason was fifteen. His mother has not spoken to Mason’s grandparents since that time.

 When Gram takes a fall, Lee Ann at last returns to see her mother—a visit which dredges up memories of a secret buried since Lee Ann’s childhood. 

Will learning the truth about what caused the rift between them so many years ago help them move forward toward reconciliation? Will Lee Ann’s new perspective on the past serve as a catalyst to restore her relationship with her own children?

This novella will inspire you to face your own difficult circumstances, let go of bitterness resulting from past hurts and disappointments and offer forgiveness to the significant people in your life. 

Attributions

Posted on by Brenda Poulos

You’ve used them many times, but perhaps you didn’t know it had a name—or names. Whether you call them attributions, dialogue tags, or speech tags, you need to know how and when to use them. 

Dialogue attribution means writing “XXX said” after the dialogue, at the end of dialogue, or in-between dialogue by the same speaker. They clarify who is speaking, thus guarding against the reader’s confusion. If a conversation goes on too long without a tag, the reader will lose track of who is saying what.

But what if we don’t want to use the monotonous “said” tag over and over again?

We can use “beats” (short descriptions of thought or action) OR structure our dialogue so the reader gets a clue as to is speaking from the text or from the order of speech.

Use tags only when they are needed to clarify who is talking, or as a clever way to add action, facial expression, or reveal something new about your character. They are good ways to break up long sections of dialogue, but using them too often can be distracting for readers. 

A writer can put tags at the beginning, middle, or end of dialogue. My best advice is to use a varied approach.

Using tags such as “Mary said,” or “Mary remarked,” at the beginning of dialogue often takes the reader’s attention away from the dialogue. For variety, use it at the beginning if it is descriptive: Mary looked upward, shielding her eyes from the sun. “It’s only seven o’clock in the morning and I’m already sweating.”

Putting a tag at the end, puts the reader’s focus on the dialogue itself: “It’s only seven o’clock in the morning and I’m already sweating,” Mary said, looking upward and shielding her eyes from the sun.

Finally, using tags in the middle of a character’s dialogue is a good way to break up long lines of dialogue or introduce a natural pause in speech: “It’s only seven o’clock in the morning,” said Mary, shielding her eyes from the sun. “I’m already sweating.”

This last method of tagging is quickly becoming a favorite of mine, but let’s not forget another easily used method of having the “other” person in the conversation using the other’s name: “Mary, you look lovely.” Or, descriptively, you could write: He touched Mary’s arm. “You look lovely.” In both cases speaker one has tagged Mary as the other person in the conversation.

Finally, be sure to put your dialogue inside quotation marks. I recently read a story which failed to use both quotation marks and attributions. As you might expect, I had to put the book down after reading only a couple of pages. The experience left me questioning why we are allowing self-publishing carte blanche…

But that’s another subject for another time…

Read and Write Outside the Box

Posted on by Brenda Poulos

I am sooooo tired of stories about people who have had a relative pass away and being left to renovate a bed and breakfast on a remote island.

Coming up with more original themes for books shouldn’t be that difficult. Let’s start with looking at our own experiences.

A couple of my friends write blogs about the “good old days” and they always get accolades from readers.

Why?

Because these are shared experiences with readers who grew up in the 60’s, like we did. When we talk about lava lamps and hula hoops, they smile and recall what it was like for them.

Readers are drawn to authors who mention events, games, music, food—things they recognize from their own lives.

My grandson’s favorite cake is topped with coconut icing. Watching him eat it reminded me that it was my father’s favorite, too, and that gave me a great idea for a future short story.

Ideas are all around us, if we are willing to think—and write—outside the box.